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Arch Enemy – Deceivers

As female metalheads, we acknowledge that men dominate our scene and personally I’ve never had any issues with it. They have created works of art that will endure a lifetime, served as the soundtrack to some of our favourite moments, and influenced us greatly. However, when a woman is creating heavy metal that can compete with the best of the best, we are immediately proud. 

Angela Gossow, the original lead singer for the Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy carved a path for many. As Gossow fronted the band from 2000-2014, this covered my seminal listening years and I loved the moment where many would say ‘wait, this is a female singing?!’. Canadian Alissa White-Glutz took over the vocal reigns in 2014 and she had big shoes to fill but has done so effortlessly. Gossow still remains a business manager for the band, and no doubt has watched on proudly as Alissa carries on the legacy.  

Releasing 6 singles before the full album could make many question if Arch Enemy has dropped their strongest songs leaving the fillers behind, but this album is all killer, no filler!

Opening Arch Enemy’s 11th studio album Deceivers, is Handshake with Hell, the intro builds and you’re instantly picturing lights illuminating a stage as they all enter. It is a blindingly heavy track, an opener to show the world they are not here to mess about! To the tail end of the track, the drums of Daniel Erlandsson are stripped back momentarily for Alissa to show off her clean vocals.  

Deceiver, Deceiver will make all those who partake in circle pits rejoice. It’s fast, it’s heavy, and only lets up to get heavier. Somehow Arch Enemy has perfected making the headbangers, the circle pit runners and the singers in heavy metal crowds happy within a single track. Alissa’s vocals keep blowing me away, from the low gutturals to a higher pitched scream they have only grown stronger over the years. Deceiver, Deceiver was released in October of 2021 and has a film clip to match. At the time, the album had not yet been announced and was released along with House of Mirrors and marketed as standalone singles. 

In The Eye of the Storm was the first track I heard from the new album and I could go to battle with this song. As Alissa bellows ‘The chase is on, the traps are set..’ even sitting at my desk, my fist is high. Released on July 14th, the track already amassing half a million streams. This one was written for a live setting, and personally, I cannot wait to experience it.

The combination of two of metal’s most loved axe men Jeff Loomis and Michael Amott creates an atmosphere only possible by a true musical connection.  

My stand-out track on the album will have to be The Watcher. It’s aggressive and fast, giving Erlandsson a chance to really show off. The verses are thrashy leading into melodic choruses, where the guitars harmonise with the vocals before a quick tempo change that would make power metal fans extremely happy. The outro flows beautifully into Poisoned Arrow a brief guitar lick offers the listener a momentarily dip in the assault from the first 4 tracks. The song is constructed as a story and flows and ebbs superbly. 

The doom that Spreading Black Wings provides is true Arch Enemy. Each member is a true professional playing their instrument to near perfection, and this creates a seamless track where they are as one. Too many times metal bands are pushing the lead guitar to the front, or the vocals over the drums yet the production on this album is fantastic. Producer Jacob Hansen has worked with artists such as Volbeat, Amaranthe, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Epica to name a few. He even lends his vocals to Sunset Over The Empire. 

The final two tracks are not here to carefully deliver you to a peaceful conclusion. Arch Enemy is not done with us yet! One Last Time nearly feels more cheerful. The chorus would be crisp, high notes if Arch Enemy were any other band, but Alissa is not any other vocalist. Her loud, heavy vocals remain consistent throughout, barely dipping to murmur ‘patience is running out, It’s wearing thin, seems like I’m slipping, losing ground’, the collaboration between Alissa’s vocals and the guitars continues to impress me. Sharlee D’Angelo, Arch Enemy’s bass player, is considerably more noticeable in this track and has always been a backbone of the band’s low end. 

Jeff Loomis’ superb leads on the final song, Exiled from Earth, add a lot of richness and vibrancy. I can see this being a terrific ending for the live performance because it simultaneously appears to wind things down and leave you wanting more at the same time. It is anthemic and approachable, like most of this record. 

