Marshall Mathers - Rap God

Eminem. Someone I grew up listening to. The man is a legend. And he continues to live up to his legacy of being a 'Rap God' as declared on one of his tracks off his latest, The Marshall Mathers LP 2. Regardless of the excessive use of colorful language, Eminem has evolved as a rapper and as a person which is seemingly obvious with this album. I only like a few tracks, but those few are REALLY something.

The Night That Was Circles

It was a Saturday evening after a long, long day at work, as I went to the awesome Bald Faced Stag Hotel for a night of live music. The Stag is one venue I really love hanging out at, because it's a comfortable, personal venue, not too big. You get to see the bands floating around, being themselves, setting up. The act for that night was Circles, who I've over the past few weeks since the release of 'Infinitas', which is nothing  less than magnificent and a musical masterpiece.


First up were Beggars Orchestra, five piece outfit from my hometown, Sydney. I'll get right to it. I was blown away. Even as I'm writing this I'm not sure how exactly to describe these guys but they were fantastic. Something that I have noticed ever since I started attending a lot of gigs here is that the opening acts never really get the support they deserve. People always arrive late for the headliners which annoys me because that's how you miss out on some brilliant music. But Beggars Orchestra had the small venue quite full with a lot of people I've seen for a first act. I actually put it down on my phone that night to listen to these guys in abundance when I got home because they were amazing. Melodic, powerful, heavy, that gorgeous pairing of death growls with clean vocals, Beggars Orchestra were there to mesmerize, and did so effortlessly. Like I always say, it's difficult to explain and describe music in words, you need to hear and feel it to know what it's like. They are definitely worth the listen and more.

After a quick break during which the next band were setting up and the crowd were fueling themselves with a round of drinks, Red Bee took to the stage. I liked what I heard, although initially the band was lacking a bit in stage presence. But that changed as they performed an energetic set, getting people psyched out of their wits, headbanging, jumping around and enjoying the heavy grooves and riffs Red Bee has to offer. The band was pretty funny and seemed quite at ease, pausing for occasional banter and conversation with the crowd in between songs. They ended their set with the vocalist declaring three parts to the final song: Clean Tone, Slightly Distorted and the 'Lose your Effing Shit' part. That was enough to make the crowd go bonkers, and was an awesome end to their set!

Dawn Heist were the final act before Circles came on, and are also from Sydney. Another band that I haven't heard much of but definitely making it a point to. Once the band started playing, I couldn't help thinking that they have a scintillating and  unique sound, one that you couldn't really classify under one particular genre. There's just so much going on, brutal djent-influenced breakdowns, that trippy techno/electro music in the background, the clarity of the clean vocals supported by the sheer brutality of raspy growls. They have an amazing energy on stage as well and it was such a pleasure watching them and listening to them live! I am fast becoming a big fan of them.

Finally, the moment everyone had been waiting for, all the way from Melbourne, CIRCLES. My word, they were WAY more awesome than I had expected them to be. Kicking off their epic set with one of my favourite tracks of 'Infinitas', 'Another Me', vocalist 'Perry' had me in a complete trance. The emotion and energy he emanates when singing instantly takes you into a completely different world. With the progression in their music, at first your in a state of calm before those riffs and breakdowns attack the senses and literally make you lose your mind. The lyrics, which are quite audible, add so much depth and feeling to the tracks. 'Erased' was another definite stand out from the set for me. That beautiful symphonic intro, mystic chants of 'don't want to be trapped by fear' gradually  transcending into those heavy djent riffs, and beautiful ambient melodies merging in the background, Perry powerfully yelling ' Nothing really matters now'. Damn, those lyrics are intense! You cannot help but move your head in time to their fast yet melodic tunes.

The band as a whole put on a great show, power-packed and electrifying. For a debut album by this amazingly talented band, it's a friggin masterpiece to say the least. CIRCLES have an aura about them which certainly goes against any stereotypical definititon of djent and progressive metal, combining the two to create something that is unimaginably mind-blowing and beautiful.

