PROX Intake

Blog

  • “We thought we were on the brink of breaking technology. It seemed like we did something futuristic at the time.” Slipknot, zombies and a three year old girl’s approval: how horror punk prince Wednesday 13 built a career beyond Murderdolls

    I Walked With A Zombie proved Wednesday 13 could go it alone – and the approval of his young daughter sealed the deal

  • Bloodstock Bound: IMBRIUM

    Bloodstock Bound: Imbrium

    As Bloodstock gets closer, we delve deep into the line up to find out more about some of the bands playing the New Blood and EMP stages at this years event.

    Today we chat with IMBRIUM

    Please introduce yourselves.

    Hello there! Speaking to you during this interview is going to be myself [Alex – Keys] and I’ll have the pleasure of introducing the rest of the guys:
    * On main vocals we have the great-and-powerful: Luke Jackson
    * On guitars, the man with the pepsi max cans: Ben Scott
    * On bass, we have our good friend Anthony Quinn who abandoned the ‘north’ for London, we still haven’t forgiven him!
    * And finally, James Smith on drums, who when not drumming could be in full medieval armour or panning for gold in rivers, who could say!

    How would you describe your sound?

    Well, to keep things simple we could say ‘Heavy Progressive Metal’ even though for now we’re not pushing the boat out ‘prog’ wise too hard. We’re definitely working on that for the next record but for now the title ‘progressive’ leaves the door open for us to write without too many boundaries on ourselves creatively.

    How did you land your spot on the Bloodstock bill?

    We were lucky enough to come in through alternative means [other than the M2TM competition] to get our slot at this year’s Bloodstock Open Air, something we’re all extremely proud and grateful for!

    What does playing at Bloodstock mean to you?

    When we started IMBRIUM it was always our first goal. Think of it like our initial marker of success. We said to ourselves ‘if we can accomplish all the things that we’ve planned out, and time them right, we’re in with a good chance of getting a slot on the Bloodstock New Blood Stage, and if we do, we must be doing something right’. That seemed to have happened so we guess we’re doing something right!

    Alongside this, BOA has been a part of all our personal histories, a lot of us were at the 2nd ever Bloodstock Open Air. The fest has always championed grassroots and underground metal so we’re honoured to be a part of that.

    For people who’ve never seen you live, what can they expect at Bloodstock?

    For those of you and your readers who know of our debut EP ‘Singularity’, the setlist is a special front-to-back live run through of the EP as you would hear it playing the record. We’re all quite proud of the flow of the record and we’re excited to bring that into a live context!

    What day are you performing?

    That’s going to be Saturday the 8th on the New Blood Stage!

    What other bands are you looking forward to watching at Bloodstock this year?

    First of all, we’re stoked that there’s several of our good friends playing the festival as well, and we’re looking forward seeing and supporting them. To name a few; our previous-gig-mates and cinematic djent masters Vanitas. Then a good personal friend of ours plays bass in Imperial Age so it’s going be great to see Dan hit the BOA mainstage, plus with a few of us being northerners we’re going to be stoked to see Manchester lads Technologist who just won M2TM Manchester.

    Plus, generally sticking around the New Blood and EMP stages to catch all the other great upcoming rising metal bands!

    Then when it comes to the bigger bands there’s a lot of varied music taste between our members but we’re definitely going to be sticking around for Leprous, Nevermore, Orbit Culture, Trivax and of course how could we not pay our respects to Rob Halford and Judas Priest to wrap the whole thing up!

    Playing the New Blood Stage is just the first steppingstone in a bands journey. What’s next in your plans for world domination?

    Right now we’re gearing up for the Bloodstock show to give it everything we’ve got, but alongside all this we’re currently setting our goals and targets for this ‘next-phase’ of IMBRIUM. Getting to play BOA was always the first goal / marker of success when starting this band and now we’re there, its all about deciding what the next marker is going to be! And of course, we’re in the continuous process of writing material for the next IMBRIUM record

    Are you camping with the fans? Which campsite are you heading for?

    Well, whilst we can neither confirm nor deny that tents will be involved in our time at Bloodstock this year, when we first started coming there was only Midgard so its very interesting to look at Midgard now and visualise how it looked back in 2006! In more recent years Ironwood was the camp of choice, however as mentioned before, tents are dubious for us on this occasion!

