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V13.net
  • News
    1. Album News
    2. Festival News
    3. Tour News
    4. View All
    Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Celebrates 30th Anniversary; Returns to Streaming Services
    02/01/2023
    Gracie Abrams Announces “Where do we go now?” Single and UK Tour Dates
    01/31/2023
    Predatory Void Celebrate New Record Deal with Crushing Standalone Single “*(struggling..)”
    01/31/2023
    Enforced Reveal “Ultra-Violence” Single and Details for New Album ‘War Remains’
    01/30/2023
    UK Rapper slowthai Launches Third Album ‘UGLY’ with Release of Brash New Single “Selfish”
    01/29/2023
    Dismember Announce Release of More Classic Albums on Streaming Platforms
    01/29/2023
    The Describers Let Loose with New Album ‘Ghost In the Rearview’
    01/28/2023
    Megan Brickwood Teases Upcoming EP ‘Fifth Mile’ with Lead Single “Trinity River Blues”
    01/27/2023
    Final Bands and Stage Splits Revealed for Desertfest London 2023
    02/01/2023
    Tramlines Festival Announces 2023 Headliners and More Line-Up Details
    02/01/2023
    Candlemass, Employed To Serve and More Confirmed for Bloodstock 2023
    01/31/2023
    Kendal Calling Annnounce Massive Line-Up for Summer 2023 Weekender
    01/25/2023
    Damnation Festival Announces First Wave of Acts for 2023 Event
    01/25/2023
    Satanik Royalty Records Presents Inaugural Disemboweled God Fest
    01/17/2023
    Osheaga Confirms 2023 Headliners RÜFÜS DU SOL, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar
    12/14/2022
    The Killers, Billie Eilish and Imagine Dragons Among Headliners Announced for Reading & Leeds Festival 2023
    12/09/2022
    Beyoncé Announces Renaissance World Tour
    02/01/2023
    Carcass Confirms Spring Tour with Municipal Waste, Sacred Reich, Creeping Death
    02/01/2023
    Vomit Forth Confirm USA Headlining Tour with Upon Stone
    01/31/2023
    Decent Criminal Hitting the Road for March Tour with Vacation
    01/31/2023
    Tori Amos Announces “Ocean to Ocean” Summer US Tour
    01/31/2023
    Gracie Abrams Announces “Where do we go now?” Single and UK Tour Dates
    01/31/2023
    Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper Confirm “Freaks On Parade Tour 2023” with Ministry and Filter
    01/30/2023
    Sparks Announce Details for Major World Tour
    01/30/2023
    Beyoncé Announces Renaissance World Tour
    02/01/2023
    Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ Celebrates 30th Anniversary; Returns to Streaming Services
    02/01/2023
    Carcass Confirms Spring Tour with Municipal Waste, Sacred Reich, Creeping Death
    02/01/2023
    Kian Blume Premieres His New, Nostalgic Single “Daphne”
    02/01/2023
    Ozzy Osbourne Announces Retirement from Touring
    02/01/2023
    Final Bands and Stage Splits Revealed for Desertfest London 2023
    02/01/2023
    Tramlines Festival Announces 2023 Headliners and More Line-Up Details
    02/01/2023
    Vomit Forth Confirm USA Headlining Tour with Upon Stone
    01/31/2023
    Previous Next
  • Interviews
    1. The Cover Story
    2. Behind the Video
    3. Level Up
    4. Pumping Metal
    5. Purely Provocative
    6. Tattoo Talk
    7. UnCovered
    8. Vox Populi
    9. View All
    Tuk Smith and the Restless Hearts: “Every day I wake up and I don’t feel like I belong on this planet”
    12/19/2022
    Melvins: “We’ve burned every bridge and it’s either this or homelessness, so it’s this.”
    12/05/2022
    Bedouin Soundclash: “When you get to a certain age, some kind of hurricane happens in your life: and that’s where you’ll meet yourself”
    11/14/2022
    Clutch: “The extra time really allowed us to check all the boxes on what we wanted to do on the new record”
    11/07/2022
    Damnation Festival’s Director Gavin McInally: “We’re looking at an almost sold-out arena and wondering how we top this line-up next year?”
    10/31/2022
    The Rasmus: “You really have to go low and almost die to come back again and to be born again.”
    10/24/2022
    Everclear: “I just wanted to play rock ‘n’ roll, and I always wanted to do it on my terms and make a living from it”
    10/17/2022
    Nik Nocturnal: “I was kicked off the Honours programme but didn’t care, I just wanted to cover songs”
    09/26/2022
    GUNNAR Discusses His “Fuck a Broken Heart” Music Video, Gear, Rituals and Touring
    01/26/2023
    Behind the Video: Budderside Go Inside Their “Joker” Music Video
    01/18/2023
    Behind the Video: Turbid North Talk Through Their Surreal “Slaves” Music Video
    12/06/2022
    Behind the Video: LA Artist Kalle Pascal Discusses His “Daisy” Music Video
    12/03/2022
