Psychorizon Ten Years Anniversary

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Abra Kadavar, Angel Witch, Angelo Kelly, Anniversary, Black Sabbath, Blood Ceremony, Blues Pills, Doc Martens, Doomsday, Dortmund, Duisburg, Electric Wizard, Elin Larsson, Hammer Of Doom, Headliner, Helvete, Irish Christmas Tour, Jex Thoth, Kadavar, Köln, Kelly Family, Live Music Hall, Liz Buckingham, Love Music Hall, Maggot Heart, Pit, Psychorizon, Rock Hard Festival, Rockpalast, Sexy Jexi, The Devil's Blood, The Oath, Tribulation, TuRock Open Air, WDR Rockpalast, Weihnachten, Westfalenhalle

Heute ist es nun also wirklich so weit: Psychorizon feiert zehnjähriges Jubiläum! Wer hätte das gedacht, also ich selbst wohl am aller wenigsten! Leider waren die vergangenen zwei Jahre recht ereignislos und bisher ist noch nicht absehbar, wann die Veranstaltungsbranche wieder zur alten bzw. neuen Stärken gelangen wird. Somit steht auch in den Sternen, wann und unter welchen Umständen es endlich wieder Berichterstattung von Konzerten und Festivals geben wird und ob sich Ende 2021 für mich ein weiterer Kreis schließen wird. Denn kurz nach Weihnachten 2020 habe ich mir eine Karte für die 'Irish Christmas Tour' von Angelo Kelly & Family gekauft und werde mit ganz viel Glück zusammen mit allen seinen 40. Geburtstag am 23.12.2021 in der Dortmunder Westfalenhalle feiern können. Wer Psychorizon intensiv verfolgt, weiß wahrscheinlich, dass mein allererstes Konzert am 23.12.1994 in Duisburg die Kelly Family war und wer im Kopf rechnen kann, wird feststellen, dass es Angelos 13. Geburtstag war. 
Aber genug der warmen Worte, denn es geht heute um jede Menge großartige Momente und da ich in den vergangenen zehn Jahren genug geschrieben habe, möchte ich einfach Bilder für mich sprechen lassen. In diesem Sinne: Auf die nächsten zehn und hoffentlich ganz viele neue Highlights. 

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Daumen hoch gab es für das RHF 2014 und beste Aussichten im Pit. Neben den 'Best of Boots & Shoegaze'-Bildern, gibt es auch noch jede Menge Menschen in voller Größe und in Aktion - vor und auf der Bühne zu bestaunen. Aber ich habe seit langer Zeit eine Vorliebe, für derartige Schnappschüsse, die hauptsächlich Hosenbeine und Schnürsenkelhalter zeigen. So auch bei der Headline-Show von The Devil's Blood beim Rock Hard 2010, Maggot Heart im Helvete und Tribulation beim TuRock Open Air (beides 2018) und 2019 totally random-mäßig beim Rock Hard. Weiter geht es daher mit ein paar weiteren witzigen Impressionen, die während der zahlreichen Events entstanden.

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Beim Wiedersehen mit 'Sexy Jexi' und meinem Tagesausflug zum Hammer Of Doom 2013, gab es ganz viel Liebe. Mindestens genauso herzlich und herzig war es auch im Folgejahr auf dem RHF sowie 2017, als ich es endlich geschafft habe, Electric Wizard live zu sehen. Dank bester Plätze in der ersten Reihe, wurde die Kölner Live Music Hall an diesem Abend zur Love Music Hall und ich völlig verzaubert von der großartigen Liz Buckingham. Zu guter Letzt gibt es noch den kompletten Mitschnitt des Blues Pills Auftritts beim RHF 2014. Neben Jex Thoth, The Devil's Blood und Blood Ceremony, eine der Bands, die ich am meisten verfolgt und auf der Bühne bewundern durfte. Leider finde ich vom RHF 2014 kein gutes Video der jungen Schweden, dort wäre ich sogar selbst bei Abrocken zu sehen. 
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Psychorizon – Der Schwesternschaft obskure Ausblicke auf 2019

