Three questions to deathcore band Science Of Sleep (GER)

Just two years ago you founded SOS and this year you will share the stage with Suffokate & Blind Witness. Did you ever dare to think things would go so fast?

First of all: Thank you for doing this interview!
Even though we started just two years ago we have always put a lot of hard work into our writing and the hell lot of shows we played yet (about 100 in the first 2 years) . We always wanted to become more than just "one of those bands", so we really appreciate the response we get by being supportact for bigger bands. We have had the honour to play with Suffokate, death metal kings Obituary, The Ghost Inside and other rather famous bands. We are kind of getting used to it.  


What is the secret of your succes?

As said before: hard work. We put an awful lot of time in the whole "band thing", by which I mean the songwriting, the whole bookingshit and mailing stuff, organization, merchandise and whatever but many bands do that too. The reason of our, if you want it to call "success" is a secret to me too! I think we just started at the right time. And we do not cover shitty pop songs to become popular... Maybe we are just awesome or people are stupid, haha.



What is your message to the people reading this?

To all people who read this: Please check out Science Of Sleep for maximum deathcore sickness, come to our shows and have a good time with us! We are very thankful for all kind of support, so go ahead and show us your love!

hi5 sos

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SOSMETAL

Parkway Drive EU TOUR 2012

It is official now: Parkway Drive has planned a EU tour in April 2012. The tour will kick off on April 6 in The Netherlands and will end in Belgium at the Groezrock hardcore- and punk festival on the 28^th of April. Eleven blessed countries will be witnessing PWD’s tour with The Ghost Inside and Miss May I as support acts. After this tour, the band will return to Australia to start working on their new album.

The tour will look like this:

06.04.12 Holland Amsterdam @ Melkweg
07.04.12 UK London @ Indigo2
08.04.12 UK Birmingham @ HMV Institute
09.04.12 UK Glasgow @ ABC
10.04.12 UK Manchester @ Academy
11.04.12 UK Cardiff @ Uni Great Hall
12.04.12 Germany Oberhausen @ Turbinenhalle
13.04.12 France Paris @ Bataclan
14.04.12 France Lyon @ Transbordeur, Rockstorm Fest
15.04.12 Spain Madrid @ Sala Heineken
16.04.12 Spain Barcelona @ Sala Razzmatazz
17.04.12 France Toulon @ Le Vox
18.04.12 Italy Milano @ Alcatraz
19.04.12 Germany München @ Tonhalle
20.04.12 Austria Wien @ Gasometer
21.04.2012 Germany Leipzig @ Agra, Impericon Fest
22.04.12 Germany Würzburg @ Posthalle
23.04.12 Denmark Copenhagen @ Pumpehuset
24.04.12 Sweden Gothenburg @ Trädgårn
25.04.12 Norway Oslo @ John Dee
26.04.12 Sweden Stockholm @ Klubben
27.04.12 Germany Hamburg @ Große Freiheit 36
28.04.12 Belgium Meerhout @ Groezrock Fest




update by Nele Waegeman.

Refused Party Progam exclusive show in Café Gonzo (Ninove, Belgium)

On Saturday November 26 you NEED to move your ass to Café Gonzo, the legendary place that got entirely destroyed by The Dillinger Escape Plan. 

"Refused Party Program is a temporary tribute to one of the best records ever made: 'The Shape Of Punk To Come' by the Swedish band Refused. We will play a few shows in 2011. After that, we'll be fucking dead."

Yes, you got it right, it is your last and only chance to see these awesome guys plays one of their last shows. Bring your family, friends, neighbours, patients, teachers or teddybears.

P.S.: Dogs are not allowed. 

Eventpage: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=233116136749322

Refused Party Program: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Refused-Party-Program/176041485749835

Interview with Alex from Perceptions (Sint-Niklaas, BE)

Perceptions was founded in 2009 and after only two years you can proudly say you already shot your own videoclip.

