AN INTERVIEW WITH RIFF FEST

RIFF FEST is an annual Extreme Metal festival that has taken place every August for the past two years at The Alma Inn in Bolton. Unlike many other music festivals, this all day event is completely FREE entry. Riff Fest showcases many of the UK's greatest Extreme Metal acts, with a leaning towards (but not restricted to) Sludge and Doom Metal. Over the past years, established acts such as Slabdragger, Iron Witch, Widows, Boss Keloid and the mighty Raging Speedhorn have all performed.

Riff Fest 2016 will take place on Saturday August 27th with Liverpool's Doom Metal titans CONAN headlining! 

Poster artwork by Alex Aspinall

I spoke to the man behind Riff Fest, Adam Swarbrick to find out more about the festival.

Adam performing with Boss Keloid at The Alma Inn.

So Riff Fest hits it's 3rd year in August, how did this project start and what inspired you to make it happen?

The idea for Riff Fest came one evening in the pub. I said to Jim [MacGranthin, boss at The Alma Inn] "let me have the bank holiday weekend in August, let's get all our mates together and have a party", in its simplest terms. The emphasis being on a party full, where all the UK's riff merchants and fans can come together in one place at the end of summer and have a right ball. I love that idea.


Do you work alone or do you have a team?

I book the bands and Jim's the financier [laughs]! Alex Aspinall my old friend since my school days provides the artwork.


What on earth do you do to convince such great bands like Slabdragger, Raging Speedhorn and Conan to headline a free festival?

Good question. Maybe it's a few things. The first years success took me by surprise. A pleasant surprise. It was a great feeling seeing how much everyone, bands and punters alike had a whale of a time. I like to think the event and the name gathered a good reputation after that. Throughout the year I was thrilled to hear from people that that day was the best day of the year. It's so good to know people enjoyed themselves so much. We'll continue to provide a fun day, free of dickheads and drama as long as people want such an event.

As to how bands of such stature come down to a tiny pub in a shit hole town for a free event, I'd like to think we're all pals and down for a good knees up at the end of the summer. We're all pals and in the same game at the end of the day and everyone enjoys booze, riffs and barbecues [laughs]!


Do you put a lot of your own money into Riff Fest and do you manage to turn a profit, break even or perhaps make a loss?

This year I've had to dip my hand in my own pocket a little, but it's down to Jim for the majority of the financing. I steer well clear of that [laughs]! I'm quite happy just arranging the best line-up I can.


The Alma Inn is considered to be one of the homes of great Metal in the North West, what makes the Alma special to you?

Again, good question. It's been a hub of rock and metal, punk, rockabilly, you name it for as long as I can remember. I've been a patron here for 10+ years and it's always been almost like my second home for that entire time. It's a great old fashioned pub, full of decent people who like music. Simple really. Then Jim came along however many years ago and really gave it a kick up the arse and installed an unrivaled rig. Add into that his technical know how, you've got all the ingredients required for the loudest, best equipped small venue in the country. Hands down.


Which band are you most looking forward to seeing at Riff Fest 2016?

To have bagged Conan as the outdoor headliners is a real coup. We've had them on here a number of times, but not since way back in like, 2011 or something. So it's gonna be excellent to see a band who've gone from playing their trade in small venues in crappy towns, to go on and pretty much conquer the world, come back and show us just how far they've come.

I'm looking forward to Foetal Juice. They're going to spice things up a bit. The crowd should go absolutely apeshit for them men. I'm really excited to see that. A grind/death metal band with 10+ years of experience in them, don't fuck about.

Shout out to my homeslices in Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters. They're really favourites of mine. 

STRAIN! Perhaps an unknown name to some unfortunately, but they were the kings about 10 years ago. And now, a reformed Strain return with a new lineup. Gonna be amazing. Great memories of watching Strain destroy the Alma when I was younger. I've been missing Strain for many years, I think they were ahead of their time, I know that they will rule at Riff Fest and make everyone a fan.

Also, ENOS! A band rarely seen around here, they were one of the first names I had down and I'm really excited to have them up here.


Do you have a performance from the previous two Riff Fest's that stands out the most in your memory?

BongCauldron at the first Riff Fest. There's some cracking footage online where it's kicking off as they play 'Bigfoot Reigns' and Jim has to come in and wrestle through the crowd to fix the roof because it's falling down [laughs]! I watch that frequently and smile.

Obviously Raging Speedhorn. I grew up doodling their logos in my school books, and to book them at my local and have them level the place is something I'll take to the grave with me. So that's a really cool thing and I love that.

And finally, what are your future plans for Riff Fest. Will it always be free or do you want to expand?

To tell the truth, we were approached to expand the festival into an outdoor event, elsewhere, which, whilst initially flattering, wouldn't have worked. As I said at the beginning, it's a party full of all our friends at the local. Let's just continue to have fun and headbang down at the local. 

...And here is that footage of BongCauldron courtesy of Monster Riffage! This will give you an idea of the craziness that will take place at Riff Fest '16!

Thanks to Riff Fest and Adam Swarbrick for taking the time to chat.

#349: THE VVITCH

2015

Directed by Robert Eggers

Supernatural Horror, Psychological Horror

The VVitch has taken the Horror community by storm and for good reason. I've not bought a Blu-Ray on the day of release for a while now, but after hearing all the glowing reviews, I was excited to see it. Well after one viewing I was completely impressed, I could have easily watched it again right away if I had time. This is my kind of Horror film because it thinks outside the box. If I was to compare it to the recent The Conjuring films (which I also really liked), both have supernatural elements, are set in periods from the past yet their impact hit me in completely different ways. The Conjuring relies more on jump scares and periods of silence that suddenly explode into loud frightening moments that catch you off guard. The Conjuring films have some unbearably tense moments where I felt like I couldn't look at the screen. The VVitch was different though, I never was so scared that I had to look away, and it doesn't really push the jump scares so much. What it does really well is just builds up a very creepy atmosphere.

