Seriously though, Work is going to be done over the next week to make this site much more interesting.

Dont forget to check out the forum!

On the bright side we are pushing ahead and hope to have semi regular updates from now on.

In the pipeline…
List of Irish Metal Bands and links to their websites and music.
More Reviews.
More Videos.
Info on Non-Irish bands and what they are getting up to in Ireland.
other things currently being planned…………

As always, Peace, and keep it Metal.

visuals by Jason Lynch for March by Mary Harney Must Die

http://www.bebo.com/maryharneymustdie

1. In God We Rust
2. Burning Preacher Nation
3. The Need To Bleed
4. You Will Rot
5. Turn To Stone

Just a word of warning. The reviewer obviously didnt enjoy this cd much and hey, if we dont like it, wel sure as hell say so. Please check out the band for yourself and make your own desicion. Links at the bottom of the page…

Playing the type of mid-paced, groove-laden, non-committally nihilistic metalcore-by-default favoured by an innumerable number of modern groups, along comes SevenScars fresh out of Cork with their, well, awful debut EP, hilariously (for all the wrong reasons) entitled “In God We Rust”.

It’s evident from a cursory glance at the tracklisting of the band’s most immediate, domineering influence (Track 2 is named Burning Preacher Nation; a rather unsubtle nod to Randy Blythe and co.’s previous moniker?). So for the most part the band follow Lamb Of God’s blueprint quite closely. Rhythm guitarist Kevin Cummins offers crunchy chords and gang vocal wails while Nick Connelly leads with mid-range palm muted leftover Pantera riffs. Drumming in the verses is for the most part simple Black Flag blast beats. There are (oh, thank you so much lads) no solos. And, of course, there are breakdowns. Oh dear Lord, the breakdowns. They’re EVERYWHERE. There haven’t been this many breakdowns in Cork since the petrol crisis.

Over all of this lie the “lyrics” of “vocalist” Paul Flynn. He’s in a way the most surprising part of this outfit, as his voice is never less than completely comprehensible even without a lyric sheet. Unfortunately, the man has plenty to talk about nothing to say, and over the course of 44 minutes you will have to hear him rhyme “hypocrite” with “don’t give a shit” (over and over again), “need” with “bleed” (over and over and over again) and, in Burning Preacher Nation, hear him accuse someone (the somewhat incoherent narrative makes it unclear who exactly) of being a “racist fuck”. Never mind in the title track, in a chorus bound to get the Cobh boys singing along, he croons: “In God we rust, fuck your American dream.”

And before you start, there is of course always a case for arguing that all these four-letter fandangos would be bearable, even enjoyable, if the poor lad had a decent pair of lungs on him. Alas, he does not. Envision a very, very drunk and very, very confused Enda Kenny being asked to deliver his best Phil Anselmo impersonation. Thinking about it? Yes. Exactly.

The only other thing that’s remotely surprising about this EP is the lack of technical two cents’ worth on display. The typical rule with most Irish metal guitarists in the past few years, regardless of genre, has been “pinch harmonize first, ask questions later”, but these boys almost entirely avoid this sort of self-indulgent carry-on. It works in their favour, as whether or not you like their songs they will still have a strong sense of forward momentum without being hindered by solo trade-offs. However, they let themselves down by inheriting Despised Icon’s irritating trick of all the instruments pausing mid-song to allow the guitarist to play the next riff reeeaaaaaaally sloooooooowly.

The one genuine unadulterated high point on show here is the rhythm section of Barry Crean on bass and Aivars Tirums on drums. I was surprised to find on the first track that not only was Crean audible, he also frequently performs the most distinctive (if not only) melody lines on the entire album, and uses a range of different tones depending on the song.

But Tirums really steals the show here, and it seems the band knows it, pushing him almost centre stage in terms of production; he is, in effect, the only genuinely distinctive element this little-band-that-couldn’t has. Rather than drowning everything in walls of blast beats and double bass, he uses everything sparingly and to great effect. Despite the rumbling, ominous tom toms and super-fast snare work reminiscent of Hellhammer from Mayhem’s best work, the drummer he most reminds me of is Stephen Morrisse, as they both share that cool sense of minimalism, Tirums’s particular style merely augmented by his metal influences (curiously, both Morrisse and Tirums have at various points been described as “[human] drum machines”). If the opening track gives you the false impression that this EP will be a stylish, innovative piece of work, it will most likely be due to Tirums’s nervy, militaristic beat during the intro.

