They have a new – “more melodic, less melancholy” – album out in November which he has given a name to but isn’t announcing yet.

They’ve recorded two songs so far with Mike Curtis of Fei Comodo in Chelmsford, Essex.

Singer/guitarist McPherson has recently been describing all of this and the thrill of playing Sonisphere.

He said that playing at the festival in 2010 gave the band a career boost.

“We went off the radar a bit, and were out of the media. It would have been disheartening if we’d lost everyone.

“It was kind of life affirming because we were playing in a 2,000 capacity tent and it was full up with people still trying to get in. We were clashing with big names like Motley Crue and Gallows, and I would have been happy with 300 people there.”

See the full story at London24.com

InMe play Sonisphere 2011′s Bohemia stage at 2.10pm on Sunday July 10.

Most popular posts
I have excluded the home page, and the fact that five out of the top 12 stories are to do with Rage Against the Machine’s free gig last year to bring you this chart of the most viewed stories:

1) Rage Factor-related stories: 1 2 3 4 5
2) Interview with Craig Reynolds of Viatrophy, HAARP.
3) Interview with Peter Dolving of The Haunted, Mary Beats Jane et al.
4) Why there shouldn’t be an official UK Metal Chart.
5) You can be buried in a Jewish cemetery if you have a tattoo.

Actually really good stories
But I’d like to add five other stories which are good reads which probably haven’t had as many hits as they should have:

1) How corporate sponsorship is ruining your favourite band.
2) Interview with Matti Svatizky of Orphaned Land.
3) Interview with Jon Morter of Rage Factor fame.
4) Ten things you shouldn’t do at festivals.
5) There will never be another great UK festival.

Criminally under-viewed
These stories clearly have no SEO value, and so languish almost at the bottom of the all time table of MuchMoreMetal stories, despite not actually being bad:

1) Fan Pics: Orphaned Land at Camden Underworld.
2) Classic Gigs: Hammered at Xmas 2004: Arch Enemy, The Haunted, Dark Tranquillity and Nightrage live in London.
3) Metal-related reasons to be cheerful this Autumn.
4) What happens to a good gig venue once it closes down?
5) Unusual Influences: Prong.

Achren‘s bassist John Clark Paterson banged his head to these albums the most in 2010:

10- Enslaved – Axioma Ethica Odini
9- Negura Bunget – Virstele Pamintului
8- Melechesh – The Epigenesis
7- Dark Tranquillity – We are the Void
6- Burzum – Belus
5- Alcest – Ecailles de Lune
4- Motorhead – The World Is Yours
3- Daath – Daath
2- Heidevolk – Uit Oude Grond
1- Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones

John said:

A few years ago the final Celtic Frost album ‘Monotheist’ reaffirmed Tom G Warrior and Celtic Frosts status. In 2010 the Triptykon album took the whole thing a step further.

This album was always going to have a point to prove. An epic doom-laden soundtrack for the apocalypse which underlines why he remains a true underground legend.

2010 was a good year for Glaswegian brutal death-metallers Achren, who were named the Bloodstock Metal 2 the Masses overall winners, but 2011 will be even better.

Why? Not only are they releasing their debut album later in the year, but they are performing at the legendary Wacken festival as well as Metalcamp in Slovenia and cities all over the UK.

And recent demo track Blood Soaked Banner pummels you about the head with it’s brutality while at the same time making you want to do dance along with its somehow infectious rhythm.

Download it from www.achren.com.

Pure Negative‘s drummer Hellhog (ex-Ted Maul, As She Screams) says that these were the albums of the year in 2010:

10- Soulfly – Omen
9- Immolation – Majesty And Decay
8- Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
7- Cephalic Carnage – Misled by Certainty
6- Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope In The Sky
5- White Wizzard – Over The Top
4- Kylesa – Sprial Shadow
3- Anathema – We’re Here Because We’re Here
2- Killing Joke – Absolute Dissent
1- Overkill – Ironbound

Hellhog said:

Overkill are one of the most under-rated bands, and are often over-looked… Why? This album is a complete return to form.

It’s brutal, punishing thrash with quality production, and each song is an anthem. Bring Me The Night is the best tune!