    Behind the Video: The Hunna Drummer Jack Metcalfe Talks “Trash”; Details Latest Music Video
    12/01/2022
    Behind the Video: Miranda Joan Discusses the Clip for Her Tribute Song to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
    11/17/2022
    Behind the Video: Imaad Wasif Discusses His Chilled-Out Clip for “So Long Mr. Fear”
    11/10/2022
    Behind the Video: The Attire Dive into Their Spicy Clip for “Sriracha” ft. WOOSUNG
    11/04/2022
    Level Up: Victory Kid Drummer Carlo Ribaux Discusses His Second Love, Gaming
    01/12/2023
    Level Up: GFM’s Maggie English Discusses Gaming, Her Favourite Consoles, and How Games Inspire Her
    11/22/2022
    Pumping Metal: Jared James Nichols Discusses Getting and Staying in Shape
    01/30/2023
    Pumping Metal: Contracult Frontman Svart Discusses His Healthy, Active Lifestyle
    12/13/2022
    Pumping Metal: Polychuck on How He Maintains His Champion Level Physique
    06/09/2022
    Pumping Metal: Maddox Jones Discusses Health and How He Stays Fit
    05/19/2022
    Pumping Metal: J Temp 13 on How Healthy Living Intersects with the Rockstar Lifestyle
    03/29/2022
    Pumping Metal: Daemon Grey Reveals All About His Outgoing and Fitness-Focused Lifestyle
    01/21/2021
    Pumping Metal: August Burns Red’s Jake Luhrs Shares His Workout Routine, Diet, and Weight Training Tunes
    04/02/2020
    Pumping Metal: Shallow Side Bassist Matt Daniels on How He Structures His Life Around Health and Fitness
    03/25/2020
    Purely Provocative: Ace Of Wands Discuss Everything, Except Music!
    01/28/2023
    Purely Provocative: The Flamingos Pink Drummer Julz Corrado on Death, Drugs and Dumpy-Dumps
    10/21/2022
    Purely Provocative: Vancouver’s Lozen on Everything from Tarot to Tantric Sex
    08/10/2022
    Purely Provocative: Cyborg Octopus Frontman Ian Forsythe Tackles Some Irregular Questions
    08/09/2022
    Purely Provocative: Beautiful Machines Discuss the Less Pleasant Side of Life
    04/21/2022
    Purely Provocative: The F16s Get a Little Absurd and Outlandish
    11/05/2021
    Purely Provocative: The Casual Sexists Get Raunchy and Share Some Scintillating Stories
    05/19/2021
    Purely Provocative: Soundhoose Sound Off on the Less Glamorous Side of Rock
    04/07/2021
    Tattoo Talk: Hard Rock Duo Lift The Curse Discuss Their Awesome Ink
    01/07/2023
    Tattoo Talk: Soulprison Vocalist Henry Keller on His Favourite Ink and Artists
    12/23/2022
    Tattoo Talk: nobody likes you pat’s Pat Kiloran Dives into His Ink
    11/19/2022
    Tattoo Talk: Sabaton Drummer Hannes Van Dahl Dives Deep into His Passion for Ink
    10/20/2022
    Tattoo Talk: CHLSY Frontwoman Chelsea Gilliland Discusses Her Bodacious Body of Ink
    08/16/2022
    Tattoo Talk: Talkless Discusses His Ink, Being a Tattoo Artist, and the Worst Tattoo He’s Given
    07/15/2022
    Tattoo Talk: Dillon Forte Discusses Sacred Geometry, Joe Rogan, NFTs and Life in Texas
    06/06/2022
    Tattoo Talk: Cycotic Youth’s Jason Brown Discusses Ink, His Shop S.T. Tattoo, and New Music
    05/28/2022
    UnCovered: Oscar Jerome Forks Over Details on ‘The Spoon’ Album Artwork
    01/27/2023
    UnCovered: Nordic Daughter Discuss the Artwork for Their Ravenous Record ‘Perceptions’
    01/21/2023
    UnCovered: Just The Tim & Friends’ Tim Bernard on the ‘Fell Over You’ EP Artwork
    04/14/2022
    UnCovered: Sarah Hiltz Ventures Behind the Artwork of Her Record ‘Calm Fury’
    03/03/2022
    UnCovered: Nathan Leigh Explains How He Developed His ‘House on Stilts’ EP Artwork
    11/13/2021
    UnCovered: Paper Jackets’ Frontman James Mason Discusses the “Bones” Cover Artwork
    08/06/2021
    UnCovered: Evripidis and His Tragedies Discusses the Magnificent ‘Neos Kosmos’ Cover Artwork
    06/28/2021
    UnCovered: The Odd Haus Collective Discuss the Brilliant Cover Artwork for Oddysseys’ Single “Moaner”
    04/11/2021
    Vox Populi: Derision Cult’s Dave McAnally Discusses Information and Its Negative Effects
    01/17/2023
    Vox Populi: Anti-Flag Bassist Chris No. 2 Sounds Off on Systemic Inequality and Effecting Change
    12/16/2022
    Quick & Dirty: Vaughanstrosity Chats Metallica Concerts, Nostalgic Moments, and Pizza Toppings
    02/01/2023
    Pumping Metal: Jared James Nichols Discusses Getting and Staying in Shape
    01/30/2023
    Purely Provocative: Ace Of Wands Discuss Everything, Except Music!
    01/28/2023
    UnCovered: Oscar Jerome Forks Over Details on ‘The Spoon’ Album Artwork
    01/27/2023
    GUNNAR Discusses His “Fuck a Broken Heart” Music Video, Gear, Rituals and Touring
    01/26/2023
    Lucy Lambert Interview: Debut Album ‘Lucy Lambert​’s Violet Drift,’ Writing Process & More!
    01/24/2023
    Chase The Bear Discuss Their Debut Album ‘Honey,’ Hometown of Vancouver, and Pre-Show Rituals
