ACROSS THE POND: ISSUE 3

New York hardcore thrashers THIS IS HELL have been rolling around the UK this week, with up and coming hardcore upstarts DEAD SWANS in support. Make absolute sure you give DEAD SWANS a listen, they were added to this tour as main support for a reason. I'll be interviewing THIS IS HELL at the show so look out for that soon. Phil Anselmo's DOWN mightily impressed at their recent London date in what was only their second UK tour. MISERY SIGNALS won many new friends on their UK tour recently, as did CHIMAIRA, who proved why they are still a big name in crushing heavy metal. KID ROCK will play a one off show in London as a warm up to his DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL main stage slot in what will be his first UK shows in absolutely years. The legendary READING FESTIVAL line up recently got announced and the reaction to the announcement has been such that tickets sold out in under 24 hours. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, METALLICA and THE KILLERS will headline over the three days, with many other metal-friendly acts such as SLIPKNOT, SERJ TANKIAN and, erm, TENACIOUS D also appearing. The new CANCER BATS album 'Hail Destroyer' has been receiving rave reviews from all corners of the British press. Their southern rock counterparts EVERY TIME I DIE just completed a party-fuelled UK tour, although crowds were reportedly highly under whelmed by disappointing support acts DROP DEAD GORGEOUS and SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS, who were both often met with blank looks from the crowd. This was none so apparent on the POISON THE WELL tour, where UK rock and roll punks THE PLIGHT gained many new fans supporting the Miami hardcore experimentalists. Welsh superstars BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE were recently forced to return home early from their US tour because Jason James' daughter is critically ill in hospital. On a brighter note, Finland love-metallers HIM have denied rumours that they are performing the theme song for the forthcoming James Bond film, Quantum Of Solace. Finally, four acts of mammoth proportions will be touring the UK next week, with OPETH, ARCH ENEMY, DEVIL DRIVER and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD joining forces to create something that could only be described as something behemoth-like.

Read More News

Tags:  This Is Hell, Nick Calafato, Chimaira, Download Festival, Reading Festival

Nick Calafato    April 26, 2008