Featuring ex members of Labrat and Ted Maul, Londoner’s Pure Negative offer up a slice of brutality that few can match.

At their last gig Muchmoremetal.com said they:

slow down their riffage to extremely slow speeds at times before turning on a sixpence into fast paced death metalish sounds. Top stuff.

Now with a stable line up including new vocalist ‘Cleetus Van Damm’ (from Affluenza) in place, they are actually sounding even better than ever.

2011 is going to be a big year for Pure Negative with a debut album promised later in the year.

Check them out at the first Bloodstock Metal to the Masses 2011 heat at Nambucca, Holloway Road, London, on January 23, from 7pm.

Listen to them at their myspace here.

Drummer Craig Reynolds (ex-Viatrophy, current Dead Swans) says that these rocked his world in 2010:

10- The Ocean – Heliocentric
9- Watain – Lawless Darkness
8- Electric Wizard – Black Masses
7- High on Fire – Snakes to the Devine
6- Brutality Will Prevail – Root of all Evil
5- Serpents Rise – Serpents Rise
4- Karnivool – Sound Awake
3- Black Breath – Heavy Breathing
2- Hans Zimmer – Inception Soundtrack
1- The Dillinger Escape Plan – Option Paralysis

Craig said:

A lot of people think Dillinger haven’t been the same since Calculating Infinity, and they’d be right, but they’ve got better. Anyone can write pointless, nonsensical Guitar Pro ‘tech’ songs about as musical as a book about centrifugal pumps, but Dillinger’s music is something else. It’s truly progressive in that they continue to push the boundaries yet it’s still MUSIC. It’s a lesson in pop-metal.

There’s hooks, sing alongs, well-thought out rhythms (read: not a snip tool on a riff in cubase), and it’s still heavy as fuck. It’s not Miss Machine. But it’s close.

Experimental prog/death band HAARP are based in London and feature ex-Viatrophy members Gavin Thane and Craig Reynolds, with songs being written by the incredible-metal brain of founder Abdullah Al-Mumin. They are recording their first album early in 2011.

What Muchmoremetal.com said about their first track, Esoteric Agenda, last year:

It’s pretty heavy death metal stuff, spliced with a bit of proggy, mildly djent-ish riffing and wave of middle eastern sounds for good measure.

I think we’ll just sit back and watch this get massive.

Check out HAARP’s myspace for more from the band and to listen to Esoteric Agenda.

Read Muchmoremetal.com’s confessional review of Option Paralysis here.

Picture: Peter Herneheim

I asked Niklas Sundin, guitarist, Dark Tranquillity about this when I interviewed him in September.

Do you have an opinion about bands who put company endorsements on their merchandise/stage backdrops, e.g. from drinks companies?

Well, this is one consequence of bands getting less and less income from album sales.

Of course it cheapens the artistic impact of a band to be associated with corporations like this – or any brand that’s not affiliated with the music itself – but we’re quickly approaching a point where a lot of bands will be depending on endorsements in order to tour.

I tried to ask Tom Carson, manager, Jägermeister Music UK a few questions about it…

I’m writing an article about how bands make money in ways other than the traditional means, such as endorsements etc. I was wondering if I could talk to someone about Jager’s relationship with bands as I’ve noticed you sponsor a ton of them?

We don’t really have a template for supporting our roster of unsigned and signed bands, it all depends on the band and where they need support and help. Our music programme is totally artist led and our relationship with a band begins from their love of drinking Jagermeister which is why they usually approach us in the first place.

You must have some kind of criteria for taking them though? You wouldn’t just pay anyone to put your logo on their t-shirts/stage backdrops?

The starting point is always the bands love of Jägermeister which is why they get in contact with us. After that we just need to make sure they are a pro-active gigging band who can responsibly and safely promote our brand. We only have a small roster of bands in the UK so need them to be gigging away as we do most of our activity with them when they play live.

Bassist Carl Parnell answered my questions:

Did you have any reservations at all about putting a company’s logo on your official merch or stage backdrop?
No not at all, if it’s funded by said company the conditions would include using the logo in some way otherwise why would they offer to fund it to begin with?