    You’ve gotta keep hydrated at Bloodstock, what is your drink of choice for the weekend?

    Hydration is key! Similar to music taste, there’s a wide variety of alcohol preference in IMBRIUM but without speaking to everyone, we can still make a pretty good guess that the immediate-post-set pourings of drink will look like the below:
    * Anthony [Bass] and James [Drums] will immediately be on the cask ale, think whatever medieval knights and squires would be drinking, likely in the Hobgoblin tent!
    * Myself [Alex -Keys] and Luke [Vocals] will be cracking open a bottle of dark spiced rum, Kraken or the classic Captain Morgans
    * Ben [Guitars] – Continuing into his 24-pack-crate of Pepsi Max

    See you at Bloodstock in a few weeks!

    See you guys there! Horns up!

    For all the latest news, reviews, interviews across the heavy metal spectrum follow THE RAZORS’S EDGE on facebook, twitter and instagram.

    The post Bloodstock Bound: IMBRIUM appeared first on The Razor's Edge.

  • Lost in Kyiv – We’re All Going to Be Fine Review

    Earlier in June, a post-rock album delightfully surprised this middle-aged metalhead. I tend to approach post-anything with caution these days, but And the Dead Tree Gives No Shelter from Sweden’s Oh Hiroshima proved a cohesive, moving experience under scrutiny. Hence, I figured I’d try my luck with another post-rock album on the same label from a band named after a beleaguered city it doesn’t call home. Thus, I approach We’re All Going to Be Fine—on Pelagic Records—by Lost in Kyiv1—from Paris—with cautious enthusiasm. Unlike their labelmates, Lost in Kyiv specialize in a (mostly) instrumental version of post-rock, occasionally adding voices that narrate, soliloquize, live inside sound clips, and even sing. Hopefully, losing myself in this Parisian quartet’s fifth album won’t have me uttering wistful interjections.

    Post-rock remains an apt descriptor for Lost in Kyiv, but the band shares heritage with its heavier cousin. As with any (mostly) instrumental post-rockers influenced by Mogwai, electronics play a crucial role in crafting a cinematic experience. On We’re All Going to Be Fine, synths supply melodic hooks (“Burst,” “Euphoria”), set pulsating tones (“Eclipse”), and create mid-song drama (“Mantra”). But when the baritone guitars of Dimitri Denat and Maxime Ingrand lock into a heavy groove with bassist Jean-Christophe Condette and drummer Jérémie Legrand,2 a band like Russian Circles comes to mind. Animals as Leaders also prowl (if they were less technical), on account of Denat and Ingrand’s djent-adjacent tones and playing. For much of its 41-minute runtime, We’re All Going to Be Fine reads like a post-metal album, and a particularly lush, well-produced one at that. While the heavy riffs do lean towards the generic, I can’t deny that they frequently slap.

    As a (mostly) instrumental album, We’re All Going to Be Fine mostly slips due to its ‘non-instrumental’ feature: vocals.3 One recurring way Lost in Kyiv adds voices is by threading narrations/soliloquies throughout Fine. Sometimes, these voiceovers work; “Enlightened” segues into the propulsive groove of “Burst” by echoing its title, setting up the song’s rumination on ‘masks’ as a metaphor for social alienation/performativity. But other times, the voiceovers are frustratingly inaudible (“Mantra”), or awkwardly akin to guided meditations (“Euphoria”). As for singing, it makes one and only one appearance. “Becoming” is a perfectly lovely song, powered by the gorgeous melodies and harmonies of Rebecca Need-Menear, but its verse-chorus traditionalism strays far from home on this otherwise impressionistic album. Vocals seem central to the themes Lost in Kyiv claim to explore on We’re All Going to Be Fine: ‘the tension between hope and inner collapse,’ how ‘modern life can disconnect us from ourselves and each other,’ ‘the fragility of mental health and the human psyche.’ As a lecture by Carl Jung closes out the album (“Liminality”), however, I’m left feeling that Fine becomes less coherent when reading its voices closely.

