As fans anxiously await the studio follow up to CRADLE OF FILTH’s highly-acclaimed 2021 full-length album, Existence Is Futile, the extreme metal legends led by iconic frontman Dani Filth have unleashed a thirst-quencher of epic proportions – their first live album to be released in over 20 years, Trouble And Their Double Lives, set for release on April 28, 2023 via Napalm Records.
The live record was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during their “Cryptoriana World Tour” and dates following, the album serves as a time-capsule of blisteringly intense live energy, and an astounding testament to CRADLE OF FILTH’s renowned latest era.
Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England with recording captured by Danny B, the brand new live onslaught not only features a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band’s electrifying discography – such as “Nymphetamine (Fix)”, “Bathory Aria” and “Blackest Magick in Practice” – but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, “She is a Fire” and “Demon Prince Regent”.
CRADLE OF FILTH mastermind Dani Filth says about the track: “This track and the other original track on this album, ‘Demon Prince Regent’, were both written after the recording of Existence Is Futile and present a perfect, but not necessarily related, bridge between our Nuclear Blast days and the forthcoming album on Napalm Records. It was always intended to be a double album, so we just thought, ‘f**k it! Let’s cram some original material on there as well! The absolute worst of both worlds!
The song itself is about the epitome of burning passion; the dark inspiration of love and the creature that has ignited it.”
Check out the music video for ‘She Is A Fire’ below.
Main Stage: Motherland, Cassyette, Death Blooms, Static Dress, Vukovi, Boston Manor, Creeper, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes.
Fireball Stage: Mally, Kidpunk, Rituals, Hometruths, Zand, Lebrock, Modern Error, As December Falls, Higher Power.
For the galleries of the bands who performed at the festival, follow this link.
Taking place over the course of the day at Northumbria SU, Newcastle; Rise Fest. This is a brand new music festival for the heavier audiences of the North East but… a heavy music festival in Newcastle? It’s not something you’d normally credit the city for, expect says few select venues but with it rearing to go with some standout bands from the last few years as well as the established mainstays on the scene, it was time to unleash the energy on the fans!
Rise Fest was composed of two stages at Northumbria Students Union, the Main Stage with Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes headlining in addition to Creeper performing an exclusive ‘Weeping Widow’ set where keyboardist Hannah Greenwood stepped into the main vocals role as their regular lead vocalist Will Gould sadly couldn’t be there on the day.
Kicking things off were a band from the local scene in Newcastle, Mally, where they stepped in at the literal last minute to replace Superlove and I have to say they brought their absolute best energy with them to kick start things on the day, pulling a great crowd over to the Fireball Stage and starting the day off with a bang. They were quickly followed up by Motherland, an ambitious five alt piece from down the road in Middlesbrough warming up the stage for the utter madness that would ensue.
Switching over we had the always fantastic Kidpunk, one band who are already establishing themselves as the next big ones to watch, especially with the recently released track, ‘Tanners Arms‘ Next up on the day, Cassyette. It’s probably a good thing this artist was switched from the Fireball Stage to the Main Stage because over the course of the last year, she’s one that has been nothing short of excellent, gaining more and more attention to become one of the largest names in alt music in lockdown. With that, she pulled in what looks like everyone who was there at one glances leading to a blinding powerhouse performance which is always managing to topple every subsequent appearance.
Heading over to the Fireball stage for a moment, Rituals bring the head banging heaviness for which they’re known for, the quartet are assisted by some of their best new material where their rising progression is just hammered by by the refined collective they have become over the last few years. Special shoutout to the track ‘Oceans Subside’ because that is one tracks which showcases all the energy the band bring to the table.
Now Death Blooms. If Cassyette gave the crowd the energy, then this band takes it to a whole new level and being one of the heavier bands on the bill, they had to live up to the reputation (which they did). What’s more is that Death Blooms just kick everything up every single time I’ve had the pleasure to watch them play and this one tops the bill quite literally with a majority of the crowd singing back ‘Shut Up‘.
Now to switch genres up a little here, you have some more tremendous local talent in Hometruths that give and give so much where their boundless potential matches against their ambitious melodies showcasing just what the North East is offering at this festival and why they won’t go ignored for much longer.
I’ve witnessed Static Dress before and there’s just something about them, their refined sense in the pride of their music or the attention to detail. Whatever it is, it’s that which unlocks the pent up energy we’ve all had in lockdown, they take it out of us to really get things started. They’re a band who know how to play with their audience, taking their time with their songs and peaking just at the right time to give you that little bit extra you never expected from a performance.
Zand is just Zand. Before a note is every even played or a word uttered, all attention is on this artist. The crowd is just silent and then you’re captivated by the shaved green headed person which stands before you, which leads into a record for most eagworms you’ll ever have during a set. It’s a very refreshing set to say the least which is what makes Rise Festival so spectacular in bringing the many different genres of rock and metal together because you never know whom will surprise you on the day.