We couldn't have been happier with how the videoclip turned out. It was posted on Blanktv, which gave us a lot of exposure abroad and we got loads of positive feedback from around the world. All this is pretty mindblowing for us, considering we are a pretty new band.
The video was shot by Frederic Van Zandycke, a pretty talented guy who knew exactly what we wanted and delivered a product that suited our expectations perfectly. Frederic is an awesome dude.

You already faced lots of criticism, especially on Youtube because the videoclip has so many views. Especially the vocals are a hot topic. How do you, as a young band, see this and what do you do with it?

As long as it is constructive criticism it is good criticism. We actually learned a lot from the great amount of feedback we received. We are still an upcoming band that is still searching for its own sound and identity, so the criticism we faced regarding the vocals (apart from comments like "Omgz that singer is the Asian version of Justin Bieber lolz") really helped us to push ourselves in the right direction.

Your drummer Michiel left the band recently, what happened? How is the cooperation with the filling in drummer (The Zygoma Disposal) working out?

It pretty much comes down to the fact that Michiel grew kind of tired of drumming in a metal/hardcore band. We were pretty gutted with his departure, but sometimes decisions have to be made for a greater cause. A demotivated drummer that would just have dragged the rest down. The cooperation with Gert is going really smooth, he nailed our set in less than a week time and we couldn't happier with his job filling in.

It is hard to be different in the scene because of the great amount of bands today. What is it that makes Perceptions so outstanding?

We don't claim to be the most original or renewing band around but everything comes straight from the heart, because we love to put all kinds of emotion into our music.
Our lyrics actually stand for something and we really spend our time to get them right instead of just shouting random words about killing people. Every song is written with the same idea of getting everything to fit perfectly. There is a real work ethic behind what we do and I think that really shows.

Anything you want to say to the people reading this?

Expect a new record coming out early 2012 and we will be hitting the road again with a new drummer.  What this new record is about is still sort of a secret, but expect something really heavy, fresh and totally different from anything we brought out before. Stay evil!

Facebook: www.facebook.com/perceptionsbe
Video: www.vimeo.com/user3599796
Merch: www.perceptions.bigcartel.com 
Audio: www.perceptions.bandcamp.com 
Official Website: www.perceptionsofficial.com

1)    

All For Nothing (NL), Shai Hulud (USA) & Sick Of It All (USA) @ Trix, Antwerp, Belgium 29.10.11

• My dearest, most brutal blog,
  October 29, Antwerp 20h45:

Party time as always with the American godfathers of hardcore: Sick Of It All. Trix is the place to be and thumbs up for Heartbreaktunes for bringing them to our country for the 365800554th time. The organisation was forced to move the concert from the Trix club to the bigger venue, simply because the club cannot swallow the amount of people that will show up tonight. This proves no matter how many times Sick Of It All has played Belgium before, we just do not get sick of them. 

As we walk in it appears the crowd is still half asleep, but yet intriged by the energy frontwoman Cindy puts into entertaining the people in front of her. `Come on!`, she yells in Dutch while she waves with her free arm. `I want everybody to move and sing along, yes girls, you too.` All For Nothing`s performance was powerful and this band very much deserves its place in the line up. This was All For Nothing's last show left from the three week tour with Sick Of It All.

Next up is Shai Hulud, an American band counting five members. What a clumsy night it was, since two out of five of the bandmembers managed to take a very close look at the stage by falling over their own feet during the set. Shai Hulud was proud of the bunch of fans that show up at every show of theirs in Europe, who were also present this time. It is noticeable that there is still not too much response from the crowd in general and at this point it becomes clear that over 90% of the people that showed up tonight are here to celebrate Sick Of It All's 25 years of existence.

As predicted, people break loose at the first notes of the headliner's first song of the evening 'Take the night off'. Losing your friends in the old skool pogo while celebrating that you don't give a fuck about anything with your middle finger high in the air, that's why every single person is here tonight. What a huge contrast with how calm the crowd was before. As I try to find my way to the front I am just in time to see bassplayer Craig falling over a rather extremely clumsy stagediver. Right after the song ends Craig gives us all a speech about crowds, stagediving and clumsyness. 'Guys, I cannot play your songs if you break my bass... Seriously'. Alright, there we go, Lou takes over the mic again and the show goes on.

