In most rock 'n' roll bands the drummer is as far from the focal point as you can get. They are all about chiselled cheek-boned front men or dynamic athletic guitar heroes. The drummer in the main is relegated to the back with the soulless job of keeping time and perhaps smashing out a drum solo now and again when the rest of the band need a wee.
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Candlemass are the godfathers of Doom Metal. Yes you can trace its linage all the way back to that riff at the start of Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath but it was Candlemass (alongside Pentagram, St Vitus and Trouble) that actually forged it into a ground shaking movement.
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While 2021 was pretty shit wasn't it? Not as bad as 2020, but still pretty miserable as years go. It however had one shining chink of light and that was the release of “Conquering” by Employed to Serve. Our album of the year here at ROCKFLESH, it was a bold and brazen treaty on modern metal.
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This year we got ourselves out of ROCKFLESH Towers and down to a number of the Metal 2 The Masses events across the North West. To say we have been blown away by the level of talent on show would be an understatement.
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There will be some tremendous vocals on display over the weekend but believe me, for power, reach and just general elegance none will match the set of pipes possessed by Gemma Lawler. Her day job is vocal coach but when she is not screaming " diaphragm, diaphragm” she is chief wailer with Birmingham prog metalers Dakesis.
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When Black Peaks imploded in 2021 there was a collective cry of "Bugger!”. They were responsible some of the most inventive, progressive and downright forward-thinking metal that had been produced in an awful long time, think Mastodon but with a PhD in advanced physics.
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You know that memo that says all metal bands wear black and gotta create music that fits that blackness, well Square Wild didn't get it (they will probably shopping in Affleck's Palace for psychedelic shirts). Winners of the Mancunian Metal 2 the Masses, theirs is a technicolour and transcendental take on prog rock.
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Folk metal divides into two very distinct camps. Those who take it very seriously and those who don't. Norwegian buffoons Trollfest fall very much into the latter category. The fact that their latest album is entitled “Dance like a Pink Flamingo” should give the game away. For a band that didn't play shows for the first four years of their tenure, they have become a remarkably entertaining and chaotically wonderful like proposition.
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We all like a bit of Goth metal! Every now and again over the decades it's become an essential component of our multifaceted world. But I promise you, you will not find Goth metal as heartbreakingly tender and mesmerising as the variant produced by Tribulation. This is Goth metal for the lost, lonely and forlorn and it talks to the insecurity that you will find at the heart of all of us.
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Bloodstock 2023 is almost within touching distance. We can almost hear the sound of illegal bins being crashed together. We can almost taste the ridiculously expensive burgers. We can almost feel that tingly excitement in the air. It's Christmas for metalheads and it's almost here. But first we have the annual excitement of deciding who we should invest our time going to see. Well, we at ROCKFLESH are here to help. It's time for our annual countdown of 30 bands you must see.
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This year's Bloodstock Festival is serving up a wide variety of death metal. By wandering around the plane of Catton Hall you will be able to see it in its many different guises. There is melodic, technical, core and symphonic a plenty. However, if all these bells and whistles iterations are a little too much for you and you hanker after some communal garden old school death metal then Frozen Soul is the one for you.
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Are you bored with modern metal? Does everything sound to you the same? Do you hunger after something with more complexity and emotional depth? Well my friend the answer is simple, the answer is Bossk. This is prog metal for a dystopian world. It takes what is usually euphoric and optimistic artform and dials up the fear, loathing and pessimism. But don't be expecting dark, dank introspection. This is widescreen Odyssey of biblical proportions. An immersive journey into the dark confines of the soul.
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I could choose any of Gojria’s four appearances at Bloodstock. As headliners, last year they were majestic. In 2013 and 2016 as fourth and second from top respectively, they were astonishing. But for me, it is all about their inaugural appearance squeezed between GWAR and Bloodbath, as this was the first time I snapped eyes on them. They were utterly incredible. This was technically proficient Death Metal but it was as minimal as it was powerful. Gojira had realised that it was not actually about the riff, it about was the space around the riffs. By stripping everything back and giving their sound space to breath, they had managed to create a muscular and crushing metal that sounded like nothing else. I’ve seen them plenty of times since but there is nothing like your first time.
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Festivals are all about moments and Evil scarecrow in 2014 certainly was a moment. They were first up on the Saturday bill and emerged to probably the largest crowd that has ever been seen at Bloodstock at 11.00 am. They proceeded to also have the most fun that has probably ever been had at that time of day. They were on a mission to be silly as well as ensuring everyone else would join in.
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Our veteran word-soup creator and self-confused socially inept death metal fanatic, Stewart Lucas has been doing Bloodstock since the late noughties. With eleven festivals to choose from, we asked him to list the definitive ten greatest Bloodstock performances. Please note that anyone who thinks differently is wrong. End of story.
It is widely documented that Twisted Sister wanted their final bow