Now Lebrock. I honestly hadn’t heard anything from this particular group before and wasn’t sure what to expect, in fact it was a little weird to begin with because they were a band which seemed a little bit of a mismatch to everyone else I’d seen so far. But it’s this difference which made the performance all the more memorable as much as it was powerful. Their synth vibes completely captivated me to a point where I was just fixed on the spot and couldn’t look away. This was one of the most unique artists I’d come across in a long while.
Scottish mainstays Vukovi are the next band to grace the MainStage, showcasing their undeniable rage with their amazing confidence, making them one of the best bands on the day where a little bit of the mix from their older material fires up the crowd well as some of their material from their second record, ‘Fall Better‘, especially ‘C.L.A.U.D.I.A‘ is one track which the crowd identifies with and loses their collective minds over.
Another band which are hard to place on the day, flickering the line of heavy are Modern Error. To myself, they’re a band which are just that little bit more mysterious which adds tot he mystique of their performances which always seem to make them a highlight, no matter what lineup they’re a part of. ‘Their latest record, ‘Victim Of A Modern’ age and some of those track live just hit a little bit differently live where each and every band member matches the energy in a way most bands don’t, they exceed it at every turn.
Keeping things going, Boston Manor just had every banger on their repertoire going, opening with ‘Carbon Mono’ off the Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures EP delighting fans much to the excitement of what’s to come on their upcoming release ‘Datura‘. Creeper though, we didn’t know what to expect. This is because Keyboardist and backing vocalist Hannah Greenwood was stepping into their frontman Will’s shoes for their ONE NIGHT ONLY Weeping Willow performance but by the sounds of everything I heard, I think there’s a lot of people who would want to see that again due to how strong her vocals were on the night and how grand her stage presence was. Safe to say, she absolutely smashed it! From effortlessly ripping into ‘Suzanne’ and having the audience participate in ‘Down Below’, this will go down in the bands history as a fan favourite set.
*Below is some fan shot footage from the festival.
As December Falls, one UK pop-Punk band always on an upward trajectory. Last year they delivered a SOLD OUT UK tour and this year it’s just continuing their success with appearances at festivals, not to mention a headlining UK tour which will see them at larger venues this time around. But for Rise Fest? The gave an absolutely solid performance where if there had been room on that Main Stage, I’m sure ADF would’ve definitely filled it because some of their latest material, the effortlessly catchy ‘Go Away’ as well as the guitar driven powerhouse ‘Ride’ are always two you want to hear live again and again.
Now for the final bands, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, I had to dash off after the first three songs into the set because of the trains which meant I did miss quite a bit of their set and the entirety of Higher Power so I can’t say much on these final two acts but from what I did experience and view via Social Media, Frank Carter led his band into a high octane energy fuelled set which not only smashed through anything people witnessed but also it dwarfed any expectation which was set on the day to end the first ever Rise Fest on a high note which made everyone want so much more.
For its first iteration, Rise Fest was nothing short of an absolute success from my standpoint, showcasing the best of the locals scene to the talented up and coming acts as well as the established in the UK. It was such a fantastic space which has been created and hopefully this isn’t the first and only iteration of the festival that we’ll end up watching.
Rating 5/5.
Now the last question I’ll ask on Rise Fest is that will it return for 2023? At the time of writing a post was made a day ago on the Rise Fest account which teases the 2023 edition of the festival. So I guess we’ll have to keep an eye on what happens until sometime in the future.
With a bang and stage filled nostalgia to where they came from (Seb’s bedroom), Neck Deep return to the UK for a headlining UK tour to re-launch where they left off in England and cause some mayhem along the way.
First to take to the stage, Scottish foursome Happydaze. Now with this roughly being their third ever show, it’s massive to see Neck Deep bringing some newbie’s along for the ride. It’s fantastic to watch some upcoming Pop-Punk take centre stage and see just where the future might lie. While they didn’t steal the show at first (some down to the technical difficulties after a song into their set) they did hit some pretty good strides and found some balance to take with them into the tour, especially since the release of their EP, ‘Underground Summer Sound‘ was released last month. Moving into their set set further, they did find some room to connect with the audience and we hope that that continues on this tour.
With this being a Leeds show, it meant that this was a homecoming of sorts for Higher Power and where they lack the intensity in their energy, the atmosphere of the whole venue turned up a lot for them. Higher Power might not be quite what most would expect where they sound something out of the 90’s grunge era but they have certainly made quite an impression on this crowd. The more heavier aspects of the crowd are one the audience responds to in some ways but their latest release ‘Fall From Grace’ does sound more updated when compared to their older material but that’s not something to be taken lightly. Did it make them more exciting to watch? Yes. Did it being everything up in the venue? Absolutely! Did people respond to them well? One Hundred Percent.
Now for Wargasm, one most exciting acts on the rise in the country at the moment. But they make you wonder, where the hell do they get their energy from? Seriously though, the chaos and extreme nature that makes the band themselves just berates you with banger after banger in a relentless wave of ecstasy. Tracks such as ‘Salma Hayek’ as well as ‘Spit’ go down really well with this crowd who do appreciate the heavier aspects what they have to offer, especially when the raunchier sounding track come out to play… ‘Drilldo’ we’re looking at you there!