    01/22/2023
    UnCovered: Nordic Daughter Discuss the Artwork for Their Ravenous Record ‘Perceptions’
    01/21/2023
    Previous Next
  • Features
    1. Guest Blog
    2. Stereo Six
    3. Top 10
    4. Track-by-Track
    5. Vinyl Variety
    6. Women of Rock
    7. View All
    Will Wood Details His (Final?) Album ‘In Case I Die’ and Indefinite Hiatus from Music
    01/09/2023
    Michael Compton on the Gloom and Growth that Inspired His Album ‘Wooden Spoon’
    01/04/2023
    Alive In Barcelona Vocalist Matt Hoos Explains How Music Saved His Life
    12/15/2022
    Roger Street Friedman: “I Was Born to Make Music… (but it took a 25-year break to realize it)”
    12/13/2022
    Dive Deep into Archer Monk’s “Tumbleweed Pop” Album ‘Joy Ride Opus’
    10/20/2022
    We’re Wolves Discuss Covering Linkin Park’s Standout Single, “One Step Closer”
    09/26/2022
    Steaming Kettle PR Founder Andy Kettle on His Music Business Journey, and New Venture Drop That Record
    09/13/2022
    Satsang’s Drew McManus Skillfully Strips Down the Album ‘Flowers from the Fray’
    09/09/2022
    Stereo Six: Kids That Fly Discuss Albums that Inspired Their EP ‘Tracks of the High Line’
    01/23/2023
    Stereo Six: Isaac Watters on Albums that Inspired the Writing of ‘Extended Play 001’
    01/13/2023
    Stereo Six: Ten Kills the Pack’s Sean Sroka Shares His Most Influential Albums
    12/15/2022
    Stereo Six: Me Like Bees Buzz About the Sounds that Influenced ‘Disco Two Step’
    12/05/2022
    Stereo Six: Fragments of Sorrow Supply Some of Their All-Time Fave Tunes
    11/23/2022
    Stereo Six: BRYMIR Frontman Viktor Storm Gullichsen Counts Down His Most Influential Albums
    10/17/2022
    Stereo Six: TheFatRat Crawls Across Genres to Dole Out His Favourite Songs
    08/30/2022
    Stereo Six: Fool’s Union on the Music that Inspired Their Single “Raven Lake”
    07/16/2022
    Seven Layer Piano Cakes’ Justin Hoyt Lists His Top 10 Favourite Water-Related Things
    12/21/2022
    Nestor Frontman Tobias Gustavsson Lists His Top 10 Heaviest ’80s Rock Classics
    11/28/2022
    Singer-Songwriter Maripool Details Her Top 10 Most Important Albums
    10/15/2022
    Top 10 Most Rock n’ Roll Fashion & Makeup Brands According to Evol Walks
    10/13/2022
    Scottish Rockers She Burns Red Pick Their Top 10 Adrenaline-Fuelled Rock Anthems
    10/03/2022
    Bealby Point List Vancouver’s Top 10 Local Bars and Clubs
    09/01/2022
    Top 10 NFT Dos and Don’ts According to Musician and Crypto-Maniac Christian O’Connor
    02/05/2022
    Born A New Lists the Top 10 Upcoming Metal/Hardcore Bands They Dig Most
    01/27/2022
    Track-by-Track: Hostia Hammer Out Details of Their Album ‘Nailed’
    01/23/2023
    Track-by-Track: Frightful Places Details the Debut EP ‘Frightful Places’
    01/16/2023
    Track-by-Track: Jillian Lake’s Take on Her Album ‘Younger Then’
    01/14/2023
    Track-By-Track: Josh Van White Breaks Down His Innovative Album ‘Pacific Transmissions’
    12/20/2022
    Track-by-Track: Elizabeth Moen Details Her Juicy Album ‘Wherever You Aren’t’
    12/19/2022
    Track-by-Track: Power Metal Troop Judicator Explore the Themes Inspiring ‘The Majesty of Decay’
    11/25/2022
    Track-by-Track: Protect Your Heart Detail Their Dizzying Debut ‘[re]introduction’
    11/18/2022
    Track-by-Track: Clearfight Discuss Their ‘Don’t Look at Me’ EP; Premiere “Ripcord” Music Video
    11/03/2022
    Vinyl Variety: The Strumbellas’ Jeremy Drury Visits Hamilton’s Best Record Stores
    04/08/2021
    Vinyl Variety: Adam Masterson’s Love Letter to Rough Trade West (London)
    06/11/2020
    Vinyl Variety: Swedish Rockers Tribe Friday Pen a Love Letter to Their Local Record Store Bananamoon
    04/02/2020
    Vinyl Variety: LATE NIGHT LEGACY Lead Us Around Leeds’ Top Record Shops
    11/01/2019
    Vinyl Variety: Swedish Death Metallers ENTOMBED A.D. Enshrine Their Favourite Swedish Vinyl Shops
    10/18/2019
    Vinyl Variety: Alt-Rockers THE ROYAL FOUNDRY Eagerly Explore Edmonton’s Best Vinyl Stores
    10/15/2019
    Vinyl Variety: WALK OFF THE EARTH Walk Through Toronto’s Top Record Purveyors
    09/23/2019
    Vinyl Variety: Noise Rock Trio MULTICULT Browse Baltimore’s Most Bodacious Record Shops
    09/18/2019
    Women of Rock: Diana Panton Discusses Some of Her Major Female Inspirations
    11/29/2022
    Women of Rock: Eddy Lee Ryder Lays Out Five Women She Holds in High Regard
    11/22/2022
    Women of Rock: Maldita’s Rosa Venenosa on Her Vocal Inspirations
    03/14/2022
    Women of Rock: SOFTCULT Dish on Their Fave Female Musical Inspirations
    02/04/2022
    Women of Rock: Famous Underground’s Laurie-Anne Green Lists the Women Who Truly Inspire Her