    Fortunately, these vocals don’t prohibitively hamper the overall experience. Whether listened to passively or semi-actively, We’re All Going to Be Fine (mostly) progresses as a seamless display of haunting beauty. The first half plays more like post-metal, containing the heaviest riffing on offer. “Eclipse” is a highlight, setting a somber mood that’s popped by an infectious single-string figure and a robust brass section: trumpet, trombone, tuba. From here, Fine mixes things up, exploring multi-layered electronica (“Euphoria”) and hammer-on heroism with d-beat sprinklings (“Liminality”). “Becoming” is always the curveball. Again, it’s not a bad song by any means, but it’s unclear why Lost in Kyiv dropped one singular radio-rock song in the middle of the album. It doesn’t feel like the work of a different band per se, but it definitely feels like a work on a different kind of album.

    Oh, Lost in Kyiv, how I wanted to rate your fifth outing just a bit higher. We’re All Going to Be Fine allures with its cinematic soundscapes and hits with its bouncy riffs. Alas, your vocals of various sorts make me think I’m missing the point towards which you drive. But when I play down the voices, letting its luxuriousness wash over me, Fine becomes more than fine—it becomes a (mostly) absorbing arrangement of metallic post-rock.

    Rating: 3.0/5.0
    DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
    Label: Pelagic Records
    Websites: Facebook | Instagram
    Releases Worldwide: June 19th, 2026

    The post Lost in Kyiv – We’re All Going to Be Fine Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.

  • Org Music To Reissue “ALL” And “Liveage!” By Descendents

    Org Music continues its acclaimed and comprehensive Descendents reissue campaign with new editions of the band’s landmark 1987 studio album ALL and essential

  • Okay Lindon Shares Video From “Pinto vs. Pinto”

    Okay Lindon shares the first single/video from its forthcoming self-titled full-length for Lost in Ohio. Watch/listen to “Pinto vs.

  • PAPA ROACH will return to Europe in late 2026

    At the first summer festivals of the year, Papa Roach just played some of the biggest and most spectacular shows of their career, but the band has no plans to slow down: The “Rise Of The Roach” World Tour continues! At the end of 2026, Papa Roach will return to Europe and has now announced… Continue Reading →

  • “It’s fertility, resistance, sensitivity. Something that belongs to men, too.” Rising Italian black metallers Bianca are bringing a new vision to the genre

    One of the most exciting bands in the European underground are twisting black metal into new shapes without compromising its DNA

  • A View From The Wreckoning: Day Of Wreckoning 2026 (Matt Bladen)

    Day Of Wreckoning, Corn Exchange/Le Pub/The Pit, Newport South Wales 20.06.26


    The third annual Day Of Wreckoning rolled it’s way into Newport this year after two years in Swansea, going bigger than ever before with not just one stage of music but three different stages all situated within a minute walk of each other in Newport high street. 

    With the incredible Corn Exchange being the mainstage, a big welcoming room with plenty of unobstructed seating and well stocked bar featuring the extremely popular frozen cocktails. Stage two was Le Pub a all inclusive art space with a wide array of beverages and some top notch vegan food while stage three was The Pit a basement venue in the catacombs of McCanns Ale Bar. 

    This turned what has always been a celebration of the South Wales metal scene into a full festival atmosphere as the sun beat down, the drinks were flowing and everyone seemed to be in very high spirits a and ready for a full day of amazing music.

    As always the Day Of Wreckoning is the final of the South Wales Metal To The Masses initiative with there’s bands from the West side and three from the East side playing for a coveted place at a sold out Bloodstock Festival. It’s also a way to introduce them to bigger stages than perhaps they’re used to, spurring them on to be the best version they can be and every year they are.

    The crowds packed in early for the M2TM bands as it was Excursia that kicked things off first with some brutal deathcore battery. Node to Lorna Shore and others were heard as the beatdowns, riffs and throat shredding vocals were all pumping through the PA of the Corn Exchange, puts began in earnest as the energy was high from moment number one.

    Next up was House Of Hosts who blend members from all over Wales and bring a very modern melodic metal sound. Full of huge riffs, slinky solos and vocal harmonies, while not quite as aggressive, House Of Hosts still kept the energy high with plenty of crowd interaction and their slick powerful metal sound.

    This was going to be tough for the independent judging panel!

