Sunday 30 November 2014

Live Review: SPAWNFEST @ Gagarin, Tel Aviv [22nd November 2014]

Magor

Spawn Of Evil

State Of The Fart

Arallu

Canine 

Mechanigod


In Israel, music festivals of the literal sense are very rare, if not completely inexistent. No real festivals in a massive field with 2 main stages, a local band stage and an acoustic tent. No selection of big name international bands all coming to perform together. No camping for around 3 nights putting up with mud and littering. To someone like me, the term "festival" gets used too freely out here and loses it's meaning. Tonight, the Israeli metal scene sees "Spawnfest" arrive to the hidden live music hub Gagarin. When I first came to a Gagarin show, I didn't even know that this yard which also includes a studio and a gym, amongst other things, was even there. It lies behind the Naim dance studio opposite where the Sublime venue once was. I am unsure if Gagarin was always here but it has certainly acted as a replacement since Sublime's closure/move. Sublime used to be one of the main places for metal shows and "festivals" of this ilk. Now I have the chance to see if the smaller Gagarin is able to cope with drunken Israeli metallers.

Mechanigod


First up tonight is melodic metallers Mechanigod. Like most of the bands on the bill tonight, I don't really know much about this band. Despite having technically been a band since around 2008-9, the band's first album "Realms" was released last year. I have seen their name floating around a fair bit and assumed they were quite a big deal, so I'm surprised that they are the first band on this bill of 6 bands. 
Their opening song has that sort epic vibe a good opener always needs. We hear from the start the vocalist's (Eylon) range, which can switch from gruff Lamb of God style vocals to almost mizrachi (Middle Eastern) style singing. Eylon's vocals are actually quite flawless. Throughout the performance, I don't believe I hear a single bum note, loss of breath or crack in his voice. Upon further research, I've discovered that Eylon's a Canterbury lad. Whether that has any relevance to him being a good singer, I don't know. It is, however, interesting to me, a fellow British expat. I'm guessing he's one of those "I moved here when I was 3" types. 
The Lamb of God resemblance continues with the band's actual music style. I also cannot really fault the musicianship of the rest of the band. For a considerably young band, they have that essence of a big band. The guitar playing and drumming is all just at the right level of complicated that doesn't come off as over the top. My main issue is that it just doesn't seem all that new. Eylon, as great as I said he is, even has a typical "metal beard". (Not literally a beard made of metal...that would be uncomfortable and unnecessary.) The crowd seem to be enjoying it, though, with an actual "front row" of fans and the odd circle pit here and there. Nearer the end of their set, they played something with a Middle Eastern flavour. Having not yet heard their album, I do not know if it is included on it or what it is called. Hearing that suddenly perked me up a bit as it was a little different, although not totally unexpected for an Israeli band. It did help demonstrate the vocalist's range and that was a pleasure to witness. Personally, I think they could have been put on further up the bill but they acted as a more than suitable opening band. 
3.5/5

Canine


I have a confession to make. Originally Modiin based metalcore outfit Canine are the main reason I am here tonight. Them and I have a bit of a history. Some time last year, I joined them on drums for about a month. In the end, I wasn't really the most suit....Ok, I was practically told I wasn't good enough for them. Despite that, I have supported Eliav and Yuval (guitars) over the passed year in their search for the right  new members. In this most recent line-up, they have (Ben) Sadda on vocals, Bar on bass and Matan on drums.  I really like Canine, not just because I was once a part of them but because I genuinely like their songs. It's metalcore, but it has a bouncy groove and some good breakdowns. Especially the stuff off their Degeneration EP. Tonight, however, seemed to consist mostly of new songs; some I am familiar from my time with them and others that were brand spanking new. "Silence Before Chaos" is a killer of a tune that I enjoyed singing along to. "Mutiny" and "With The Crows In Sight" are almost unrecognisable to how I remember them. In a good way! They've perfected the songs into solid arrangements and have come together as a tight unit. An even newer song, Last Words Live Forever, seems to have some people in the crowd singing along. I don't know if I am just ridiculously uneducated and this was a cover song or that they have played it at a few other shows recently and people have become accustomed to it. Either way, the atmosphere was great during that song.
One thing the band does which I really like is the breakdowns. Having been into tuff guy and beatdown since my teens, I'm used to that lull just before the "chug-chug". That lull where the guitars are ringing out and you know that in the next few seconds all hell is going to break loose. Canine don't quite do it in the same way that I am used to; they do more metalcore breakdowns rather than hardcore beatdowns. Being more of a metal crowd, this gains the typical Israeli metal scene reaction of headbanging all round.
Making good use of his wireless pack, guitarist Eliav loves getting amongst the crowd during the set and getting people even more revved up. I find this sort of thing in general sometimes a bit too much, but the crowd did need a little bit of encouragement. The only criticisms to make of the band tonight are the fact that some of their best work was missing from the set and also the quality of clean vocals. Now, I for one know how difficult singing can be, but unfortunately Sadda couldn't quite hit his high notes in songs like Mutiny. Yuval's harmonies luckily helped in the other songs. Sadda could have just been having a bad night and I'm hoping he'll sound so much better next time I see them and on record.
3.5/5