I am so glad I gave Deceivers a listen because it is all I could have hoped for in an Arch Enemy record. Being a metal DJ for so long temporarily turned me away from them, but this is a perfect reunion. Deceiver is a terrific album that honours Arch Enemy‘s past and shows off its continuing strength. 

It is such a strong record that has greatly reignited my enthusiasm for the group and look forward to their return to Australian shores as they have not been here since 2018 appearing on Download Festival and accompanying headline club shows.  

May Arch Enemy’s new album Deceivers be the soundtrack to your weekend with your air guitar strapped on tight. 

Pick up Deceivers from your local JB HiFi or online here
Alternative versions are available here

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Interview with Tim Gauci (Primitive)

Mitch had a killer chat with Primitives TIM GAUCI regarding their upcoming EP release, WITH RATS AND SNAKES out August 12.

Making their mark on the Australian metal scene since 2016, Melbourne act Primitive are set to strengthen their presence and demand the attention of the unsuspecting, with their aggressive new single ‘With The Rats And Snakes’ – the title track from their upcoming EP, out August 12.

Without limiting themselves to a particular sub-genre, Primitive incorporate their brand of abrasive yet memorable riffs, solos, grooves, and hooks – sounding something reminiscent of the wave of early 2000’s American Heavy Metal & Metalcore styles.

Frontman/guitarist Tim Gauci adds “ ‘With the Rats and Snakes’ is a natural step to a more directed and matured sound. It was a conscious effort to learn from our previous efforts, see what we could expand on, and introduce new elements to draw closer to perfecting ‘our sound’. The title track/first single perfectly encompasses what we’ve done before, and what we’ve recently discovered in the writing room.”

Since their debut and critically acclaimed self-titled EP (2017), and single ‘For the Weak’ (2019), the band have shared the stage nationally and internationally with Max and Iggor Cavalera, Alien Weaponry, Psycroptic, Fleshgod Apocalypse, The Crown, Origin and more. The new EP ‘With The Rats And Snakes’, exhibits a further expansion to their relentless sound and solidifies themselves as worthy contenders to reach the heights of some of metal’s biggest and most respected heavy hitters.

Track Listing
I. Curse
II. With the Rats and Snakes
III. Broken Hands
IV. The Last Nail
V. God Is Beneath Us
VI. Rivers

Pre-Order here: https://primitiveaus.lnk.to/wtras

www.facebook.com/Primitiveaus

www.instagram.com/primitiveaus

 

 

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[Review] The Hu @ The Bridgeway Hotel, Pooraka 6/8/2022

A lot has happened since the last time Mongolian band The HU was in the country. Their first visit to Australia coincided with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to some very uncertain times (to put it mildly) with a lot of restrictions suddenly popping up which had huge implications for the music industry. The HU was first in Australia as part of the 2020 Download Music Festival, which was canceled due to COVID at the very last minute, leaving them in the country to only perform a couple of their sideshow gigs. I attended one of these gigs at The Gov in Adelaide and little did I know at the time, that it would be the last proper gig I would see for quite some time. The venue capacity was reduced due to restrictions on the very day of the gig, leaving many ticketholders unable to attend the sold-out show, and one of the few phrases we heard the band speak in English that night was ‘fuck coronavirus!’

Two and a half years later, The HU is finally back in Australia, and under much less uneasy conditions.

For those not familiar with The HU, they certainly are a unique band. The band itself calls its genre ‘Hunnu Rock’, which is a mix of traditional Mongolian music and western metal. The band uses a combination of their traditional instruments including the morin khuur (or horsehead fiddle) and more typical rock instruments like the electric guitar, giving them a very distinctive sound.

This Adelaide gig was originally booked for the new Hindley Street Music Hall but with construction still underway, the show was moved to The Bridgeway Hotel.