    Following up all this modern metal melee was the thick syrupy sludge riffs of Risperidrone, a doom mob that offered a severe change of pace into some low slung heavy grooves ala the NOLA crowd. Seeing a sea of head headbang in slow unison never gets old and the doom was very much being wrought at Day Of Wreckoning.

    Back to modernity, well sort of as Disrupt The Continuum brought back the ‘core’ values of many of these metal bands. This was 2000’s metalcore, in the bouncy riffs and harsh/clean vocals, while the technically of melodeath comes from the widdly guitar parts.

    Full of venom and melody the disruption caused an out break of weirdness that led to the arrival of Grindhorse83, Swansea surf rock psychos who throw pretty much anything they can think of into the pot, from surf, to punk, to whistling, western, metal nursery rhymes and whatever they fancy, it’s an invitation to get weird

    No such weirdness from INSCAPE though, just a mechanised assault that was right in the precipice of the modern metal scene, influences from Don Bronco and Enter Shikari can be picked out as they exploded onto the Corn Exchange stage with energy and electricity.

    Synths/electronics bled into ear bending math metal which took the room by storm and convinced the judges that it had to be INSCAPE who would be representing South Wales at Bloodstock.

    They will absolutely tear the New Blood Stage apart so if you’re going to Bloodstock Festival make sure you catch INSCAPE as they managed to overcome a VERY tough competition this year with all the bands giving their all on the stage of Corn Exchange.

    With M2TM done and the winner chosen (though not announced until after the headliner) it was time to open up the other stages and get more music flowing. As well as The Corn Exchange, there was four bands in Le Pub and four bands in The Pit which is downstairs in McCann’s Rock & Ale Bar.

    The Pit

    The Pit hosted the heaviest line up of the day as South Wales favourites Democratus kicked off the proceedings with their well tenured melodeath, the room was packed all day but vocalist Steve still found room to stalk the audience as they got the The Pit up and running with that sense of familiarity from a local act.

    Following them was Tumanduumband a two man doom band (get it?) who brought an unholy racket to The Pit, just bass and drums…and cloaks the walls rumbled, the roof shook and ear drums ruptured, as the duo took it low and slow to menace the Newport audience.

    Though you can forgive them from being slightly broken by that noise, The Pit quickly refilled as the South Wales black metal veterans Agrona returned to Newport for their second show since their rebirth this year. Playing with new members and old ones, those songs from that first record still sound brilliant on a live stage as Agrona sounded as brutal and vital as ever, with a packed house welcoming Thier unholy mass with open arms.

    Closing out The Pit in only the way they can were South Wales death metal brutalists Sodomized Cadaver, this is death metal at the most gnarly, disgusting and unforgiving. Gutteral vocals and flesh ripping riffs Sodo themsleves have had a line up shift recently but sound better than ever in my opinion becoming a more vicious version of themselves.

    So that was The Pit, an all day extreme metal feast for the sense that even the most hardened metal fan couldn’t turn their nose up at.

    Le Pub

    The Pit was for the metal maniacs, Le Pub was more eclectic for the music fan of discerning taste. Beginning with the prog/power style of Awake By Design, a band that impressed the hell out of me at Bloodstock 2024, I’d compare them to Kamelot and Evergrey as they filled Le Pub with harmonious vocals and virtuoso instrumentation, with another superior showing.

    Speaking of superior, few bands in the South Wales scenes get people rocking as hard as Häxan and the heavy rocking trio made sure to pack out Le Pub with their feisty, groovy hard rock. Always a band who create a party atmosphere Häxan are well known round these parts and as such got a loud support from the Newport natives, coming in at the last minute to replace Lifer (get well soon Scriv), there still ain’t no party like a Häxan party!

    Keeping the riffs flowing were Syncolima, veterans of the UK stoner scene, another trio another fist full of riffs and the volume turned up to 11, Day Of Wreckoning saw them making their way to Wales for the first time and they blew a hole in the roof of Le Pub. I’ve always said South Wales is something of a stoner rock haven and the reaction to Syncolima proved just that.

    The headliner for Le Pub were another band who have a massive following here in South Wales and have been on an upward trajectory in the last 18 months. Le Pub was at capacity when Black Lakes came calling and they delivered a masterclasses in chorus driven melodic metal.