Oh, and for sheer comedy value, see the opening of “You Will Rot”. Then get rid of the bloody thing.

Production: 4/5 - It’s blunt and to the point, not unlike the band itself, with Flynn’s vocals unusually low in the mix (thankfully).

Technicality: 3/5 - The EP often works when it’s at its most minimalistic, but Connelly manages to show off every now and again.

Songwriting: 2/5 - You know you’re seriously in trouble when this reviewer has to (twice) look down at his CD player to check he didn’t accidentally stick it on repeat.

Originality: 1/5 - They’re an Irish metalcore band. ‘Nuff said.

Overall Impact: 1/5 - The drumming and bass are flawless, but the guitarists need to find a more distinctive style, develop their songwriting skills and depose of Paul Flynn as fast as possible.

You can check out this band at,
http://www.sevenscars.com
http://www.myspace.com/sevenscarsireland
http://www.bebo.com/sevenscarsireland

Content contributed by Fionn Murray anguished666.bebo.com

The EP opens with a track aptly named “Intro”, this track starts the EP off on quite a melancholic note, with a haunting clean guitar progression setting the stage for the songs to come and allowing for an eerie Metallica-esque lead melody to accompany it. It’s not long before the peace is disturbed as the crescendo of cymbals and distortion is heard leading to the next song.

“Patriot” starts with a blistering intro, straight off the mark it’s in your face with a blazing British heavy metal inspired riff and it doesn’t let up.
Patrick’s Vocals float beautifully over the hammering rhythms below.
This song really takes you back to old megadeth days with a shot of British heavy metal. The groovy breakdown leads into the solo section which boasts some impressive guitarwork and percussion. The song ends on a very high note with the group shout inviting you to keep listening.

The second track on the EP starts off with quite a somber piece. “Forever Known” is definitely one of the standout tracks for me, the heavy intro rythms come at just the right time and suit the song down to the ground.
There’s not much more I can say about this track apart from its got everything you want in a metal song, Great vocals, blazing solos and kickass rythm.

“Unworthy” is quite a journey from the other tracks. This track really showcases the bands versatility in songwriting. The vocals really standout on this tracks, there is some great melodys on this track along with some great bass lines and guitarwork. The chorus while having no distortion or percussion is quite powerful, with the phrases “Im worthy” being repeated.

The final track “Those Who Stand” is for all your thrashheads out there. This song is a great final track. With a killer breakdown section reminiscent of 80’s thrash and some impressive drumming. Soon after the clean middle section comes a monster of a lead section which does not stop. The class lead melodies keep coming and end the song in very epic fashion.

Overall this EP is very impressive, and not much bad can be said about it.
The musicianship is definitely one of the standouts. At times on the EP vocals seem to be weaker than other’s this may be due to the recording quality or production. Apart from that not a bad word can be said about any part of the EP. So if you like your metal with a hint of British steel and a dash of thrash, then I highly advise you to give this a spin.

Check out reborn over at bebo http://www.bebo.com/Reborn1-0

or in myspace http://www.myspace.com/rebornbandrocks

Content contributed by
Cillian Waters of Valediction

Fist of all, this page… Yup, head over here to hear the latest developments in the irishmetal camp.

Second, the sites navigation menu has been remade to be more user friendly (we hope).

Thirdly, we have begun setting up an online store for the website. Plans for this online store are being kept quite secretive for the moment until we have it up and running fully but stay tuned here for updates.

Dont forget to check out the forum and remember to keep it metal!

In a word: Yes.

I am initially struck by the quality of the presentation on offer here. This is a band that have thought carefully about the layout and structure of this demo. The inlay is impressive, with full lyrics, band details and photos - a lesson for all aspiring young bands.

The demo opens with the impressive “Darkness Rising”. Full of meaty riffs and some interesting leadwork, it is reminiscent of thrash stalwarts such as Testament, Metallica and “Burn My Eyes” era Machine head. The intensity continues with “Hidden Will” and the anthemic “Domination Alone” - the execution is good and there is plenty of raw energy injected into each performance. The demo closes with the rather epic (if slightly too long) “Brutal Fate”.

Although this is as near perfect as a demo recording should be, it is not without its faults. There are moments when I feel the playing could be a little tighter especially with regard to the drums. I also feel there some moments where a little trimming could have benefitted the overall songwriting (for me there is perhaps a little too much too the beginning to Hidden Will and the intro to Domination Alone feels “tacked” on).