Is there something you particularly like about Jager that means you work with them?
Well for a start we all enjoy drinking the stuff, that and the fact we get supplied with a bottle of free Jager for every show we do is awesome. They cover the cost of a batch of merch, backdrop or flight cases. Anything that can display the logo in some way is all they ask.

How much do endorsements like that help out a gigging band in the UK to fund their career?
As I’ve said they help pay for merch, backdrops and gear in general so it can be the difference between a band being able to afford a batch of merch or not when they go out on tour.

It’s a great way of getting extra shirts made if the band are short on funds etc.

Do you, or your management, tend to approach them with the idea to do it or do they ask you?
I’m not sure how it works for every band but we stumbled across the UK rep at Download last year. Our hunger for free Jager and the rep being the nicest guy in the world led to us striking a deal with them.

Has any company asked for any conditions on you using their stuff/logo? (for e.g. not changing your style of music or something like that)
Yeah as expected any merch/backdrops etc they cover they will put the logo on it which is fair enough really. As for changing a style of music that would never be brought up, as long as the band plays in front of a crowd each night and they see the brand they’re happy.

Here I gave him the opportunity to respond in a little more detail.

Would you be willing to be endorsed by any company at all or is there something you particularly like about Jagermeister that means you work with them? (Would you work with say, Country Life Butter, if it gave the career a boost?)

Haha, no, definitely not. Jager is the only brand that we work with that
isn’t directly involved with music as such (compared to Marshall, ESP and Planet Rock) and thats because of how involved in music they are.
Jagermeister have helped us in so many different ways and actively sponsor tours, have stages in festivals and hook us up with other bands and studios.

Do you have to make the first approach to companies to get their endorsements?

Yes, we have always made the first approach, I think its important to
approach people that you believe in and believe that can help you
otherwise your going to feel like you’ve sold yourself for using a make or brand that you dont even like!

Has any company asked for any conditions on you using their stuff/logo? (for e.g. not changing your style of music or something simpler like gigging a certain number of times in a year).

Not at all, through our last albums we have incorporated a wide variety of genres within our music, I think the people who help us understand that and that its constantly growing and changing. That’s why they got involved in the first place! That is getting the balance between independent and being controlled. You need help to stay independent and keep your control.

Would you (or do you already) put company’s logos on your merch as part of endorsement deals? Do you think your fans do/would mind this?

Only if the situation depends on it. Not as part of a deal but if the
company wanted to pay for the t-shirts as promo then that’s great.
Jagermeister have done this before by paying for a run of t-shirts with
their logo on the sleeve. Fans don’t seem to mind when we give away t-shirts or are able to sell them dirt cheap! But if they are our product and we are expecting fans to pay good money then no!

Do you have any concerns about promoting alcohol to your fans, some of whom I’m sure are under 18?

Not at all for the simple reason that we don’t actively promote it to under-18s. At our all ages gigs etc. we don’t mention our endorsement with Jager and don’t glorify it. Seeing the logo in a video or whatever it might be has just the same effect as a Bacardi advert on TV. We have always made a point (in our music and in person) towards our fans that we all need to think for ourselves and make educated decisions.

Have you had any other reaction to your endorsements from fans or anyone else commenting?

It’s mainly been people who are quite excited to see free Jager merch and asking why I chose my particular gear. With this stuff there is always going to be a ring of `sellout` from a few people but I’ve been doing this too long and I simply don’t care. I’ve seen hardcore bands and great artists struggle in the gutter and eventually give up. With so much crap about and this pretty boy/pop with guitars syndrome happening at the minute is real hard to survive with genuine music. Is this about me getting free stuff, cool sponsors? No, it’s about me getting heard and to continue doing what I love. I’ll do anything for my music as long as I keep control.

Do you have anything else you’d like to say on the subject?

I think people should start LISTENING to music and take a step back. With so many things thrown at us nowadays, it’s usually the older and wiser amongst us that notice bands using logos, endorsements etc. The reason a lot of people have problem with it is because they remember better days.

The industry and music is changing in a sickening way and there may be bands who will sell their entire soul and life to get seen and heard. And when you see them? You might just call them sell out b*stards and tune out. I live what I believe and I believe what we are doing is the best for us, for our fans, and for music.

