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Summer has arrived unexpectedly early in Manchester, and around the campus of the university students are basking in the sunshine. Meanwhile, outside the Academy there's a sea of black clothing as the queue for tonight's metalfest begins to snake around the block. The Metal Hammer-sponsored 'The Sin And The Sentence' tour has brought a varied line-up to town that includes the new hopes for Death Metal, Venom Prison, Texan thrashers Power Trip, Grammy-nominated hardcore bruisers Code Orange and headliners Trivium for a night of big riffs and plenty of energy. Almost at the end of a nearly 7-week European run, expectations for tonight's show are bound to be high. |
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Pittsburgh heavier-than-hell hardcore crew Code Orange are undoubtedly the breakthrough band in heavy music of the past year or two. Their third album, Forever, took them onto a major label and astonishingly found them being nominated for a Grammy for the title track. For a band who have been described as "nightmarishly chaotic hardcore”, this is no minor feat. |
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It's a fiercely cold night in Birmingham and snow is falling outside Mama Roux's as an almost sold-out crowd stays warm inside for something far more brutal in the shape of deathcore royalty with Aversions Crown, Oceano and headliners, Carnifex. |
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Lucy Rose's sweet vocals have found themselves all over 6Music's airwaves over the past few months, not to mention featuring on a couple of Bombay Bicycle Club records. But it's great to see that this talented artist is finally getting the recognition she deserves, and tonight, in front of a packed room at The Institute she more then justifies all the attention. |
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A fantastic new music photography exhibition is coming to The Custard Factory in Birmingham. It will be taking place this month and features 12 music photographers from all over the Midlands. 6 of the exhibitors have also contributed to Gig Junkies. |
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This week, Kings of Leon brought the festival atmosphere to the capital. Beer in paper cups, indecisive weather and muddy pathways were all present to complete the Glastonbury-esque scene. But who needs Glastonbury when Hyde Park is much more accessible? (I’m not bitter that I didn’t get a ticket… just for the record.) |
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Perhaps a torrential downpour is not exactly what you would wish for on your way to a gig in a garden! Thankfully the garden in question belongs to The Rainbow pub in Digbeth with its marquee-style courtyard and I am here to see what I would term a line-up of bands with a neo-punk persuasion – not so much emulating the good old punk of yore but certainly a genre of music having its roots firmly planted there. |