Opening up the show was Brisbane’s The Blackwater Fever. I can’t imagine how you might find a suitable band to open up for The HU in Australia, given their unique genre, however, The Blackwater Fever supplied some tight bluesy garage rock which sat well with the packed venue’s crowd. Their set served as a fairly laid-back warm-up for the main act to come.

As the headliner’s set start time was approaching, I found my way down to the front of the stage. Despite the room being at capacity, there was a very relaxed vibe in the room. There didn’t seem to be the usual push and shove down at the front of the stage and it was quite easy to get a good spot without getting in anyone’s way. Looking around at the punters before the lights went down, there didn’t seem to be any clear demographic in attendance either. There wasn’t a ‘crowd type’ to be seen at all and it had me wondering how this large crowd had discovered The HU. 

Right on schedule, the lights dimmed, and the band entered the stage to rapturous applause, kicking off with a track called Shihi Hutu from their forthcoming new album Rumble of Thunder. This song showcased everything that the band is known for, sounding like an epic battle-cry anthem. Their traditional throat singing and morin khuur’s were used to great effect. In contrast, the second song of the set Shoog Shoog would have to be The HU’s most upbeat-sounding song with its almost danceable beat. Next up was the title track from the band’s debut The Gereg album, which showcased some of vocalist Jaya’s playing of the tumur hhuur (jaw harp).

As the band worked their way through their set of songs mostly from their debut and also from their album coming next month, I noticed how transfixed the crowd was by the band, despite the lyrics being in Mongolian and not being easy songs to sing along to. A lot of The HU’s songs have a hypnotic rhythm to them, and the appearance of the band is visually striking. On stage, the core members of the band are at the front of the stage. Gala, Enkush, Jaya and Temka all dressed in intricate leather, with their beautiful traditional Mongolian instruments are the focal point of the show. Seeing such different instruments being played is part of the appeal of The HU for me, and I’m sure for many others who have seen the band perform.

Behind the core members of the band are the members of the band who play the more typical western instruments and are considered the touring members of the band. Ono, Jamba, Davaa and Odko are all set back from the front of stage, playing guitar, bass, drums and percussion in the semi-darkness for a lot of the performance. With eight band members on stage, it’s this combined mix of traditions that gives The HU such a rich and distinctive sound.

Later in the set came the two songs that introduced the world to the band. Both Yuve Yuve Yu and Wolf Totem, when released, garnered millions of views on YouTube. It was the later re-recording of the latter song with Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix that was my introduction to the band. These two songs got a huge response from the crowd.

Rounding out the set were a couple of new songs, Black Thunder and This is Mongol both of which were released this year, preceding the rest of the new album.

After almost ninety minutes, the band took a bow and exited the stage. The crowd most certainly still wanted more so the band returned for the obligatory but well-deserved encore.

As the band arrived back on the stage, the now familiar sounds of the morin khuurs rang out before the electric guitar kicked in with the instantly recognisable riff of Metallica’s Sad But True. The Hu’s version of this song has got to be the perfect blend of western metal and traditional Mongolian folk instruments for sure and was a brilliant way for the band to bring the set to a close.

Although I was initially disappointed that this gig had been moved from a new city venue to an older suburban hotel, The Bridgeway did turn out to be a great place to relocate to. With the big stage and impressive light set-up, the sound and visuals of The HU were well showcased, and when it was all over and the house lights came on, there was a definite buzz in the room and there were a lot of smiling faces from punters who looked really happy to be back at big gigs once again.

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Interview with Jona Tee (H.E.A.T)

Today marks the seventh album release for Swedish heavy rockers, H.E.A.T. Titled Force Majeure, this album sees the band extend their live show energy into a collection of stadium anthems including monster singles ‘Hollywood’, ‘Back To The Rhythm’ and ‘Nationwide’, and is a return album for founding frontman Kenny Leckremo. The band will also be making their Australian live tour debut next month, playing four shows across Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide.

Silver Tiger Media’s Tammy Walters had a chat to keyboardist Jona Tee ahead of their release and shows.

