Van Canto
Tribe Of Force
Napalm Records
1 March 2010

by Tom Dare

To say that Van Canto are set to divide opinions yet again would be somewhat akin to describing a Cannibal Corpse album sleeve as “a tad bloody” – in other words, an understatement of galactic proportions, even before mentioning their latest Metallica cover.

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This week we had a tough decision as to who we’d give our slightly-ridiculous award in recognition of immense facial growth. Mainly because the first non-British winner of the prize had two great rivals to the accolade within his own band.

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Barn Burner
Bangers
Metal Blade
16 February 2010

by Tom Dare

Canadians Barn Burner have delivered a debut album that does exactly what it says on the tin. What we have here is a collection of banging rock songs. What they want you to believe is that they present an original, unique rock vision. On this front, they fall well short – but don’t be put off, as there’s a good slab of rock to be had here.

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…then you could do a whole shit less well than coming down to Brixton anyway, as the cosmic riff rumble of Invasion will be playing a free show just up the road at The Rest Is Noise. Actually, even if you’re one of the poor multitude that isn’t lucky enough to live in grimy, dirty, beautiful shithole that is London, Invasion are doing an entire tour of free shows throughout the UK over the next few weeks, so plenty of you will get a chance for some. Get. The. Fuck. In!

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While we were creaming it last Frday over Dillinger Escape Plan’s double-gig at the Barfly, Amit Sharma was just down the road watching Nebula playing live at a different dirthole. It looks like we had a better time of things.

Eddie Glass, creative core and driving force behind Nebula, hasn’t exactly had it easy at the helm of his band of late. With new sticksmith, Jimmy Sweet, having held residence behind the band’s drumkit for mere weeks before tonight’s basement show in the bowels of Camden, bringing the sonic ambience of the desert plains to the Big Smoke looks set to be more of a challenge than usual for the psychedelic stoner rockers.

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What’s going on my metal friends! After two months I have returned to let you in on what I’ve been up to. Some of you may have been worried that I died of alcohol poisoning, maybe I should have three or four times, but I’m here! Luckily I could spend more on alcohol recently, since there were only a few shows coming through the Atlanta area. It worked out perfectly!

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Exactly what is says up there in the title – Thrash Hits’ favourites, The Ghost Of A Thousand, have been announced as the headline act for the third and final night of the first Hellfire Club event in May. Fucking A.

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Let’s just get straight down to business: the almighty Canuck quartet, Cancer Bats, have released a video to their actually-pretty-fucking-awesome cover of the Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’. And in the the few minutes before some wise-ass makes a copy of it and uploads it onto YouTube, all you need to do to see it is spread the word via your Facebook or Twitter account.

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Twisted Sister are ridiculous. You know this. We know this. Dee Snider knows this, and it’s his bloody band. They are, however, ridiculous for all the right reasons, which is why we’re pleased as punch that they’ve been announced as the final Main Stage headliner for Bloodstock Open Air 2010.

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Almost a year to the day since their last London show, Lamb of God returned to Brixton on Saturday. We sent the new kid, Tom Dare, to investigate.

Once again, Lamb of God prove why they have built a reputation as one of the live bands of recent years. Once again, the PA does its utmost to fuck things up for them.

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