    06/28/2021
    Women of Rock: High Shores Shares Their Top Five Female Artists
    06/23/2021
    Women of Rock: Velvet Two Stripes Sort Through Some of Their Most Significant Female Inspirations
    06/02/2021
    Women of Rock: Misty Eyed’s Megan Burke Gives Us Her Top Five Female Influences
    05/14/2021
    Stereo Six: Kids That Fly Discuss Albums that Inspired Their EP ‘Tracks of the High Line’
    01/23/2023
    Track-by-Track: Hostia Hammer Out Details of Their Album ‘Nailed’
    01/23/2023
    Acoustic Folk Duo nature airliner List 10 Terrific Tokyo Restaurants
    01/19/2023
    Track-by-Track: Frightful Places Details the Debut EP ‘Frightful Places’
    01/16/2023
    Track-by-Track: Jillian Lake’s Take on Her Album ‘Younger Then’
    01/14/2023
    Stereo Six: Isaac Watters on Albums that Inspired the Writing of ‘Extended Play 001’
    01/13/2023
    Every Friday the 13th Movie Ranked by The Frst’s Mikei Gray
    01/13/2023
    Will Wood Details His (Final?) Album ‘In Case I Die’ and Indefinite Hiatus from Music
    01/09/2023
    Previous Next
  • Reviews
    1. Album Review
    2. Song Review
    3. Book Review
    4. Film Review
    5. Product Review
    6. Show Review
    7. Event Review
    8. View All
    Get Out – ‘The Violation of Terms and Conditions’ [Album Review]
    01/30/2023
    Hilning – ‘Råtijinn’ [Album Review]
    01/28/2023
    Dana Why – ‘The Lyre’ [Album Review]
    01/25/2023
    Newport Electric – ‘Discord And Harmony’ [Album Review]
    01/11/2023
    Kate Fenner – ‘Dead Reckoning’ [Album Review]
    01/10/2023
    Dark Funeral – ‘We Are The Apocalypse’ [Album Review]
    01/10/2023
    Boney Fiend – ‘13 Beers’ [Album Review]
    01/05/2023
    Souls Extolled – ‘MMXXII’ [Album Review]
    01/04/2023
    Coely – “Kaos” [Song Review]
    02/01/2023
    The Magician & The Aston Shuffle – “Differences” [Song Review]
    01/31/2023
    KILLCODE – “Let’s Get Back to Rock n Roll” [Song Review]
    01/30/2023
    joan – “Nervous” [Song Review]
    01/30/2023
    The Hunger – “Tears To Cry” [Song Review]
    01/27/2023
    Alma Mater – “Fading Moon” [Single Review]
    01/26/2023
    TEROUZ – “Tiger Girl” [Song Review]
    01/26/2023
    Chris Ianuzzi – “Lonesome Highway Superstar” [Song Review]
    01/25/2023
    The Unlikely (and Glorious) Return of CREEM Magazine
    01/12/2023
    “Monolithic Undertow: In Search of Sonic Oblivion” by Harry Sword [Book Review]
    09/08/2022
    “Bands do BK: A Guide to Brooklyn, by Bands, for Everyone” by Sam Sumpter [Book Review]
    09/05/2022
    “The Insatiable Necrosexual #1” by Necrosexual [Comic Book Review]
    05/09/2022
    “Love Hertz” by Aaron Mostow, Kevin Flores, Rodolfo Tagle III [Book & EP Review]
    05/03/2022
    “Long Live King Kobe: Following the Murder of Tyler Nichols” by Spencer Ostrander & Paul Auster [Book Review]
    04/12/2022
    “Name Dropping: Seeking Creative Truth Through Trendy Altruism and Punk Rock” by Jameson Ketchum [Book Review]
    10/29/2021
    “The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism” by Tucker Carlson [Book Review]
    08/26/2021
    Enys Men (British Film Institute) [Film Review]
    01/28/2023
    Host (Shadow House Films) [Movie Review]
    01/20/2023
    The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker (Netflix) [Documentary Review]
    01/19/2023
    “John Monteleone: The Chisels Are Calling” (Street Singer Productions) [Documentary Review]
    01/05/2023
    Cave In – “Days of Nothing” [Documentary Review]
    12/15/2022
    Smile (Paramount Pictures) [4K Ultra HD Review]
    12/14/2022
    Better Watch Out (Storm Vision Entertainment) [Movie Review]
    12/10/2022
    “The Jangling Man: The Martin Newell Story” (Captured Tracks) [Documentary Review]
    12/02/2022
    Capital Helles Bock Beer by Coachella Valley Brewing Company [Product Review]
    11/24/2020
    Caninus Collars’ Official Mötley Crüe “Dr Feelgood” Dog Collar [Product Review]
    05/08/2020
    METALLICA and ARROGANT CONSORTIA Have a Winner with Their Thirst-Quenching “Enter Night Pilsner” [Beer Review]
    03/29/2019
    Dexter Holland’s GRINGO BANDITO Hot Sauce is Full-Throttle Flavor [Product Review]
    07/25/2018
    “Reality Based Pils” by Mikkeller Brewing & The National [Beer Review]
    07/24/2018
    HEAVY LEATHER NYC “Shout at the Devil” Guitar Straps [Gear Review]
    07/06/2018
    Audials Tunebite 2017 Premium [Product Review]
    01/27/2017
    Caninus Collars: Make Your Pup Punk with Hardcore Dog Collars and Leashes [Product Review]
    01/06/2017
    Holding Absence and Void of Vision’s Grassroots Tour Rocks Liverpool Academy 2 [Photos]
    01/31/2023
    We Came As Romans, Erra, and Brand of Sacrifice Wallop Worcester Palladium [Photos]