How are you feeling with your new album Force Majeure about to be released on Friday 5 August?

I don’t think we have really realised it is so soon. But we’re really excited! Going to burst. We will be in Finland on Friday opening for Toto so we will have some sort of nice release party I hope.

Oh, that will be such a good time. As soon as ‘Africa’ comes on you’ll jump into full party mode!

[Laughs] Oh yeah, for sure!

So how long has Force Majeure been in the works?

Basically we had a singer swap, so we got our original singer, Kenny, back in the band. He rejoined in June or July in 2020, which was the beginning of the pandemic which means we had a lot of time to sit down and write music. So somewhere around there we started to write for it and we started to record August last year, so one year later, here is the release!

Kenny was a big part of the identity of H.E.A.T your debut record, and Eric was a huge part of the band for a big part of your lifespan so it would have been nice to have H.E.A.T II as a send off for Eric.

Oh yeah, definitely a big send off. We love that album too so he left with a bang!

Exactly and H.E.A.T II received a lot of praise for returning to your heavier roots. Have you tried to continue that for this album with Kenny being back?

Absolutely. We set out to continue the same vein as HEAT II, and obviously it’s a little different because we have a new singer and he sings a bit differently than Eric, but Kenny is super involved in songwriting and production and Kenny plays a lot of different instruments so with all of that in it, it becomes a bit different to HEAT II but still i think the sound is still on par or in the same vein.

We’ve already heard three songs from this record, ‘Hollywood’ which has already been turning a lot of heads to watch what H.E.A.T are doing, ‘Back to the Rhythm’ and ‘Nationwide’ – all of which are huge stadium anthems. Is that what this album is about?

Hell yeah! I mean, we love to play live and that’s what we’re kind of doing now which has been awesome, and ‘Hollywood’ is working so well live. It’s probably my favourite to play at the moment – when that chorus hits, it’s like ‘YES!’. You can feel the energy!

I’ve seen footage and it’s wild! Was ‘Hollywood’ written with the live show in mind?

You know when we first started the band, we were studio based really and me and Dave we had been working the studio a lot back then but as we started to play live it was like ‘okay’. We always felt like a heavy metal band, rather than a studio AR band so when we went on stage we felt more like Iron Maiden rather than Coat or some band like that who are moreso musicians. I guess at some point, and I think it was Tearing Down The Walls, around there, that maybe it started reflecting in the music that it was more raw and live focused and more ‘okay, what do we want to do live? What do we want them to sing and play more awesome live music? But it should be awesome to listen to in your headphones as you’re going to sleep as well.

I think you’ve found that balance well. But you are known for being a great live act and I think touring with so many amazing rock legends like Alice Cooper, Toto and Sabaton has elevated your live show even more.

Oh yeah! We were blessed to play with so many incredible acts like Alice Cooper and Toto and all of the festivals we’ve been to. Last weekend we played in Wales at Steelhouse Festival and I saw Saxon play for the first time and I was blown away. I was like ‘what the fuck!’[laughs], and that really inspires you to lift your game and step it up!     

Australia hasn’t had the opportunity to witness that though. H.E.A.T hasn’t played here before!

No, it’s our first time now in September. It’s going to be awesome. Me and Eric flew over in 2016 and played Melodic Rock Fest in Melbourne but it wasn’t H.E.AT, we did a few HEAT songs acoustically and played with another band which was for fun. We had a break with the HEAT before into the great unknown, so we flew over for that and spent a week in Melbourne. But now we’re going to come full force with HEAT which is going to be awesome. And CRAZY LIXX are coming along as well so it will be amazing. Awesome band as well, amazing live!

Being your first show here in Australia, and with a new album, what will a set look like for you? Are you going to try and balance out the newer songs with older ones that we love but haven’t seen live?   

