Red Fang Touring in April / May

Oregon's beer-loving metallers Red Fang have just announced their European tour!


Playing alongside Black Tusk in what has to be the best matching of band names this year, the tour winds its way through Europe, starting with Italy and heading to Germany via France, Belgium, the UK and a host of other countries. Plus the 'Fang will be playing a special three-date mini tour of Russia and Ukraine.


Check out the full tour schedule, plus the video for Red Fang's 'Hank Is Dead'!

Surprisingly Good Bands

Trawling through the internet, I find out about a lot of pretty weird bands. When I say weird I don't mean experimental, though some of them are, I'm talking about the bands that just have such off the wall concepts that you're surprised anyone can pull it off.

Back before I moved down to London, my band up in Newcastle always had a bit of an Arnold Schwarzenegger fixation. Every moment at rehearsals that wasn't taken up by playing was filled by shouts of "Get to the chopper!" and “Do it!”.

We dreamed of the idea of an Arnie-themed band, little did we know, but that crafty bugger Tim Lambesis (of As I Lay Dying fame) had already beaten us to it.

Playing every instrument, and doing most of the vocals, Lambesis' Austrian Death Machine pays homage to everybody's favourite former governor / action hero. The only role not filled by Lambesis is that of Arnold, sorry, 'Ahhnold' himself, with Destroy the Runner's Chad Ackerman taking on impersonation duties:

Check out Austrian Death Machine on their website: http://www.austriandeathmachine.com/

All images / videos are property of Austrian Death Machine / Metal Blade Records

'Oh, Sleeper' Tour

Metalcore Texans Oh, Sleeper are embarking on a US tour alongside Like Moths to Flames and the considerably lighter We Are Defiance.

Kicking off the tour on March 29th, the 'I Heard It First' tour will take the bands across the States, including a slew of dates in Florida. For those that hadn't already guessed by the name (and the poster) the tour will give Oh, Sleeper fans a chance to catch a glimpse of the band's as yet unreleased album.

Full list of dates:

Tue, Mar 29

The Refuge, Fredricksburg, VA

Wed, Mar 30

Soapbox Laundro-Lounge, Wilmington, NC

Thu, Mar 31

Sector 7G, Augusta, GA

Fri, Apr 01

Murray Hill Theatre, Jacksonville, FL

Sat, Apr 02

The Nightlife, Sarasota, FL

Sun, Apr 03

Rocketown, Pompano Beach, FL

Mon, Apr 04

Toy World, Lake Wales, FL

Tue, Apr 05

1982 Bar, Gainesville, FL

Wed, Apr 06

The 7 Venue, Douglasville, GA

Bleeding Sorrows

Good news for all you metalcore fans, Bleeding Through's new album is on its way!

Set for release on the 13th of April, the self titled LP will be the Californian sextet's sixth studio release since their formation back in 1999 and sees the replacement of former axe-man Jona Weinhofen by ex No Use For A Name man Dave Nassie

Building on the more metal influenced sounds of their previous album, Declaration, the band's latest effort sees vocalist Brandan Schieppati's black metal influences creeping into his voice, though fortunately the band retain their trademark sound and haven't resorted to 'wasp in a jar' guitar tone and full on old school Burzum screeches.

Even better, rather than having to rely on hazy descriptions you can actually hear two of the new tracks on Bleeding Through's Myspace page right now!

If you're just itching for Schieppati to take a more black metal oriented route then wait no longer, because Musical Scares' Band of The Week is bound to hit the spot.

The vocalist has teamed up with Anaal Nathrakh's Mick Kenney to create Sorrows. Essentially a black metalcore project, the pair recorded a full album last year and are currently hunting for a label to release the onslaught.

Sorrows are also in the process of assembling a live line-up,  having recently drafted in Trevor Friedrich, who previously drummed for Schieppati's former band Eighteen Visions and is currently working with industrial legends Combichrist.

It's as though the wonders of the internet never cease, as you can also listen to a preview of Sorrows album on their official Myspace page, including the frankly incredible 'Follow Me To Disappointment' which will have Bleeding Through and Anaal Nathrakh fans alike salivating in preparation for the album's release.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bleeding Through Official

Bleeding Through Myspace

Sorrows Myspace

Let's Get This Going

Welcome to the first ever post on the Musical Scares blog!

Hopefully you'll soon be pawing at the screen in a junkie-like fashion, waiting for the latest news, reviews, ramblings and interviews, from the worlds of music, art, horror and more.

So, to get things started, here are the answers to just about every question you could have about Musical Scares and myself:

Q: Who are you anyway?

A: I'm a writer, did the writing not give it away? I live in Newcastle, a friendly city in the North East of England and home to Newcastle Brown Ale. I enjoy candlelit dinners (in castles) long romantic walks (around castles) and listening to / playing music (seriously, if someone has a castle, I'll be there in a shot, unless it doesn't have spires, then screw you, you spireless bastard).

Q: Are you slightly castle obsessed?

A: I just like castles is all! I blame just about every old horror film out there, I swear, according to those films you couldn't get moved for castles, they were like city centre pigeons but without the love for bread.

Q: Okay, enough castles, what's this blog all about?

A: To be honest it's just an excuse to write about everything I like and interview some cool people. Musical Scares will cover music including Punk, Hardcore, Metal and straight up Rock.

The blog will also cover art, essentially anything that tickles my fancy (and oh how it likes tickling) with features and interviews on a range of artists from a range of mediums, from painters to illustrators and sculptors to tattooists. Of course there's one more thing that'll be covered, the greatest form of cinema ever, Horror. This might stray now and then and the pretentious horror buffs will probably choke on their fake blood at some of the things that are featured, but I aim to cover anything that stands out, even if it just makes me laugh.

Q: So what's lined up for the blog?

A: Just like any good horror movie, I'm not going to break the suspense until the last minute, that and to keep you checking on my blog at all hours just in case I've added something that you just can't live without.

Q: Speaking of adding things, how often will the blog be updated?

A: The blog will be updated daily (roughly). This does not account for catastrophic computer failure, disinterest or the blog developing a demonic personality of its own, causing it to post messages of hate against old people, babies, old babies (ala Benjamin Button) and the dreaded 'Ginger One' from Girls Aloud.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hopefully that clears everything up, thanks for reading and come back tomorrow for another harrowing installment of Musical Scares!