Back after a while

Hey Guys,


Its been a while since ive posted on here. I have been trying to get work published. I've just recently completed an online course where I am currently awaiting my diploma for it. I was also receiving extra money to attempt to start up my own business as a writer. Unfortunately that didn't quite work out they way I wanted it do, but I'm still trying. Watch this space over the next couple of days, I'm going to upload some articles with written for the course.


Thanks
Nathan.

My interview with Dean Jones (Extreme Noise Terror) about 1992 brit awards peformance with KLF

Here is an interview that I conducted with Dean Jones, lead vocalist of the legendary Extreme Noise Terror about their collaboration with dance group the KLF and their infamous performance at the 1992 Brit Awards ceremony.

How did you come into contact with the KLF?

I was driving about and my missus got a call from “Bill from the Alf”, I was vegetarian back then and we used to do a lot of animal rights stuff so I thought it was another animal rights gig. It was mid-1991 and  he left a number. He called and said he was from the KLF not the ALF,  I was like “What do want with me?” He said he was in the bath listening to John Peel, he heard the music and heard Peel say it was Extreme Noise Terror. I did not know at that point that he wanted to end the KLF. They said can you make can you come and record a version of “3 am eternal” and I didn’t know the song, I’m a punk rocker! I called back and said I’ll see what I can do, and said I’d call my bandmates. They said come to Fulham and you’ll have a hotel there and he said can you do your own version of it. We couldn’t get hold of it so we just had to turn up. The first day he called me this engineer said “Do you fancy a shag with the secretary? And I went for it!” I didn’t except just two people. I’d seen them on TV, but it was hard to tell what they looked like.  We just turned up and introduced ourselves and said “Sorry, we  didn’t get a chance to listen to your record and Jimmy Cauthy put a Motorhead- “Ace of Spades” style lead over it and I can’t remember the producers name but  I remember the studio  in Fulham and we nailed the song which was supposed to be on Top of the Pops  but  it apparently had an “offensive” guitar sound and coincided with the Queens speech and Bill said we haven’t got Top of the Pops but I’m  planning on doing  the Brit Awards.

How familiar with them were you prior to the collaboration?

“They were a big chart band at the time, so I was familiar with them”

Why did the Black room not see a release?

“Bill and Jimmy did not want us to have any input into the song writing or anything. I think if they did it could have been a lot better.”

Describe your experience at the Brit Awards.

“What happened was we had a very quick practice in the afternoon and it appeared on BBC TV. We sounded good and then they cut us off after about ten seconds to go to an interruption or something.  Bill originally had this idea to chop a dead sheep up onstage which we disagreed with because we were all vegetarians at the time. So, plan B was that we were to throw pigs blood into the audience and Jonathan King came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and warned us, saying that if we did that we could get done for that as it was a criminal offence. So, Plan C was that Bill got a machine gun and fired it into the audience. Apparently, Noel Edmunds cried because he thought he shot people in the front row!”

Jimmy was using a transistor lead. Bill couldn’t rap that fast so he couldn’t perform the song properly live. When we actually played, we sounded awesome but the TV company said they found the guitar sound offensive. So, when the show was broadcast the guitar sound was cut out. We watched it in the back of the van after the show and we were gutted. I also remember we were the first band on and several people left after a few minutes.

After the performance, we left for the afterparty were security tried to grab us but I had a bodyguard so we jumped in the van and headed off!”

That was crazy. The general public didn’t know what the KLF looked like so when we arrived at the afterparty there was loads of girls screaming at me because they thought I was the frontman. They made one floor of Hilton Hotel for the party and I was necking champagne and I made love in an elevator with a girl and had this bodyguard and we had a gofer and basically anything we wanted. Billy Bragg the got us into Neneh Cherry’s penthouse. We had a deal with licencing company in Japan, Neneh Cherry heard me calling them in Japanese and she said “Are you calling Japan?” and our bass player kicked her up the arse! It was then time we left.

 What did you make of the KLF’s antics after the experience?

“Well I heard when they burnt the million pounds that they reportedly felt sick for doing it afterwards. They thought that it would be worth the million pounds but was actually only worth a thousand.”

Do you have any contact with them now?