Tags

Adam Lambert, Black Mirrors, Black Sabbath, Cher, Cherokee, Coven, Dead Lord, Feverdance Rituals, Guns N' Roses, Hällas, Horisont, Jex Thoth, Kadavar, Lucifer, Maggot Heart, Muskelrock på Tyrolen, Obscure Sisterhood, Ozzy Osbourne, Queen, Reveal, Rock Hard Festival, Slægt, Sodom, Spiders, The Oath, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Vintage Caravan, Tribulation, TuRock Open Air, Vulva, Wolf City Fest, Wucan, Yorck Segatz

Hallo 2019! Und Euch allen an den Bildschirmen ein frohes neues Jahr!

Ein spannendes und ereignisreiches Jahr liegt hinter mir und für die kommenden 364 Tage habe ich einiges für Psychorizon geplant. Eine der aufregendsten News kam direkt im Januar 2018 mit dem neuen Lineup der Trashlegende Sodom. Für mich hat dies auch persönlich große Bedeutung, da einer der zwei neuen Gitarristen Teil meines engsten Freundeskreises ist. Und für die Live-Premiere hätte es kein besseres Event geben können als das Rock Hard Festival. Für mich war es nunmehr das zehnte Jahr in Folge und das insgesamt 12 mal, dass ich dort war. Ob ich 2019 auch wieder mit dabei bin, kann ich zur Stunde noch nicht sagen – möglich ist alles.

Tribulation & Turnschuhe beim TuRock Open Air 2018

Insgesamt war das vergangene Jahr fast schon zu entspannt, aber dafür mit einigen echten Highlights erfüllt. Schon die erste Show, die ich besuchte war eine besondere: Maggot Heart – mehr muss ich dazu nicht sagen. Es folgte eine der besten Clubshows seit langem mit Horisont, Spiders und Dead Lord im TuRock. Beim alljährlichen TuRock Open Air gab es zudem ein Wiedersehen mit Tribulation. Und auch eine der größten Enttäuschungen habe ich erlebt: Guns N’ Roses – die Meinungen hierzu gehen so weit auseinander, wie der Körperumfang von Axl Rose bzw. er und Slash auf der Bühne. Direkt am Tag danach haben mich Queen mit Sänger Adam Lambert wieder versöhnt und bisweilen zu Tränen gerührt. Doch die größte Überraschung war mit großem Abstand Ozzy, der wie ein junger Bursche über die Bühne hüpfte und so viel Lebensfreude versprühte, dass ich noch jetzt davon zehre – Wahnsinn!

Wenn fast alle Deine Lieblingsmenschen beim RHF sind

Auch wenn ich gar nicht an frühere Erfolge anknüpfen möchte, so werde ich zumindest zur alten Stärke zurück kehren und wieder mehr für die ursprüngliche Idee hinter Psychorizon stehen. Mit meiner neuen Interviewreihe werde ich wieder dem nachgehen, das mir immer das wichtigste war: Frauen unterstützen, die in der Rock- und Metal Szene aktiv sind. Ihnen widme ich die neue Kategorie “Obscure Sisterhood“.

In diesem Sinne: Auf 2019, es wird legendär!

Und zum Abschluss noch meine Top-Liste aller verpassten Bands & Events 2018 und ein Ausblick auf die bisherige Planung für 2019:

Maggot Heart & Slægt und Lucifer jeweils in Dortmund aufgrund einer Knieverletzung

Muskelrock mit Jubiläums-Lineup…was soll ich dazu sagen?!

Jex Thoth und Coven, weil zu weit weg und zeitgleich zu anderen Events…zum Heulen

The Vintage Caravan, Black Mirrors, Wucan weil wegen blöd und viel zu viele mehr!

Und was steht bisher im Kalender: Mindestens einmal Maggot Heart in Köln, vielleicht auch in Oldenburg. Hällas, Vulva und Cherokee bei der fünften Auflage der Feverdance Rituals im TuRock (!!!), Wolf City Fest und die Smashing Pumpkins beides in Berlin und OMG die göttliche CHER, AUSFUCKINFLIPP! Und ja, ich trage tatsächlich ein Cher-Shirt unter meiner Kutte.