Click on the title of the gig for a fuller review:

5) Dark Tranquillity at the Camden Underworld, 28/09/10.
Pioneers, incredible musicians and really great guys. DT at the Underworld was an incredible, intimate, gig with an incredible atmosphere.

4) Sonisphere Festival Day 2, 31/07/10.
Rammstein, Anthrax, Soulfly, Motley Crue. Need I go on? (Part of the day is also reviewed here).

3) Sonisphere Festival Day 3, 01/08/10.
Yes, Sonisphere again. Maiden, Pendulum, Slayer, Skindred just = win.

Oh, and Sonisphere gets another special mention for not being a complete rip-off like Download. And another special mention for proving me wrong about the Big Four appearing in the UK in 2011.

2) The Rage Factor, 06/06/10.
40,000 gathered to celebrate the ultimate chart victory over the X Factor machine as engineered by Jon Morter and his online campaign.

An incredible gig with incredible energy from both the crowd and Rage Against the Machine, who are still going strong 20+ years into their career. Oh, and the price was right too.

1) The Haunted, University of Hertfordshire, 01/06/10.
At the time I said: “If you like The Haunted, live in London and didn’t bother to make the 25 minute trip from Kings Cross to Hatfield begin kicking yourself now. Actually if you live anywhere in eastern England and didn’t bother to see one of The Haunted’s two headline shows on off-nights from their tour supporting Slayer please kick yourself. Hard.”

Reader Jon Buggins said: “I cannot believe how awesome this night was. I cant praise The Haunted enough, they done us all very proud! Top notch!”

Click here for the full review of The Haunted at the University of Hertfordshire, the best gig of 2010.

I’ve ranted about commercial corporations starting to run the music industry before, so I couldn’t let the chance to attend the first ever “Jagermeister tour” slip by without seeing what it was all about.

You can’t really complain if someone puts on a gig of great up-and-coming UK bands for free (although someone else was clearly trying to claw back the money through the drinks prices).

I suppose you can complain though, if you were one of the people who bought Metal Hammer and then texted the special number in order to obtain entry to this gig only to then see hundreds of others getting in just because they emailed one of the bands later on, but I digress…

In terms of both looks and tunes The Defiled reminded me of nu-metal also-rans American Head Charge, but without that band’s catchy choruses. They have a few good riffs, occasionally getting a bit Pantera-ish, but overall their performance largely passed me by.

Considering the gig was free and a “sell out”, the venue seemed nowhere near full to capacity at any point, nevertheless Exit Ten got a loud sing-a-long going to tunes like Warriors.

It’s impossible to argue with singer Ryan Redman’s infectious enthusiasm, and he showed off his impressive vocal range brilliantly on their new, slow, pretty, song (the name of which I didn’t catch).

I hope they won’t sacrifice any of their heavi(ish)ness on their forthcoming album, because barn-storming closer Technically Alive was a reminder of what this band is capable of when it mixes heavi(ish)ness with big choruses.

“Are you guys enjoying drinking the free Jager?” Redman asked at one point, clearly not having been told how steep the drinks prices in the venue actually were.

Sylosis emerged on stage to raucous chanting of their name as they tend to everywhere these days.

Singer/lead guitarist Josh Middleton didn’t show any sign of the throat infection that was bothering him while delivering his devastating vocals.

It was the first time that the band had performed Withered and The Blackest Skyline with his screaming over the top and he did a fine job.

I’m still yet to hear the new line-up play any songs which have clean vocals in though, which would let me judge his skills properly.

New songs Sands of Time and Altered States got an airing, although these are now familiar tunes to anyone who has seen the band since the summer.

The crowd’s reaction wasn’t the best I’ve ever seen for Sylosis (maybe because no one paid to get in), and the set was annoyingly short, but overall the band put on a really good performance.

And anyway, you can’t argue with that entrance price.

The tour moves on to: Liverpool Academy 2 November 10, Newcastle Academy 2 November 11, Glasgow ABC2 November 12 and finishes in Birmingham at the Academy 2 on November 13.