    01/28/2023
    Sleep Token (w/ Northlane) Deliver Godlike Sermon to Hammersmith’ Eventim Apollo [Show Review]
    01/26/2023
    PVRIS, Maggie Lindemann and Charlotte Sands Send Temperatures Soaring at Manchester Academy [Photos]
    01/24/2023
    Trivium, Heaven Shall Burn and Malevolence Destroy Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse [Photos]
    01/19/2023
    Sevendust Maul Madison Theater with ENMY, Life After This, and Asayda [Photos]
    01/09/2023
    Volbeat Illuminate Leeds First Direct Arena with Skindred and Napalm Death [Photos]
    12/20/2022
    Trampled by Turtles Totally Glow at St. Louis’ The Pageant with Taylor Meier’s Sumbuck [Photos]
    12/19/2022
    Damnation Festival 2022: A Game-Changing Day for Extreme Music in Manchester [Photos]
    11/14/2022
    An Unforgettable Night for Singer-Songwriter Jamie Webster and Fans at Leeds O2 Academy [Photos]
    11/14/2022
    Puscifer Doubles Down on Halloween with Streaming Events “V is for Versatile” and “Parole Violator”
    11/03/2022
    Normality Resumes as The Wildhearts Return to Rock Bradford Nightrain on June 18, 2021 [Show Review & Photos]
    06/29/2021
    Punk Rock & Paintbrushes (Story and Book Signing Event) [Event Review]
    05/13/2021
    Getting Back to Our Roots with Wardruna’s Einar Selvik [‘Kvitravn’ Livestream Review]
    12/17/2020
    Evanescence Take Flight at Rock Falcon Studio in Nashville, Tennessee [Show Review]
    12/10/2020
    Michale Graves Rocks a Truly Intimate Evening in Cocoa, Florida [Show Review]
    10/20/2020
    Coely – “Kaos” [Song Review]
    02/01/2023
    The Magician & The Aston Shuffle – “Differences” [Song Review]
    01/31/2023
    Holding Absence and Void of Vision’s Grassroots Tour Rocks Liverpool Academy 2 [Photos]
    01/31/2023
    KILLCODE – “Let’s Get Back to Rock n Roll” [Song Review]
    01/30/2023
    joan – “Nervous” [Song Review]
    01/30/2023
    Get Out – ‘The Violation of Terms and Conditions’ [Album Review]
    01/30/2023
    Enys Men (British Film Institute) [Film Review]
    01/28/2023
    We Came As Romans, Erra, and Brand of Sacrifice Wallop Worcester Palladium [Photos]
    01/28/2023
    Previous Next
  • Photos
    Holding Absence and Void of Vision’s Grassroots Tour Rocks Liverpool Academy 2 [Photos]
    01/31/2023
    We Came As Romans, Erra, and Brand of Sacrifice Wallop Worcester Palladium [Photos]
    01/28/2023
    PVRIS, Maggie Lindemann and Charlotte Sands Send Temperatures Soaring at Manchester Academy [Photos]
    01/24/2023
    Trivium, Heaven Shall Burn and Malevolence Destroy Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse [Photos]
    01/19/2023
    Sevendust Maul Madison Theater with ENMY, Life After This, and Asayda [Photos]
    01/09/2023
    Atlanta’s Best Hip-Hop Murals: Outkast, JID, Takeoff, MF DOOM
    12/22/2022
    Volbeat Illuminate Leeds First Direct Arena with Skindred and Napalm Death [Photos]
    12/20/2022
    Trampled by Turtles Totally Glow at St. Louis’ The Pageant with Taylor Meier’s Sumbuck [Photos]
    12/19/2022
    Clutch Celebrate “Clutchmas” with Tigercub and Green Lung at Manchester Academy [Photos]
    12/19/2022
    The Ballroom Thieves (w/ Opener Griffin William Sherry) Stole Hearts at The State Theatre [Photos]
    12/15/2022
    Previous Next
  • Music
    1. Alternative/Rock
    2. Blues
    3. Classical
    4. Dance/Electronic
    5. Folk
    6. Hardcore/Punk
    7. Hip-Hop/Rap
    8. Jazz
    9. Metal
    10. R&B/Soul
    11. View All
    Decent Criminal Hitting the Road for March Tour with Vacation
    01/31/2023
    Tori Amos Announces “Ocean to Ocean” Summer US Tour
    01/31/2023
    Holding Absence and Void of Vision’s Grassroots Tour Rocks Liverpool Academy 2 [Photos]
    01/31/2023
    Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper Confirm “Freaks On Parade Tour 2023” with Ministry and Filter
    01/30/2023
    Sparks Announce Details for Major World Tour
    01/30/2023
    KILLCODE – “Let’s Get Back to Rock n Roll” [Song Review]
    01/30/2023
    Pumping Metal: Jared James Nichols Discusses Getting and Staying in Shape
    01/30/2023
    The Mars Volta Announce May Headlining Shows with Teri Gender Bender
    01/30/2023
    Nick Patyk Is Back on “Cloud 11” with His Latest Single
    01/29/2023
    Premiere: Bluphoria Shine Bright on Their New Single, “Ain’t Got Me”
    01/26/2023
    Mortal Prophets Premiere Their Rhythmic, Spiritual Cover of “Lord I’m The True Vine”
    12/08/2022
    Kenny Wayne Shepherd – “Trouble Is…25” [Documentary Review]
    11/29/2022
    Vince Vanguard Premieres the Music Video for His Astute New Single “Atlas”
    11/07/2022
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In Interviews