It was a perfect night at the Stag with some insane music and amazing support for the opening bands and finally the magic and awesomeness that is CIRCLES.

The Night That Was Korpiklaani

There are just those some bands that stand out among the rest, for whatever reason. Korpiklaani are one of those bands for me. Being my first ever folk metal band that I listened to, I've always been fond of the Finnish six-piece ever since I heard the always epic and famous track, 'Vodka'. Little did I know that I would get to see that track performed live this soon.

When Korpiklaani announced their first ever Australian tour, I was nothing short of friggin excited. Like I said, their music just cannot be missed and you can't help but like the band that dedicates it's music to the goodness of alcohol. The most ironic thing that night was definitely the fact that I don't drink but I love a band whose lyrical themes are primarily about drinking. I made my way to the Manning Bar, eagerly awaiting the doors to open and once they did, my excitement knew no bounds. There were still a few minutes for it all to start while Trollgasm were doing their sound-check, so I hung around the merch stands with a friend, until I spot that HAT. It was none other than the awesome Kalle 'Cane' Savijarvi, guitarist of Korpiklaani. He was just floating around and actually came in the direction I was standing, when I seized the opportunity to take a fan-girl picture.

It's always nice to meet the bands, especially before a gig, psychs me out even more and so far I've been really lucky meeting a few! Dubbo-based band Trollgasm kicked off the night and did a pretty good job at getting the crowd all set for the magic of Korpiklaani. I had never heard them before, but I liked what I heard. Fast-paced, folkey, little bits of symphony incorporated by a violinist.

Troldhaugen were up next and WOW. If it were possible, my eyes almost popped out of their sockets. The stage presence of this band is like nothing I have ever seen. One by one each member of this crazy, progressive, folk metal band entered the stage on a rather silent, very sophisticated note, the sophistication rather significant with their classy outfits, blazers, vests, the whole enchilada. Two minutes later, without any prior warning, Troldhaugen blasted into what was definitely one of the most energetic performances I've seen. I LOVE their music, which has some fine elements of swing and jazz fused with the awesomeness of good ol' folk metal. They reminded me a lot of Diablo Swing Orchestra and Weird Al. But my, did it certainly get the crowd going! The vocalist was definitely my favourite, with his insane eyes lighting up and looking rather demonic but in a hilarious way. He danced, jumped, did some really fancy stints on stage and kept the crowd really entertained. If this madness wasn't enough to handle, from heavy folk swing metal, the music transcended into the ever famous 'Call Me Maybe'. I burst out laughing as did everyone else present, it was just too much! It didn't stop with that, because a few minutes later,Troldhaugen introduced to the world a new concept of dubstep and metal. Absolutely brilliant, humorous, this band is definitely one you cannot miss if they head your way.

After what seemed like an eternity to me, it was the moment I had been waiting for since August. Members of the six piece Finnish group made their way on to the stage with  awesome folk music playing away in the background, while drummer Matti 'Matson' started clapping, getting the now packed crowd at the Manning even more psyched. On they came one by one, with Cane declaring with a huge grin " We are Korpiklaani! Now it's time to partaaaay!" And party we did! It was such a happy atmosphere and I knew that I was in for an amazing, fun night! I wasn't wrong =)

Jonne, the vocalist, made a grand entrance and burst into song, beginning the set on a heavy, fun note with 'Tuonelan Tuvilla'. It only got crazier from that point with some of the best Korpiklaani tracks being played such as 'Juodaan Viilna', 'Wooden pints', 'Rauta', 'Ievan Polka', and of course 'Vodka' which was FINALLY played after much yelling and screaming from the crowd.  Jonne was AMAZING. Powerful, gruff vocals that was enough to make you want to break something and run around the place like a crazy, drunk person! Which is exactly what it was. People headbanging, dancing their versions of Finnish folk, not to mention a special appearance made by the Pope, a guy who clearly made quite an impact on the audience, crowd surfing.