In a rare move for a Horror film, The VVitch gives away its antagonist almost immediately (well, within the first 10 minutes) which took me by shock, as films in the supernatural genre tend to like to build up the suspense and make the big reveal at the end of the film. I thought it was a bold move after seeing that scene, I was completely hooked. The pacing of the film is excellent and there are practically no wasted moments in the film. The expanse of the surrounding forest is used to beautiful effect, and throughout the film it feels like something is lurking and watching in the trees in the background. The film has a low key but effective plot that keeps you guessing right 'til the end. In particular I loved the creepy, vocal soundtrack that sounded like witches chanting in a ritual. Also this has to be the finest performance from a goat in a film since Island of Death! The whole film is like seeing your favourite Black Metal albums come to life! The VVitch is a supremely enjoyable Horror flick, and whilst it doesn't do anything particularly new, it will manage to creep you out effortlessly, in a similar way to The Babadook before it, or perhaps creepy classics like The Wicker Man or Don't Look Now. 8/10. 

#348: THE NEON DEMON

2016

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

Psychological Horror, Body Horror, Surrealism.

The Neon Demon is the latest film from director Nicolas Winding Refn, most famous for his runaway hit film Drive that starred Ryan Gosling. If you saw his follow up film Only God Forgives, you'll know the director took a left turn into extreme violence and experimentalism, which ended up really polarizing fans of Drive. It's safe to say that if you didn't like Only God Forgives, and are wanting to see a more story driven film like Drive again, you'll probably be best off avoiding this one!

That said, if you happened to like Only God Forgives, there is a lot to like here. From the brilliant 80s looking opening credit crawl, The Neon Demon moves at a slow, dreamlike pace and keeps you guessing where the movie is heading for the most part. 16 year old Elle Fanning stars as a model who has only just arrived to L.A. and is admired and hired by all the most esteemed photographers and modelling agencies, leaving more experienced, hard working models left in the dust. The film's dialogue is purposely a little wooden, building up a feeling that you are in this plastic Barbie Doll world. As the film goes on, the innocent Elle Fanning finds herself under threat from a sinister motel owner (in a very good supporting role from Keanu Reeves) and her jealous model peers who will go to any lengths to see her out of the modelling industry.

If you are used to Nicolas Winding Refn's previous films, you'll know that his visuals and music takes the centre stage instead of the script and plot. Refn likes to use dialogue sparingly, although there is suitably more here than his previous film Only God Forgives which seemed to lack a script entirely! Visually the film nods towards the colour tinted lenses of Michael Mann, the slow, dark and dreamy feel of David Lynch and the colour coded scenes of Dario Argento's Suspiria. The film itself is even more beautiful to look at than the largely female cast of models. The Neon Demon boasts one of the best film scores I've heard, probably since Drive. Cliff Martinez returns with a pounding Industrial/Electronic score that made me want to get out of my cinema chair and start raving! Hearing this score played loudly in the cinema kept me interested even during points where there wasn't a lot going on in the plot.

The first hour or so is relatively easy going, with a few tense moments hinting at possible horrors that might potentially unfold. For the uninitiated, it may take a while to get into the films slow pacing, and it is a film that requires some patience. Fortunately, the film is driven by a wonderful and mysterious atmosphere that I found kept me engrossed throughout. After the first hour or so comes the true biting point of the film. The last half hour descends into something reminiscent of an 80s David Cronenberg film, and the most violent parts of Drive and Only God Forgives start to turn up. The film isn't particular violent in the way of physical violence, but turns into a gross out Body Horror film that will either have the audience walking out feeling sick, or enjoying the film even more if you are into extreme cinema! The guys behind me in the cinema couldn't resist shouting "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?" during a rather repulsive scene that nods towards Nekromantik. A couple even ended up walking out before the film had finished! The last third of the film is genuinely mental and oppressive, and easily the biggest talking point of the film.

Nicolas Winding Refn doesn't seem interested in making a commercial hit film like Drive again. He is the kind of director who has the ability to wow his audience with one hand, and then genuinely repulse them with the other. As a whole I think this was a better all around film than Only God Forgives, which went to too absurd and violent heights. If you are willing to stick with The Neon Demon, there are some truly wonderous moments to be found, particularly in how immersive the visuals and score are. It felt like it could have easily been a giant music video rather than a film. Just don't go into the film expecting another Drive! 8/10.

#347: SHURA - LIVE AT HMV MANCHESTER

Shura has just released her debut album "Nothing's Real" and to celebrate this event, she performed a short stripped down live set as well as signing copies of the album for fans. Shura explained how she grew up in Manchester and that it was her first time ever performing and signing at a record store. Shura performed vocals and keyboards, and was joined by a guitarist. There was a strong crowd of about 75 fans who applauded as she walked onto the makeshift stage.

Shura opened with "What Happened to Us?" She explained to the crowd that these live versions would sound rather different to the album, which has a much broader Synth Pop sound. Shura revealed a very natural sounding voice, slightly huskier pitched than on the album. The acoustic guitarist gave this song almost a bit of a Country twang. The emotive chorus "I was never ready for your love" hinted at a broken relationship.