Hacks and Half-Stacks: An Interview with SVALBARD’s Serena Cherry

By Kevin Stewart-Panko 04/06/2018 14 Mins Read
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You know how music journalists will use the “full disclosure” disclaimer as a method to backstop everything from a potential conflict of interest and influence peddling to friendships and as a safety net against potential embarrassing listening habits? Well, there’s going to be none of that here. So, when I bring up how I used to be in a band (which shall remain nameless) and how said band often took advantage of the contacts I established during my prolific work as a hack while simultaneously suffering because of my sharp tongue and poison pen, think of that as “partial disclosure” and all the disclosure you’re going to get.

Serena Cherry is the guitarist/co-vocalist in Bristol’s Svalbard and these days she’s experiencing much of the same shit I experienced back in the late 90’s/early 00’s. More partial disclosure: while Serena and I have never met, we do write for a couple of the same publications and she’s a colleague whose work I always enjoy reading. Not only are her features and reviews well-done, witty and to the point, she rarely holds back on her opinions, a trait I share, know well and admire. Svalbard’s second album is set for release on May 25th via three labels; Translation Loss, Holy Roar and Tokyo Jupiter. It’s entitled It’s Hard to Have Hope and given the similarity of our stories as journalists who are/were also musicians, I figured a conversation on the topic would be interesting, if not entertaining. At least for the two of us, anyway.

I really hate asking the band history question, but sometimes it has to be asked. So, what can you tell us about Svalbard’s history?
Serena Cherry: Basically, the three founding members, myself, [guitarist/vocalist] Liam [Phelan] and [drummer] Mark [Lilley] all met at a rehearsal studio when we were playing in other shittier bands and we had a sneaky little jam and that was basically how Svalbard was born, which happened in 2011. We went through exactly 5,000 different bass players and now Adam [Parrish] is playing with us.

Check out a slick sample of the new material via the single “Revenge Porn”.

