Fives - The five metal musts

Later on in the series I'll cover punk, hardcore, emo and purely British bands but for now below are five metal outfits that are definitely worth a punt. With all these bands I may suggest only one album but that's purely a starting place, most releases from all five bands are well worth a punt. So in alphabetical order here are five metal musts:

As I Lay Dying
Some may want to argue that the band are more hardcore than metal, as that's clearly where their roots are, but no metal-head will be disappointed by their soaring riffs and their destructive breakdowns. Their pure musicality will impress any serious music fan and even the scene kids who prefer their metalcore a little more emo. Tim Lambesis is one of the greatest lyricists of our generation and more so than almost any other band out there these guys really know how gorge in big, BIG breakdowns.
Where to start: An Ocean Between Us (2007)

Becoming The Archetype
Few bands come close to the technically ability and crushing brutality of Solid State Records most on form current band. A wondrous mix of death growls, progressive experimental riffage and gorgeous synth-laden textures. Their name comes from Genesis 1:26: "God said, 'Let us make man in our image.'" Jesus was the only person to ever be sinless, ergo He was the archetype of humanity. If you wished that Opeth would deck going soft and had deeper lyrics then look no further.
Where to start: Dichotomy (2008)

Demon Hunter
Out of the ashes of technical hardcore band Traning For Utopia came the much more metallic Demon Hunter. Due to their nu metal beginnings and their hidden identities (thankfully they've binned that now) they were touted by some as Christianities answer to Slipknot. In their more straight up metal moments there are clear nods to Machine Head and Living Sacrifice. They're renowned for a large number of guest vocals and more recently have moved away from their nu-metal roots to a more adventurous sound.
Where to start: Summer of Darkness (2004)

Living Sacrifice
Without doubt the most influential Christian metal band of the 90s and still leaving their stamp in 2009 – when their first album in seven years is due. The band started out with a fairly thrashy sound and quickly developed a more complex sound that became almost metalcore by the end of their 15 year life. They took over the mantle that earlier metal pioneers had inspired them to usurp, bands such as Stryper, Believer and Seventh Angel.
The band formed in 1989 and split in 2005, after releasing a greatest hits, but recently reformed to tour and record a new album.
Where to start: In Memoriam (2005)

Virgin Black
An Australian band that combines gothic doom and symphonic metal influences. There are a lot of classical influences too that merge with the grandiose dark gothic drone. They've clearly overtaken the ambitious Saviour Machine and clearly take a huge inspiration from My Dying Bride – who also inspire Rock and Hard Place favourites My Silent Wake. The dark sound and haunting lyrics match their name, which they explain as "the juxtaposition of purity and humanity's darkness". Perhaps the least overtly Christian of the five choices but they're clearly dealing with spiritual matters and the Requiem series speaks for itself.
Where to start: Requiem Trilogy – Mezzo Forte (2007), Fortissimo (2008), Pianissimo (2009)

Previous fives: The five records labels that'll keep your ears happy

Fives - The five records labels that'll keep your ears happy

Fives is a feature I’ve been meaning to start on my show for a while now. It’s basically a way for relative newcomers to the Rock and Hard Place to get properly stuck into their scene. In future weeks I’ll list 5 must metal bands, 5 hardcore bands that truly get you pumped, 5 British acts that really should be bigger, 5 emo outfits that actually bring something new to the table, 5 zines and forums that’ll keep you up to speed etc…

This week it’s five music labels that’ll give you a bountiful supply of great faith-inspired bands:

Tooth and Nail / Solid State Records
Easily the largest label in terms of bands played on my show and in the Christian alternative scene. However they wouldn’t call themselves a Christian label but to a label who "allow artists who are Christians to create their art.” One day I’ll explain the ‘Christian band v Christians in a band’ debate but now’s not the time. They started in 1993 and quickly developed a number of sub-labels as their commercial success grew; the one of most note to me is Solid State as that’s where the heavier bands reside.
Notable Solid State alumni: Becoming the Archetype, Demon Hunter, Living Sacrifice, Norma Jean, Soul Embraced, Trenches, Underoath.
Former notables: Blindside, Extol, Life in Your Way, Figure Four
Notable Tooth and Nail alumni: Children 18:3, The Classic Crime, Emery, Hawk Nelson, MewithoutYou, Project 86, Showbread, Spoken, Thousand Foot Krutch.
Former notables: Anberlin, Beloved, Brave Saint Saturn, Dead Poetic, The Juliana Theory, The O.C. Supertones, P.O.D.