Shura had a lot of fun banter with the crowd and came across as a very genuine, charming person, and despite the album's title, very real. However perhaps it was because it was a hometown show or playing to such an intimate crowd, but it was easy to tell she was feeling very nervous. During her song "Touch" she did miss a chord change, having to stop the song briefly and then find her way back into it. But this moment was actually warmly received by the crowd, and I think her confidence actually boosted because of this. Her next song "Make It Up" was the highlight, with her voice soaring to louder volumes and the guitarist now on an electric guitar sprinkling textures over her keyboard playing. Shura's performance was a very honest one, and despite making a couple of mistakes, was very much entertaining and something the die hard fans will certainly cherish.
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July 11th 2016 @ HMV Manchester. Photos by Rich Smith of Digital Bath.

#346: KAMASI WASHINGTON + SARATHY KORWAR - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

SARATHY KORWAR

Jazz drummer Sarathy Korwar has just released his new album "Day to Day" on Ninja Tune Records. He lead a trio this evening at Manchester Academy, opening up for Kamasi Washington. Joining Korwar was a keyboardist and a nylon string acoustic guitarist. Each composition the trio performed was built around recorded vocal samples, which Korwar explained were recordings he made of Indian singers who had immigrated from Africa.

The trio opened the evening with fast, technical playing with a strong focus on twisting rhythms. The drums were relatively laid back as the keyboardist and guitarist both explored middle eastern scales. The keyboardist had that classic jazzy Fender Rhodes kind of sound, whilst the guitarist had a definite Flamenco influence in his finger picking approach. The drums reached a crescendo by the end of the piece, with a flare for lively rolls and snappy fills. Their second piece escalated from a Funk influenced groove into the avant garde, with a discordant middle section reminiscent of a vintage Horror film. In particular the guitarist really shined on their third composition, with a lengthy solo part. The trio closed with the longest track, which is where band leader Korwar really shone, with a wide pallet of percussive sounds.

Sarathy Korwar and his trio were very well received by the crowd and they played an exciting and lively set, chock full of virtuoso talent. 8/10.

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KAMASI WASHINGTON

Fresh off a stunning Glastonbury performance, Kamasi Washington must have been feeling a spiritual peak as he stepped onto the stage, sax in hand, dressed in robes. He performed with the same 7 piece band that played Glastonbury and on his stunning triple album "The Epic". Between playing, Kamasi had a great rapport with the crowd, introducing his band and telling funny stories. In just two hours it felt like the audience got to know Kamasi and his highly talented band. His line-up consisted of Miles Mosley on the double bass, Brandon Coleman on the keys, Patrice Quinn on vocals, Ryan Porter on trombone, and two drummers, Tony Austin and Ronald Bruner Jr (brother of Thundercat). Kamasi told stories of how they all grew up together and started playing instruments from the age of 3 years old! Kamasi himself said he started as a drummer, but was outmatched by his two drummers, so switched to saxophone!

Kamasi Washington and his band kicked straight in with a rich cacophony of natural sounds, with the keyboards being the only electric instrument of the night. His band soon showed their Soul and Funk influences during a virtuoso display of pure musicianship. At first Kamasi took a slight back seat, as he would take time away from the sax to watch his peers from the side of the stage. Once they had all warmed up, the night really took off, and when Kamasi performed his first lead solo, the crowd went wild for it, blown away by the sheer force and magnitude as an array of notes flew at the crowd like machine gun fire!

The next song saw Brandon Coleman AKA Professor Boogie switch to a keytar and get his Jan Hammer on, which had the audience in a frenzy. He lead a wild funky track with his insane playing, stealing the show in this moment! The band then stripped the intensity down a little bit, playing their most emotional song which Kamasi dedicated to his hard working grandma, "Henrietta, Our Hero". He brought out his father Ricky Washington on flute as a special guest, who remained for the rest of the show! The song began with a cool piano sound and a modal saxophone melody. Vocalist Patrice Quinn took the reigns with a soulful lead vocal. Daddy Washington performed a beautiful Jazz flute solo in the middle. This lengthy ballad appropriately stripped back some of the virtuosity for a much more melodic and chord based song. The strength of the playing and the beautiful lyrics made for a very powerful and emotional tribute. By the end of the song I could see that some of the people sat around me in the crowd were moved to tears, and the band won their first standing ovation.

The band mixed it up even further by collaborating on a song that bassist Miles Mosley wrote for his own solo album. "Abraham" showed Mosley going mental on the double bass, with astonishing fingering and fast playing that seemed to defy physics! He created some genuinely eerie sounds from his instrument, even picking up a bow to play it! It soon became evident that Kamasi Washington was far from the only Jazz superstar on the stage tonight!

The 2 hour show climaxed with an insane drum off by Tony Austin and Ronald Bruner Jr. as they played for about 5 minutes each. It was a mind boggling display, and it was hard to pick out a winner as the two had two very distinct styles. After climaxing with another song from "The Epic", the band were cheered back after another standing ovation. As they closed the night with an exciting encore, much of the crowd ditched their chairs and walked to the front of the stage to dance.

This evening I and the Manchester audience were treated to more than some of the richest sounds in Jazz music. Before us stood a real family, not a band. Kamasi Washington and his band have clearly dedicated their whole lives to their craft and have come together to perform flawlessly, with so much fire and passion. But even more than that it was their tight knit chemistry that shone on stage. The band didn't just pour out virtuosity, but sheer emotion and feeling in their playing. Kamasi and his band play like a best of the entire Jazz genre. His triple album and his live show gave us the expression of John Coltrane, the spirituality of Sun Ra and Pharaoh Sanders, the Soul of Roy Ayers and Quincy Jones, the Funk of Herbie Hancock, and the versatility and sheer coolness of Miles Davis. Yet rather than sounding like a pastiche, they sounded nostalgic and fresh at the same time. This is without a doubt one of the greatest live shows I have ever experienced! 10/10.