Sami, the accordion player was tops, not to mention the sheer awesomeness of the Violin-Guitar fusions. Cane and Jonne were an absolute riot and you couldn't help but laugh when seeing the two Finnishmen running up and down the stage, arms flailing, hair flying and generally having the time of their lives.The energy was outstanding throughout the set, fans going crazier with every song that played, throwing themselves at each other, beer and spit showers being the thing of the night. And by crazy I mean a woman in the crowd flinging her bra on to the stage with the amused members of Korpiklaani watching their vocalist respectfully and enthusiastically hang it on the mic stand.

It was an amazing set by Korpiklaani at The Manning Bar, ending it with a three song encore, the last track of the night being 'Beer Beer', another favourite of mine. Jonne took the oppurtunity to prance around with a beer bottle on his head, before he downed it all. You'd think after three and a half hours that it was the end of a great show, but the energy levels in the room that night, especially at the end seemed to prove otherwise.

 It's hard to put down in words the atmosphere that night. It was a fun metal party of sorts and at the end of it all, I can only remember that I was one happy metalhead. You had to be there to know what it was, but it was definitely one of the best times I've ever had, one of the best gigs I've been to. Korpiklaani signed off saying this was their first time Down Under but definitely not their last.

GUY ON THE TRAIN LOOKING AT MY EARS: 



SO I STARE BACK:

 

I kid you not, that is literally how that scene went. For about 5 minutes.



It was hilarious. This happens atleast twice a week. My ears bring up some mad conversations. One guy actually asked me if I was a fan of pain. Dodge alert. But you know the really funny thing? People think I've gone wack in the head for having an abormal number of piercings on my ears. Just when I thought I'd seen it all, I came across a girl recently, (now many), who had her cheeks pierced. And now I don't mean the down south cheeks, although with the current decline in the length of shorts that girls wear these days, I wouldn't be surprised if I happen to see those cheeks too. Anyhoo, her cheeks man. Her friggin cheeks. Family are you reading this? Just below her eyes. I mean, where does the back of the piercing even go?

So on that rather shocking note, strange man I met on the train, there seem to be a whole lot more individuals in the human population who fancy pain. I'm certainly not one of them.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Everyone has dreams. Hopes. Big fairy floss like reels of goals that they want to achieve. One of my many dreams sprouted right from when I was a little ye-high munchkin pinking up slimy snails and trying to feed Giraffes with bubble gum. Thus began my journey to becoming a part of the Animal World, even though humans are already considered as being right at the top, I don't. Mum's pretty certain that that's where I belong though, right Jan?

 Sea Shepherd Conservation Society is a non-profit marine life conservation organisation and pretty much tops my bucket list. It was founded in 1977 by the fiesty Paul Watson, a former member of Greenpeace. The man is an absolute beast if I do say so myself. I mean that in the best way possible. We need more people like him in the real world where Wildlife Conservation isn't just about filing papers and recording a depleting number of species and speculations; it's about taking action. Hardcore action to protect the beings who can't speak for themselves and who need our human abilities of reasoning and rational thinking to help them survive.



I found out about this organisation a couple of years ago when I was reading an article about Gojira and how they support Sea Shepherd. I looked it up and fell in love with it instantly. Gojira is still working on their Sea Shepherd EP, which I hope comes out really soon. Anyway, one of the main reasons I became fascinated with this organisation is the kind of work they do. They pursue their objectives using 'direct action' tactics. And by direct action, they really mean direct. Captain Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd has been criticized on many levels for his aggressive approach to marine live conservation, and although his and the organisations tactics may be of an aggressive nature, it is definitely required given the current status of whaling and excessive harm that the seas and it's inhabitants face.

