Posts Tagged ‘Hanzel und Gretyl

Notes From Underground & Hellfire Society, supporting HANZEL und GRETYL

Posted at February 2, 2010 // News

NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND
Press release “Crossing the Rubicon” (Dance Macabre)

To make a long story short… Paolo Greco, former member and producer of Ecodalia’s Time Has Told album wrote and produced the songs for what was to become eventually NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND way before the band itself was formed. Once the music was conceived, the band starts to take shape in 2007 giving NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND the necessary stage presence. Yet every single detail, whether it be creative or technical, is carefully and deliberately carried out still under his supervision.

Unlike so many other productions in this vein of so-called Industrial Rock or Electronic Rock, NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND’s tracks are not built merely upon a mediocre beat, a monotonous guitar riff and some yelled lyrics added to the recipe. NOT AT ALL! These are Songs (yes, with a capital letter) that have a lot of ear-candy: killer verses and real catchy choruses (why not?), simple structures with hooks and gimmicks left and right, and a production that given its quality must have surely been conceived to have international appeal. It’s as if CEVIN KEY (Skinny Puppy) or RHYS FULBER (Front Line Assembly) would have added exciting song-patchwork to rapid guitar riffs that will shake the legs of any KMFDM-fans.

Immediately the violent opener “Phoenix Uprising” indicates the direction of an album that has what it takes to give a new impulse to the Industrial-Metal scene. Songs like “Game” or “Heaven in Hell” have a distinctive stamp on them which most musical comrades of Madrid-based NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND can only dream of. “Crossing the Rubicon” strikes a tension arch from trance to trash-metal without losing its target — vigorous Industrial Rock. This exciting spagat connects the best genre-ingredients of all times and catapults the energy of early NINE INCH NAILS into the present in a way no one else has in this millennium.

Oh man, and what a feast of remixes…!!! The album has already created a buzz within the relevant circles of the scene way before the release — a full-house of genre-colleagues have loaded “Crossing the Rubicon” with a bunch of exciting alternative remixes: DIE KRUPPS, DAS ICH, William Faith (FAITH & THE MUSE), En Esch (ex-KMFDM, PIGFACE, SLICK IDIOT), Seb Komor (ex-ICON OF COIL, MELT), Adrian White (FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY, SILENT ALARM), and Ulf Häusgen (ex-THE FAIR SEX). Thus reaches this double-album the 20-track mark putting NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND at the spearhead of today’s dark-scene with one of the most extraordinary debuts of the last years. Make no mistake, NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND deliver the goods.

The album title “Crossing the Rubicon” is a metaphor for deliberately passing a point of no return, especially when a business of risky consequences is at stake. This portrays precisely where NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND stand at present. The journey has began — only victory awaits to be fought for, at the other end of the Rubicon river.

www.myspace.com/enefeu

2010 Tour dates with Hanzel Und Gretyl.

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HELLFIRE SOCIETY
Release 2009: “The Angry Army” (Hellfest/Universal)

Short Bio: Hellfire Society was born in 2001, founded by the leader/singer David whose dissatisfaction with the socio-political and religious status quo of his native Italy caused in him a desire to question what he saw around him every day, and, when he found answers that he could not accept, to find a way to respond and be heard.
David formed HFS to give voice to his anger and serve as a method of spreading his views to others. The reception to his project was unprecedented, with Hellfire Society’s first ever live concert being attended by over 1500 paying fans. HFS’s gut-wrenching guitars, carried by the force of David’s powerful voice and balanced by his excruciating attention to detail and musical arrangement, incited a response from crowds that soon had them performing on national television and touring throughout Europe.

The band starts writing what later on will become the debut album “The Angry Army”, they refuse several offers from labels looking and waiting for the right one, in this period the bassist Trauma joins the band bringing new life into the band, choosing carefully their moves they record and release a cover of “Bang Bang” which receives a unexpected success all around the globe: the song was originally born as bonus track for all of those fans who were waiting the album.