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June 28th 2016 @ Manchester Academy.

#345: DESTRUCTION UNIT + SUPPORT: LIVE IN MANCHESTER

Islington Mill in Salford was host to an all-nighter event where 7 Extreme Metal, Rock and Hardcore bands played for the ridiculous bargain price of £5, featuring US Noise Rockers Destruction Unit as the headlining act.

BLOODY HEAD

Opening this evening of extreme sounds was Garage Punk quintet Bloody Head. They kicked right into noisy washed out guitar riffs with an essence of that Stooges raw power. Pounding drums and a bass that sounded like it was wading through a swamp were laced with their lead vocalist's indecipherable psyched out yelling. The whole band were pumped up and full of energy, with their lead vocalist walking around the crowd, screaming like he was in agony and at the most intense parts, even collapsing on to the floor, writhing around screaming with his shoes flung off his feet! Their set climaxed with a lengthier and doomier piece. Bloody Head kicked the evening off with very high quality, delivering a set full of tension, plenty of aggression and genuine passion. 8/10.

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AGGRESSIVE PERFECTOR

This Thrash Metal trio sound and look like they have never left 1984! Donning spikes and vintage Horror movie t-shirts, Aggressive Perfector set the Islington Mill stage on fire (not literally) with what they call Satan's Heavy Metal! Having seen them many times before, I think they had been given far too much reverb than what they are used to, sounding like they were performing in an echo chamber. Regardless, the band battled through it with their fast palm muted riffs and demented screams and wails. They almost had a bit of a Celtic Frost vibe going on tonight, but they got the strong crowd banging their heads and sweating. Closing song "Certain Death" is an absolute belter worthy of Slayer, whose own track "Aggressive Perfector" gave them their name. Satan was very much pleased with their performance tonight! 8/10.

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DENIM & LEATHER

Sporting a similar range of influences to opening band Bloody Head, Denim & Leather also sounded very raw, with a punky energy and haggard, bleeding guitars that rusted in agony! They were also lead by a very energetic vocalist who stumbled into the crowd. Between their primal Garage Hardcore songs they even threw in a couple of 1 second wonders, reminiscent of Napalm Death's immortal "You Suffer (But Why?)". Demin & Leather very much varied their tempos from song to song, finishing on a long Post Punk dirge. A difficult band to pin down, but I think Bloody Head may have just stolen their thunder tonight! 7/10.

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TV CRIME

Offering a slight breather in the running order was Nottingham based TV Crime, who were the most (and arguably only) melodic band of the evening. They certainly continued the theme of having a raw Garage Rock sound (or perhaps that is just the way bands sound at Islington Mill?) But TV Crime also sported a Slacker Indie Rock style, reminding me of bands such as Pavement, Dinosaur Jr and Parquet Courts at times, but I even heard a bit of a Buzzcocks influence too. Their sound was lead by chunky Power Pop riffs and sweeping melodic leads. Their lead vocalist had a soothing voice and their songs were fun and had a positive feel. There wasn't too much variation in their song formulas, but I think even the Extreme Metal fans seemed to really be getting down to their warm sounds. 7/10.

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EXXXEKUTIONER

Islington Mill's trapped reverb heavy sound worked wonders for Salford based Blackened Thrash Metallers Exxxekutioner. Islington Mill turned into Dracula's dungeon as the lights turned out with just a red glow creeping from the stage. A think fog of dry ice covered the whole room as the four Exxxekutioner's rose from the crypt. Lead vocalist Cliff's blood curdling blackened shrieks were terrifying and filled the room, as Ryan's lightning fast riffs pierced like daggers. The quartet blistered through a venomous and intense set, perfectly finding a meeting point between the fast aggression of Thrash and the cold misery of Black Metal. The front of the pit became a frenzy of moshing and headbanging. A cover of Celtic Frost's legendary "Into the Crypt of Rays" sealed the deal. This is the best I've heard Exxxekutioner yet and they delivered one of the best performances of the evening! 9/10.

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DESTRUCTION UNIT

Headlining band Destruction Unit have ventured all the way from Arizona, USA and they certainly have an apt band name! With 6 band members packed onto the tiny Islington Mill stage, Destruction Unit attacked the audience with 4 loud and noisy guitars all churning away in tandem! After deafening levels of noisy feedback, the drummer kicked into a fast and Hardcore influenced groove with pounding drums and choppy fills. The band's mixture of full on tremolo guitars and pedal worship created an impenetrably thick soup of chaos that actually hurt my ears even though I was wearing ear plugs!

Destruction Unit delivered a blistering set of raw and unrelenting noise that would have even made Sonic Youth push their hands to their ears! It started to feel like my head was being crushed in a vice at first, but there were parts were it also felt like my brain was being intensely massaged! Destruction Unit are almost like the antithesis of Sunn O))), achieving silly levels of loudness, but playing at breakneck speed. On the poster included inside the vinyl of their latest album "Negative Feedback Resistor" (released by Sacred Bones Records), it states "Destruction Unit have sacrificed their ears... Will you lend them yours?" This is the perfect tagline for the band, as their dedication to punishing loud noise cannot be faltered. One of the most intense and overwhelming live acts I shall ever experience! 9/10.