 

LUCIFER – Sharing The Magic & Casting A Spell On Europe This Fall

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Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, California Son, Century Media, Deep Purple, Dreamer, Entombed, Europan Tour, Fleetwood Mac, Johanna Sadonis, Linnéa Olsson, Lucifer, Lucifer’s Friend, Maggot Heart, Nicke Andersson, Steppenwolf, Stevie Nicks, The Hellacopters, The Oath, The Second Coming

Kicking off a month from today, magically infused Rock revelation Lucifer will cast a Spell on Europe this fall. Lucifer is a multinational Heavy Rock band from Stockholm. Founded in 2014 in Berlin by The Oath front woman Johanna Sadonis who had then parted ways with former band mate Linnéa Olsson (Maggot Heart) just as their praiseworthy debut saw the light of day. Lucifer is defined by their very heavy 1970s Hard Rock sound, spiced with a good dose of Proto Heavy Metal and Doom Rock. Main influences are groups such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Blue Öyster Cult, Lucifer’s Friend, Steppenwolf, 70’s Heart and Fleetwood Mac. With a shift of constellation within the band in 2016 and Johanna Sadonis’ move from Berlin to Stockholm, Lucifer were ready for chapter two. With the critically acclaimed release of their long-awaited second album ‘Lucifer II’ via Century Media on July 6th 2018 and the videos for their new singles ‘California Son’ and ‘Dreamer’, Lucifer is facing a new grand chapter.

Lucifer corrupted the souls of many and achieved international recognition on their past tours. Starting this years live ritual on October 7th, the band will be homebound, playing the first show in the fair city of Stockholm. A most logical step as both sticksman Nicke Andersson (Entombed, The Hellacopters) and his now wife singer Johanna Sadonis call the Swedish capital their home. The newly weds tied the knot on Friday, July 13th 2018  – congrats to the happy couple!

Make sure to catch their magic and love live on stage at any of the upcoming dates in October – check flyer below.

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LUCIFER on Facebook

LUCIFER on Instagram

LUCIFER on Twitter

 

ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018 – Rocking A Personal Reminiscence

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Amon Amarth, Black Sabbath, Blues Pills, Bolt Thrower, Children of Bodom, Come To The Sabbath, Elin Larsson, Headliner, Hellfueled, Jörg Litges, Judas Priest, King Diamond, Mercyful Fate, Ozzy Osbourne, Painkiller, Queen Of Spades Photography, Rock Am Ring, Rock Hard Festival, Rock Hard Megazine, Sodom, The Devil's Blood, Yorck Segatz

Blues Pills’ Elin in 2014 – On Sunday Morning

One morning in June some twenty years ago, I was…15 and this is a totally different story. It was the end of May actually some 14 years ago when it all started, my personal Rock Hard history. After the very first and supposed one-off event, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Rock Hard Megazine, the second coming came and would be my initial visit to what became an institution not just among the international Metal madness, but in my life as well. It was the third festival I would ever visit, back then at the tender age of 21 – back in the days we didn’t have fucking facebook to keep up with what’s going on. Getting to know new people demanded to go to places and meet in person – it was a wild time and I loved it! The first two times as a more or less regular visitor and some time in between, attending Rock am Rind in 2006, being your typical broke student and a sick interlude, 2009 I finally had turned into one of those annoying media folks, attending RHF for ten consecutive years! 

Blues Pills in 2017 – Friday Headliner Bliss

It was that very year, 2009, that I immortalized myself as part of the Rock Hard history, performing on the main stage as a winner of the karaoke contest that took place the first few festival editions. And I hadn’t had it any other way than screaming my lungs out with the Judas Priest classic “Painkiller” – not to mention I would have needed some painkillers afterwards to sooth my sore throat from performing in front of a 6000 plus audience, let alone at an open air event! What a time to be alive. Just like the magazine, the festival itself has always been dedicated to a wide range of genres and as a support of the underground. We saw bands working their way up from tiny club shows to entering the charts on the pole position. Yes, this is the story of Blues Pills – a band I’ve always loved and that will have a special place in my heart forever and ever. I will spear your all the personal anecdotes for now.

