Big Country from Scotland catapulted to fame with the hit song ‘Big Country’ from the 1983 album The Crossing. Their career continued to be a success during much of the 80’s although their popularity in the States suffered due to circumstances common to most bands that have reached amazing peaks.
Swedish melodic death metal band Arch Enemy has consistently made an effort to tour Australia and on every occasion, even with occasional personnel change, they have done a sterling job. Since their long term and charismatic singer Angela Gossow decided to step down from the band in 2014 for various reasons, her replacement in the form of the equally stunning Canadian vocalist Alissa White-Gluz [ex The Agonist] has given the band a new impetus and strengthened their determination to conquer.
When American based Italian producer, mixer and bass player Fabrizio Grossi sets his mind to achieving something, he doesn’t do it by halves. Having played alongside numerous top level international virtuoso guitarists over the years as well as adding his bass playing skills to a variety of other mainstream acts plus producing some very fine albums from rock veterans such as Glenn Hughes, he has also made time to put together a three piece band that celebrates blues, rock and soul music.
English extreme metal band Akercocke sadly broke up in 2012 upsetting a legion of extreme music fans. However, as time progressed, forces aligned to bring most of the band back together and in doing so, allowed them to focus on creating more new music that both challenges and inspires.
American band 10 Years have been around for almost twenty years and during that time, the alternative metal band from Tennessee has released eight studio albums having endured some tumultuous times to get to that point.
Long established English six piece Anathema have evolved into a pioneering and inspiring band who push the envelope of post-progressive rock.
Polish death metal band Vader are veterans of metal and notably continue to produce and tour some ferocious music that leaves a lot of younger bands with an aggressive edge in reverent awe. Their latest album, The Empire is a simply punishing excursion and soon Australian audiences will be able to hear some selections live as the band will return down under on a tour with Germany’s mighty thrash metal titans, Kreator. Paul Southwell spoke to founding member, guitarist and overall front man Piotr ‘Peter’ Wiwczarek about the impending tour which hits our shores this very week.
Veteran American blues guitarist Walter Trout is globally respected in both the guitar and blues music community. As one of the still living blues players who has endured and survived a variety of setbacks including some self-inflicted damage over the years, he most recently dodged death through the generous luck of a donated liver that enabled a successful transplant operation.
Hard rock band Black Star Riders grew from the potential of a new Thin Lizzy album from the bulk of the latter band’s line-up in 2012.
Belgian rock band Triggerfinger have been powering along nicely since 1998. Their sound continues to evolve whilst appealing to fans of hard rock, stoner rock, blues, and indie rock with dashes of Americana or even the wild abandon of alternative rock that only a three piece can conjure up.