We were all in a band before To The Lions, just with an additional singer, when she left, we changed our direction drastically, so we decided we needed a new name. We put our music library on shuffle and waited to see if anything jumped out at us. We had a long list which we all disagreed on, and To The Lions was one of the only ones everyone liked!

Which bands do you draw inspiration from musically?

Machine Head, Meshuggah, Lamb of God, Hatebreed, The Haunted. A lot of metal, but you’ll find a lot more in our songs than just chuggy riffs, some have some quite catchy singalong choruses, and others have bluesy lead parts!

What can people expect from your live show?

A band who always give everything they have, whether it’s in front of 10 people or 100 people! Heavy breakdowns, mosh pits, and most of all, a good time for everyone!

What song would you recommend from your Facebook?

Breathe is the best example of the direction we are headed. We are also giving it away for free (along with ‘Step by Step’) on our official website (www.tothelions.co.uk).

http://www.facebook.com/tothelionsmusic

Words: Gaz Martinez

As a metalhead, I have always been a fan of a strategically placed breakdown or two (or six), and Attack Attack!, While may not be masters of the art, do well enough on their latest album, This Means War to place breakdowns aplenty to get everyone in the crowd moving up and down like crabs.

The synths, which seem to be a staple in the band’s sound, return for this third effort. Alas, amidst the screaming/breakdowns/crabcore, on this album they see relatively little action outside the choruses and as a result, it never feels like they are used extensively enough to be considered more than a gimmick that quickly becomes predictable. That said, they do add a nice quality to songs like The Betrayal and The Reality.

Variation in the general riffing wouldn’t go amiss either, after listening to the album the whole way through, several times, most tracks flow seamlessly into the next, to the point where a fair amount of the songs, as separate entities, begin to lose that individuality that they each need to make a solid album. It feels as if I could easily cut one song riff out of The Reality and paste it into The Revolution.

It is only when we get halfway through This Means War are we treated to some variation with The Motivation, which treats you to a gentle piano intro, but even with a longer, more melodic chorus, and The Wretched which places a much needed emphasis on synths, these two are by far the highlights of this album. The album definitely picks up half-way, The Confrontation even offers us what sounds like small bites of dubstep which does wonders to mix it up a bit. But for a first time listener, the CD may have already been taken out of the player and swapped for something else, you are rewarded for listening to the whole thing, but the first half of this album makes it a tedious slog to get there.

If you’re looking for a solid slice of bog standard metalcore, then This Means War offers plenty of stock material to bounce to, but not much that kicks you in the proverbial nuts. For a fourth album, variation in structure and tempo should be a number one priority; otherwise a follow up to this album may be their last as Attack Attack! Continue a streak of mediocrity that This Means War may have started.

Words: Gaz Martinez

Overclocked, Under Threat is the second effort from Brighton based metallers By Definintion, which essentially breaks down into four VERY solid chunks of matter. While none of the songs on this EP are quite as fast or ferocious as some offerings by metal bands of other sub-genres, each song is powerful enough in itself to grab your attention, even if the lack of tempo change isn’t quite enough to keep it.

Simon Stechler (Vocals) powers through the songs like Blaze Bayley (BLAZE) with delivery and lyrical content that is more than a little testosterone fuelled, with my favourite line of “Fucking and fighting and drinking and sleeping.” From Duck and Cover being a prime example. The riffs/chords are loud, groovy and crunchy while the rhythm section is content to take a back seat, letting the vocals take the spotlight. That said, By Definition have saved the best for last and Seed picks up the pace (If only slightly) treating us to a nice guitar lead and a couple of subtle little bass runs here and there.

Overclocked, Under Threat is best described as the 30 year old you’re not entirely sure you invited to your party, who has drunk all the beer, eaten all the food and is hitting on all your friends. You may not have invited him, but frankly, he doesn’t care and you kind of want to get to know him anyway after you’ve busted out a secret stash of whiskey saved for emergencies.

Words: Gaz Martinez

Anybody familiar with Rise to Remain will know of the lead singer Austin Dickinson’s connection to Iron Maiden (Son of lead singer Bruce Dickinson) and as such, Austin and co have a lot of expectation to live up to. You can definitely hear a tinge of Bullet for My Valentine influence on the musical style Dickinson’s vocals when the chorus hits. One would be forgiven for mistaking this song for one of BFMV’s and it would have been nice for Dickinson to employ a singing style more unique to himself.

However, with its chorus is catchy, the drums are solid and the harmonies and riffs intricate, This Day is Mine is a worthy introduction for anybody unfamiliar to Rise to Remain and I am left with a strong inkling that this single is far from the best material on the album City of Vultures, which can only be a good thing.

(Also available in HD. Just change the settings on the video below.) 

Camera/edit – James Burton