Arallu


Now we start the part of the evening where I am not familiar with any of the bands. It begins with Jerusalem metal legends Arallu. I say legends despite not having heard of them before. Just goes to prove how out of the Israeli metal loop I am as later research shows they have technically been around for around 13 years. Arallu perform with combat face paint stripes which help add to the theatrics of their thrashy, Middle Eastern tinged death metal. At times sounding like Slayer, at other times sounding like Behemoth, Arallu are simply heavy. Adding to the theatrics, they use samples that seem to focus around war. That seems to be the essence of Arallu at the moment. There are also posters all over the place in regards to the album launch show at the beginning on the new year for their new album Geniewar.
I can't really be specific about songs as I am still unfamiliar with their material, but what I loved the most about this band was the Middle Eastern flavours. The drummer even had a darbuka on a stand and made good use of it. This addition didn't seem forced. The metal and the Middle Eastern rhythms just seem to flow into each other seamlessly. It's actually a shame there aren't more people here tonight. It's a good crowd for an underground show, but these guys are considered legends. Not only that, but they're giving a legendary performance which, albeit still getting circle pits and headbanging galore, should be in front of a much larger audience.
3.5/5

State Of The Fart


I may have very well got the order of Arallu and State Of The Fart mixed up as I ended up getting distracted by the band and didn't make any notes. State Of The Fart are not as sophisticated as they sound. Haha. Once again, this is a band I didn't bother checking out before hand. Wanted to leave it as a surprise. And boy, was I surprised.
So, you know that friend of yours who has a party trick he's been doing since he was a kid? Imagine if he started a band that was based around that party trick. That is essentially what State Of The Fart are. Tonight, the band plays a short setlist of 4-5 (like I say, I didn't make notes) cover songs incorporating the frontman's talent of making fart noises with his hands. It took me a while to actually notice he was using his hands mic'ed up and it wasn't the keyboardist. As my Hebrew is still not brilliant, I was unable to tell if the covers were exact word-for-word translations or not, apart from the acoustic version of Slayer's Angel of Death which was in English. That was probably the highlight of the set. They are definitely fun, but I really can't help but feel that this is an idea that should have stopped after high school graduation. Their friends seemed to love it. I personally just found them as a weird choice for this line-up.
2/5

Spawn Of Evil


Although the penultimate act of the night, Hadera based death metallers Spawn Of Evil are the band tonight's "festival" seems to be named after. Once again, this is a band I have heard nothing about before but they have been in existence for around 14 years in one form or another. Not only is that a reason I should have heard of them but they are really good.
The main vibe I got off the band is that they remind me a lot of Napalm Death. Not in a rip of way, but just similar intensity, similar stylings and even a frontman who looks quite a fair bit like ND's own "Barney" Greenway. Well....more like Dom Lawson (ex singer of Matter, singer/guitarist in Oaf and Metal Hammer writer). Anyway, that's not a bad thing. I love Napalm Death. Spawn Of Evil flip between thrashy parts and grooves and are basically just bloody heavy. I've decided that I need to really to do some more research on this band and listen to more of their stuff. I've discovered that they have done a death metal cover of Therapy's Screamager. That gets a major thumbs up from me on its own.
4/5

Magor


Final act tonight is Israeli black metallers Magor. Black metal could be considered by many in this world as a joke, mainly due to the black and white make-up, how silly the subject matter can sometimes be and because the videos are almost always set in dark forests. Magor tend to normally perform without face paint which makes them easier to take more seriously as musicians. Tonight, they have decided to paint the bottom half of their faces a sort of brown colour, almost giving the effect of restraint masks a la Hannibal Lecter. I actually find it to be a good look. Looks aside, let's focus on the music.
I can give or take black metal. Once in a while, I hear a great track and really get into it. It is the same here tonight. Magor played a great mixture of blast beats, melodic keyboard parts and metal grooves. They have that Behemoth sound and the crowd love it. Pumping their fists and chanting "hey" at every possible moment. I normally find that quite annoying and think it should really only be allowed at stadium shows for really big bands. Tonight, however, it all seems fitting as Magor put on a great performance and their musicianship is bang on. Obviously, being black metal, nothing really sticks in my head, but the music is diverse enough that it doesn't just sound like the same song over and over.
The main stand out point was the use of the long shofar. The shofar is traditionally a ram's horn that is blown in Jewish culture to mark both the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. I spotted it hanging off the mic stand at the beginning of the set and was unsure if it was just for show. I then got my answer when the frontman, Aviv, plays the shofar mid one of the songs. As interesting as it is to hear a shofar amidst a black metal song, I don't really see its significance. The shofar pretty much just has one tone and I don't feel it added anything special to the song.
If you like black metal and want to check out something a bit different, Magor's debut album Drawn To The Dark came out earlier this year. They are also worth checking out live. They got to play Wacken this year and I'm sure will be touring other areas in due course.
4/5

Friday 28 November 2014

Review: Last Crusade - Demo (2014)