Facedown Records (plus imprint labels Dreamt and Strikefirst)
Possibly my favourite label due to their family feel and their social conscience. Jason Dunn started it out as a hardcore label but it now has a much wider range of bands. Still to this day though (with the exception of Thives and Liars) their best bands would fall into the metal and hardcore categories.
Notable Facedown/Strikefirst/Dreamt alumni:
Hands, Impending Doom, Jesus Wept, No Innocent Victim, Take it Back!, Thieves and Liars, Through Solace.
Former notables: Bloodlined Calligraphy, Comeback Kid, XDEATHSTARX, Immortal Souls, Nodes of Ranvier, Sinai Beach, xDisciplex A.D.

Flicker / Essential Records
Until it was bought by Provident Label Group (one of the big CCM powerhouses) Flicker Records was one of the most exciting independent labels out there. They’d stumbled upon some great fortune by making Pillar one of their first signings. Their commercial success allowed the label to grow to the point that it became an attractive purchase and as a result lost most of it’s alternative credibility. If you want safe but fairly rocking music this is your best bet (you may also wanna try SRE Recordings - home of Disciple, Flyleaf, POD, Skillet etc).
Notable Facedown/Strikefirst/Dreamt alumni: Fireflight, Flatfoot 56, Kids in the Way, Pillar, Red.
Former notables: Mortal Treason, Staple, Subseven.

Metal Blade
If you’re a little more daring and don’t mind bursting your Christian bubble a little you’ll no doubt be aware that there is a whole world of great faith-inspired bands that are signed to mainstream labels. In metal circles there are few labels with the same credibility as Metal Blade. Here’s a list of some of the current and former greats: As I Lay Dying, Aletheian, Austrian Death Machine, Believer, Woe of Tyrants, Winter Solstice.

Ferret
One of the great hardcore labels (a difficult concept as to be truly hardcore how can you be signed to a successful label?) and full of Christian musicians. Currently on their books are: The Devil Wears Prada, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Underneath the Gun and the mighty Zao!

NB: Each label’s notable roster is in alphabetical order rather than in order or preference or notoriety. All bands and labels should be fairly easy to find via myspace or google but feel free to contact me for links or questions.

This week I have been mainly

This week I was mostly listening to
A Plea For Purging - Depravity
A bosting lead single, a huge lead singer who has a wonderful self-depreciating sense of humour and just a huge chunky sound. Their best release to date.
Portishead - Third
After being silent for neigh on a decade the trip hop pioneers take a slightly more industrial turn on this 2008 release. It’s a nice album to chill out to when you get you fancy a break from rock, metal and hardcore.
David Crowder Band – A Collision
One of only a handful of truly creative worship bands. Chris Tomlin, Bluetree and the Glorious Unseen are the only other artists that readily spring to mind.

This week I was mainly watching
The Apprentice
It’s picking up nicely now and I have a weird admiration for the series villain. If anything the show that follows, You’re Fired, is better than the programme itself!
Sideways
Lisa had not seen it and before whacking it on ebay we gave it a watch. This was the third time I’d watched it and I still love it!
A lot of negative TV coverage against the police
TV news of the last few days has been giving a lot of coverage to Hillsborough and ever since G20 of people making claims against police brutality. Both stories show the police in a negative light and I’d like to go on record of showing my support to the boys in blue. It’s becoming increasingly hard for them to be able to carry out their job. Yes there a few idiots in the force – same goes for every profession.

This week I was mainly reading
Brochures of things to do in and around York and a lot of the gubbins that you get when you go to the places in and around York.

Other things of note from this week
Tuesday and Wednesday I went to York with Lisa. Maybe at some point I’ll go into detail as to what tickled and inspired me whilst there but for now I’ll just do a simple list of things we did and saw (so I don’t forget them!). Castle Howard, a walk around the city wall, York Minster, York Dungeons, lots of twee little shops and museums, York Art Gallery … but not The Tandoori Night, despite all the subliminal advertising.

So you want to be metal?

What do you mean "no"?

I've been enjoying playing the lead single from A Plea For Purging's latest album on the Rock and Hard Place and as such decided to check out the video for it. I found it both informative and enjoyable. If you too want to be metal here's a few handy hints,

A PLEA FOR PURGING "Malevolence"


There's a comedian in the US called Brian Posehn. His whole USP is that he's a metal head. Despite this I generally find him rather boring - I mean a weird rant about Slayer could potentially be funny but he seems to fail to deliver. However this video did tickle me a couple of years back,



\m/

This week I have been mainly

One day I'll read this and it'll remind me of something I once liked but have forgotten about.
For everyone else, you'll probably find this rather pointless...



This week I was mostly listening to
Becoming The Archetype - Dichotomy
Without a doubt one of my favourite albums of 2008 ... nah make that EVER. Amazing musicianship, deep and meaningful lyrics and just a kick-ass sound. Brutal progressive metal at it's zenith.
Woe of Tyrants – Kingdom of Might
A band fairly new to me and fairly new to The Rock and Hard Place. Progressive metal of a different type to BTA but still very entertaining. The two part title track is without doubt the highlight. One of the best heavy albums of 2009 so far.
Kate Nash – Made of Bricks
I would say it's a guilty secret but I'm not ashamed in any way to name it as one of my most enjoyable listens of the past year. Mariella is an amazing song, I chucked the CD in my car radio a few days ago and got goose pimples.

