We’ve always aimed to bring an eclectic coverage of music at Real Gone. We’ve always insisted on mixing genres and covering bigger bands we love alongside some really underground DIY releases.
Since the site launched in November 2009, there’s been a lot of music to get excited about, but the first quarter of 2018 could be one of the most enjoyable yet.
It’s sometime after 10.20pm and the downstairs of the Shepherd’s Bush Empire is completely rammed. There’s barely any room to move. It didn’t seem this busy when Carter USM‘s Jim Bob played his brilliant sold out show here just a week earlier, but that’s probably due to more people being in the balcony. The majority of people may be downstairs for this second London double headliner between The Wonder Stuff and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin tonight, but that has the effect of adding plenty of atmosphere. Whatever the crowd logistics, it’s impressive the Stourbridge lads can still pull such a huge crowd on their second night in such a large venue.
Creating a hybrid metal-based sound of doom, grunge, sludge and progressive metal, Awooga floored at least half of the competition with their debut EP ‘Alpha’. Taking cues from Deftones, Tool and Amplifier, the band created a sound that went far beyond being just a composite of its influences; a brilliant technical ability and a melodic vocal often contrasting the heaviness made it very compelling listening.
Approximately eighteen months on, the Sheffield-based riff-meisters have created something rather special in their first full length album. ‘Conduit’ takes everything that was great about the EP and refines it and improves upon it, but without any temptation to make it more commercial. The production is amazing; the songs – if indeed they are songs as opposed to a collection of amazing riffs with a vocal weaving in and out – each showcase a band who’ve really taken their time in making sure everything is almost perfect. And it shows: there’s barely a note out of place , and with the album clocking in at an old fashioned forty minute running time, there’s been no temptation to waste a second of it.
At the beginning of March 2018, Oslo trio Spielbergs released the first new music from their upcoming EP ‘Distant Star’. The track and new video blended melody and power in a hugely appealing and retro way, drawing the listener back to the 90s with a world of shimmering guitars.
The Fierce And The Dead will release their anticipated third album ‘The Euphoric’ via Bad Elephant Music on May 18th.
The build up to the album release has already been exciting. The band have had their first sold out London headliner, pre-orders for a 2CD deluxe version of the album have almost sold out and the video for the album’s first single – the heavy and immense ‘Truck’ – went viral.