    They take their sound from various genres tropes, such as alt metal, hard rock, goth, electronic and even pop and combines then into a slick stage show and a showstopping performance which was rapturously received by the crowd at DoW.

    A perfect way to end the day at Le Pub and get people in the mood for our Corn Exchange headliner. Before that though there were three bands who took to our mainstage bringing with them plenty of pedigree.

    The Corn Exchange

    Opening up Corn Ex were South Wales thrash juggernauts Helldown, who have been storming stages for a fair few years now causing chaos with their razor sharp mix of thrash and groove metal that gets the front row moving. Ferocious and focused Helldown deserve your attention and kicked off the Corn Exchange with vitriol.

    Still heavy but with a more melodic edge to them Scottish prog metal act Tiberius made their South Wales debut and introduced Newport to their catchy choruses, djenty riffage, huge vocals, Goblin Pits and beach balls. With band members spending most of their time in the crowd, they’re a frenzy of virtuoso playing and prog metal infused with power metal vocals. Newport didn’t quite know what hit them but they won over the crowd with their infectious energy.

    If Tiberius’ energy is infectious then Mother Vulture is like an epidemic. Possibly the wildest live band on the scene today Mother Vulture are always running on 110% power and deliver every song like it’s their last, constantly in motion, kicks fly, head bang and garage rock riffs are punched out of their instruments. If you don’t move to this you’re probably dead inside as Mother Vulture once again brought their unflappable energy to South Wales and they loved it, resulting in crowd that was ready for what was about to happen.

    In a huge coo for an event that is only three years old, getting legendary, and that’s not hyperbole, band like The Wildhearts to headline, but here they were just about to hit the stage and the excitement was palpable. Especially with Ginger’s recent news this was going to be emotional and it was going to be very special. Not that you’d notice as after their triumphant Download sets, Ginger strode on to the stage every inch the rock legend and began to kick out the riffs with Failure Is The Mother Of Success, a cheer went up and we were all now under Ginger’s command as ringleader to this rock n roll circus.

    Aided and abetted by his killer band, they stormed through their 15 song set of punk, pop rock n metal, blurring genre lines with every single shout of a chorus, fist in their air and cheer, visibility bringing a smile to Ginger’s face as The Wildhearts stormed though Nothing Ever Changes But The Shoes, Mazel Tov Cocktail, Cheers, and Chutzpah, blending old with new and delivering it all with a wry smile and some great banter, you could tell the band were enjoying themselves.

    Poking fun at adult hide and seek that is a rock gig, the encore was Suckerpunch and My Baby Is A Headfuck and then the place erupted, an outpouring of love, respect and sheer joy as The Wildhearts closed the third edition of Day Of Wreckoning in triumphant style. Ginger is the ultimate rock god and this warm night in Newport he was worshiped as such.

    So Day Of Wreckoning’s gamble to head to the far East of Wales and expand to three venues paid off, I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback so it looks like this may become a fixture going forward. Now the only thing to worry about is how don’t they top it next year!?

  • Listening Now : Barney Elo – Ich gegen ICH

    Barney Elo’s Ich gegen ICH is a compelling indie rock/pop-rock track that dives deep into themes of self-doubt, inner conflict, and personal struggle. Driven by honest German-language lyrics and an emotionally charged performance, the song captures the tension between control and overwhelm with striking authenticity. The arrangement balances melodic accessibility with a raw, introspective edge, allowing the emotional weight of the narrative to take center stage. Rather than offering easy answers, Ich gegen ICH embraces complexity, making its message all the more relatable. It’s a powerful and sincere release that showcases Barney Elo’s ability to transform personal battles into engaging, thought-provoking songwriting.

    Connect:

    Instagram

  • Gateshead underground metal showcase Get Heavy Festival returns this August

    The north-east heavy music community is gearing up for a major summer milestone as Get Heavy Festival officially returns this August with an intense, zero-clash lineup layout. Taking place across two days on 15th and 16th August 2026 at Downcast Studios in Gateshead, the underground gathering promises a high-octane weekend featuring sixteen bands tearing up … Continue reading Gateshead underground metal showcase Get Heavy Festival returns this August