Like the Beast Market EP by Relics (although I forgot to mention it), this 4 track EP (3 + Warrior Kids cover) was posted on a Facebook group I'm a member of. This time it was UKHC (Actual Relevant Stuff). Despite being a hardcore group primarily, this was a nice surprise. 
Last Crusade are self described "Boot Boy R'N'R from Northern England". Essentially that means rock and roll played by skinheads AKA OI! I went through a time period of trying to listen to more old school OI! This mostly included Cock Sparrer, Sham 69, The Oppressed and Perkele with the odd splattering of The Last Resort, 4 Skins and Argy Bargy.
Whereas bands like Cock Sparrer and Sham 69 are quite happy-go-lucky in their style, Last Crusade have more of a leaning towards bands like The Last Resort and Templars and even touch upon the more Oi influenced hardcore bands like Discipline and Blood For Blood. It's hard hitting angry punk rock, pure and simple. All 4 tracks on this EP are all fueled with venom. Deadbeat is one of those biographical songs which points out one's faults yet somehow makes it a thing to be proud of. Sort of a losers' anthem. Morally Bankrupt is an angry attack on people who think they can do whatever the hell they like and screw the consequences. Cycle of Terror, the most venomous of the songs, is a total "fuck you" to religious war and I'm guessing religion in general. Both Morally Bankrupt and Cycle of Terror seem to sung much gruffer than Deadbeat, so I can't tell if it's a different guy singing lead of if the one guy just upped his game. Either way, it adds to aggressiveness of the songs. All three songs have simple and catchy choruses that, once you hear it enough, you'll have stuck in your head. Finally, they cover Personne by French band Warrior Kids. It could be easily passed off as their own. Not only does it have the same tough vibe that the three original songs have already laid out for us but word has it that there is at least one French-Canadian in the band. This is probably why the entire EP has a feel of being "European" and not pure British Oi as we know it. Comparing it to the original, it's very similar to when Blood For Blood covered Ultra Violence by The Oppressed. All the same ingredients are there, there's just some extra meat and a few pints of beer thrown in for good measure.
Hoping it doesn't just stop here with this EP. Hope they bring out an album and start touring some more and can hopefully make more of a name for themselves in the punk world.
4/5

My spontaneous Black Friday purchases

Today is Black Friday. I've never really given much thought to Black Friday, mainly because it's an American thing, being traditionally the day after Thanksgiving, and never really used to be a big deal in the UK. Suddenly, it is and we even have it in Israel.

I was out in central Tel Aviv today to check out this expo at the Dizengoff shopping centre, where certain companies specified for the Anglo/Expat community were promoting themselves and giving out deals. After I popped into that, I was making my way to my bus stop and decided to go into HaOzen HaShlishit (The Third Ear) record/music shop. As it happens, the shop was taking part in Black Friday. So I thought I'd have a nosey around and see if anything caught my eye. I ended up buying 4 second hand CDs which were 50% off and decided last minute to get the new Prince album, fall or around £21/$33 altogether.


Purchases:


CIV - Thirteen Day Getaway (1998)
I seemed to be having difficulty downloading CIV albums. I'm not that massive a fan, although that's only because I'm not that familiar with all of CIV's work. Looking through the CDs in the shop, I just saw this and thought "This is only going to cost me about 3 quid". So I bought it. CIV are a New York hardcore punk band that was formed after the demise of the legendary Gorilla Biscuits. Thirteen Day Getaway is their second full length album.

China Drum - Goosefair (1996)
Another album that just jumped at me was the debut album by Northumberland rock band China Drum. I gained a sweet spot for this band some time back after discovering some music videos online and loving the fact they had a singing drummer. They had a few changes over the years. Singing drummer Adam Lee moved to full time vocal duties, a new drummer was added and they changed their name to The Drum in 1999 before later disbanding in 2000. They reunited in 2013 back under the China Drum name. I was also weirdly having trouble downloading China Drum's work so I'm hoping this isn't going to be a wasted purchase. I don't think so.

The Suicide Machines - Battle Hymns (1998)
The Suicide Machines are a ska punk/hardcore band from Detroit. Over the years, I have heard and downloaded the odd song, including popular songs like High Anxiety, No Face (one of my favourite skater/ska punk songs) and War Profiteering... Battle Hymns is their second full length and is said to be where they started to incorporate a more hardcore sound and writing shorter songs. I am already familiar with the track Give and I'm hoping the rest makes the rest of this 22 track (longest track 2:19, shortest 0:05) album worth the £3.20.

Suicidal Tendencies - S/T (1983)
Upon seeing the self titled debut by LA crossover thrashers Suicidal Tendencies, I thought to myself "ahh...go on, then." Having now checked my itunes, turns out a pretty much already have all the tracks on this album in the form of the Still Cyco After All These Years album. Whereas the tracks on Still Cyco... are re-recordings, this is the original first album. I guess there's no harm in having it. Not at Black Friday prices.

Prince - Art Official Age (2014)
I really did not want to overdo it by buying too much, but there was a 10% discount on new releases and I saw the new Prince album and was obliged to get it. I then realised that Prince's other album with 3rdeyegirl, PlectrumElectrum, was released at the same time. Not only that but the new Rancid album is out too. I thought to myself "just choose one, mate. You're trying to be more careful with your money." On further thought, I should have taken better advantage of Black Friday and bought some new clothes....Ah well! What's done is done. I've just been listening to Art Official Age while writing this whole post and I'm glad I'm in possession of it instead of downloading it for free. Although it is not a punk, metal, hardcore or even really an alternative record, I will get a review up in due course.

Monday 24 November 2014

Live Review: Megason/Zaga Zaga/Mongar @ Koro, Tel Aviv [20th November 2014]

Mongar


Arriving a little bit late to the show (which i genuinely didn't think was possible for an underground Israeli show), I was told by those at the door that the band Mongar had just started. I had no previous idea who Mongar are. I could have checked, done a bit of research, watch the videos that were posted on the event page....but I tend to not do that so much anymore. Not for a brand new band. I like to be surprised and just see how well they can hold my attention in person. 