With hardly any support and backing and being a 100% fund and donation run organisation, Paul and his crew have come a long long way with their objectives. Not too long ago, I was fiddling around on Twitter when I just happened to check Sea Shepherd's page. At 4 in the morning, already being unable to sleep, I found out that Sea shepherd was bringing the SS Bob Barker to Sydney for the weekend. As is my reaction to many things, I literally fell off my bed  and decided to celebrate by jumping around my little apartment and then eat Reeses. Jokes apart, I couldn't believe how lucky I was. They were docking at Circular Quay, and giving free tours of the ship as well as an insight into what Sea Shepherd and it's crew do and face in their quest to protect the marine world.


                                                                   















Without a second thought, I got my arse up early that Sunday morning to get to Circular Quay. The closer I was getting to the ship, the more I couldn't help thinking to myself, " Things happen. Things you want do happen. You just have to let it come to you and happen in their own time." Yes I know, sometimes I'm too wise for my own good but what do you do.

It's a dream of min eto work with the Sea Shepherd crew someday and I feel like that day is soon approaching considering the work Sea Shepherd Australia do. It's massive. Intense. The things one of the crew members was telling me blew my mind out of my head socket.We watched videos of the Sea Shepherd ship being massacred by the Japanese ships and I'm thinking to myself - These guys are friggin legends. I asked her what's involved in becoming a part of the crew, and she basically said - As long as you sign a contract that states Sea Shepherd isn't responsible if you die, you're welcome aboard. Good shizz. But that's what life is all about. No not dying, that would be a little bit ironic. It's about taking risks for things you believe in. This is something I believe in strongly. With each day, I see more and more things that make me believe that I HAVE to do something, my tiny little part to save the awesome creatures that make up the Animal Kingdom. They need a voice to represent them like Jeff Corwin says. I want to be one of those voices.

The Night That Was Soilwork

This was a night I had been waiting for since early on this year. I caught the Soilwork announcement when I was at work and literally yelped in sheer happiness much to the surprise of those around me. When asked what I was getting so psyched for, I merely said, "Soilwork" and flashed.... a grin, guys, a grin. Guessing that it was probably one of the many 'loud noise' bands I listen to, no one further questioned me.

I got off work as early as I could on Thursday evening (October 3rd) to get home, and then head to the Manning Bar for one of the most epic nights ever. The bar is inside the University of Sydney campus which is insanely and rather annoyingly huge, I worked up a good appetite before getting into the gig, leading me to be a starved soul for four and a half hours but the pangs of hunger were soon forgotten. The doors opened later than scheduled but the best part about gigging is the wait. I kept myself entertained watching a couple of very drunk, rather Giant-like, Irish metalheads explicitly bantering about their respective body parts, followed by them bouncing up and down like little girls. It was hilarious and quite hot. I do like me an Irishman. A long-haired metalhead at that.

I entered, found a good spot to chill, Tensions arise were just about done with their soundcheck and with no prior warning just took to the stage like raged bulls. They had this energy about them that I really admired . Fun and rather unique music, they had a little bit of everything from heavy to hardcore going on in their set! I'm only a few gigs old in Sydney, but I know for a fact that it is common decorum to not miss out the opening acts just to wait and see the headliners. Every band works hard to be up on a stage in front of people, but somehow some people don't seem to get that. Sadly Tensions Arise had only a few people hanging around, but they were cheering hard for them.

Up next, were Melbourne band Death Audio. I quite liked them, they were heavy, melodic, my kind of music. The clean vocalist had such a captivating voice, very country-jazz like and it just went so brilliantly well with the growls and the heavy tunes. These guys reminded me a lot of Ne Obliviscaris. They had a brilliant stage presence as well entering on stage with the Aussie flag in hand, bossing the scene in general. They really psyched the mood up even more and I was getting all fangirl-ish and excited!