We try to incorporate songs from every album but we have seven albums [laughs] and a bunch of music and it gets harder. We want to play the new stuff and we really want to play songs from HEAT II as well because we didn’t get to tour it so we have four or five tracks from HEAT II, yes we will play a few from Force Majeure as well but we try to play at least two from the first album, one from Freedom Rock and a couple from the Eric albums as well!

That sounds great because we had missed out on seeing you through all of your era’s, and it will be great seeing Kenny step up into the Eric vocal songs. Has that been a learning process for him?

I think he has done his thing with Eric’s songs. It’s not copying Eric’s style, he does his own thing and adds his melodies and small wails and stuff like that. He’s more soulful – I don’t know if that’s a word – he likes more soul and does the runs more than Eric who is more of a power singer. He does his interpretation on tracks, it sounds really cool! It’s awesome to play all of the tracks live at the moment!

I have to ask about the new album’s title, Force Majeure. Is that a nod to the changeover of singers or is there another meaning to it?

For us, it’s like the word force was with us all along. We wanted to make it undeniable and have this force – that was the key word – and we thought about naming the album just Force but then we thought of Force Majeure and we’re like ‘oo’. It’s like a major force and it reflects the pandemic it was written during. Force Majeure, I mean swapping singers is almost a force majeure but you can read some meanings into it.

Up for interpretation!

Most of all it sounds badass.

It does! I won’t lie I did look up to see whether you were using the English or French pronunciation but glad I didn’t have to add my French ‘r’s onto it.

[laughs] Haha yeah we’re using the English pronunciation until we go to France and sound quite pretentious! *imitates French accent* Force Majeure.

So it’s out on Friday – are there any other single releases or music video releases coming with the release?

We wanted to but couldn’t make it work because we are touring. But as you do these days, you have a focus track and that is ‘Tainted Blood’ for us. That is the one we pitched to streaming platforms. And I really love that track and cannot wait to play it live! Actually I think we’ll be playing it for the first time in Australia because the album will be out by then so we can play more songs from Force Majeure!

Amazing! We obviously can’t wait! Why was ‘Tainted Blood’ a standout for you?

I’m not sure it’s a standout but it has this heavy riff that is reminiscent of Judas Priest and I kind of love that classic metal vibe to it!

We love Judas Priest here so that’s a good sign! In terms of that logical side of pulling this album together, you did say it was created during the pandemic. Was that during lockdowns, were you writing together?

Most of the time we would write individually to get the basic idea of the track and then get together to finish it. But in terms of lockdowns, we didn’t have any hard lockdowns in Sweden which everyone had to do their share of separating and distancing from each other. So it was up to everyone to make sure they didn’t affect people. So we all got together and hung out in the studio together and we did!

That makes it so much easier. And I guess with Kenny being back it would have been important for dynamic.

Yeah and just hang out and get to know each other!

Were you in contact with Kenny during his departure?

Every now and then but not really in contact. We met up in 2015 the last time before he rejoined the band, with me, him & Dave, and Dave wasn’t in the band then. We had dinner and a few beers, actually a lot of beers [laughs] I remember! But apart from, that there would be the text are Christmas or birthdays. Until he decided to rejoin.

So how did that conversation happen that he wanted to rejoin? With him rejoining like an instant back to being close or was there a big transition period?

We had to make sure he had his priorities right this time because he left the band for a reason back in the day but he has a lot of regret leaving and you can tell and he has been very open about that. He missed it and wanted to get back. He told me in 2019 when Eric was still in the band that he wanted to come back and I told him it would be pretty hard because we had a singer but you never know for the future. It happened quite quickly for him actually. You never know!

It all happened for a reason!       

It worked out so well and we’re super happy to keep it in the family!

   That familiarity helps with excitement for fans as well.

We can tell that because we sold out our show in Stockholm and I think a lot of that is because Kenny is back. We sold out our biggest venue so far! It has to be because he is back and we’re so glad for what’s happening moving forward.

So does that mean already planning for the next album?