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GNOD

Gnoisemakers Gnod often record at Islington Mill and have something of a residency here. The multi-genre collective released one of my favourite records of 2016 so far, "Mirror", which saw them shift from a Psych/Krautrock inspired sound to full on apocalyptic Drone Rock, so I was very excited to see them obliterate the mill tonight. Coming on at 1am, to my surprise the 3-piece performed a purely Electronic set without a guitar in sight. Over the space of an hour, Gnod composed a unique single piece of music in a blackened room with black and white projector imagery and piercing strobe lights illuminating them on stage. Driven by a looping Industrial beat and Dark Ambient synthesisers, Gnod gradually built up a suffocating and Horror influenced atmosphere. Samples of laughter and creepy voices panned across the room. Gnod had a setup of drum machines, modular synth and lots of pedals as the trio stood around a large table with lots of wires covering it like moss. Occasionally one of the trio would scream into the mic and manipulate the sound into piercing feedback. As if Destruction Unit hadn't already shattered our minds into pieces, Gnod were here to vacuum up any remaining brain fragments. Their eerie droning was often hypnotic, but with so much repetition and glacial pacing, a little more variation would have made for a more interesting experience. 7/10.

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June 25th 2016 @ Islington Mill, Salford.

AN INTERVIEW WITH BARBARIAN HERMIT

BARBARIAN HERMIT are a Sludge Metal quintet from Stockport, Greater Manchester and I was joined by 4 of the members to chat utter bollocks at Rebellion, Manchester, where they also played a heavy as balls show! We talked raging boob sweat, Martin Scorsese films and about the never-ending quest to find the holy brown!

(Key = FRENCHIE, Adam, Chris, Loz, Si)

So how did you all come together to form Barbarian Hermit?

Basically, Reegs [Mike Reagan, guitarist] and I have been in various bands together, we've known each other since high school. He was on hiatus from Bisonhammer, and I'd just left another band, and we were like fuck it, let's get it together and we had a couple of jams. A few different bassists came together before we got Chris and a few different vocals, and Adam... We couldn't get rid of him! But there was always a sense of direction, a sense of doomy, gloomy, stoner shit! That's what we wanted to run with.
There was this vocalist before me, Ed, who used to be in a band called Fatal Fear. They did pretty well in Korea and supported Arch Enemy. To be fair I thought [Barbarian Hermit] were complete when they had Ed, but Reegs invited me down one day to try out vocals, so I was the last member.

Manchester's Doom, Sludge & Stoner Metal scene is packed with talented bands. How do you feel Barbarian Hermit stands out from the pack?

I don't think we do!

Nope, not at all, it's Under, Under are the standout band!
Yeah Under. I agree Under!
We're in a scene crowded with Nomad, Boss Keloid...
Ten Foot Wizard!
When you come to a gig in Manchester you're playing in front of your friends and your extended family, you're not just doing it to make money, because we don't ever!
Nobody makes money! Fucking Hell!
We do stand out because I have the BEST bass rig!
That's probably true, it's a ridiculous bass rig, with an unnecessary amount of amps and pedals. But there are a handful of people who are on their everlasting search for the brown, but we are merely on the journey!
A mere pilgrim in search of the brown!

Your demo album and your live shows have been incredibly well received, are you guys in a positive place right now?

Nah, I hate my life and I want to die.
Ditto.
My job sucks, but my bass rig is fucking awesome!

Your music video for "Burn the Fire" is pretty hilarious. Frank Zappa once asked, "does humour belong in music?" and I'll ask you the same question...

I think it definitely does, you don't want to take yourself too seriously, you've got to have fun. No matter how heavy your band is or how gruesome you might sound or how brown you are, you've got to have a laugh with it.

That's like asking "do genitals have a place in sex?" Of course it fucking does, you're a whole person and you channel everything through this music.
I don't like bands who are unnecessarily quirky like "we're so crazy". There are bands like Grey Widow for instance, there's no place for humour in their set. But Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters... You can just tell by the name that they're ridiculous! Tie dye and corpse paint! There's a lot of humour there. There's a place for everything, just don't be fucking quirky!

I've always wondered, how exactly do you burn the fire?!

It's just the start of the sentence as it were. Why do you burn the fire? You burn the fire for someone else.

It fits in with the tradition of working titles which were verb the noun... There was Burn the Fire, there was Finger the Witch which ended up as Widowmaker. Milk the Mermaid! 

We broke the tradition with Raging Boob Sweat.

We started playing a riff that sounded totally like Raging Speedhorn, and then we were discussing a friend who had complained about her excessive erm... Boob sweat!

There's quite a few girls who complain about their boob sweat, some of them are quite tall. Two of them in particular... No names!
It's a celebration of all things womenly and sweaty!
It's not, we've totally changed it since then, we're not singing about boobs!
Now the way that we name [songs] is after the wine that we're drinking [at the time]. 

We've had "Del Toro". "Tigerhorse" as well! "No Sleep 'til Buckfast".

No raging boob sweat!

You seem to have acquired the inescapable nickname Barbara Herman... Who came up with that?

IT WAS YOU, YA CUNT!!!
Was it me?!
It was you or that FUCKING MATT FRANKLIN [Bassist from Under]
I don't think it was me for the record!
I HATE MATT FRANKLIN!!!

When you play live, Si likes to dress up, I've seen naked bodies, stage invasions... Do you think a gig is better with a party atmosphere like that?

I think so, as long as you stay away from our amps and instruments and don't spill anything, it's alright!
Party all the time!

What are your main influences in music outside of Metal?

Definitely Springsteen... And early Fleetwood Mac is THE BEST!
When you've got a really bad gut after a kebab the night before and it sort of bubbles out!
Belle & Sebastian, Scouting For Girls!
I really like The View.
I love Air, they're great!

When we're packing down at the end of practice, we put some tunes on and it's hardly ever Metal, it's usually like Dubstep or something weirder...
It's not proper Dubstep though is it?
Post Dubstep...
It's Post Trap now.
You like screechy weird dubstep.
He likes Brostep!
2step, 4step
I like Clownstep!