As I enter the stage area, I see a 2 man act on stage; a guitarist with a pedal board and a laptop and a drummer listening through headphones. I have definitely seen the guitarist around. Always assumed he was a German tourist or maybe a German volunteer living out here. Definitely looks German. Anyway.... I digress. The music these guys play is experimental instrumental rock. They swerve in and out of being more in the vein of 65daysofstatic to heavier vibes not too dissimilar to Lightning Bolt or even Animals As Leaders....only with less musical masturbation. Obvious instrumental bands references aside, there are moments that sound Tool-esque in timbre, and although I am not a massive fan of Tool, I admire the musicianship. Mongar as a team are absolutely flawless. Their laptop seems to be utilised as their metronome and providing backing tracks. The guitarist is relying on the drummer to keep time with the whole track and he doesn't disappoint. The drummer is absolutely incredible. He isn't just playing standard experimental jazz beats that you would expect in something like this, but he plays my favourite beats to play; Drum n Bass beats. I love just about anything that uses dance/dnb/jungle/sometimes even dubstep style rhythms into primarily more rock orientated songs. That is what truly classes as "experimental". When you bring different things to the table. These guys had me tapping my feet, nodding my head and in total awe of their playing, their melodies, their beats and their overall creativity. 
4.5/5


Zaga Zaga


What can I say about Zaga Zaga? They're just bloody nuts. They like wearing smart shirts when they perform. Nothing wrong with that. Tonight, they have made and hand drawn their own banner which they tape to the back wall. Nothing wrong with that either. Their music, on the other hand, is just barmy. Including members of Mad Choice, Knees Please (ex-Tape&Rape) and whatever else the drummer might be in (haha), these guys play something quite different to their other bands. They themselves don't even really know how to describe it.

Basically, if you ever liked The Locust or early DEP, you will like Zaga Zaga. They are a punk band, essentially, who just happen to play totally fucked up hardcore. The songs are really short and played really fast, apart from their opener which has an epic beginning where they are all shouting together. Every member gets to do vocals. Everyone. Sometimes in other bands, the drummer won't want to sing, sometimes the bassist doesn't. In this case, everyone is the frontman. This adds to their intensity and the enjoyment of watching them. They feel the music they play too. What's the point in playing music this chaotic and energetic without flapping about like a fish out of water? It took me a while to really appreciate this band from when I first saw them live, but I have begun to enjoy them for the mentalists that they are.
4/5


Megason


Tonight's show at the Koro finishes with psychedelic stoner rockers Megason. I have seen these guys a few times before....but seem to always forget that I did. I don't know if it was because I was quite tired or because I wasn't really in the mood for this kind of thing, but it didn't really do anything for me tonight. They are great musicians and their music is enjoyable to listen to, but when watching them live, there's nothing memorable about them. Maybe I just need to get more used to their material and watch them live a few more times to really appreciate them. 

3/5

Sunday 23 November 2014

Live Review: Mad Choice/The Driers/Yotam Ben Horin @ Levontin 7, Tel Aviv [19th November 2014]

Mad Choice

The Driers

Yotam Ben Horin


I am pretty sure I have witnessed this exact same line-up before, only not at Levontin 7 but at the Koro. Playing a show at a venue the size of Levontin 7 gives a band/artist the chances of gaining a larger audience. In theory....


Yotam Ben Horin


Tonight's show starts off with a solo acoustic set from Yotam Ben Horin. Yotam gained recognition with his pop punk band Useless ID and is also making strides as a solo artist. I actually think it's a shame that every time that I've seen Yotam play a solo set, and even some of Useless ID's shows in recent years, that there is a lack of audience members when the place should be filled. Yotam is actually a big name...I mean..he has a wiki page, for goodness sake! Best thing about him is that he doesn't act it at all. I will see him at shows and he's just hanging out. No hiding away in a back room or surrounded by an entourage, just chilling out on his own.
Although his solo work takes a gentler pace than his pop punk material, he knows how to structure a song and how to write memorable choruses. One of my favourite songs played tonight is a song called Tension. It has a very memorable and meaningful chorus and he even does his own echoing within the song which adds to the song's essence. I hear that Yotam is moving to the states soon...which sucks for the scene. On a positive note, he will hopefully gain the right admiration he deserves as a solo artist.
4/5


The Driers


Whenever I talk to people about The Driers, I relate them to Band Of Skulls. This might be a lazy description. They both have 3 members, they both have male/female dual vocals and they both have really good songs. Whereas Band Of Skulls are more classic rock riff-laden with a slight psychedelic vibe, The Driers play 90s style alt rock which gets you dancing. They still have riffs, though, as songs like Porchlight show. Their songs have a very commercial sound but not in a bad way. Tomer (bass) and Ronnie's (guitar) vocal harmonies give the songs a sweet edge on top of the guitar/bass harmonies and the ferocity of Gideon's (Useless ID) drumming. Speaking of the drummer, boy likes to twirl his sticks! He's inspired me to try and get better at the whole drumming theatrics. Still not entirely sure what I'm doing, though.
Like with Yotam, I feel that The Driers are not getting the right recognition playing quite American sounding alt rock in the Middle East. If these guys were either from somewhere in the states or the UK, they would be signed to something like Warner by now and touring the globe. I am hoping that when their album hits, they get more worldwide recognition and that there will be The Driers T-shirts being worn at rock festivals.
4.5/5