No but I’ve done interviews about it since and they’re playing a nuclear power station near my house twenty minutes from me of the 22^nd or 23^rd (of unknown month). Their original manager died and they’re now being managed by two other guys.”

“Quick Plug-My next interview is going to be on a podcast called gbh bl whiplash hosted by Sian Murphy .”

Quick Plug in - The Gbh Bl whiplash podcast

Check out this awesome podcast hosted by Sian Murphy on iTunes.


Search for the "The GBH BL Whiplash Podcast" in the podcast section.

Thanks,

Nathan.

My published review of Bratakus-gigantopithecus

This my review of the new ep from female punk Bratakus for Punk Online.
http://punkonline.co.uk/bratakus-gigantopithecus-ep-review/

Good news

I have finally received confirmation that my business plan idea has been approved. I now need to discuss the next stage and can hopefully start submitting content to websites soon.

update-back after a while

If anyone is still reading this,

I know i havent posted anything in a while, its due to a number of things but im hoping to get get back on track with it soon. Im in a bit of a limbo state at the minute in regards to what is going on. But please stick around and ill try and post more content.

Kind regards
Nathan

PS- Fuck Donald Trump..

Orienteering with Napalm Death

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFB54fBRMpQ

Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle was released on DVD yesterday. Here is the best bit from it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFB54fBRMpQ

Been a long time - update

Hey guys,

I know its been a while and i have been neglecting this thing a bit. Basically, it looks like I might be getting the funding to become self employed, so there could be some interesting things happening in the near future. Thats all ill say for now.

Take care,
Nathan.

Vibrion-Bacterya

CD
Vibrion- Bactreya https://www.facebook.com/VibrionOfficial/
Disembodied Records https://www.facebook.com/disembodied.rec

Tracklist
1 Day Of Replication
2 The Wrath Of The Beast
3 The Worm Immune
4 The Walls Of Caffa
5 Ill Essentia
6 Of My Burning Brothers
7 Hidden Plague Disseminator
8 Bacterya
9 Circles Are Closed
10 Mutant
Band:
Luis Guardamagna, Guitar, Vocals.
Fabian Fernandez, Bass (Argentina).
Matthias M., Bass (rest of the world).
Jonas Sanders, Drums.

Well, here is quite possibly the “Chinese Democracy” of Death Metal. This is VIBRIONS, first album in twenty years, so what can we expect? Not disappointment I can tell you that!
This album has that true old school feel to it that is severely lacking in a lot of death metal today. It is intense, makes you want to bang your head and generally BRUTAL. A lot of these young bands today should really listen to this and take note. In amongst the brutality, there is some genuinely well played and melodic parts mixing both old and new school elements.
The vocals are on fire, the drums are consistent and the guitars are thunderously heavy. At ten tracks, it feels full and by the end you will definitively have got you money’s worth.
This is my first encounter with the band, supposedly the first Death metal band from Argentina. It is nice to see that the band have grown considering that they have reportedly always used complex
and high octane riffs. Originally formed in 1992, they have a lot of experience in the business. Many of the songs are definitive songs that sound like the holocaust, being very morbid and the song structures sound devastating. This band very much has the essence of the death metal genre, but they have a particular feel and a personal slant, which means the production sounds mature and there is a complex musical personality. I enjoyed the excellent guitar arrangements it seems that are influenced by the polish DM scene such as VADER and DECAPITATED. If you want a very good death meal band with a distinctive sound, this is recommended.
Songwriting- 7/10
Originality- 8/10
Memorability- 8/10
Production- 8/10
Overall- 8/10
Nathan Foster. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIJZpijHpm8

Update- reviews for metal temple.

Hey guys,

Sorry for the absense. I've been a little busy and havent had much time to do this. I am hoping to get more time to do it, as it is quite important. Recently i have written a couple of reviews for a website called metal temple. I published one on here in  my last blog, here is a link to the other ones.



http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/i_2/infernal-majesty.htm?keep_session=429276402

http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/reviews/cd_3/i_2/infernal-majesty.htm?keep_session=429276402

Thanks,
Nathan

Inferior-The Red Beast

Here is a review I did of the new album "The Red Beast" by german band Inferior for metal-temple webzine.

Review Inferior-The Red Beast

Sweden’s Inferior who released their first album “Unsoiled” back in 2013 are now back with their second album titled “The Red Beast.”

They are known for their sound which is a mixture of death and thrash similar to early Slayer and Sepultura , having formed in 2006 and releasing some demos and appearing on compilations they have built a strong following in North America and look set to make their mark in Europe with this second album.

It is definitely brutal metal with the title track starting with a guitar riff before the blast beats and aggressive riffage kick in. Vocalist Kristian Karlsons voice sounds very vitriolic and the song in genial sounds like the end of the world, never relenting and making for an intense listening experience, early Kreator definitely springs to mind.

The rest of the album is very heavy and this band definitely know how to make real angry hateful metal.

I enjoyed this album and felt that it was very well played and produced. Highly Recommended.

Nathan Foster. 

Review- Morbid Angel- Altars of Madness

Earache Records
1989

Morbid are one of the biggest bands in death metal. They are one of those bands where if you if you consider yourself a fan of the genre and don't own at least one of their records, your not doing a good job of it. This, their first album is one that many would agree to be that album. It is a classic that maybe has slightly dated. Never the less, death metal as we know it would be quite different if not for this album.

The low budget production gives this album an authentic feel. It has a very good sound that can be described as "evil." Vocalist David Vincent sounds very satanic and his voice sounds very powerful.
The lyrics deal with satanic themes and are not really all that remarkable. The playing however, is among the best this genre has ever seen. Trey Azagoths guitar playing is super technical and almost classical in its approach and the of course there is Pete Sandoavl's drumming, which is widely regarded to be possibly the best in extreme metal and definitely one of the best jn metal in general.

All in all a great album for anyone wanting to get started in this genre. Highly recommended.
Nathan.

Book Review - Choosing Death The Improbable History of Grindcore and Death Metal

Albert Mudrian
2004
Feral House

This book is essential for any extreme metal fan as it is informative and so far one of the few major documents on the genre twelve years after its publication, with a recent updated version produced two years ago. It features hundreds of interviews and includes rare photographs making it almost as much as a must have as the classic albums of this genre (which are all featured at the end of the book).

Mudrian guides us through the history of the genre chronologically starting with Napalm Death and UK the scene, through to the american and European grindcore and death metal scenes. Bands featured include Repulsion, Siege, Morbid Angel,  Death, Obituary, Deicide and Carcass. He then talks about the genres ill fated relationship with major labels which essentially led to its slump during the 90's and then up to the present day (2004 in the original version, 2014 updated) with bands such as Nile, Akercocke and even Slipknot. In addition to the bands, non-musician key players from the labels are also represented.

Featuring an introduction by legendary DJ and grindcore supporter John Peel as well as former Terrorizer editor Nick Terry, Choosing Death is truly definitive. Well written, brillantly researched and and impossible to see why anyone who is a fan would not like it.

Nathan Foster.

Album review requests

Im kinda struggling to come up with albums to review so i wondered if anyone has any requests for me? I ll review anything.

Thanks Nathan.

Sleaford Mods-Divide and Exit review

Sleaford Mods
Divide and Exit
2014

Sleaford Mods are a band seen to be the antidote to much of the vapid safe music of today. They have lyrics which generally deal with being at the arse end of life. It social commentary with a very cynical twist.

Although the message is a serious one, the band are actually quite funny. "The smell of piss is so strong it smells like decent bacon" what the hell does this mean?" There are a lot of surreal sounding lines like this and the excessive profanity is used in way that does not make it seem annoying and childish.

The band is made up of just two people - Jason Williamson the vocalist and lyricist and Andrew Fearn creates the music. Although it is electronically made, it sounds more like instrumentation.

Although the music is original sounding in todays climate, there are definitely hints of other artists such as John Cooper Clarke, The Fall, Crass and the Sex Pistols. It probably isnt for everyone but those looking for something a little more abrasive sounding than Adele and Ed Sheeran, this band is definitely worth a look.

Nathan.

Good news

Ive been accepted on the national enterprise scheme into self employment. Hopefully the future will start to look better. Wish me luck,

Nathan.

Grind Madness at the BBC

In today's climate its almost impossible to imagine and radio one dj like John Peel playing something like grindcore on his show. But "peel sessions" are legendary things, particularly in this case. "Grind madness at the BBC" features 118 tracks over three discs and is essential for anyone who is a fan of this genre.

The bands featured are Napalm Death, Extreme Noise Terror, Bolt Thrower, Godflesh, Carcass,  Heresy, Intense Degree and Unseen Terror. Napalm Death are always the first band that spring to mind and the intensity of the sessions makes it easy to see why. Early Napalm in the studio is terrifying stuff but this takes it to a whole new level. The same goes for ENT whose even more extreme sound is given an extra raw element here. In the case of Carcass, their sound on here is somewhat clearer the their studio output at the time, but in does not take away anything from the sound and the riffs are heard better than on the debut Reek of Putrefaction album, which suffered from a very muddled production.

With the lesser know bands like Heresy and Intense Degree, the sound is not quite as groundbreaking, they still sound very good and in the case of Godflesh, their very brutal sound is defineately given an added kick, with the version of the song "Pulp" on here, being a noteable work by itself and out of the context of the studio version. The added saxophone on the track is defineately something that sticks with you for a while. Bolt Throwers sound on here is not as different as their studio recordings but still sounds solid and powerful.

Grind Madness is an important historical document and still definitely is an intense listening experience nearly thirty years later.

Definitely recommend.

Nathan.

Any requests?

Hi,

Just wondering, does anyone have any albums that they would like me to review? I will do pretty much anything.

Cheers
Nathan

Righteous Pigs-Stress Related

Righteous Pigs
Stress Related
1989

Righteous Pigs are best known as the former band of Mitch Harris, who has been the guitarist for Napalm Death since 1990. This is unfortunate as they should be recognized as a band in their own right, with the likes of Pantera's Phil Anselmo citing them as an influence. Unlike the likes of Napalm and Terrorizer, the Pigs were not really grindcore being more extreme hardcore. Listening to them is definitely recommended if your feeling a little well...stressed.

This is their second album and has a better sound than their first one. Its just better made and written overall. It has decent production which helps, The guitars are heavy and the riffs impressive. The best way to describe the tone would be angry and cynical.

The best thing about this band though is the lyrics. Vocalist Joe Caper delivers them well with a tone in his voice that sounds genuine. They generally deal with negative aspects of life such as drug addiction and general things in life to be pissed off about.

Check it out.

Nathan.

Review-Discharge-Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing

Discharge
Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing
1982

1977 as the year punk exploded onto the world and changed the face of music and much of popular culture as we know it. Discharge from Stoke-on-Trent formed that year and at first were little more than one of many bands who sounded like the Sex Pistols.

By 1979 the original punk explosion had ended. It gave way for off shoot movements such as post punk and new wave. At this point, Discharge started to develop their own original sound. They were now joined by a new singer called Cal and were taking punk firmly into an underground direction.

Their first proper release in 1981 already had shocked people who thought that punk could not get more extreme. The Why? ep was definitely brutal sounding but this album, released in 1982 fully showcased their apocalyptic sound. Definateately taking their cue from Motorhead, their had truly been nothing like heard at the time.

Clocking in at 14 tracks, the formula on Hear Nothing does not deviate much. The blasting snare beats and thrashy guitars are a constant presence throughout the albums run. The amp for the guitars are turned up way beyond 11. Although somewhat repetitive, it is very direct and that what makes it stand out.

Its a wonder that drummer Gary Maloney was ever able to play again given his performance here. This pioneered a style that was to become known as D beat. Many bands who fell under that lable paid tribute to Discharge by having "Dis" in their name such as Disrupt and Disfear.

Although the vocals are rather incomprehensible, the lyrics are as minimal as the music, with phrase often being repeated over the course of not usually much longer than two minutes. The theme of the album is nuclear war. This, combined with the albums graphic artwork of genuine images from nuclear wars, makes for a chilling experience.

Its safe to say that without Discharge , much of extreme music wold not exist. From Napalm Death to Metallica to even the likes of Nirvana, Discharge have much to thank for.

Nathan Foster.