When I'm at home, particularly when I'm making love, I solely listen to 200bpm nosebleed gabba from the former Czech Republic!
I once had a girl that I was "making love to" and we had The Berzerker on, and she said "you don't have to keep pace", I didn't realize I was!
I'm actually a big fan of Raphael Saadiq. He's genuine, I think he's amazing. And Steve Reich, because I'm a tragic hipster!

What inspires you completely outside of music, whether it be art, films, video games etc.?

TITS!!! FUCKING TITS!!!
I'm a big fan of Rothko since you mentioned art. The almost subliminal effect that those colour combinations have on you without engaging them consciously... I'M A DRUMMER, BUT I CAN CHAT ART... COME AT ME BRO!!! COME AT ME BRO!!!
I like the later day films of Martin Scorsese... You can sit and you can wank all over the Godfather poster on your wall if you want, but his works like Shutter Island, Wolf of Wall Street, The Aviator... They're all fantastic, I love them.
Harvey Keitel in Bad Lieutenant, that's a role model for you!
Coen Brothers for me. I could watch Coen Brothers films all day long!
The works of David Shrigley are superb!
I think my favourite colour is probably international prime blue... That's a big inspiration for me!
Willie Gibson!

Viz Comics! Gary Larson's Tales From the Far Side as well.

What does the future hold for Barbarian Hermit, and do you feel any pressure following up the demo album?

Entropy and death...
That's too far into the future! I meant the nearer future!
We've got 2 new songs written for the new album...
We've got Red Sun Festival at the end of the month, and the MMC show here [at Rebellion], so that's Barbara's big weekender, it's gonna be great! Then we've got a little tour with Boss Keloid and Chubby Thunderous Bad Kush Masters. We've got some other songs that need polishing, and we're hoping to get in the studio by the end of the year with 7 or 8 songs ready to go!

So you're feeling confident?

Yes, I feel like we've finally come together and found our direction in sound. We've settled on a groove that is Barbarian Hermit, and I think the new songs are going to be sweet!
Speak for yourself, I'm riddled with anxiety and crippling self doubt!
I think it's been a surprise for us that we've hit the scene and hit it this hard and actually got so much respect from people that we really respect. We've gone from opening up shows to headlining shows and we're really blown away by it. It's all great, we look forward to more!
I think over the next 6 or 8 months, we've going to play to a lot of new crowds rather than playing to the same people. When we first started we hadn't played Manchester for about a year, we just played other cities. So when we first played here, we'd already played a year's worth of gigs in other cities, fine tuning. So over the next 6 or 8 months we'll do it again, like version 2.0. Fine tune it, write new material... We were fairly satisfied with the quality of the demo, because we involved some good people. We got the guy from Ninja Tune Records, so what can we do to make it sound bigger? We're only going to learn if we go out and do it. Hopefully we'll follow the path that Boss Keloid and Conan already set and just give it a bash, because why not?
We also have the wedding bands, which is where we all dress up in drag and play covers, calling ourselves Barbara and the Hermits. And the Mariachi band Los Barbarianos Hermanos! That's a big thing for us, we're hoping to get into the Manchester Day Parade. We are available for weddings, funerals, Bar Mitzvahs, christenings, you name it!

And finally... This one goes out especially to you Chris... My face, your face... Can we make this happen?

What? It's a face swap?
Your face, my face... Can we make this happen?
I don't know what you mean... Is he coming onto me?
GIVE HIM A KISS!
*Chris "reluctantly" gives me a big sloppy kiss*
YAAAAY IT HAPPENED!!!
 That's the closest I'll ever come to kissing Aaron Turner!
You should have interviewed Voodoo Blood!
Oh yeah I should have asked them!... GOD!!!

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June 3rd 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester. Photos by Si & Mel.

FRENCHIE'S LISTENING POST - JUNE

Because I don't get time to review all the new music I hear in depth, I have decided to start doing some smaller reviews, rounding up the best (and worst) releases of each month!

ALBUM OF THE MONTH:

RADIOHEAD - A MOON SHAPED POOL

Art Rock, Alternative Rock. XL Recordings.

Kind of an unsurprising choice for my album of the month. Radiohead are one of the first bands I ever remember listening to and being interested in as a kid and I've grown up with them as "OK Computer" verges on 20 years old. Whilst I don't find Radiohead compulsive listening like I did when I was a teenager, they still hold a heavy place in my heart. Their 9th full length, "A Moon Shaped Pool" is in layman's terms, Radiohead's acoustic album! Though not strictly acoustic or anything, it is by far their mellowest and most stripped down album yet. Though there are still elements of Rock and Electronica, certainly don't expect any of "Paranoid Android"'s distorted riffs or any of "Idioteque"'s heavy electronic beats either. On this album, natural sounds dominate, with guitarist Johnny Greenwood's explorations into film scores certainly having an influence on the sound of this album.

This isn't Radiohead's most innovative or groundbreaking release by any means, but it is one of their most expressive and straight up beautiful records yet, something that previous album "The King of Limbs" had a lack of. The moods of songs like "Pyramid Song" and "Street Spirit (Fade Out)" are definitely captured here with a mixture of heartfelt ballads and introspective songs that remind you that it can okay to be lonely, heartbroken or afraid. Opener "Burn the Witch" is a huge highlight and one of the more upbeat numbers. The swirling string sections really lift the spirits of the listener. My favourite track "Daydreaming" soon follows with a beautiful stripped down piano arpeggio that feels like it could have been played by Max Richter. Closing track "True Love Waits" is a real treat for die hard fans. A Thom Yorke acoustic solo version appeared on 2001's "I Might Be Wrong" live EP, and it has been slightly rejigged as a lovely piano ballad (though I have to stay I still prefer the live version). Radiohead ultimately have proved they are still the masters of sonic exploration and that they can take away core elements of their sound and still create fantastic results. I'm giving this a solid 8/10 for now, but I still feel like this album is growing on me and more!