Mad Choice


To round off the night, we get to my boys in Mad Choice. I have a close connection to Doh Doh, Ben and Zipik. When I moved to Tel Aviv, I contacted a few bands in the punk scene in order to get my foot in the door and make a few new friends. After one of the first shows I went to, I ended up going to a house party at Doh Doh's apartment. I got to know all 3 guys individually over time and they have made me feel a part of the scene. They were also very supportive of my first band in Israel, Side Defects. Our first show was on the same night Doh Doh's old band Beer7 had a reunion show. He still came by our show for the beginning of our set, took some photos and then apologetically said his goodbyes and ran to his own show. I will never forget that, nor will I forget that they got us a show with them and German band Schuettrunde. Aside from being great guys, the band are, like the rest of the line-up tonight, totally underrated in this country.
For those unfamiliar with them, Mad Choice play skater punk. At least initially they did. Nowadays they've expanded beyond that. In tonight's performance, as well as playing their punk hits like album track Safety Net and new song (yet already a crowd pleaser) You're Married, they play their more hardcore songs like Born To Play Fast and 4 Down and new tracks like Blue, which has a bit of new age indie feel in places, and Standard Definition, which flicks in between being an uptempo number with a techno beat to a heavy hitting groove jam. They might be one of those bands that seem to be singing about youth problems despite being of....a maturer age...but that's only because that is their lives. They skate, they play punk rock, they work jobs they don't like and that's what they write about. There were some of my favourite songs of theirs missing from the set tonight, but as always, I loved it anyhow.
4/5

The down point of the whole night was that this show was on a Wednesday night, so almost nobody was here. Unfortunately, a lot of the shows I have seen all three acts at seem to also be on weekdays and therefore have the same turn out, or lack of. Hopefully, one day they will all play to packed audiences and gain new fans and the recognition they all deserve.

Thursday 20 November 2014

Live Review: Zimmer//Koro Play Swapsies #2, Tel Aviv [15th November 2014]

The Orions

BEST

DUST


Tonight sees the second installment of venues Koro and The Zimmer swapping line ups. This time, bands of co-owners of Koro play The Zimmer.


DUST


I am loving this band right now. Tel Aviv based DUST are a hardcore band a la most NY bands/good stuff that came out on Bridge Nine Records. Although it's hardcore, DUST do not just play standard, get-your-2-step-on, sing-about-nothing hardcore. Within their groove-laden hardcore, these skilled musicians also use harmonious riffs and changing time sigs which they take from their more stoner and post hardcore influences. I have seen them play a few times before tonight, of course, and have loved them since the first performance. They play songs from their self titled mini album that I am already familiar with and others that I recall from previous shows, but tonight there was definitely some new ones and they had even more groove than the others. This makes me look forward to future recordings. The band plays energetically, like a hardcore band should. My current favourite of theirs is Numb due to it's wonderfully melodic and energising intro. And the last song of their set (name?) always gets me shouting along "I'M TIRED OF BEING SICK AND I'M SICK OF BEING TIRED." If you like hardcore/hardcore punk, you'll love this band.
5/5


BEST


Yet another band I've known from the scene, BEST is made up of members who are all already in about 3 other bands and who have some form of a hand in the running of the Koro venue. BEST crawled out of the woodwork about 3 years back after a bit of a lull on the "hardcore band" front in Israel. Tonight is the first time in quite a while that I've seen these guys. Tonight they decided to uniform up in dark jeans and white vests. As much as the songs are there, I wasn't totally blown away this time and felt like the songs just blended in together. Could be said about hardcore in general but only to an untrained ear. I love the guys and I love their other bands as well as this band's Of The Worst mini album but I think they need to get some really cool new tunes to really kick me in the manhood. 
3/5

The Orions


Another band I haven't seen in some time, Tel Aviv surf based band The Orions finish off tonight's show. Albeit performing to a now smaller audience, no-one can help but dance to some fun instrumental surf rock. That's what The Orions do well and what they've been doing for about the last 3 years. They have definitely improved in musicianship and have fortunately kept that same energy they've had since the beginning. As they work through material from their EPs, they definitely gained some new fans in my friends from London and other Orions virgins in the Zimmer tonight. You don't even need to have listened to The Orions recordings to enjoy an Orions show. It's just pure party music. They could play weddings if they wanted to. They probably will ...Hope I get invited. 
4/5

Live Review: Ron and Itamar's Birthday Party, Koro, Tel Aviv [14th November 2014]

Soon In Here

Malekhakhei HaPinkah

City Rats

03 (pro. Eh-fess Shah-losh)


Tonight is a celebration! Tonight is one of the most talked about birthday parties I've personally known of, and I feel quite honoured to be in some small way connected to one of the birthday boys. Ron Gilman has been living the last few years "in my endz", London, and has had success with London based hardcore bands The Blessed And The Cursed and, more recently, the short lived Crimes. Ron has returned home to see the family, as one does on a birthday, and also to see his old 09 (area code for Kfar Saba) crew. At the same time, he has opted to celebrate with putting on a show. I myself have attempted this on a much smaller scale but tonight is how it should be done. Ron has invited friends' bands to play, as well as reuniting with his old hardcore band Soon In Here.

03


Show openers 03 play tough hardcore. They do the kind of hardcore I like; hardcore that incorporates groove and that you could technically get your boogie on to. They tend to give off a similar vibe to 25 ta Life at times. Not that the vocals are anywhere as mental as Rick ta Life's vocals but they are that kind of hardcore and the vocals can at times be considered intelligible. Frontman Jenia previously sang in Israeli hardcore legends Instinct who I very much enjoyed the few times I managed to see them after moving here. This band has a more of a metalcore aura about it, which I did not really like the first few times I have seen them. Tonight, they open with an explosive intro which had this groove fan grinning like a nutter. They bust through their repertoire with aplomb. Both guitarist Lemmy and bassist Kaban (both also of Jerusalem based metal act Sintax) jumping about the stage, Jenia running amongst the crowd.... That's the kind of stuff I like to see. I feel like the band's sound has already developed within their short period of existence since their first few shows and I'm very interested to hear whatever they end up releasing.
3/5

City Rats


Up next are modern legends of Israeli punk, City Rats. Coming from the same school of thought as legendary punk bands such as Conflict, GBH and The Varukers, City Rats play angry street punk with that subtle old skool hardcore flavour. Every time I see City Rats, I like them more and more. Tonight they are on fire. Obviously, they've got their main fan base in today so everyone is going nuts to every song. Songs like Party Til Death and Pogo Beer Abu Kabir are just pure party punk anthems that you can't help but sing along with and run around to. I do not really know the guys in the band personally except for drummer Gutzy, currently also of fast pop punk band Not On Tour and hardcore dudes BEST. He is always a joy to watch play, as were the band as a whole tonight. 
3.5/5

I will also like to add, that as much as the band are pure crusty street punk a la late 70s England, they also remind me of Essex hardcore band Deathskulls, who mix street punk and straight up London HC to joyous results. 