After a few minutes, the lights dimmed, and the Swedish metallers took to the stage. I must have looked like a blooming idiot because I just could not stop smiling. The crowd at the Manning Bar ,which was now packed, was getting restless until all was quiet. You know that saying, "the calm before the storm"? Soilwork exhibited that perfectly, literally causing a riot with their opening track 'This Momentary Bliss' and I was ecstatic, this being one of my favourite tracks off their latest album. The Manning, which was close to oh so silent, suddenly became a raging madhouse!

Many songs played during the set were off their latest double album, one of my favourite metal albums this year, 'The Living Infinite". Long Live The Misanthrope, Parasite Blues, Rise Above The Sentiment, al sounded even more brutal live than I expected. The moment the beautiful symphonic opening for Spectrum of Eternity began, I had more tears and the biggest friggin grin on my face, as was the case with Tongue. From the very moment Bjorn "Speed" Strid took to the stage along with his band, it was just one hell of show.

Soilwork's overall performance that night is not something I can perfectly put down in writing. From start to finish, they were absolute beasts on stage, every member of the band bringing it their all. Sydney was one heck of an audience, with people singing along, cans of beer being thrown around, girls giving crowd surfing a whole new definition, it was absolutely insane. A few fans even got Bjorn to wear a very special crown, which he said looked like a very ancient fruit basket. No one wanted the night to end, and Soilwork was back after constant chants with a three song encore playing one of my all time favourite tracks Stabbing the Drama. What I loved though was how towards the end, Bjorn told the crowd to embrace the moment and to forget capturing everything on Instagram and the like. The man had a valid point. Hee, he mentioned how at one show, there was one guy capturing the whole gig on his iPad. Funny species dem humans.
Soilwork will always remain as one of my top favourite metal bands, and they proved why that night =)

The Night That Was Amorphis

It was a pleasant windy evening as I made my way to The Factory theater for one of Sydney’s and my most memorable nights. I still remember when Amorphis announced their first ever Australian tour, I couldn’t help but think of how insanely lucky I am. I definitely moved back at the right time. It's been tours galore this year and this is just the beginning.

Before I get into anything, I have to rave a little about the venue. I LOVED IT. Compared to the others that I’ve been to, the factory theater was so awesome. It was spacious and comfortable, had a slight elevation towards the center of the place for people who didn’t want to be right up front, and I don’t know how else to describe it really, but I felt so at home there. Got a good view too except for the occasional bald headed specimen popping up and down in front of me. As long as I could see my main man Tomi, I was a happy camper. Just in general, the place had a really good feel to it, I did notice how neat it was, but I'll quietly take back that comment after I came back home with my boots and me smelling like beer and all dem other alcoholic shenanigans.

I walked in just as The Eternal were beginning their set. I’ve only heard a few tracks by this band but I really liked what I heard. Nice progressive sound, doomish feel and well paced music. I really liked the vocalist, he had a soothing voice that went really well with the rest of the bands sound. I do hope I get to see more of them, they're definitely a good band to see and hear live.

Up next were sydney based band Datura Curse. They were SUCH a fun, energetic and extremely unique band .  I only listened to their new release a few days ago and  they are really really worth the listen and more. Better yet, they sound insane live! Strong , raspy vocals, catchy and rhythmic guitars, all in all, really intense music. Not only does their music have the perfect blend of heavy death growls, melodic metal and beautiful clean vocals with a bit of rock thrown in, with a lot of metalcore, some of their lyrics are amazing, deep deep stuff. Their vocalist was a total riot. Trying to get a crowd pumped can be a bit of a challenge but he didn’t give up. Initially throwing the crowd subtle hints to get themselves up front, after a couple of songs, he took it upon himself to occupy the empty spaces and enthusiastically got off the stage and got a few heads banging. The band had an amazing stage presence, and although I feel like the audience could've given them a little more applause than what they got, they were cheered nonetheless. Definitely a band to keep an eye and ear on!