Overall, this is an excellent piece of work with some very strong moments. It will be interesting to see what direction the band go in from here.

Pros: Strong songs, good musicianship, strong lyrical content, excellent presentation.

Cons: Might be a bit too “old skool” for some, some timing issues, some over indulgence.

IMF SCORE: 4/5

For more info on Spare or to obtain a copy of Darkness Rising visit their official Bebo page at http://www.bebo.com/sparemetal
or check out the official Spare website: www.spare.ie

Content contributed by the Irish Metal Fansite of bebo
http://www.bebo.com/Masvidal

IMF: Tell us a bit about how Neverfade came to be and talk about what each members role in the band.

Rob: Ok well It started off with Me and Nathan (our drummer) who I have been in previous bands with and we got talkin about starting a new band but mainly focusing on writing our own material and few covers. We were discussing this down at our local skatepark where Vito (bassist) said he would be happy to join the band too as he has similar influences to us. Then I got in contact with Oisin (guitarist) and asked him to join. At the time I was gettin lessons from my guitar teacher Graham Keane and Oisin had told me he was gonna get lessons off him too, I saw this as a good opportunity to recruit him at the time. At that time it was difficult to find a vocalist because there’s not alot of em in this town and we even had the idea that I should do vocals but I was sceptic about it so we tried out a few people but they weren’t very commiting to the band. Eventually around December we got Martin Benson (ex- Dyanide/Carnyx singer) and he fitted in really well. Since then we’ve had a solid line up.

IMF: Where does the band draw its inspiration from? Is there a fixed ideal as with regard to the direction the band are going musically or is it open to experimentation?

Rob: We like to experiment. We all have our own influences but it doesnt effect our style. My influences would mainly consist of melodic death metal and metalcore and bands such as Unearth,Trivium,Killswitch Engage and In Flames but I listen to various other genres too. Nathan and Martin are into heavier kinda stuff like Bring Me The Horizon but we share similiar interests. Vito is into the likes of Slipknot and System Of a Down. Oisin is a huge fan of Thrash metal. All in all, our influences mainly focus around Metal, and thats what we aim to be… a metal band.

IMF: Your first recording “What’s Left Of Me” is gathering alot of interest, tell us about the recording process and where you see newer material heading?

Rob: The recording process took some time but in the end we were pleased with the outcome. I asked my guitar teacher Graham to record for us and he helped us out. Eventually we recorded at his house over a process of several weeks. As for newer material…Each track will have its own uniqueness…if thats the right word to describe it… I dont want any of our tracks sounding similar to one another but I still want it noticeable to the listener.

IMF: Although a relatively new band, you guys have covered a few miles, tell us about your live show. How have gigs been going and how has the reception been to NeverFade?

Rob: When we first started off nobody liked us because of our image and who we were. People thought we were a joke at first. These were the same people from other bands who we ended up sharing the stage with. But we were like: “Fuck it we got nothing to lose, Lets show em what we got!” and every gig we played at we gave 100%. We have had 4 gigs so far and they honestly weren’t the best. Our first gig was in Limerick at Riddlers Bar and we were nervous but we didnt let it get to us…we only fucked up one song haha! Second gig was in Dublin and we spent alot of money on transport only to play in front of less than 15 people! That really sucked cuz when we were there all the bands had there own fans and it was bullshit because after the bands had played and left, the crowd went with them so by the time we went on stage there wasnt many people. But we didnt care cuz we were there to play and thats what we did. Our third gig was in Ennis youth centre and that was alright, no slip ups. Our Fourth was in Eire Og bar in Ennis. That was probably the most un-enjoyable gig that we have had so far. We weren’t even given a sound check! We were first on stage and we were only allowed 5 songs. See we’re a fast band. Onstage we dont mess around with tunings or any of that so we can go straight from one song to the next without any trouble. So we blazed through 5 songs in 20 minutes. Where as other bands were given longer sets. We released our first track “What’s Left Of Me” aswell at that gig and people enjoyed it so I guess that was the only good thing to come out of it.

IMF: Who is the main songwriter in the band? What is the creative process like? Is it a “jam” situation where you all contribute ideas or is it more of a solo writer situation?