Malekhakhei HaPinkah


Next up is Kfar Saba based Middle Eastern tinged rock band Malekhakhei HaPinkah. I am still unsure if there is even a real translation for that name. I have never seen this band before until now, nor do I recognise any of the guys in the band. Compared to the rest of the line-up, this band sticks out. They dress quite smart and just look...well...typically Israeli. As they kick off they're set, they definitely are a different tone to the rest of the night. The first song they do has a pure classic rock vibe and further into the set they play songs which incorporate Middle Eastern melodies and rhythms, such as songs like Lilot Abu Darbi (Abu Darbi Nights) and Sovev Olam (Spin World). They also delight us with 2 covers; MC5's Kick Out The Jams and ACDC's Jailbreak. The best thing about this set was that I was seeing people I know from punk shows and even metal shows dancing and singing along to practically Israeli rock. Up until this point, the night was just a hardcore/punk show. Now it was a PARTY!
4/5


Soon In Here


Finishing off the night, we get to pretty much the main focus of the evening. As much as Ron had been spoken of throughout the night, he now takes centre stage. Soon In Here are a Kfar Saba band considered one of Israel's best hardcore bands of the early 2000s. I had really only heard of them briefly so seeing them tonight in their last proper line-up was spectacular. Soon In Here only play a really short set tonight of their Screaming For Justice EP. They play hardcore with a similar vibe to some of Blood For Blood's later punkier stuff (mainly due to Ron's vocals), incorporating melodic hardcore riffing. Songs like Shout With Me and No Escape had long term fans and close friends of the band going mental with stage diving, crowd surfing and good old fashioned pogoing. From where I stood at the side of the stage, the whole view, both of the band and the crowd, was a joy to watch. This really felt like a legend's welcome; a proper reunion for a beloved band. I was even tempted to jump off the speakers myself. It's actually such a shame I am only discovering this band now and that geography hinders them from continuing and flourishing into something amazing. 
4/5i

There was also a cover band featuring Ron on vocals, members of Malekhakhei HaPinkah and other friends who did a set of 5 songs which was good fun but not really worth reviewing. I apparently totally missed another short reunion performance by a metal band called Bar Manin (Expired)...but all in all a good night was had by all. 

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Live Review: One Man Band Festival @ Pasaz, Tel Aviv [8th November 2014]


Bob Log III

Dani Dorchin

Uzi Ramirez

Noga Erez


Before turning up to Pasaz tonight for the One Man Band festival, I was pretty tired after band rehearsal and wasn't too sure if I wanted to pay ₪100 ($26/£16) to go to this, but finally decided that for crazy one man blues band Bob Log III alone it should be well worth it. I did not know who the rest of the line up were. All I knew is that it's all one man band stuff.

Noga Erez


First act of the night is a young woman by the name of Noga Erez. Armed with a laptop, keyboard, synthesizer and a drum machine/sequencer, Noga plays beautiful and, most of the time, funky electro. Right from the first song, with its "Hear me no-one, see me no-one...I'm off the radar" chorus, I was impressed by Noga's use of looping by harmonising her own vocals and keyboard parts. Noga has a great vocal range which can go from being Imogen Heap sweet to Bjork rage (although not as crazy). She didn't really interact that much with the crowd which would have been nice. I mean, I had to check with someone who she was. Was everyone there just expected to know her? Well...from now one, hopefully they will. I found her set enjoyable to watch and I think she will be a great performer if she just put a little bit more energy and interaction into her performance. 
4/5

Uzi Ramirez


Uzi Ramirez is apparently quite well known and almost legendary in Israel's alternative scene, having been involved in The Ramirez Brothers and even, at one stage, Boom Pam. I guess I haven't been here long enough or have not been floating around the right "scenes" to have heard of him until now. I mistook him at first for Bog Log's roadie/techie, as he was testing what looked like a very similar set up to what I have known Bob Log to use, only kick drum and hi-hat (plus tambourine). Looking like an even hairier version of Frank from 30 Rock, Uzi comes on stage and delivers a variety of blues/rock songs, sometimes more in the vein of The Black Keys, sometimes Bob Dylan-esque. Uzi also managed a one man Wipeout and a hint of bluegrass here and there. To be honest, a lot of the songs sound like stuff I may have heard before. Still good, just nothing out of the ordinary. 
3/5