On September 2008 HFS is called for the official remix of “Runaway” by the world famous artist Ladytron (toured with NIN), the remix is released by the major Nettwerk Records in 17 countries around the world, included in the cd and also printed in a limited edition vinyl.

In the meantime Hellfire Society signs its most important contract with one of the most important Artist Development & Music Marketing companies in Europe Brainstorm (DE) already responsible for the promotion for acts such as AC/DC, Metallica and Guns n’ Roses among others.
Follows is what HFS has been waiting for a long time: a contract with the major label Hellfest/Universal Records.

The video for the first single “Mad About You” is filmed in an old asylum in Florence (Italy),
a very evocative location that sets the atmosphere of what will soon become the lite-motif of the band, a WWII set surrounded by wicked medical experiments. Buckles and goth accessories are left behind, replaced with tactical wear and post nuclear urban guerrilla gear, they start to call their fans “soldiers” and “The Angry Army” was born.
Mind blowing guitars wisely mixed with electronics, granitic rhythmic section and the powerful voice of the leader/singer make the band stand up in a crowd of anonymous industrial rock bands.

Controversy is behind the corner, a picture of David with the writing “WAR” on his chest is published, immediately becoming the icon of a screamed and powerful rebellion is warped and misunderstood by the masses, accusing them of being “pro-war”, David replied in an interview: “HFS is not pro-war, we only provide music for fighting. Everywhere, every day people have to fight a battle, no matter how small, we all have to fight our wars, often just to save our right and freedom. We only provide the right music to do it to.”

Waiting for the extensive promotion that Brainstorm is preparing for the album and the tour the band decides to start a mini-tour in Europe in order to test the new line-up that sees David on vocals and guitars, rock solid Tramua on the bass, the return of AK-47, the former guitarist of the band, and the last member that joined the army B3N on the electronics, live FX and samples.

This completely new live set-up is tested with great success in a series of sold out shows, among which the one @ Siddharta Club in Prato where the band plays in front of an excited crowd followed by an exclusive DJ Set by Morgan (Bluvertigo/X-Factor), then is the time for their show @ the Club Semifinal in Helsinki where once more the show is sold out.

The album, “The Angry Army” released on June 19th 2009 by Hellfest/Universal Records is what they call a Fight Rock Manifesto, cutting edge, powerful and catching, a synergy that is rare to find in a debut album, which is the emergence of a project that you won’t want to miss!

www.myspace.com/hellfiresociety

2010 Tour dates with Hanzel Und Gretyl.

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Booking and Info:
RED ROCK MANAGEMENT
co\ Richard Koning

Phone +49(0)511 – 8492256
Skype ritchie.koning
Email ritchie@redrock-management.de

Tags : Hanzel und Gretyl, Notes From Underground

HANZEL und GRETYL – “BIERHAUS BLOOD TOUR 2010!!

Posted at February 1, 2010 // News, Tour/Festival Dates

Past EU Dates (2010)
1 Mai >> Finland Helsinki Graveyard Party / Gloria
8 August >> Germany Hildesheim M’era Luna Festival

“BIERHAUS BLOOD TOUR 2010!”

Sa. 30 Oct. – Sweden Malmö Deep Nightclub
Tu. 2 Nov. – Germany Berlin Blackland ♣ Tickets @Blackland
We. 3 Nov. – Germany Hannover Musikzentrum ♣
Th. 4 Nov. – Swiss Zürich Werk 21 ♦
Fr. 5 Nov. – Austria Vienna Viper Room ♦
Sa. 6 Nov. – Austria Klagenfurt Stereo ♦
Fr.12 Nov. – Finland Helsinki Kulttuuriareena Gloria Graveyardparty 5
Sa.13 Nov. – Finland Tampere Klubi Graveyardparty 5

♣ Support Notes From Underground
♦ Support Hellfire Society

Flyer

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Booking and Info:
RED ROCK MANAGEMENT
co\ Richard Koning

Phone +49(0)511 – 8492256
Skype ritchie.koning
Email ritchie@redrock-management.de

Tags : Bierhaus Blood, Hanzel und Gretyl, Industrial, Metal

Tor Marrock – Supporting Hanzel Und Gretyl and more..