The Hardcore Help Foundation

The Hardcore Help Foundation was founded earlier this year and in an incredible short amount of time they managed to gain enough money for different projects. They sell band merch, and you decide the price of it yourself. You can donate either shirts or money to the HHF to help them out fulfilling their goals.

The main goal of the HHF is to help out hardcore kids in serious needs. Support them with anything, give them your old band-shirts instead of throwing them away, give them a penny, a euro, or lots of penny’s and euro’s if you can afford it. Just that one shirt of yours you never wear is what can make a difference. And yes, the HHF DOES make a difference for lots of people:

They have been helping out families in Bochum (Germany) whose house was recently destroyed by fire. The city itself refused to help the families, the HHF takes care of them.

The HHF is in Japan right now to help a hardcore friend out rebuilding his school in Miyagi after if got completely destroyed by the tsunami and earthquake disaster in March. After they return to Germany, a video about the trip will follow, to share their experience with the rest of us.

I seriously put my hands together for what the HHF does and I can only ask each and every one of you who reads this to support this organization in any way. Spread the word!

Official website:
http://hardcore-help.com/

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/TheHHF

For more details and pictures about their projects: 
http://hardcore-help.com/current-projects/

Awesome looking official HHF shirts for only 10 euro & other band-shirts:
http://hardcorehelpfoundation.limitedpressing.com/

Coming up soon: interviews with Weaksaw (FR), Bring me The Horizon (UK) and a Campus (BE) review.

Well, what you see here is what it is.
Next week: interview with the French brutal band Weaksaw and a review of our amazing Belgian band Campus' album 'Oh Comely' will be uploaded.
November 29 Bring Me The Horizon will hit Belgium and we will throw some nice questions to their heads.

So keep your eyes open!

Bitter Verses' (GER) new album 'Make or Break' coming up on October 14

Guys and guurrls,

May I have your attention please? Let me introduce to you: Bitter Verses. This German band will release their album ‘Make or Break’ this Friday through Swell Creek Records. Prepare for a blasting release show on Friday as well with Final Effort, Shelldiver and Three Mile Island. Imagine hardcore and metal meeting another, add some breakdowns and twosteps, make sure you mix it well aaaaand  then you get the sound of Bitter Verses. Enjoy!

To buy 'Make or Break': http://www.emp.de/bin/shop.php?prog=shop&funktion=PRODUCTINFO&article=216996

Release show: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=205099476219132

Bitter Verses on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/bitterverseshc?sk=info

About my virtual absence and moving to Germany

There has not been much new here lately and I'm sorry for that. Here is a small explanation about the past four weeks: I have been working my ass off, have been packing bags to leave Belgium for a few months and I have been on the road for like 50% of the time I was awake. Which means there was barely time left for anything else.

But this is the way it should be really written:
After great times of working at the local supermarket (four weeks to be precise) and the founding of  'we hate that black-haired-and-glasses-wearing bitch at our local supermarket club' I'm ready to set off to Germany and live in the beautiful city of Münster for the next coming six months for working, music and writing. And I will own you with the Italian classes I take there. Vaffanculo.   

Goodbye interview with Some Pedestrians (BE)

The legendary mathcore band from Ninove decided to drop the subject and gave us these last words:

Interview with The Dillinger Escape Plan at Ieperfest 2011

Your questions, your interview.

Interview with Carl from First Blood

Interview with The Carrier(US) @ Ieperfest 2011

After lots of emailing and getting no response, we went to the merch stand and asked The Carrier face to face if they were in for interview. Of course they were in for some girl talk about having long hair and putting pony tails in there. We also talked about their hometown, which is Boston.  

This is the result.

P.S.:  Feel free to donate money for my being hearing impaired problem. Thanks.