Dani Dorchin


Dani is another guitar playing, foot drumming act. However, he has more of a full set up, with kick, snare (with pedal), tom-tom (with pedal), hi-hat, cowbell and crash as well as his guitar and a harmonica. He uses heal-toe motion to play all parts of the kit with only his two feet. He also manages to strike either the cowbell or the crash with the metal slide on his finger in-between guitar strokes. That is pretty impressive in my book. Setting in place the tone for the rest of the night, Dani plays heavy riffing blues. Some tracks were really up beat and really got people dancing. Highlight of his act was when he put the guitar down and just played with his harmonica. This may be because drums and harmonicas are two of my favourite instruments, but the track itself was also very fun and he plays the harmonica really well. He had another song which sounded almost exactly like House of the Rising Sun. I just can't tell if that was intentional, a funny coincidence or lazy writing. Either way, Dani is a great musician and his set was a joy to watch.  
3.5/5

Bob Log III


I heard about Bob Log III over 10 years ago. I think I may have seen his name around London on posters or read about him in magazines at first, but there was this Hungarian (I think) guy at college who was really into him and talked about going to his show. Over the years, I've had other friends see him live and loved him, but I was still never yet to see him. UNTIL NOW!
What can I say about Bob Log III? The guy performs wearing a flashy jumpsuit, a fighter pilot's helmet (some people say it's a bike helmet but I'm pretty sure it's a pilot's helmet), a drum machine, a kick drum, a crash cymbal on the floor with a tambourine on and his guitar. His helmet has some sort old fashioned telephone (that might be part of the original helmet and I'm just stupid) attached to his helmet which acts a built-in microphone. On top of his bizarre stage image and persona, Bob plays finger bouncing blues. No slow jams at all in Bob's repertoire. With titles like Boob Scotch and S*** on My Leg, Bob Log III is pure harmless fun. From where I was standing, it was hard to make out what he was saying in any of the songs. Saying that, because of the megaphone-like tone of his in-built mic, the lyrics are hard to pick out even on some of his recordings. To be honest, he could have instrumental only tracks with no lyrics at all for all I care. Every single song had everybody dancing. String on a Stick especially has an almost rave vibe.
One of my favourite things about Bob Log, and what I look for in a great performer, is his crowd interaction. Not only does Bob talk to us and is hilarious with the random stuff he says, he hands out balloons and asks us to blow them up and put them on stage. While playing one of his songs, he stamps on the balloons and uses the popping as an extra percussive sound. Not only is there this crowd participation, but he gets 2 girls to come on stage and sit on his legs during S*** on My Leg (one of the girls was called Or and is one of the most beautiful women I've seen. Just putting that out there) and he gets everyone clapping along and at one point carrying him in his yellow dingy. I found that his foot control on the kick and crash isn't always in great timing, but I don't think it really matters. This whole performance was just one massive party and I was glad to be there.  
5/5

Live Review: Zimmer//Koro Play Swapsies #1, Tel Aviv [Friday 7th November 2014]

Reel Dinazeor

Brutal Gardener

Neta Polturak

Hetzi Moakh Al Ketamine


In Tel Aviv, there are quite a few music venues and bars that do live music. Within the very underground scene, there are two fairly leading venues; Koro and The Zimmer. Koro, even in its original form as both Rogatka and Petiphone, hosts shows week after week spanning several different genres, currently focusing on punk and hardcore, due to the clan of co-owners being from different bands of that ilk. The Zimmer also focuses on the underground scene and tends to go for a more eclectic and surreal taste of music than the Koro tends to. This evening is the first installment in this month's line-up swap between the 2 venues. Prior to the show, I had no details about the acts apart from their names so I went to this open minded.

Hetzi Moakh Al Ketamine (Eng. Half a Brain on Ketamine)


The first act is a 2-man outfit, consisting of a guitarist and a guy sitting down at a table of mixers and, I'm guessing, sound modules. I didn't get a close enough look. From first glance, I thought that his was either going to be digital hardcore, noise or electro. I was ever so slightly surprised. Hetzi Moakh.... have a very soundscape vibe. It's "shoegazing noise soundscape". It was all quite chill. While the guitarist plays dreamy yet also at times menacing melodies, it is accompanied by clicks, beeps, heavy pulses and whirling sounds. I'm still not really much of an expert on this kind of thing, but even though this was experimentation, it sounded seamless and well structured. These guys could easily score some sort of thriller movie or psychological drama. It was a shame I had no idea what the guitarist was singing when on the mic as there was just so much reverb, but apart from that, nothing seemed wrong or out of place. The only issue is that they did what seemed like only 2 separate "compositions" in the space of about 15 minutes and then walked off stage. That's where I and this sort of thing do not really meet. I like a bit of interaction. Other than that, it was an interesting intro to the night.
3/5

Brutal Gardener


Brutal Gardener is one guy with some FX pedals, a sound module and what I later saw to be an oscilloscope. He plays what very much constitutes as noise.....and I don't really get it. It was a good 5 or so minutes of helicopter noises followed by another 5 or so minutes of a washing machine tackling a heavy load and then, like the previous act, he just walks off. I'm sure to the noise connoisseur this guy is a genius, but after being impressed by the first act's ability to transport me into a movie, I just did not get this at all.
1/5

Neta Polturak


Walking back into the stage room, there's a young woman setting up a bunch of guitar pedals and a drum machine. Neta plays trip hop-y indie by looping both guitar parts and her vocals and combining them with cool break beats. Unlike the previous acts, Neta actually has songs. I got a vibe of Sneaker Pimps, Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine. Like the first act, it was a very chilled out set. She definitely knows how to structure songs. Her 3rd song was particularly impressive. It started very beautiful and atmospheric and then layer upon layer built into something simply quite electrifying. This might not be the kind of thing I would listen to on a daily basis or even deliberately go and see live, but I would definitely recommend this to fans of trip hop, electro and even alt rock to check out.
3.5/5   
   

Reel Dinozeor


Reel Dinozeor consists of Amos, the drummer from young punk band Busha!!, Yam, frontman and guitarist of post-hardcore outfit Lunamore, and Amos' brother Yoel, who as far as I'm aware is not in anything else. Keeping in tone with the rest of the evening, Yam was tonight armed with guitar pedals and made a lot of noise. Amos drummed along as his brother shouted and screamed. This is noise with a live drum kit which I, as a drummer, do admire a tad. Being young, I always give "kids" like these guys credit for even getting off their arses and doing something. I give them credit for being creative and doing something "out of the box". Saying that, I was put off by the drumming. I felt the drumming was too repetitive throughout and too simple. I was hoping at times to hear some cool break beats or heavy industrial beats. Hopefully the more time they have to grow as a unit, more creativity, experimentation and even musicianship will emerge.