When you decided to do that jam together, was there a direction you’d decided on at the time?
Cherry: Not specifically, which was what I think was so good about it. All of our previous bands were a little more restricted to one genre: death metal, thrash metal, black metal. Each of us played in bands that were one thing and a little bit cookie-cutter, so we sort of bonded on our eclectic-ness and the fact we all liked different things. I don’t think any of us had any expectations, we just got in a room and said, “Let’s see what happens.” We didn’t sit down and go, “Oh, I want to do a band that sounds like this.” We just let it happen and the let the music take shape itself.

At what point did you decide that what you’re doing now is the direction you wanted to go? And how different is it from when you started?
Cherry: Oh, it’s really different now. I’d say the first EP we did is a lot more disjointed and a lot more kind of post-melodic hardcore whereas now we’ve definitely gone in a more metal direction and we’ve become, lyrically, a lot more direct and a lot more political. We always wanted to have a message to the music, especially with the album now where we’ve reached a point where it’s no holds barred, no ambiguity, no poetry, just direct politics and things. That’s a few of the ways it’s evolved from how it was. In terms of us prioritising Svalbard when we started jamming, at first it was quite hard because when you play in several different bands people have other commitments. I remember us having to turn down a show with Kylesa because our drummer booked a show with his other band. We’ve had a few incidences like that. I can’t really pinpoint a time when we all said, “This is the thing we’re all going to focus on and give our all to,” but slowly it started to happen over the first year and it happened when we started getting more and more active with touring and you realise that something’s got to give. You can’t be in two or three active bands at the same time. Luckily, we all chose to do Svalbard.

How long have you been doing the music journalism thing?
Cherry: It’s been nearly two years. It’s quite an interesting story; we were on tour with Meek is Murder and the manager of our record label, Alex at Holy Roar Records, had been talking to Darren at Terrorizer Magazine who said they needed some new writers. I’d written some pieces to go out as press releases for Svalbard before, pieces about the album for Metal Hammer and things, but they were very autobiographical and opinion pieces, it wasn’t really music journalism and I was doing reviews for local magazines for years. Alex recommended me to Darren and he emailed me asking if I could do an article on Meek is Murder. I was like, “Well, I’m sitting right next to them in a van!” It just kind of fell into place very quickly and luckily I didn’t write anything shit, so it snowballed from there.

See Svalbard rip things up thanks to their “Disparity” music video.


In being in the position you are, do you often have people wanting to interview you instead of the other members? Also, with your experience as a writer, do you worry about your musical output being held to a higher standard or put under a stronger microscope?
Cherry: Definitely. With sort of being a critic of other people’s work, it places a spotlight and more pressure on yourself because you think you can’t be in the position where you’ve slated other things and then not my subject to my own output to the same thing. It definitely makes me a lot more conscious and a lot more critical of our stuff because I’m so aware of doing it to other bands and picking things apart. I’m also aware of when you get sent music as a journalist, how you consume it. Sometimes you can be so passive to the whole thing and it doesn’t really grab you. I’m always aware of our music being sent out like that so I’m really desperate to make it attention worthy. You also get sent so much stuff and a lot of the time it’s quite samey and nothing really stands out. I tried to be conscious of everything we did musically, lyrically and everything to make everything stand out so that people would be like, “Oh, there’s an interesting feature behind this.”

And here we are [Laughter]. Are the other members as invested in this sort of approach?
Cherry: It’s definitely just me. I think that because of the other work I do, I have a bit of knowledge about how things can be perceived in the press and how things work in the press, stuff they’re not familiar with at all. Sometimes, they don’t understand why I’m placing so much effort and emphasis on certain things because I’m always thinking about gathering that press and gathering that attention. But the rest of the guys in the band don’t think like that; as long as they like what they do, they’re fine. They’re not thinking so much about how everyone else is going to interpret things.

Is there a struggle internally in the band as things turn more and more towards you being the focal point?
Cherry: Yeah. We were talking about doing interviews and for this album, it just so happens that every single interview request that’s come up so far has wanted to interview me. From my standpoint, I wrote all the lyrics, my guitar parts and have quite a large portion of input into the direction of the band, so to me it makes sense. But, they always make the comment that we’re “Serena and the Svalbards.” And I can totally see where they’re coming from as well. I don’t want to hog everything, but at the same time, having experience writing about bands and interviewing bands… I remember interviewing bands and getting nothing from them. Nothing but one or two word answers and having to write a thousand word feature on them using that. Having that experience has been made it helpful for me in giving interviews for Svalbard. I don’t want it to be “Serena and the Svalbards,” and I don’t want it to sound like I do, but I’m also quite realistic about the fact that I’m the one who stands in the middle of the stage and does most of the vocals and lyrics. Someone’s got to be the frontperson of every band. Look at Slipknot; it’s not like all nine of them are giving interviews each time. It’s a sort of necessary evil, I suppose.

The cover artwork for Svalbard’s upcoming second album, It’s Hard to Have Hope.

