I’m back from Download Festival

I’m home, clean, exhausted and a little bit drunk. It is my birthday after all.

That aside, give me a chance to sleep and get my brain in order and I’ll tell you about Download; bands, shopping, food, friends, queuing and zipline pinata. And the thunderstorm on Thursday.

Bye bye, from a rather sleepy,

Rose

xXx

I’m going on an adventure!

DOWNLOAD HERE WE COME

With our emergency lollies and crochet.

Yes, ladies, gentlemen and other creatures, I’m finally on the road to my first festival. After all the panic, shopping and excited squealing it’s good to be underway. We probably won’t be the most economically packed festival goers, but we think we have remembered everything. Except booze.

Yeah, that’s right, no alcohol!

Luckily my friend Shelley is bringing some with her tomorrow. Either that or we’ll have to take a walk in to Castle Donington this evening and get some.

Well, I shall return to the joys of travelling down the M1 (it’s not very exciting) and preserve my phones battery for a bit.

Bye

Rose

Black Sabbath – new album official videos (part the second)

Because trying to do anything too complicated is quite a chore even with my snazzy new phone, what should have been one post is now two. Also l, I’ve been awake since 1 a.m. (pre-festival excitement/terror induced insomnia) so I’m struggling with basic things like getting the copy and paste to work.

So, here is the official video for the single ‘God is Dead?’ from the new album. It’s, er, interesting, some unexpected elements but basically obvious.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yIbxQpWr38&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Black Sabbath – videos for new album ’13’

Thanks to Tumblr I’ve just found a couple if videos Sabbath added to their official YouTube channel.

This first one is for ‘End of the Beginning’ and looks to be from the event they did in New York a few hours ago, or at least from one of their recent tour stops.

(Part 1/2)

Review: Black Sabbath – ’13’

Released 10th June 2013
Produced by Rick Rubin

* John ‘Ozzy’ Osbourne     Vocals
* Tony Iommi                     Guitar
* Terrence ‘Geezer’ Butler Bass
* Brad Will                          Drums

http://open.spotify.com/album/1WLFpcTap1kwv9j2IHuqRg

TRACK LIST

End of the Beginning
God is Dead?
Loner
Zeitgeist
Age of Reason
Live Forever
Damaged Soul
Dear Father
Methademic
Peace of Mind
Pariah
Dirty Women – Live in Australia

I absolutely loved ‘God is Dead?’ when it was released earlier this year, and I’d hoped the rest of the album would be as good.

Well.

Some of it is.

Songs that stand out on first listen are the opener ‘End of the Beginning’, ‘God is Dead?’ (obviously), ‘Dear Father’, ‘Methademia’ and ‘Pariah’.
Listening to the album a second time, I found that ‘Loner’ grew on me. The other 5 songs didn’t make on impression on me either way (I’m not including Dirty Woman – only the new songs).

Overall the album is good, sounds like early Sabbath (as was intended) and has all the hallmarks of their style. Ozzy still has the most distinctive voice around; Tony Iommi’s riffs and the layered guitars are perfection. Geezer is still Geezer. Age and sickness has done nothing to dim their genius.

I know some people aren’t happy because Bill Ward isn’t a part of this album, but to be blunt, it doesn’t matter. Brad Wilk is an excellent drummer and a good fit for the band.

Mr Ward refused to sign contracts, Mr Iommi didn’t know how long he’d be able to work for and cut negotiations off so that they could get on and make the album. They got another drummer. Simple. The album that resulted is good. It’s really nothing to do with the fans and what they want; only what the band want and need.

Black Sabbath are currently touring and will be performing in the UK in December. I hope to see them in Sheffield, if I can get a ticket and the weekend off work.

Rose

Review: Airbourne ‘Black Dog Barking’

http://open.spotify.com/album/4ulIP4JbW6KegM8KNC02k5

Blame Kerrang! for me me reviewing this album. I’d never heard of Airbourne or listened to any of their music until now. I probably wouldn’t have bothered except that there was an interview with the singer, Joel O’Keeffe in a recent issue of Kerrang! (01 June 2013, Issue 1468) and I thought I’d have a listen.

‘Black Dog’ is a metaphor and euphemism for depression, most famously used by Winston Churchill, and the use of it in this album’s title suggests that the band are addressing personal problems. That ignores the rest of the album title. Together they describe the songs and overall feel of the album. It is confrontational, rather than confessional. The band have used their own personal ‘black dogs’ to fuel creativity and produced an upbeat, even fun, album.

It reminds me of Bon Jovi (don’t get mad, I mean lyrically) but heavier. Does that make any sense? They aren’t saying anything new or profound, but they’re saying it with passion. I like this album and I’ll probably try to see them play at Download*.

4/5

*Airbourne play The Zippo Encore Stage 6.15pm – 6.55pm on Sunday 16th June 2014

Review: A New Tomorrow – new single ‘Damn You’

This track was recommended to me by Spotify because I’ve got this band in my playlists. I reviewed their EP ‘Incandescent’a few weeks ago *

http://open.spotify.com/track/3JvHNU1vKQZHWzVrZ0hzUS

Compared to their earlier releases ‘Damn You’ is definitely an improvement in terms of musicianship. The guitars show new vigour and the vocal style has improved. The song is catchy an upbeat.

While these improvements in style are great, the band seem to have lost lyrical depth, like that displayed in ‘Brighter than the Sun’s and ‘What they can’t steal from you’.

3/5

[* ‘One band I like, one band I think are a bit bad mannered and two bands I’m not fussed by’ 16th May 2013]