Sodom in 2018 – Hairy Headliner For A Friday Night

Within the course of 14 years I had some of the best times ever, crowd surfing while Children Of Bodom played, banning my head hard for Amon Amarth and having my boobs signed by the Swedish sons of Ozzy Osbourne, Hellfueled, all in 2005. After a short absence in 2006, I also caught up with Bolt Thrower at their second time at RHF in 2012. And who could forget King Diamond‘s theatrical act in 2013, still gives me chills. But most memorable for me will be The Devil’s Blood, headlining in 2010, since no one wanted the stage after their blood-ridden ritual. Besides all these great bands, Rock Hard has always been a festival for families and friends and it really is and has been for me. Some folks I would just see once a year during the pentecoast weekend.

Partner in Crime & BFF – Queen Of Spades at RHF 2018

You’ve come a long way within the past 15 years, dear Rock Hard Festival and for the past ten years I couldn’t even imagine being anywhere else around this time of year, but now I feel that it’s time to move on. So much has changed and not all of it for the better. But I will always treasure my memories, specially of spending time with some of my best friends at the annual festivities. Most of all teaming up with my friend Susan at Queen Of Spades Photography in 2015 after the untimely demise of Jörg Litges, my former partner in crime of two years. And 2018 will always be a very special one to look back at as my former band mate Sonja joined in the fierce fun and my bestie Yorck made his debut as a real Rockstar and latest addition to Thrash legend Sodom. It might have been the last time for me for now, but it was one heck of a ride! Thanks.

Festival, Fun & Friendships – Rock Hard Festival 2018

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Rock Hard Festival Homepage

Rock Hard Festival Facebook Page

ELECTRIC WIZARD – On Tour In Europe With ANGEL WITCH

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Alan French, Angel Witch, Barry Clements, Bill Steer, Black Sabbath, Clayton Burgess, Debut Album, Deep Purple, Demon Lung, Diamond Head, Electric Wizard, Enforcer, Europan Tourdates, Grand Magus, Hunting Across Europe, Iron Maiden, Jimmy Martin, Judas Priest, Justin Oborn, Kevin Heybourne, Lee Dorrian, Legend, Liz Buckingham, Lords of Putrefaction, Lucifer, Mark Greening, Metal Blade Records, NWOBHM, Occult Rock Magazine, Orange Goblin, Our Haunted Kingdom, Pagan Altar, Pink Faries, Quartz, Queen Of Spades Photography, Rise Above Records, Rob Downing, Robin Trower, Sadio Witch, Satan, Satyr IX Productions / Witchfinder Records, Saxon, Simon Poole, Spinefarm Records, Steve Jones, Thy Grief Eternal, Tim Bagshaw, Time To Die, Will Palmer, Wishbone Ash, Witchfinder General, Witchfynde

Jus & Liz…and they call it puffy love!

Hailing from the coastal Southwest of the United Kingdom, Electric Wizard have consistently redefined the preconceived thresholds of a detuned guitar chord with their peerless doom metal achievements. Formed by vocalist/guitarist Justin Oborn (previously with Lords of Putrefaction), bassist Tim Bagshaw, and drummer Mark Greening, and initially known as Thy Grief Eternal (briefer still, simply Eternal), the band made their debut with 1993’s; “Demon Lung” single – a split release with Our Haunted Kingdom (who later evolved into Orange Goblin). Released by Lee Dorrian’s very own Rise Above Records, the single paved the way for Electric Wizard’s eponymous first full-length a year later. Almost a quarter of a century later, Electric Wizard has seen numerous lineup changes and released seven more studio albums, the most recent, “Time To Die”, in September of 2014.

Please insert name of band, album & song here!