Interview with Dylan Richter from For The Fallen Dreams

For The Fallen Dreams is an American band which hit the stage on Sunday at Ieperfest last week.

After the show we joined Dylan Richter for some talking while a nice wind was actually sort of bothering us.

Have fun!

   

Videointerview with Betrayal (US) at Ieper Hardcore Fest 2011 (BE)

Sooooo, here is the first videointerview ever done by Brutality Blog

with Brendan and Andrew from Betrayal at Ieperfest 2011

Have fun!

Thanks to… you guys

I want to thank each and every one of you that helped me out at Ieperfest in any way and at other times before by giving me tips, support, just some nice words, helping me out with questions for interviews (the Dillinger interview with the fan questions is so funny, it will be online this week), or just being around. Maybe the only thing you did was giving me a smile, what counts is that you have supported me in any way.

Personal thanks to Jef Van Donick from Noize Agency for helping me out to get The Dillinger Escape Plan in for an interview. Without him there would be no super-awesome-i-cannot-wait-for-it-to-get-online interview with this year’s headliner of Ieperfest.

My biggest thanks goes out to my two-in-one Brutality Blog camera guy and boyfriend for helping me out all the time by coaching me, giving me golden tips, being my personal driver to shows, having the patience of an angel when I make everything turn into chaos, filming the interviews, making me believe I actually AM funny all the time and preparing the Ieperfest interviews with me (the best questions came from him by the way, so not too much fame for me this time).  

To everyone that helped me out before and/or reads Brutality Blog, and especially to Glenn:

THANKS! <3

Last confirmed interview for Ieperfest: The Dillinger Escape Plan

Ladies and gentlemen,

The Dillinger Escape Plan has confirmed an interview which will take place this Sunday at Ieperfest.
Look out from Tuesday on for the interviews to appear online.

For those who will be at Ieperfest:
The weather will be CRAP. On Sunday there will be a free lighting show coming straight from the sky (how green can a festival be?).
Take a rainjacket with you and put on your nicest oldest shoes.

I take the most horrible coloured raincoat with me I could find, because I was too lazy to spend any money on it.
Let's make it a game: The one who can get an even uglier coloured raincoat than me at Ieperfest, will get a free drink! Hurry to your grandma's place, grab that coat aaannndddd GOOO!


See you there!

Ieper Hardcore Fest Belgium 12-14 August 2011

August, the time of the year a small part of Ieper city gets submerged by a few thousands of hardcore fans from all over the world. Three days of singalongs, everything vegan, stagedives, serious debats and highfives while the heavenly festivalsmell from dust or mud will conquer the place together with a crazy atmosphere.Yes ladies and gentlemen, it is the one and only Ieper Hardcore Fest.

Twice a year hardcorefans seek for satisfaction in Ieper. Since 2009 Ieperfest also takes care of a (compared to the summer edition) more modest winter edition each February.

This festival is not just about music, Ieperfest is much more. “Say, what?” Let me explain you what this is all about.

First of all, Ieperfest won the ‘OVAM Groenevent award 2010, this is an award that goes out to the greenest event in Flanders. Of course the organization is willing to win the award again this year, which means that Ieperfest will be greener than ever thanks to these things:

- 100% biodegradable shower gel for free for everybody on the festival

- a bubble gum tree to spit your all-lost-taste-bubblegum on it.

-  goodbye water in plastic bottles, hello new good water system, which means clean and tasty tap water for everyone.

- The organization asks everyone to put their garbage into the right bins, since there has been some problems with that the previous years.

- Composting Toilets. Before I forget, here are some holy words from Ieperfest I would like to put an emphasis on: “We also ask everyone, men and women, to use the toilets to piss and shit.” Yes, people, please do so.

For more info about the recycling system: http://www.ieperfest.com/2011/garbage

Second of all, Ieperfest brings attention to the so called ‘More than music’ (MTM) initiative. The MTM tent brings people together for debats about politics, social awareness and ethics.

This year the issues about whaling will be discussed, the consequences of taking too much fish out of the sea are told in the film ