Nasum Say Hello & Goodbye To Australia
They’ve never toured Australia before, and they never will again: Nasum are here this month as part of their 20th anniversary/final farewell tour. Nasum terrorized the underground with their unique and unmistakable blend of brutal musical madness from their inception in 1992. With four full length albums, countless 7”s, MCDs and a plethora of compilation appearances, Nasum were unstoppable and the undisputed kings of the grind scene until their untimely and tragic end. The band parted ways after their vocalist Mieszko Talarczyk died in Thailand during the tsunami of 2004. After long deliberation and scrutiny they decided to reunite and do a handful of shows around the world in 2012 to celebrate their 20th anniversary and say a final goodbye to the fans and Mieszko. Rotten Sound vocalist Keijo Niinimaa is at the mic. Supports include Dyscarnate (UK), Captain Cleanoff, and Tasmanian extreme metal horde Psycroptic. It’s Psycroptic’s their first Australian tour since the release of their critically acclaimed new album The Inherited Repression. Sunday August 19 at The Hi-Fi.
Keneally, Partridge Collaborate
Multi-instrumentalist Mike Keneally has played with Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Dream Theater‘s James LaBrie and is even part of the Dethklok live band, as well as a brilliant solo artist in his own right. Andy Partridge is one of the masterminds behind XTC, one of the coolest non-metal bands of the ’80s. Mike has just released Wing Beat Fantastic, a twelve-track album featuring eight songs co-written with Partridge. Says Partridge: “How does he do it? When Mike took away the demo we made for a freshly co-written song You Kill Me, he had in his hands a rather lumpen campfire strum on acoustic guitars. What came back to my ears sometime later was a totally pulled apart, beautifully arranged mini-film for the ears, flowing like sonic liquid from one section to another, effortlessly moving from one time signature to the next. He’d made a tiny symphony, turning a bitter little protest tune into a well-crafted, cool, gliding, chrome…well…big protest song! Mike, what is your secret?”
Billy Talent Australian Supports Announced
After winning triple j Unearthed and a spot at Splendour last weekend, Kingswood will put their thunderous rock anthems on show with Billy Talent for their sold out Melbourne show on Sunday August 12. Brisbane support on August 9 is The City Shake Up, and Sydney gets Far Away Stables on August 10.
Joe Matera Gets In The Habit
Melbourne guitarist Joe Matera (ex-Geisha) releases his debut solo album, Creature Of Habit, in September. The album features American drummer/bass player James Strickler (Angelic Rage), Tony Dolan (Venom, Mpire Of Evil), Rich Davenport, Rick Brewster (The Angels), Mick McConnell (Smokie) and Fred Mascherino (Taking Back Sunday).
New City Of Fire Track
City Of Fire – the Vancouver-based hard rock/metal band featuring Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory and Byron Stroud (ex-Strapping Young Lad, ex-Fear Factory) have released a new track from their forthcoming second album. Deliver Me features a stomping triplet groove that gives it a slight sped-up Down groove, although the production is like if Jane’s Addiction had an angry, ballsy metal jam when nobody was looking. City of Fire’s debut album was criminally overlooked but if Deliver Me is any indication then album number two will find a much bigger audience. Don’t forget Fear Factory are at The Hi-Fi on Friday September 28.
Bmusic Hard Rock/Metal Grant
Bmusic, a music store from Gawler, South Australia, is running a huge giveaway/grant for one lucky – no, scratch that – hard-working hard rock/metal band. They’re offering a non-repayable grant of $1,500 to an Australian band, as well as a DR Strings endorsement, Seymour Duncan guitar pickups, a TASCAM DR-680 8-track portable digital recorder and MXR pedals. I’ll also interview the winner on my blog, I Heart Guitar, about guitar nerd stuff. Check out Bmusic’s site for info, but don’t expect to just mail a link to your Soundcloud page and be done with it: the winner has to prove they have the determination and hussle to deserve it.
New Vai Album
Speaking of guitar nerds (in the nicest possible way) Steve Vai’s new album The Story Of Light is out on August 17 through Sony Music Australia. It’s an eclectic, compositional, shred-worthy follow-up to 2004’s Real Illusions: Reflections. Steve is also releasing a new set of signature DiMarzio guitar pickups, called the Gravity Storm. They’re available in neck and bridge models and they sound fatter and thicker than Vai’s previous DiMarzio models.
New Queensryche Plays First Gig
Queensryche have just played their first official gig with new singer Todd La Torre (Crimson Glory) at the Halfway Jam festival in Minnesota. And how was it? Well Todd’s vocals were a little shaky in places and he doesn’t seem to have the stage presence of Geoff Tate, but the general consensus is that it kicked ass, with the band focusing exclusively on material from their debut EP and first four albums, up to and including Empire. It’ll be cool to see what they come up with in the studio. Here’s the setlist: Queen of the Reich, Speak, Neue Regel, Walk in the Shadows, En Force, I Don’t Believe in Love, Child of Fire, The Whisper, Warning, Spreading the Disease, The Needle Lies, Prophecy, Take Hold of the Flame, My Empty Room, Eyes of a Stranger, Empire, Wrathchild (Iron Maiden cover), Jet City Woman and Roads to Madness.
Gig Alert: Nightwish
Nightwish (pictured) return to Australia (and they hit up New Zealand for the first time too) in January 2013, performing tracks from their latest album, Imaginaerum. Along for the ride are Swedish rockers Sabaton, performing in support of their latest, Carolus Rex, as well as Eyefear and Black Majesty. They’re at the Palace Theatre, Melbourne on Monday January 14.
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