Posted at July 4, 2009 // Audio/Video Release, Tour/Festival Dates

Describing their music as Dark Concept Metal this trio of Welsh Gothic- Death-Doom Metalers are inspired by high-gothic concept art, which inevitably creates a high mark to reach, but on their offical debut ‘HEAVENS DEATH LIGHTS KINDLE’ they achieve this with ten songs of love, suicide, necrophilia, and madness that would blacken even Edgar Allen Poe’s soul upon hearing. The entire album is filled with pained vocals, harsh yet ethereal guitars, gut pounding bass-lines, and machine gun drumming that all come together and tear at the speakers from within.
The genres and construction of songs change as the albums story of the aftermath of a suicide pact between two lovers that leaves one (Summer) dead and her lover still alive progresses through the straight death-doom of opener ‘Death of Summer’, the black metal leanings of ‘Lower the Death’until the dark twist of ‘On The fifth of October’ sees songs such as ‘Throw Yourself into Our Empty Well, and ‘Gothic Romance’ take a more Gothic-Metal edge. Finally as we progress through the character’s descent into madness the album picks up pace for a frantic finish “Hyrddio Adlamu’ the only song on the album sung in Welsh.
Tor Marrock have managed to create a concept that doesn’t just tell a story but creates a rich tapestry tapping into the use of music to create different moods as well as tell a story.

Tracklisting of the new Album “Heaven’s Death Lights Kindle”:

1.DEATH OF SUMMER
2.HEAVENS DEATH LIGHTS KINDLE
3.LOWER THE DEATH
4.SILENCE
5.THE FIFTH OF OCTOBER
6.GOTHIC ROMANCE
7.THROW YOURSELF INTO OUR EMPTY WELL
8.DE-NUDE OUR POISONED MINDS
9.THIS MAN HAS FELT THE WHORE
10.HYRDDO ADLAMU

Tor Marrock Interview done by Pete Woods:

Tor Marrock first caught my attention in 2006 when their “Death Of Summer” demo. Perhaps they predicted something, perhaps they even evoked some shamanistic spell, as this year, summer has definitely withered and died on its feet here in England. With promo album “A Gohic Romance” marrying together elements of Gothic, Black and Death metal this enigmatic and rather mysterious band from Wales fired up my imagination. Musically rife with good melodies, riffs and an all important atmospheric caress it was the perfect time to quiz them on their craft.

PW: Firstly an obvious question, your band name Tor Marrock does it have any specific meaning?

TM: Yes in celtic legend TOR is a gateway to other world and MARROCK was a knight who turned into a wolf so TOR MARROCK is the hope that you can enter the other world, and you can also change what you are.

PW: Tell us a bit about the formation of the band, you are a 3 piece, how did you get together, what were your original ideas and how would you say you have achieved what you set out to do?

TM: We seem to have ended up making this music, There are a lot of factors why, location, upbringing, life experiences and of course musical influences. We met through location, it took a while, looking back, so many years were wasted, yet somehow now that adds to the intensity. I suppose it was inevitable that the 3 of us would form a band as where we live is so isolated. As for achieving what we set out to do we are on the first step of the ladder.

PW: You come from Mid Wales, I guess the location has both positive and negative aspects.

TM: It is isolated it is beautiful and it is lonely.

PW: As far as the positive aspects are concerned does the atmosphere and scenery prove inspirational, there is a dreamy quality about your music that perhaps comes from taking in great views, Welsh mountains and valleys?

TM: Isolation is inspirational, it certainly feeds the imagination.