I actually couldn’t sleep last night because I was shifting through a shit load of song ideas! I’m constantly working on new stuff. So absolutely. We’re touring now but creating music is a constant thing. I can’t turn it off. We should start recording again next year, at least I hope!

Incredible! Well, remember when you do start planning the next album tour to add Australia to the top of the list!

We will, I cannot tell you how excited we are to be coming down and playing!

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[Review] The Hu @ 170 Russell, Melbourne 03/08/2022

2 years ago, in the before times, The Hu were here, and were ready to play on the Download line up, then tragedy strikes, the plague times begin, and they get locked in Sydney for a couple of weeks. Now, they are back and hungry as ever to play for Australia and starting off their tour with 2 sold out Melbourne shows!

Rocking up to the line about 45mins early, a little later than normal for me, the line was already around the block and in the alley way behind the venue, people are keen as hell for this show! Doors open and the line moves reasonably quick for people heading straight to merch or the front of the venue for prime viewing, I manage to get my regular spot at 170 Russell, you’ve always got a regular spot for these types of things.

The Blackwater Fever take the stage right on time and straight from the opening chords, I’m hooked. This 3-piece Brisbane rock band sound like Sabbath if they were playing in the deep south instead of London. Think big sounding bluesy style riffs with a ton of reverb, a bassist that also plays keys and then add double that amount of reverb on the drums! Producing a massive sound and holding their own in the thick atmosphere they created, they entranced all watching and the rhythm took over to bring the people in and headbang. The Blackwater Fever prove the point that less is sometimes more, you don’t always need crazy intricate riffs to get people interested, these guys write a damn good tune and a killer opening band.

As The Hu crew set the stage with a drum kit, a percussion kit and then a totem raised in the middle of the stage as well for good measure, the crowd’s anticipation skyrockets. There are cheers, people start pushing to the front and all eyes are on the stage. The lights darken, music starts and The Hu storm the stage in their full leather gear and instruments in hand. What surprised me tonight was how close the music translates from recording to live, with the number of instruments changing on stage with one of the singers wearing a belt of flutes and the percussionist also had things changing every couple of songs as well, everything was audible. One of the main draws to The Hu is the traditional throat singing and vocal harmonies created, they did not disappoint. All members on stage have a microphone and the vocal mix is well done with only one of the main vocals being lower in the mix at some points but watching them sing together is nothing short of amazing.

The sheer happiness and excitement of the band is an energy that is room filling, they didn’t stop smiling or laughing to each other from start to finish. They are incredibly passionate about their music and culture and having that energy come back at them from the crowd, they couldn’t stop jumping and screaming “Thank you” and “Rock On” which were pretty much the only English sentences spoken by them. One of the main vocalists would occasionally have a quick little speech in their native tongue to be met with cheers or people looking around not knowing what was said but there was one girl who made the crowd laugh each time because each time he spoke in Mongolian, we would here “I farkin luv ya” in such a thick Aussie accent. The complete opposites in languages but I’m sure the sentiment was the same.

The crowd involvement for songs like Shoog Shoog, Yuve Yuve Yu and Wolf Totem was electric. The rhythms of this band just sent people dancing and singing. Ending the set on the latest singles Black Thunder and This is Mongo, the crowd and band are relentless, thriving off each other’s energy and getting a circle pit going. They come back for a sweet little encore with a cover of Metallica’s Sad But True and what a cover! What a great way to end the night!

For my first international band in about 18 months, what better way than to get back into it than with The Hu? I had high expectations for these guys, and they blew them out of the park! I hope the rest of the tour is as great as this was.

THE HU
Black Thunder Australia & NZ Tour 2022

Saturday, August 6: Bridgeway Hotel, Adelaide
(Previously Hindley Street Music Hall)
Sunday, August 7: The Roundhouse, Sydney Sold Out
Thursday, August 11: Powerstation, Auckland NZ Sold Out

For complete tour and ticket and information, visit: 
livenation.com.au, livenation.co.nzthehuofficial.com

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