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LAURA MVULA - THE DREAMING ROOM

Art Pop, Neo Soul. Sony RCA.

Laura Mvula sounds like she is caught somewhere between 90s Bjork and Erykah Badu, with an interesting and off kilter sound that combines some elements of R&B and Neo Soul, yet also some quirker Art Pop elements not worlds away from the ethereal realms of Kate Bush. "The Dreaming Room" presents a fantastic alternative if you aren't really bothered about Beyonce and Rihanna's latest efforts. Mvula is more forward thinking than her obvious peers, and presents a wider flavoured pallet here. I think her sound can appeal to fans of Pop music as well as more leftfield music fans, through the use of innovative production. Her songs are full of varying moods and textures, and the whole album is a real trip. There are some decent collabs with Nile Rogers and Wretch32, but Mvula is pretty much running the show here and I think this time they hype has been justified! 8/10.
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LET'S EAT GRANDMA - I GEMINI
Art Pop. Transgressive Records.

Let's Eat Grandma (yeah really, try telling someone they're your new favourite band!) are a duo consisting of two 16 year old girls. The fact they have built up a solid reputation and written and recorded their own album by this age is a heart warming achievement. Though I respect them, I don't quite think I like them. In terms of musical ability, this is very accomplished. However, the album is absolutely all over the place and lacks any real cohesion or direction. It's not often you hear elements of Synth Pop, Hip Hop and Folk music all on one album! I can get on with the music and arrangement's here, but the vocals absolutely kill it for me! It was a complete nails on a chalkboard kind of cringe to my ears. One of the tracks sounded like Kate Nash trying to cover The Streets! And shouty vocals singing "my father beat me" become hard to listen to. If you thought Joanna Newsom's vocals on her debut album were testing, you ain't heard nothing yet! I wanted to like this album more, and to be fair I did like bits of it, but there is far too much drama and far too little clear direction here, which is certainly justifiable for two teenage girls. There is certainly some interesting potential here, but it feels too soon to get excited yet. 6/10.
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DJ SHADOW - THE MOUNTAIN WILL FALL
Electronica, IDM, Hip Hop. Mass Appeal.

DJ Shadow came out in 1996 with one of the most groundbreaking debut albums in not just Hip Hop, but the whole of music, holding a Guinness World Record for the first commercial album made entirely of samples! He has perhaps undeservedly struggled to follow it up ever since, but maybe fan expectations have been too high. Attempts to do something completely different, such as his third album "The Outsider" lead to him being eaten alive by critics, but this time around stepping even further out of his comfort zone may have actually paid off at last. I saw DJ Shadow play Manchester's "Warehouse Project" Electronic music festival a couple of years back. He did a DJ set consisting of a lot of IDM, Electronic and Dubstep and not very much Hip Hop at all. The same can be said for "The Mountain Will Fall". Apart from a pretty solid Hip Hop track with Run the Jewels, the sound of this album is definitely a nod to Warp Records and the innovative IDM sound that took over the 90s. Whilst nothing here is particularly groundbreaking or current, you have to admit that DJ Shadow has done a pretty good job at attempting to sound a bit like Squarepusher and Aphex Twin here. He sounds really inspired and like he is having fun too! It's no "Endtroducing..." but I enjoyed it! 7/10.
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SWANS - THE GLOWING MAN
Drone Rock. Young Gods.

Swans have proved themselves to be one of the most interesting and successful reunion acts, practically reinventing themselves and having a critically acclaimed second wind. This is their 4th album since their reunion at the start of this decade, and their 3rd double album in a row (or triple if you buy wax). "The Glowing Man" isn't particular different to the last two. It's slow, meandering, noisy, atmospheric and has multiple songs that run over 20 minutes. Other bands can try and release albums with lots of 20 minute tracks and stumble, but Swans seem to make it sound effortless, momentous and damn right apocalyptic! "The Glowing Man" demands your patience and full attention, but it is easy to get lost and swept away within the dense journeys of sound. Even without that much progression, those 20 minutes seem to fly by. If you liked any of the previous two albums there is certainly more to love here, even without being that drastically different in approach. Swans have created something genuinely hypnotic and almost unexplainable. No rating as I feel I still need to spend more time with this record. Ask me again in a year! ???/10.
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PLAID - THE DIGGING REMEDY
Electronic, IDM. Warp Records.

Depending on how you pronounce it, Plaid to me has always sounded like "Played", and I feel that is fitting because they are a very playful band. They can often hit the same abstract heights of label mates Autechre, Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada. Yet Plaid quite often sounded much happier and more melodic. The aforementioned have quite often reveled in doom and darkness. On "The Digging Remedy", Plaid sound a lot more serious and darker than usual, yet still very much sound like Plaid. Their beats and syncopated melodies always move at a swift pace and keep your brain twitching. But with these slightly darker and more abstract moods presented here, Plaid come closer to sounding like their aforementioned label mates ("Dilatone" could have come straight off Autechre's "Tri Repetae"). "The Digging Remedy" is a very solid and interesting 45 minutes that proves they are still one of Warp's top tier artists. There is nothing particularly new or fresh here, but there is nothing remotely disappointing either. 8/10.
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MINOR VICTORIES - MINOR VICTORIES
Dream Pop, Post Rock. Fat Possum Records.

