Album Review: Slade – Nobody’s Fool (Reissue)
1976. A lot has happened since 1976 but a repressing of the Slade classic, ‘Nobody’s Fool’, helps transport you back to the time when these British Rock and Rollers were teaching the music world a thing or two with their unique brand of manic and loud rock. You now have the option of adding a …
Live Review: Tarja / Temperance / Beneath The Embers – Manchester Academy 2, Manchester 04.02.2023
With the night finally here, I once again made my way across the Pennines, excited for the much delayed Tarja gig and this was going to be one of epic proportions I was sure. Set in the modest Academy two, I made it through the ‘late doors’ just in time to secure a spot and …
Live Review: Apocalyptica & Epica (The Epic Apocalypse Tour) Manchester Academy, Manchester 03.02.23
Numerous complications and difficulties left me fighting a losing battle to get to the Academy on time to catch prog metal band, Wheel, although from what I heard they fought their corner and put on an admirable display for those in attendance. Absolutely gutted, note to self, must try harder! With the now pretty full …
Live Review: Frank Turner And The Sleeping Souls / The Lottery Winners / The Wilswood Buoys – The Barbican, York 31.01.23
Frank was in town and I was very up for this one as it was the first for me since the Christmas festivities had passed, and as I walked towards the imposing Barbican I was joined by a healthy amount of fellow giggers because tonight ladies and gentlemen, the Barbican was pretty much sold out …
Meet: Clint Bredin From British Metalcore Band Beneath The Embers
With their new album ‘Condemned’ released at the end of last year and a tour in February supporting Tarja, Backseat Mafia caught up with Clint Bredin, lead guitarist and founding member of the British metalcore band Beneath The Embers. Hey, first off, thank you so much for taking the time out from what must be …
Live Review: Volbeat / Skindred / Napalm Death – First Direct Arena, Leeds 16.12.2022
As I ventured into the Leeds arena, I was met with a monstrous ramp of colossal proportions leading out from the stage into the standing area and back again, creating what was simply named The Parasite Pit and housed the lucky few who had secured themselves yellow wristbands by one method or another. Tonight’s bill …
Live Review: New Model Army / Zen Baseball Bat – The Ritz, Manchester 03.12.2022
It was refreshing to get across the Pennines fairly smoothly with almost no hold ups at all, a feat which I haven’t been able to achieve in the last eight or nine attempts of trying in recent weeks, I was also pleasantly surprised to find a fairly relaxed atmosphere amongst the Ritz congregation when I …
Live Review: Therapy? / Rews – The Parish, Huddersfield 02.12.2022
An old school gig in an old school venue (a bill with just the headliners and one support act in a room upstairs at a local pub), tonight Huddersfield’s faithful were welcoming Therapy? to The Parish and this gig had sold out shortly after going on sale, so it was surely going to be a …
Live Review: Amorphis / Eluveitie / Dark Tranquillity / Nailed To Obscurity – O2 Ritz, Manchester 24.11.2022
By the time I’d battled across the Pennines, in the now all too familiar tailbacks and gridlocks of the M62 and Manchester City Centre, I arrived at the Ritz just as the closing chords of the mighty Nailed To Obscurity were ringing out. I was absolutely gutted as I had been really keen to catch …
Live Review: Nightwish / Beast In Black / Turmion Katilot – Resorts World Arena, Birmingham 22.11.2022
Birmingham was being invaded by a trio of Finnish powerhouses tonight and what better way to get the party started than with the eccentric Industrial battering ram of Turmion Katilot. As they appeared on stage, in front of their minimalistic backdrop, they launched into their set and delivered an absolutely blinding package from start to …