It’s a Saturday night nearing the end of March 2018. A crowd has gathered outside the Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The night’s star turn is Jim Bob, one time of Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine, here to play an acoustic solo set to a sell out crowd. Figures stroll up and down in the cold. A typical Saturday night pre-gig scene, you might think… It’s the norm on these occasions to wander past those with flyers and not make eye contact, but tonight, something is different. A flame haired woman is dishing out glossy pieces of paper and yelling “SALAD IS BACK ON THE MENU!” in a way that’s impossible to merely shrug off.
Saxon: Three more vinyl/CD reissues scheduled for July
It’s been a great year for Saxon fans. Not only have the 80s metal legends released their twenty-second studio album – ‘Thunderbolt’, a UK top 30 hit, their most successful since 1988 – but they’ve also launched a successful reissue campaign.
Grab a free download from Justine & The Unclean
Last year, Justine & The Unclean released their debut album, ‘Get Unclean’. Although only half an hour long, the release showcased a variety of styles from hard rock to power pop, Phil Spector-ish flourishes and – perhaps most importantly – some of the best female fronted pop punk for a long while.
Various cult online music sites praised the album highly, so there was always a feeling they wouldn’t just be a one-shot deal.
They’re back with a new single, which they’re giving away for free!
Watch the new video from British goth band Her Despair
Taken from their forthcoming album ‘Mournography’, UK goth rockers Her Despair have unleashed a new video for ‘Blaspheme With Me’. The track has a pinch of metal, but the over-riding mood is a very retro one, with the band carrying more influence from Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy than HIM or Type O Negative.
Combining a busy and melodic tune with a slightly darker vocal, mournfulness rarely sounded so good and if you still love gothic music from the 80s, there’s something for you to enjoy.
The full press release and video can be found below.
SAXON – Wheels Of Steel
Released in November 1979, Saxon’s self titled debut LP was not the commercial success everyone had hoped for. Perhaps part of the blame could be levelled at Carrere Records – primarily a French disco label – not having the greatest experience of promoting a rock band. Maybe the problem lay with the album itself: while a hugely entertaining listen – especially from an historical viewpoint – it’s somewhat mixed in style. Tracks like ‘Stallions of the Highway’ and ‘Backs To The Wall’ point the way towards the brand of no nonsense metal Saxon would make their trademark, but others like ‘Frozen Rainbow’ have a footing much closer to a1970s almost past, a place where atmosphere and pomp outweighed sheer bluster.
In those days, of course, bands weren’t dumped on the scrap heap by their record labels after a flop, and in Saxon’s case – and ultimately Carrere’s too, since the likes of Ottawan weren’t going to be around forever – it’s a good job. Decamping to Wales, the band set about writing their second album; the record that would change their fortunes and the face of 80s metal forever… ‘Wheels of Steel’.