Minor Victories contains band members of Mogwai, Editors and Slowdive and if you can imagine what a mixture of all three would sound like, then you will definitely have this album sussed already! It really does sound like a cross between all three. Minor Victories have a very cinematic sound verging on symphonic, with some songs that like to build gradually and climax loudly. You also have some dreamy, shoegazey tracks and some darker tones Post Punk ones. Everything here is certainly well done and the combinations in sound are mostly more invigorating than they are jarring. The guest lead vocal from Mark Kozelek on "For You Always" was the big highlight of the album for me, and I kind of wonder why this wasn't on a Sun Kil Moon album instead! Minor Victories sounds great for what it is, but the individual acts Mogwai, Slowdive and Editors just sound better, I'm not sure this project will have much longevity. 7/10.
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DAM FUNK - DJ KICKS
Funk, Electro-Pop, DJ Mix. !K7.

I really love it when an artist creates a mixtape of other artists, yet manages to make it sound like it could be one of their own albums! Jon Hopkins did it last with his stunning "LateNightTales" mixtape, and Dam-Funk has done it here. Dam-Funk takes us on a journey of the more obscure gems of 80s Synth Funk as well as some modern day nostalgia, and immediately you can hear the kind of sounds he has soaked up into his own innovative style of writing and playing. And even if you haven't heard much Dam Funk, this is an extremely solid collection of some of the funkiest, grooviest and most playful Soul and Funk tunes from after the 70s heyday. I dare you not to dance! 8/10.
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ROLO TOMASSI - BBC SESSIONS
Mathcore, Post Hardcore. Holy Roar Records.

This beautiful 10" record on green vinyl collects 2 separate BBC session recordings by one of the most exciting Mathcore bands going today! Side A collects 4 songs from a 2013 session, showcasing their evolution into a less intense, more ethereal act. Side B has a 2008 session which is much more rawkus and mental! The recording quality seems to be a little muddy on this release, but long time fans of the band will probably be more than happy to hear these alternative versions. The stop/start mayhem of "Digital History" is the standout for me! A showcase of Rolo Tomassi's two different sides makes this perfect for the vinyl format! 7/10.
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WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - DIADEM OF 12 STARS [REISSUE]
Black Metal. Artemisia Records.

 The Americans were pretty late to the Black Metal party, which took a while to transcend the pond from Scandinavia, but the actions of Varg Vikernes and Mayhem certainly helped speed up the process. One of the first American Black Metal bands to make a landmark album was a band called Weakling, who dropped the hard to find classic "Dead As Dreams" and then broke up. The album took influences of Emperor and Burzum for sure, but found something new to say with their epic, Sludgy 20 minute + songs.Though Weakling had split up by the time the album came out... Their producer and collaborator Tim Green (also of The Fucking Champs) basically called upon Wolves In the Throne Room to carry on their legacy. He also produced "Diadem..." and got them to record in the exact same studio as Weakling did...

Naturally, "Diadem of 12 Stars" garnered the nickname "Dead As Dreams Part II". The album consists of 3 very lengthy 15+ minute compositions that have a very similar sound. The use of thick Sludge toned guitars and synthesisers was certainly reminiscent of Weakling as well as the blood curdling screams. "Diadem" works perfectly as a sequel, but it would be unfair to suggest that Wolves In the Throne Room were leaching off the influence of Weakling. After this album they very much evolved and grew their own sound, following it up with the masterpiece that is "Two Hunters". In particular, "Queen of the Borrowed Light" is one of the greatest songs Wolves ever wrote, which opens up this album. I recommend the vinyl release of this album, which boasts a beautiful gatefold sleeve. The vinyl master adds more hiss and white noise, giving it a more vintage Black Metal rawness, whilst the Sludgy parts really hit you with a punch. No extras unfortunately, but this an essential purchase for any Black Metal collection! 8/10.
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CONVERGE - YOU FAIL ME REDUX [REISSUE]
Hardcore Punk, Mathcore. Deathwish Inc.

In 2001, Converge released their seminal classic album "Jane Doe", which is still seen as one of the most important albums in the Mathcore genre. It also happens to be one of the most brutal and unrelenting albums ever to punish my ears! 2004's follow up "You Fail Me" received mixed feelings at the time. The playing isn't as crazy technical, the recording is much more stripped down and it isn't quite the headfuck that "Jane Doe" was. With "You Fail Me", Converge arguably made a much more emotionally and lyrically heavy and intense album though. The album very much goes back to their Hardcore roots and in particular went on to influence the emotional/melodic Hardcore sound that gave birth to acts such as Touche Amore and La Dispute. Looking back 12 years later, I'm tempted to say that "You Fail Me" is actually Converge's second best album. They didn't necessarily take a step forward from "Jane Doe" when they made it, but they walked up an entirely different staircase.

The Redux is only a subtle overhaul in sound. In particular the drums sound a bit more prominent in the mix and pack slightly more punch. The best part is, a missing track, "Wolves At My Door" is included in the running order after highlight "Eagles Become Vultures". It's an absolute belter and very much fits the mood and sequencing of the album. "Last Light" is one of Converge's ultimate songs that has closed their concerts on recent tours. "Black Cloud" and "Eagles Become Vultures" are the closest we get to the brutality of "Jane Doe". The title track is a beautiful Sludge epic that builds gradually, working like a blueprint for their monumental "Grim Heart/Black Rose" on their following album. Pick up the vinyl edition which boasts a truly beautiful fold out sleeve with artwork by vocalist Jacob Bannon. 9/10.
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