Kicking off today, Electric Wizard will return to European soil and “there is a constant Electric Wizard line-up. Me and Liz, ” to quote the master himself and just to clarify this upfront. Joining in the Dorset Doomsters for all dates except for the Stockholm show tonight, will be fellow legends Angel Witch. Formed, originally under the name of Lucifer, and was initially composed of guitarist and vocalist Kevin Heybourne, guitarist Rob Downing, drummer Steve Jones, and bassist Barry Clements. The band has regrouped and split up several times and has been going strong ever since getting back together at the dawn of the 2000s. Besides fronter Heybourne, the current incarnation features sticksman Andrew Prestidge and lowrider Will Palmer. With their self-titled debut, Angel Witch is considered as one of the most important bands from the NWOBHM-era. After missing their performance at the “Hunting Across Europe” tour in 2013, I will finally be catching up with them twice this month!

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ELECTRIC WIZARD Homepage

ANGEL WITCH Homepage

KING WOMAN – To Release “Created In The Image of Suffering” In February

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Atomic Garden, Black Sabbath, Created in the Image of Suffering, Deafheaven, Debut Album, Jack Shirley, King Woman, Kristina Esfandiari, Mazzy Star, Miserable, Oathbreaker, Relapse Records, Utopia, Whirr, Wreck And Reference

Led by the gaspy howls of charismatic vocalist Kristina Esfandiari, San Francisco’s King Woman unveil their debut full-length “Created In The Image of Suffering”, a profoundly crafted opus of brooding, ethereal doom-rock. With the hypnotic and breathy vocal dramatics of Kristina Esfandiari, King Woman harness the elastic textures and temporality of drone and metallic shoegaze alongside the transcendental, melancholic power of doom. Recorded with engineer Jack Shirley (Deafheaven, Wreck & Reference, Oathbreaker) at the Atomic Garden, “Created In The Image of Suffering”‘s seven compositions evoke rich, gloomy imagery with crumbling washes of blurred, billowing distortion densely layered atop hazy, psychedelic atmospheres that call to mind a surrealistic Black Sabbath fronted by Mazzy Star. Complete with deeply personal, introspective lyrics that serve as catharsis for years of religious and mental torment, King Woman truly suffer to create their art.

Photo: Rob Williamson

Kristina Esfandiari originally formed King Woman back in 2009, but the band had taken a backseat to her other projects at the time like Miserable and Whirr (with whom she played with from 2012 to 2013), where she found her confidence from a vigorous touring schedule of playing stage shows, floor shows, and everything in between. “Created In The Image of Suffering” is due out on February 24, 2017 via Relapse Records. The single “Utopia” is out now.

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KING WOMAN on Facebook

KING WOMAN on Bandcamp

KING WOMAN on Twitter

ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2016 – Kicking Ass, All Seasons Included

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All Our Thoughts, Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen, Bartelt, Berlin, Black Sabbath, Black Trip, Bouteloup, Come Back Life, Deep Purple, Deserted Fear, Dismember, Doomsday Machine, Enforcer, Entombed, Fredrik “Trisse” Liefvendahl, Gateway To The Antisphere, Goddess Of Dawn, Grand Magus, Grave Pleasures, Hammer Of The North, JB Christofferson, Kadavar, Linda Åkerberg, Lindemann, Manowar, Mats “Fox” Skinner, Melancholia, Necrophobic, Nifelheim, Queen Of Spades Photography, Rock Hard Festival 2016, Sulphur Aeon, The Children Of The Night, The Wailing Dead Tour, Tribulation, Triumph And Power, Vampire, Ván Records, Wayne Stock, Waynes World, Year Of The Goat

Sometimes Germany becomes a land of wonders, as the 2016 edition of Rock Hard Festival features all four seasons in just one single weekend, whereas the remaining 362 days seem to know but a warm and a cold rain season…Friday has little to offer for me, as I have never been that much into Thrash Metal. But on the plus side, there is much time to stroll around for some sight-seeing (not that anything much changes, but just in case). This year also marks the second time, Psychorizon teams up with our partner in crime, Queen Of Spades Photography. So we did stroll and strut around and ran into all kinds of folks. One, who caught our attention right away, was the owner of the battle jacket displayed below, due to one certain patch. Guess you’ll figure out which one it is yourselves.

Party on Wayne!

