WINTERFYLLETH – “The Divination Of Antiquity”

WF14So here we are; 4 Winterfylleth albums in… yet it only seems like yesterday that these boys were playing in front of a few staunch separatists like myself in sweaty underground clubs. The band as a group, since all but the very earliest live outings, has been consistent and since the second album, “The Mercian Sphere”, the same lads have written and recorded the music.  The thing is, the band themselves have been on a bit of a journey in the last 12 months, and I believe that this has resulted in the album of their careers thus far. A tour with Enslaved, festival appearances around Europe and then time to reflect and write have resulted in something very special indeed. Continue reading

SHORES OF NULL – “Quiescence”

SHORES OF NULL - "Quiescence"

SHORES OF NULL – “Quiescence”

If you like your death doom, with a vocalist who has range, this album has to be on your to buy list. Cover art featuring a dead tree is often a clue to what’s in store on the disc, and a melancholic myriad of misery and despair ensues. However, the band whom hail from Rome, deliver an album which is heavy yes, but which has very catchy melodies and a vibe not too dissimilar to Ghost Brigade, Katatonia and err, Alice in Chains! Yep, that’s what I am hearing and that’s what I am loving folks. Continue reading

BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR / Catton Hall, England / August 2014

Festival:                      Bloodstock Open Air Metal Festival.
Date:                           Thursday until Sunday, 7th to 10th of August 2014.
Location:                     Catton Park, Walton-On-Trent, Derbyshire, England.
Post Code:                  DE12 8LN.
Official Travel:             Big Green Coach.

Ticket Cost:                 £130.00 (Adult) & £39.00 (Child 4yo – 11yo) for Standard Camping.

The limited early bird price of £115.00 for Adults and £35.00 for Children are no longer available, they are on sale each year until the middle of December.

The TMA Collective will keep you up to date with all the announcements, deals and news for one of our favourite Festivals. Continue reading

CANDLEFEST (Day 3) @ The Underworld, London (26/08/2013)

Candlefest13The Oxfordshire based Candlelight Records hosted it’s now annual feast of delights from its current roster of bands at The Underworld in Camden Town, over 3 days. Sadly I couldn’t attend days 1 & 2 because of other commitments, but I hear from other notable attendees that Anaal Nathrakh laid waste to the subterranean venue on the Friday with Altar Of Plagues bowing out for good apparently on the Saturday with an emotional set. I wish that I could have been there.

However, I made it on Sunday for what was for me one of the best line ups for ANY gig/festival thus far in 2013.   Continue reading

ZATOKREV – “The Bat, The Wheel, And A Long Road To Nowhere”

ZatAs Roo would attest, I’ve always avoided anything ‘doom’; I fear, however, Zatokrev will become a bridge into the doomy mire, dragging me into his world of Hawaiian shirts, whereby words like stoner will become a common term in my lexicon. Zatokrev’s self termed sludge-apocalypse is ideal for this bridge to that psychedelic realm due to the wide variety of sounds it incorporates; with elements of Sludge, Stoner, Black Metal, Prog-Metal, Psychedelic Rock, Post-Hardcore. Continue reading

WINTERFYLLETH – “The Threnody Of Triumph”

WF TTOTFriends, Romans and Englishmen, here we have the third album by the mighty Winterfylleth, a band unashamedly close to my heart. OK confession time as for myself, ‘The Mercian Sphere’ resonated deeply within me, and not wanting to sound like a sycophantic prick, was and STILL is a spiritual experience with each listen. Some music can at times have me in tears, and that release did, and for all the right reasons! Continue reading