Archive for June, 2013

Fat Shans rolling out some talent

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

Sean O'neillIf you’ve had one of those pointless afternoons trudging around Perth with a pocket full of money and an aversion to hitting up the mall, you’ve probably stumbled across Fat Shan Records. Well known for their mini-artist nights, they’re beginning […]

Boy & Bear gear up for national tour

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

Boy-BearEight months in the studio is an awfully long time, but when you’ve got perfectionists like BOY & BEAR on board it’s easy to see why that’s the case. Hitting the road for the aptly named ’16 Days Under a […]

Anger Management: Leprous

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

We check in with all things heavy on RTRFM’s Critical Mass show.

Coal is the latest effort from Norwegian progressive metal outfit Leprous, on the prog-centred label InsideOut Music. Though progressive metal covers a broad range of bands, there is no better way to describe Leprous’ wide-ranging sounds or the hidden gems one unearths during successive listens.

Featuring more layers than Devin Townsend’s birthday cake, the album blends heavy riffs with quiet moments of reflection, discordant drum patterns and a vast vocal range. Vocalist Einar Solberg shifts from a soaring soprano to a screaming banshee with ease — a skill many would kill for.

Debut album Tall Poppy Syndrome was typical of a band trying to find their feet musically through experimentation, with varying levels of success. This disjointed sound was improved upon with 2011’s excellent Bilateral, yet with Coal Leprous seems even more focussed. The different elements blend seamlessly and songs appear to flow much better, leaving you with a solid creation that has you reaching for the repeat button. Recommended tracks include “Chronic”, “The Valley” and “Contaminate Me” (featuring Ihsahn).

For the trivia buffs, Leprous members also double as the backing band for Ihsahn (ex-Emperor front-man, now solo progressive metal artist). Vocalist Solberg is Ihsahn’s brother-in-law, and performed with Emperor as a keyboardist during the 2009 re-formation tour.

Eskimo Joe announce regional WA tour dates

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

Eskimo Joe2Beloved Australian rock band Eskimo Joe have announced dates for The Great West Tour, which will see the band hit cities throughout regional WA for the first time in years for a series of intimate shows. The tour has come […]

Snakadaktal announce album tour

Tuesday, June 25th, 2013

Snakadaktal (1)The debut LP is here- ‘Sleep In The Water’ is out and is ready to be previewed on a few Perth dates come September. Discovered through triple j Unearthed, SNAKADAKTAL are arguably one of the more successful acts to emerge […]

Barn Owl out of the cage for Bakery gig

Sunday, June 23rd, 2013

Barn-Owl-Electro-Drone-Band-ParisReeking of intoxicating genre lines and the smoke of avant garde metal wafting over their heads, BARN OWL are ready to show the world that they’ve come a long way from ‘that indie band’ from 2010. August 9th at the […]

Photos: In Hearts Wake at Amplifier

Sunday, June 23rd, 2013

26) In Hearts Wake, at AmplifierIn Hearts Wake at Amplifier Bar, Perth on Wednesday June 19, 2013. Photos by Georgia Sassenfeld.  

Album Review: Abbe May – Kiss My Apocalypse

Sunday, June 23rd, 2013

20130515-1104-0-kiss-my-apocolypseReview by Chris Gardner “You can never have too much of a good thing” is only true for bacon and garlic. The sad truth of most of the good things in life; company, liquor and fine tunes for example, is […]

The Devil Rides Out launch ‘Ugly Creatures’ EP

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013

thedevilridesoutLong-serving servants to metal The Devil Rides Out are celebrating their 7th year together as a group and launching their ‘Ugly Creatures’ EP next week, which will also be drummer Royce ‘The Punisher’ Uyen’s last show. Uyen, who has been […]

Album Review: The Love Junkies – Maybelene

Friday, June 21st, 2013

0001415077_10Review By Chris Gardner Good rock and roll has a lot in common with good journalism. It needs three things; clarity, brevity and impact. Lucky Space Ship News is in the journalism business, then, because The Love Junkies have the […]