It’s inevitable we’re going to see more from the band in the future and after a SOLD OUT UK headlining run of their own towards the end of 2021 as well as appearances at a number of UK festivals in the last year shows the sky is the limit for this band, who will crash through and set an example for what is genuinely possible in music which is a genre of their own making.
Okay so… Neck Deep. Oh my god these guys are so insane to watch. I’ve never seen a Leeds crowd react in such a positive way to a Pop-Punk band. No wonder why they’re favourites ey? It feels as if the band have combined everything that makes them exciting for this setlist (including playing one of their most popular tracks ‘A Part Of Me’) from their early days to the latest record, ‘All Distortions Are Intentional’ shows that they’re not another Pop-Punk band who just writes soppy lovesick hit after hit, they want everyone to enjoy it and reconnect after so long (pardon the crowd collectively crying four tracks into the set for ‘Lime St’) as well as celebrate one another, where ‘She’s A God’ being one track which celebrates the women in the audience.
Neck Deep just hits differently. It’s as if a surge of energy hits in the crowd and then their stage presence just combines with the dizzying spins every member in the band performs in a sight that has to be seen to be believed.
With these final tracks played out (Gold Steps & In Bloom) , Neck Deep always manage to show how much of a lasting impression they leave on the community that has gathered to watch everyone on this lineup.
It’s no secret that the bands are all so genuinely happy to be thrilled to be playing music on a stage again but it’s so good to see them use every ounce of energy in their person to provide one of a show that the audience will be sure to not forget anytime soon as everyone leaves smiling big.
It’s been some months since Slam Dunk Festival, the last time I was able to watch Boston Manor take to the stage and since then, they’ve dropped their latest effort, the EP ‘Desperate Times, Desperate Pleasures’ which has some absolutely insane tracks on there and ended up being some people’s favourites of the year. We caught the show with amazing supports from up and comers Jools, the utterly fantastic Movements and the headliners themselves, Boston Manor.
First up were UK based Jools. It was hard to pin them into a corner, genre wise. That’s what I love about some bands, you never know who’ll just intrigue you or make them obsessed on a first time listen and I have to say they’re quite mesmerising. With only a handful of single release under their belts, they’re certainly making strides to be on this tour but it also meant they have a lot to prove. With some great clear vocals and crashing melodies, they’re a band whom I expect to blow up in a massive way on the touring and festival circuits soon. With their tracks being such genre bending curiosities full of political and social issues, it’s no wonder they’re becoming more relevant as well as a band that the audience warmed to over the course of their set.
Movements were just so special to watch. I’d been listening to them for a while now nand certainly wasn’t disappointed by the Post-Hardcore outfit. With their older material off ‘Feel Something’, it was a very energetic and atmospheric set at the same time, which is something that seems impossible for most, but childs play for this band. It was a strange combination I have to point out but they were clearly winning over everyone tonight as the room filled to near capacity where it was an emotional rollercoaster by the time they were finished. Frontman Patrick Miranda got the crowd going again and again, egging them on to become a little more involved than they’d like which kept everyone roused and summoning the energy to have some pits open up. The bar was set by them and needed the headliners to smash through it entirely.
Now Boston Manor were as mental as you might expect from the videos and images you may have seen from some social media. With their set just beaming with massive energy and even bigger mosh pits, not to mention more crowd surfers than this place is usually used to. Being in Yorkshire and them being a Lancashire band did stir a little bit of controversy but they’ve been playing over in Leeds for so long I think the crowd just decided we’ll claim them as our own.
What filled the night was just utter and total carnage, with track such as ‘England’s Dreaming’, ‘You Me & The Class War’ just opening all the wounds in the aggression for the pits to open up in a way we’ve not experienced in a while, with every track gaining more traction on par with every studio version with the scorching melodies of the crowd joining in to keep the unrelenting energy going.
As things start to climax, one of their more recent tracks in ‘Carbon Mono’ hits in a way the others just don’t. The pounding electricity drives the audience into a frenzy before they even take their leave and now we just want more from them. Now that the tour is complete it’s just a matter of imagining what will come next from this band.
After the successful album release of And Then There Were None in 2021, proving LIVLØS to be one of the most exciting up-and-coming acts in melodic death metal, the band chimes back in with the release of “Serpentine Supremacy” and the official live music video, filmed at their And Then There Were None release show in October 2021 in Copenhagen, Denmark’s Pumpehuset.
LIVLØS on “Serpentine Supremacy”: “We had such an amazing time playing the release show for our new album, that we just had to share it with all of you! Pairing those shots with our 3-minute feral ‘Serpentine Supremacy’ seemed like the obvious choice for bringing the intensity of that night to the silver screen!”
Check out the live video for ‘Serpentine Supremacy’ below.
Hot Milk were finally able to head out on their debut UK Headlining tour in the last few months and it was amazing.
It was full of all the pent up energy we’ve had in lockdown and every last bit got tapped out of us. This just proved we’ve got plenty more to come from this band.
Just have a look at this.
The band have shared footage from their hometown show in Manchester of their opening rendition of ‘I JUST WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS WHEN I’M DEAD’ below.
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