Have you experienced any notable reactions from other bands or labels about being both a musical artist and a critical artist?
Cherry: There’s been a really recent thing where I wrote a thing for an online site about Taake. With all the stuff that went on with him and their American tour being cancelled, I noticed it was becoming a hot topic, so I wrote a piece about it and there’s been quite a lot of hatred come back on the band because I was one of the people taking a stand saying stuff about how it’s unprofessional to paint a swastika on your chest and how you can’t not expect a reaction when do something like that. To me it was a common sense article and the issue wasn’t being talked about in a particularly progressive way. So, by association, we have now burned that bridge because their guitarist came to see us in London last October and was like, “Hey, you guys are great. Come and tour in Norway.” Well, that’s probably not going to happen now because of my opinions. We tend to get more dislike for my opinions instead of getting slated because I’ve slated bands.

On the flipside, has your written work created any advantages in Svalbard’s favour?
Cherry: Yes. It’s such an obvious thing to say, but I’ve been able to get to know other people and make contacts. So, the lady who’s now doing PR for us, I met her through writing for Terrorizer and she’s introduced me to other bands. We’ve got on some shows because of it too. We played with Enslaved in November and that came about through me interviewing them at Damnation Festival and we borrowed their lighting engineer for our set, which was a bit of a conversation starter. Then, they watched us and liked it and then invited us to play a show with them which is pretty amazing. So, there’s definitely been some cases where interviewing a band has opened a door for Svalbard. One thing I’ve found interesting, and I’m not sure if it’s a gender thing, but a lot of the time when you interview musicians they would talk to you like you didn’t know what a chord was or like you didn’t actually know how music was made. Sometimes, I’d be interviewing people and they’d be super patronising about that and I’d have to be like, “No. It’s OK, you can talk to me properly. I play.” Then, they’d be interested in what I played and you’d form a relationship with other bands that way through the interview process when they don’t expect the person to be interviewing them to be a musician as well.

Tell us about the new record coming out on three different labels?
Cherry: Holy Roar has been our label here and released a couple of our records already. We were in talks with Relapse about releasing the album with them in the states. Unfortunately, one of them wasn’t into it so Drew, who works at Relapse and knew Liam through Liam’s previous band, said he wanted to release it anyway on his label, Translation Loss. So, that’s how the states happened. With the Japanese label, Tokyo Jupiter, they just got in touch with us. They just sent us an email which was amazing because we really wanted to release the album in Japan and potentially tour over there. We were actually on the lookout for labels and contacting bands like Envy to set some things up and getting the wheels in motion for getting the record out over there and this other label fell into our lap which was a complete stroke of luck, really.

Are you an “Unpaid Intern”? Then watch this Svalbard video for some tips and tricks.


In having lyrics where you take a definite and often blatant stand, but have two vocalists, is it ever tricky in coming up with material everyone wholeheartedly agrees upon?
Cherry: It is hard and there definitely been a few compromises we’ve had to make. I didn’t actually want the album title we ended up with. The one I wanted didn’t get picked because I think the guys thought it was a bit too feminist and a bit too much of the sort of album title you hear and go, “Well, there’s no mistaking what that’s about.” So, we ended up going for something a bit fluffier which I’m still a bit annoyed about. Also, we write the music first and I’ll write lyrics at home and bring them into the equation once all the music is completely good to go. We’d written this sort of euphoric black metal-ish track that had all sorts of pretty guitar leads and chords in it. The lyrics I’d written ended up being about sexual assault at gigs and, physically, they fit the song, but I thought that I’d almost ruined the song. I felt like I’d taken lyrics that were so stark and horribly descriptive and made an uncomfortable listen. I did worry about the directness of the lyrics and that the message I was trying to portray was sort of ruining the song because the song had an almost post-rock level to them. There have definitely been worries about putting those two things together and there have been times where we’ve had arguments about where I’ve had to explain exactly where I’m coming from as a feminist sometimes because sometimes you’re not going to get it unless you’re in that situation. But, that’s not anybody’s fault.

Going forward, do you think you’ll continue with that lyrical style or, because it’s hard to have hope, do you think you might run out of steam?
Cherry: [Laughs] Well, I think that you can never say never with anything. I don’t like the idea of Svalbard being pinned to this one concept. The previous releases were quite emotive and more poetic and there’s nothing to say we can’t go back to that or move forward and take a different stance. I’m one of those people who’s really influenced by what they’re reading and watching at the time and at the time of writing this album, I was reading a lot of Caitlin Moran and watching a lot of anime which really sort of brought up issues and dealt with political stuff and brought it to the forefront of my mind. And in the moment, I found writing in that direct political way felt more like a release for me instead of dressing things up in long words and poetry. But there’s nothing to say that this is it and this is what we’re going to stick to.

What’s the plan once the album is out?
Cherry: Touring, touring, touring. That’s the big plan, playing as many shows as possible and getting out to places that we’ve never played before. Everything’s resting on this second album being well received and gathering a bit of attention because as everyone knows, financially it’s really, really hard to do a band and really hard to tour new places without the money to do so. At the moment, we’re all hedging our bets on this second album giving us the push that we need to be able to go out and tour the states or Japan or wherever. So, that’s basically the plan for the next two years or so: get the album out, do a few more videos and things like that, play as many shows as we can, get on as many good festivals as we can and hope for the best.

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