3/5 

Monday 10 November 2014

Review: Relics - Beast Market



Metal band Relics hail from Huddersfield in Yorkshire (pr. yaaarksheeer), UK. For those who don't know where that is, it's halfway between Manchester and Leeds. For those who don't exactly know where that is, look at a map. (It's what I had to do. Haven't been that far north of Sheffield in some years.)
First things first, the artwork of the Beast Market EP really grabs you. The whole concept of beast, skulls and other weird things plus the drawing style itself makes you hope that what you're going to hear is heavy as hell. They also self proclaim that they love "riffs". And that....that they've got.
Opening track Death By Lead definitely helps set the tone. We start with distortion leading into thumping snares and toms and are then met with rung out guitars and the rough exclamation of the titular DEEEEEATH......BYYYY.....LEEEAAAD. And then it begins....the riffs. Heavy hitting verses that, like all good stoner, make you want to bang your head and throw horns. The vocalist is very reminiscent of Ben Ward (Orange Goblin) and even Phil Anselmo (Pantera/Down/Superjoint Ritual/everything else he's done) in places.
All 3 songs on the EP provide the riffs we are promised "on the tin". These guys understand both riffs, groove and the importance of diversity. As similar as the vocalist is to the aforementioned frontmen, he does it flawlessly. I especially love him in 3rd track The Circus. There is the powerfully sung "LOOOOSER"and the Fantomas/Maximum The Hormone style ramblings of...whatever the hell he's saying at that point. It sounds amazing, whatever it is. There's even a "gangstyle" chant in this song, which, in my experience, you don't really get in much stoner. Then again, these guys don't even consider themselves "stoner". They describe themselves as "metal, riff, rock and roll, punk and hardcore". Rock and roll is a definite yes. This is "heavy rock and roll" and I'm totally down with that. Anyone else who is will love this too.
4.5/5

Thursday 6 November 2014

Review: Busha!! - What You Gonna DO? (demo)



Busha!! (Eng.= Disgrace) are a young band from the Tel Aviv region. I've known these guys for a while now and it's weird to think that some of them are still in school. They are always coming to shows, showing their support to other bands and having a good ol' dance. They have been playing shows themselves for quite some time. They play pretty straight forward punk rock with social and sometimes political commentary. Despite being young and not necessarily the most amazing young musicians out there, they always gave (and still give) fun performances and people like me were looking forward to hearing some recordings.
After gaining a new guitarist in Daniel "Dim Sum", the band finally brought out this demo. The band seems to be stressing, both on the bandcamp page info and with the inclusion of Ani Demo (I am a demo) written on the cover photo, that this really is JUST A DEMO. To be fair, that is something that needs to be taken into account when listening. It's not squeaky clean, it doesn't have any special effects and, in all honesty, not everyone is playing that great. The important thing is that the songs are definitely THERE.
Over recent years, many DIY street punk/crusty punk bands have come and gone and I could never really differentiate between some bands. What I liked about Busha!! is that at times they have quick fire delivery in the vocals, thanks to Dean, which is a little different to a lot of the other bands in the scene right now. It's almost rapping...and I like that. The drummer, Amos, the youngest in the band, also doesn't just do standard d-beats all the time. He plays beats which help make a lot of the songs quite danceable. The song Pavement (the only song in English demo) is one of my favourites of theirs because of the groove in the chorus after shouting "THEY JUST DON'T WANNA KNOW!" It works so well with the build up given by, as previously mentioned, Dean's fast paced delivery in the street punk-like verses.
One may think that a band still in school might not be able to contribute much in the way of social and/or politically aware songs, but I think it's easier when you live in the Middle East. Kravy zeh Hachi, Achi (Eng. = Combat Is The Best, Dude) basically talks about the bands disinterest in joining the army and getting involved in war, plus their dislike in the state's need to control and manipulate. In a world with conscription and a government that makes questionable decisions, that's a pretty common subject of discussion. Tzeva Adom (Eng. = Red Alert) speaks of the effects of war on innocent people and how ridiculous it is to die for one's country. Shir Amok ve Romanti (Deep Romantic Song) on the other hand is a self proclaimed "nonsense song", involving sex in an alleyway and being disgusted by ones own semen. The chorus shows Busha!!'s ability to get a refrain into your head with "Ichs, Ichs, Ichs" (Eng. = Yuk, Yuk, Yuk) and has you singing along.
As demos go and also as young punk bands go, this is a fun little taster into what Busha!! hopefully have in store for the future. It happens with most bands, that the more you play songs, the better understanding you get of how the song should be played. Not only that, but your own musical ability improves in the process. As time goes on, I'm hoping that Busha!! really get themselves playing nice and tight and keep writing songs with fast vocals and bouncy choruses.

3/5 (for a demo, it's fun)