Rob: I’m the main songwriter in the band. The creative process… well I usually come up with the riffs and stuff I want to use for the original at home and then I show it the lads at band practice. They let me know if it works or not. I usually get help from the others when I’m putting the song together so they know what to expect. I always ask the guys if they want to contribute anything like bass,drum or guitar solos so they dont feel left out.

IMF: Whats on the horizon for Neverfade? Where can people catch you live?

Rob: We have begun recording on our 2nd original “Dark Hour” and we are hoping to have it finished before our tour with Leviathan which is coming up at the end of June (hopefully). Details of the tour will be posted on our band page http://www.bebo.com/Nevrfade. We also have plans to release an EP at the end of year or the start of next year so we shall see how that goes. We are still deciding whether on getting Poseidon Productions (same guys who gave us the gig in Eire Og) to help us organise it or not.

IMF: Finally…any last words, plugs…things you need to get off your chest?

Rob: Thanks for the interview IMF! And thanks to our fans and those who have supported us. We do it all for you guys! Anybody interested in our band then just check us out and let us know what ye think.

Cheers.

IMF: Many thanks to Rob for taking the time out the answer our queries.

I highly suggest checking out Neverfade either live or at their Bebo page….http://www.bebo.com/NevrFade

Support local acts!

Content contributed by the Irish Metal Fansite of bebo
http://www.bebo.com/Masvidal

So on to the music…

Though this is essentially a solid effort with much to admire musically it is not without fault (to be discussed later). “Bleed” opens the EP nicely, there is some strong themes to be heard early on…I feel the chorus is particularly infectious. The midsection is a little curious, perhaps taking away from the flow of the song but it is definitly interesting and shows a willingness to experiment.

“Reflect The Night” for me is a double edged sword. It features some nice ideas musically but I feel that perhaps the band are feeling the weight of their own ambition with regard to some of the more complex rhythmic patterns…particularly early on (there is quite a noticable drag on the tempo in the more complex sections). Special mention must go to the lead work, very well played indeed.

“Sweetest of Sympathy” is perhaps the most complete of the songs on offer. There are some very strong themes throughout and the vocal delivery is admirable. Perhaps there are a few too many drum patterns, again sometimes the ambition of the band weighs a little too heavily. Very good track though and again there is some great lead work to be heard.

The instrumental “Arise” brings to the E.P. to a close in fine fashion. It weaves through various tempos and themes showcasing the talent on offer. Make no mistake…these guys can play and they can play well. There are some excellent riffs…the riff after the Death Metalesque section must get a mention….very cool.

So, its a strong E.P. with great musicianship and some stellar songwriting…what were these faults mentioned earlier? Well, for me, my main criticism is levelled at the production. The vocals are a little lost, drowned in reverb for the most part and the guitars dont really crunch enough. Theres just not enough “power” in this mix… for want of a better word. Hopefully future recording will address this balance because there is a ton of potential here.

The Good: Great musicianship. Some strong songwriting. Nice lead work. The entire “Arise” track.

The Bad: Production could be better. Perhaps a little too clever at times when its not neccessary. Some tempo issues.

IMF Score: 3.75/5

Check out Forbidden Son at http://www.bebo.com/forbiddenson

If you like what you hear you can purchase their E.P. via I Tunes. (Its worth it for the title track alone!)

Support Irish Metal!

Content contributed by the Irish Metal Fansite of bebo http://www.bebo.com/Masvidal

Waylander, are a northern Ireland based band.

“Formed in 1993, WAYLANDER released their debut demo, Once Upon An Era, in early 1995. Mixing Irish folk music with extreme Metal, Waylander were soon dubbed Folk, Celtic and Pagan Metal.” (from their official Myspace)

Mary Harney Must Die, are a cork based band.

They “(Play) their own brand of instrumental rock, they dedicate themselves to the never ending death of Mary Harney.” (from their official Bebo)

Gig Review by Taidgh Lynch

There were four bands there, Mary Harney Must Die, Saviours of sin, 7scars (75cars) and Waylander. MHMD had some new material - was there for that band mainly - one of the best performances i think i have seen from them and their new song is wicked. The other two bands were decent enough - played a lot of covers though.

I’m not really into the type of music that Waylander played - it was music not to take too seriously - it was great moshing and head banging music though. Definitely sounded much better than their myspace music for sure - even the sound was more superior on the night. Overall it was a good nite.

Links -

Waylander Official Website

Mary Harney Must Die Official Bebo