As much as the event itself has become well established within the past twelve years, things do change in time, like the short-lived Metal Karaoke, that vanished into oblivion and the rather new trade of featuring at least one up-and-coming local act. Just where Deserted Fear left off last year, we now become victim of an evenly brilliant onslaught delivered by Sulphur Aeon. Being part of the constantly growing Ván Records family, this band got an instant reputation and easily proves it to be just. Though I’m not too much into this particular vocal style, the brutal three-piece manages to gather a pretty massive crowd in the early afternoon, presenting its very own blend of Death Metal with lyrics based around the Cthulhu myth.

Setlist Sulphur Aeon

1. Cthulhu Rites (Intro)
2. Incantation
3. Abysshex
4. Titans
5. Swallowed By The Ocean’s Tide
6. Inexorable Spirits
7. Gateway To The Antisphere
8. Onwards… Towards Kadath!

RHF kicks ass!

Up next with  the sun is still relentlessly shining bright from the sky, another pathway to darkness opens with Swedish sensation Tribulation (rhyme intended). After they caused quite a stir in late January, touring alongside the recently reformed Grave Pleasures, audiences at club TuRock, Essen totally fell in love with their slightly punkish style – regarding both sound and looks – and are eager to relive the sweaty atmosphere of a fully packed venue today. The Arvika-based Quartette is looking back on over a decade of band history already and has gained international success with ist most recent releases “The Children Of The Night” (2015) and the 2016-EP “Melancholia”. Emerging from the darkness of the Swedish Death Metal abyss in 2004, the band immediately stood apart from what was already a crowded scene, betraying an uncompromising vision that refused to be shackled by any genre stereotypes. With a willful drive, an irresistible groove, bewitching melodies and a haunting atmosphere, “The Children Of The Night” captures a true sense of drama and heaviness despite the strangely accessible nature of its compositions.

Setlist Tribulation

1. Intro
2. Strange Gateways Beckon
3. Melancholia
4. In The Dreams Of The Dead
5. Rånda
6. Ultra Silvam
7. The Motherhood Of God
8. When The Sky Is Black With Devils

The band Manowar will never be!

Another part of this years’ Swedish invasion might have taken the train from Stockholm or came riding down on hooves of gold – either way, Grand Magus embody the spirit of Heavy Metal in a most authentic manner. Founded by frontman JB Christofferson and bassplayer Mats “Fox” Skinner in 1996, the band was completed two years later with drummer Fredrik “Trisse” Liefvendahl joining and the first two demos were released. In 2001 the self-titled debut album – obviously inspired by the late creative period of bands such as Black Sabbath or Deep Purple came out. 15 years and seven records in their books, Grand Magus just got their latest attempt out in time for the festival season – on Friday, May 13th 2016.

Setlist Grand Magus

1. I, The Jury
2. Sword Of The Ocean
3. Like The Oar Strikes The Water
4. Varangian
5. Steel Versus Steel
6. Arv
7. Triumph And Power
8. Iron Will
9. Hammer Of The North

Berlin, Baby!

Sometimes the basics is all you need: One guitar, a bass, drums and one voice – or in other words: Kadavar. It‘s the enormous emotional energy that is unleashed show after show, combined with unforgettable memories and impressions of continuous touring one can feel on “Berlin” in every line and every strum. Though recorded live in the studio on the band‘s own analog gear again, it‘s distinctly audible that this time round the record turned out even deeper regarding songwriting and arrangements – and that Lindemann, Bartelt and Bouteloup have actually spent more time on the recordings than ever before.

Setlist Kadavar

1. Lord Of The Sky
2. Pale Blue Eyes
3. Doomsday Machine
4. The Old Man
5. Last Living Dinosaur
6. Living In Your Head
7. Black Sun
8. Goddess Of Dawn
9. Thousand Miles Away From Home
10. All Our Thoughts
11. Come Back Life

And that’s all for this year – see you all again in 2017!!!