After about a half  hour changeover, it was the moment I had been waiting for for months. With ‘The Wanderer’ featured on the ‘Circle’ album cover at the back of the stage, the lights slowly dimmed and I could feel the excitement gripping all of the fans gathered to watch and listen to one of the best melodeath bands of all time. One by one, members of the six piece Finnish outfit came on stage, taking their positions and getting ready to shred face. Finally, (picture me with hearts in my eyes when you read this bit), out came in power strides, fists high up and with those absolutely gorgeous dreadlocks, Tomi Joutsen, frontman of Amorphis. I knew instantly that I had bagged a good spot because he was right in front of me. I had to elbow a few taller creatures that were obstructing my view but I had my way.

Wasting no time, Amorphis kicked off their set on a heavy note, playing Shades of Gray off their latest album. If jaws could literally drop, rest assured mine was already on the floor. Tomi’s vocals were unmatched. He has such a magnificent presence on stage, and an even more powerful voice. I don't know what it is, but there's just this aura of pride and sheer awesomeness about him, and by now you can see that I have quite a huge crush on the man. Also, TOMI JOUTSEN HEADBANGING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT ALL YOUR BUCKET LISTS CONSIST OF BUT BLOODY HELL, WATCHING THIS GORGEOUS FINNISH MAN HEADBANGING. An absolute must. Please refer to video, you'll understand fully what I'm talking about. He actually has to pause for a few seconds to let his dreadlocks come forth before he can actually start headbanging. *swoon*

 I did gradually get pushed towards the back due to a semi pit that was attempting to create havoc but lucky for me I got more space to unleash The Hair. It was hilarious because there were people doing this weird,random folk-y dance too! Good fun!

Esa Holopainen. Lead Guitar. = BRUTALITY REDEFINED. Probably one of my favourite things about this band's music is the magic that is brought in by the melodic keyboard segments by Kallio who absolutely owned. The same can be said about every member of Amorphis, it was such a tight performance, they sailed through it effortlessly, without any major sound issues. 



The set had them play quite a few tracks off ‘Circle’ such as Narrow Path, Hopeless Days, The Wanderer and Nightbird's song. And holy mother of god when I heard the symphonic intro to Nightbirds song, I had goosebumps all over. And then went completely mental. Hands down, one of the best Amorphis songs ever written and one of the best live too. I’m pretty sure my hair whipped a couple of people in the face. Heh. Longhairawesomenessyo. The progression of that song is absolutely beautiful. You get a true sense of what Melodic death really means. Listening to The Wanderer too, I had tears, singing along, I was in my happy place. The lyrics on that track were something I related to. Read them. Simple, yet meaningful and emotional.

 The setlist for the night was a treat with Amorphis playing some of their classic tunes like Sampo , Silver Bride and Sky Is Mine from Skyforger, another one of my favourite albums. My night was made when they played tracks from one of their oldest albums Tales From The Thousand Lakes, the first ever Amorphis album I came across. I have a thing for concept albums and this one is a beauty. By now you are aware of my obsession with the Finnish and all things folk. Amorphis base a lot of their music on the traditonal folk tales or folk epic of Finland called  Kalevala. And Tales From The Thousand Lakes is a masterpiece. You I Need and My Kantele were my other much loved tracks of the night. What was thought to be the end of the show, the crowd yelled for three more songs, and Amorphis kindly obliged with a three song encore, confirming that not only are they one of the greatest melodeath band that ever existed, but that they are one of the nicest too.

By the end of it all, I wasn't tired. I was refreshed, ecstatic and felt so insanely good. The music that you choose to listen to shouldn't just be because you like one particular genre or a specific band. It should make you feel a happiness that nothing else can. Which is the effect that Amorphis have on me. I was so grateful to be a part of their first time in Sydney that night, because it was beyond amazing. Hoping I get to see more of them in the near future, or I'll just stick to my original plan and move to Finland.

Amorphis bid farewell with Tomi thanking Sydney for having them and saying that they loved the country! Yes, it was definitely a night I will never forget =)