This week I was mainly watching
Yes We Can! The Lost Art of Oratory
Obviously it comes off the back of Obama-fever. I really am a sucker for soaring oratory, maybe I should go to a black-majority church once every month to get my fill. It pumps me up!
Newswipe
A spin-off from the excellent Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe. He dissects TV news in an educating, entertaining and downright funny way.
The Boat That Rocked
Richard Curtis' latest. As a bit of a radio nerd I was perhaps a little more interested in the detail than your average punter. But as a story it was not bad at all nicely playing on some good themes and tugging at the emotions. Certainly more enjoyable for me than his rom com back catalogue.

This week I was mainly reading
Gazzetta Della Grog
A wonderous nostalgia trip with the bittersweet knowledge that I'm a much different person to the bloke that wrote it.
Book of Job – The Bible
You think you've got it bad?! A wonderful story of being tested to the absolute limit and written in a very poetic way. There's only one thing you can put your absolute faith in.

Other things of note from this week
Last Sunday we went for a picnic on a very sunny, but remarkably chilly, day. We both managed to find inspiration, she wrote a poem and I came up with two different ideas for a book aimed at boys aged 8-12.

This week I have been mainly

Another week, another chance to self indulge.
If anything prompts you or takes your fancy, even better.



This week I was mostly listening to
The Gentlemen – Sending Cards
The new single from my soon-to-be interviewees. Their second album is out at the start of May and this is their first single from it. They're pushing a bit harder to break the mainstream this time.
Red – Innocence and Instinct
Considering how well it'd gone down in the US I decided it was probably a good idea I gave it a re-listen to see if I'd missed another tune for the Rock and Hard Place ... I hadn't.
Gomez – Bring It On
Deserved winners of the 1998 Mercury Music Prize.

This week I was mainly watching
Did Darwin Kill God
The Apprentice
FM
The top choice was done from the perspective of an evolution-believing Christian. Very interesting stuff. FM is a sitcom set in a radio station, on paper I should love it, on TV it's doing just about enough to keep me watching.

This week I was mainly reading
Libertas Insider libertasinsider.blogspot.com
Seventh Angel's myspace blog check out their entry for April 1st.

Other things of note from this week
Last weekend we went up to Leeds on the Friday evening for a Funeral For A Friend gig and to catch up with some friends. Saturday, on the way home we went via Huddersfield (it's where her indoors went to uni – a wee nostalgia trip was in order), Holmfirth (where Last of the Summer Wine was filmed ... obviously), the beautiful Woodhead Pass and Hadfield (the outside set of the League of Gentlemen). It was made even more fun when you factor in that she was still ill after having two days off sick. The steak and kidney pudding I had in Holmfirth was immense. The onion bhaji burger she had was equally tasty but not the best choice for a lady with a fragile tummy...
I also lost 1-0 in a game of subbuteo to the last winner of the Staffordshire Cup and a former England international. I'll mention more on my worrying relationship with little plastic men some other time.

This week I was mainly...

This is a weekly thing that is pretty much for my own edification and nobody elses. It's a nice way of reminding me of things I really enjoyed once upon a time and to rip into anything that disappoints me. Obviously I encourage you to take up some of my recommendations.

This week I was mostly listening to
Funeral For A Friend – Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation
I'm seeing them in Leeds you see. Juneau is still probably their best track but the album is not as good as my hazy memory has promised.
Believer – Gabriel
I'm still loving their comeback album and really enjoyed my interview with Kurt last Saturday. You can listen again to the interview here. The audio will also go on the Facebook group for The Rock and Hard Place soon too.
Dragonforce – Ultra Beatdown
Rather disappointed by this one I have to say. Their cheesy power metal seems to have rather lost it's way. Much preferred Theocracy's latest if you're looking for open-fisted theatrical metal.

This week I was mainly watching
The Apprentice
Clough
Stewart Lee's Comedy Vehicle
None of these three need any explanation, they just need to be watched ... via iPlayer (I don't watch TV at home).

This week I was mainly reading
The Shack (William P. Young). I should have finished it by now, come on Sammons!
The Week. I'm actually about three weeks behind so it's more like The Week Three Weeks Past.

Other things of note from this week
Er, well last week I went to see Count Arthur Strong in Buxton with Lisa. She wasn't acquainted with the character prior to the show and as such spent the first half trying to work him out! He rather dragged out a very short show but there were some great moments, including his appearance in the Ask The Family pilot and his telling the silent audience to stop interrupting him.

Oh and I'm not actually a particularly big fan of the Fast Show in case you ask.