All pictures courtesy of Queen Of Spades Photography

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Rock Hard Festival Homepage

Rock Hard Festival Facebook Page

COVEN – To Headline Roadburn Festival 2017

Tags

Billy Jack, Black Sabbath, Blood Ceremony, Blood On the Snow, Buddah, Chris Neilsen, Coven, Farida Lemouchi, Ghost, Goth Queen: Out of the Vault, In Solitude, Jex Thoth, Jinx Dawson, King Diamond, Mercury, Mercyful Fate, MGM, NEVOC-All, Occult Rock, One Tin Soldier, Ozzie Osborne, Rick Durrett, Ricktor Ravensbruck, Roadburn, Roadburn 2017, Roadburn Festival, Roadburn Festival 2017, Selim Lemouchi, Steve Ross, The Devil's Blood, The Oath, Venom, Warner Bros., Watain, Wicked Woman, Witchcraft Destroys Minds And Reaps Souls

The Netherlands-based festival comes out of the gate with its first announcements for Roadburn 2017 and immediately proves why it’s like nothing else happening on this poor pitiful planet we happen to occupy. To bring Coven back to the stage for the first time in untold decades and for their first European show ever? Come on. I don’t care where you live, that’s worth getting on a plane for.

Coven will play their first show in decades, and for the first time ever on European soil. Devil Horns, the Left Hand Path, Satanic Rituals, Black Magick, Sexuality, and a seminal debut-album that has had a lasting appeal since 1969.  Coven’s Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls was not only ahead of its time, the iconoclastic troupe – helmed by high priestess, and the original wicked woman, Jinx Dawson – heavily influenced future generations of musicians, from Ghost to The Devil’s Blood, from Witchcraft to In Solitude, from Blood Ceremony to Lucifer, and even our festival.

We are equal measures excited, proud and overwhelmed to be able to announce that Coven will thrill Roadburn Festival to it’s darkened core on Thursday, April 20 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands. Jinx Dawson, and her unholy union will take their cult-ritual to the stage for the first time in decades – and for the first time ever on European soil.

Jinx Dawson commented: “Roadburn Festival’s intrepid ring master, Walter, hath stirred us from our Coven lair. We shall be performing a musickal ritual for the first time in many ages. We are wickedly delighted to travel to the Netherlands for this very special festival concert, and to bring our musickal form of Witchcraft once again to the live stage.”

Known by many classic rock fans for Jinx Dawson’s early seventies hit, ‘One Tin Soldier’, from the counter culture flick Billy Jack, the song was an anthem for hypocrisy and added more mystery to Coven’s occult imagery and aesthetics that laid the groundwork for hard rock and heavy metal.

The band’s diabolical mix of proto-metal paired with dark psychedelica and prog was dabbed in deeply occult lyrics, and has always been a celebration of all things Left Hand Path. Whether it’s the much sought after and talked about Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls, or the band’s third album Blood on the Snow, Coven’s output has terrified peers and audiences, as well as the moral-elite since their incarnation. Their extreme dark and shocking rites, thriving on a strong woman’s sexuality, was unheard of at the time.

Though Coven went clandestine not long after the release of Blood on the Snow, Jinx Dawson, and the band always remained a landmark within the metal community, and hailed as one of the 10 greatest heavy metal front women. Having battled with record companies, management, opposing religious organisations and law officials has only added to Jinx’s legacy to stay genuinely true to her own firm beliefs, based upon a very long lineage of Occult Adepts and Practitioners of the Ancient Arts.

With the release of 2003’s Goth Queen: Out of the Vault, and 2013’s album, Jinx, Dawson rightfully regained her throne as ‘the originator’ of the burgeoning occult rock scene – a movement that we have wholeheartedly embraced at Roadburn over the years, while offering a platform to her children of the damned.

Having the mysterious Jinx Dawson / Coven at Roadburn isn’t only a thrilling once in a lifetime event, it is also our way of paying a humble tribute to a woman that has been such an integral influence on the festival since its incarnation in 1999, and an inspirational heroine to many bands that graced our stages over the years. We couldn’t think of a more fitting ceremony, and welcome all of you to Jinx’s lair on Thursday, April 20 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands  – don’t break the circle, and join us.