PW: One thing that struck me when I first encountered the band were the promotional shots. Sinister masked figures stand almost alien in the sea or isolated in fields of grass. Tell us a bit about what you set out to portray persona wise? Will you transpose the imagery to live performances?

TM: For me music is an escape, the 3 of us were adamant this band was to be a masked concept band were we ultimately can create our own reality, so yes the masks are worn on stage.

PW: Moving onto the music itself, if you were put on the spot, how would you describe yourselves stylistically?

TM: Dark-concept-metal

PW: Who is responsible for the lyrics, is it a joint collaboration? They are certainly really poetic and unveil a tale, the romance you portray is one that seems poisoned and it is certainly one tinged with decay, can you perhaps expand upon this?

TM: Yes, I write the lyrics, I suppose this world confuses me in that in one hand is held death, suffering and decay and in the other, life, joy and growth. For me no matter how much life, joy and growth there is it will always be poisoned by the death, suffering and decay.

PW: “The Death Of Summer”, as mentioned seems to have been somewhat prophetic. For some reason the title reminds me of the Lord Of Summerisle making his ghastly sacrifice to ensure the crops don’t fail in The Wicker Man. What is the genesis of this particular number?

TM: This follows on from the previous question, the summer represents life -but we all know that in this world life ends. It is also the first song on the album so the title and content of the song was ideal to begin the story. (The original wicker man is one of favourite movies but there is no connection.)

PW: “Lower The Death” is a fast and thrashy number almost black metal in scope but fragmented with airy Gothic guitar passages wafting fragrantly through it as the rage abates. This strikes as totally unique to me, although taken as a whole I could mention the lyrical fluidity of My Dying Bride, the savage bite of Type O Negative and the maudlin flow of Fields Of The Nephilim. That as far as I am concerned is a near perfect combination. What inspires you musically?

TM: Well instead of reeling off band names I am inspired by atmosphere, intensity, honesty and meaning.

PW: Somehow I don’t expect an answer to this but the short interlude of “On The 5th Of October” is bound to bring about the question of the significance of the date?

TM: On this date Dante Gabriel Rossetti exhumed the body of his wife Elizabeth Siddal so it tied in with the story perfectly.

PW: I love the melody behind “Throw Yourself Into Our Empty Well” like the title suggests it virtually overwhelms and drowns you although if a well was empty, one would not have the luxury of such a watery demise. Why is yours an empty well and who would you throw down it given the choice?

TM: Water is also associated with life therefore our well is empty. I would throw in the creator of this sick world.

PW: I see that you don’t actually have an official website but rely on MySpace generally for promotion. It seems to work perfectly for many bands in this day and age and I see that your friend count has shot up recently and you have even gained a US street team for the band. Do you plan to get an independent website or continue to spread the word via MySpace?

TM: We do plan on getting an official website but for the moment myspace is working for us. We are getting great feedback and our music is being heard around the world. I think myspace has become essential for new bands that are not on a major label. The street team was set up by Tricia www.myspace.com/tor_marrock_teamus who heard us via myspace and is doing a great job.

PW: Thanks for the interview, any further comments?

TM: Your universe awaits…

Upcoming dates with Hanzel Und Gretyl:

Aug 02 – Intake – Mansfield, UK (Flyer) ♥
Aug 04 – Classic Grand – Glasgow, Scotland ♥
Aug 06 – A Cruisin Lan – Cork, Ireland ♥
Aug 07 – Fibber Magees – Dublin, Ireland (Flyer) ♥

Other UK dates are:
Aug 08 – Greenstock Festival – Mold, Wales
Aug 29 – The Duke Festival – Neath, Wales
Sep 25 – The Gaff with Altar Of Plagues – London

Tor Marrock on the web:

www.myspace.com/tormarrock
www.myspace.com/tormarrock_uk
www.myspace.com/tor_marrock_teamus

Tags : Bierhaus Blood, Hanzel und Gretyl, Industrial, Metal