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COVEN on Facebook

PURSON – Announce UK Tour & Album Release Date

Tags

Album Details, Astra, Black Sabbath, Blood Ceremony, David Bowie, Desire’s Magic Theatre, Electric Ladyland, George Hudson, Ghost, Jack Hobbs, Jess and the Ancient Ones, Jex Thoth, Jimi Hendrix, Justin Smith, Leaning On A Bear, Machine Elf, Purson, Raphael Mura, Rosalie Cunningham, Royal Thunder, Samuel Shove, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Spiders, Spinefarm Records, The Beatles, The Circle And The Blue Door, The Kinks, The Move, The Small Faces, Tourdates, UK Tour, Viper Room, Ziggy Stardust

PURSON welcomes you to Desire’s Magic Theatre… a technicolour trip through the mind’s eye of songstress / vocalist / guitarist Rosalie Cunningham, whose signature approach to her craft stands boldly centre- stage, blending progressive dexterity and cabaret romp into a compelling, multi-faceted rock ‘n’ roll show.

Photo by Peter Brenchley

Desire’s Magic Theatre draws inspiration from the rock operas of the late sixties and early seventies; musically, visually and lyrically, it touches on a variety of realms, including folk, prog, psychedelic, gothic & classic rock, making telling use of classical instruments and complex arrangements, and fully exploring the outer limits of reel to reel tape.

Says Cunningham: “Desire’s Magic Theatre has turned out to be everything I’d imagined and more! My world has been so consumed by it that I’ve barely been able to reflect on what it has become: a technicolour variety show, a playful display of the musical whims only briefly hinted at in our previous work; a psychedelic rock opera dedicated to our good friends Sarge Pepper and Zig Stardust.”

PURSON – Cunningham, George Hudson (guitars), Samuel Robinson (keyboards), Justin Smith (bass), Raphael Mura (drums) – have recently returned from a six-week tour of North America Special Guesting with GHOST, following on from a stint on the Kiss Kruise IV plus a sold-out Los Angeles debut at the notorious Viper Room.

Desire’s Magic Theatre is set for release on March 25^th 2016 under the Spinefarm / Machine Elf banner, supported by a headline UK tour plus selected European shows; summer festivals and visits to Australia and Japan will follow.

UK HEADLINE TOUR DATES
March 09 Bristol, THE LOUISIANA
March 10 Nottingham, ROCK CITY
March 11 Norwich, WATERFRONT STUDIO
March 12 Milton Keynes, THE CRAUFURD ARMS
March 16 London, 100 CLUB
March 24 Exeter, THE CAVERN CLUB
March 25 Plymouth, THE JUNCTION
March 26 Southampton, JOINERS
March 27 Brighton, THE HOPE & RUIN
March 30 Birmingham, THE SUNFLOWER LOUNGE
March 31 Manchester, NIGHT & DAY
April 01 Glasgow, AUDIO
April 02 Leeds, THE BRUDENELL

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BLACK SABBATH – Announce THE END Tour

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13, Bill Ward, Birmingham, Black Sabbath, Farewell Tour, Geezer Butler, Master Of Reality, Ozzy Osbourne, Paranoid, Reunion, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Sabotage, The End, Tony Iommi, Tourdates, Volume 4

After reuniting almost four years ago, the one of the greatest bands in music history and one of the founders of the metal genre, BLACK SABBATH now announce ther farewell tour.

Young, probably innocent & still the original four-piece

It’s the Beginning of THE END.

It started nearly five decades ago with a crack of thunder, a distant bell ringing and then that monstrous riff that shook the earth.  The heaviest rock sound ever heard.

In that moment Heavy Metal was born, created by a young band from Birmingham, England barely out of their teens.

Now it ENDS, the final tour by the greatest Metal Band of all time, BLACK SABBATH.  Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler close the final chapter in the final volume of the incredible BLACK SABBATH story.

BLACK SABBATH’s farewell tour, THE END, begins on January 20, 2016 and it promises to surpass all previous tours with their most mesmerizing production ever.

When this tour concludes, it will truly be THE END,

THE END of one of most legendary bands in Rock ’n Roll history…

BLACK SABBATH

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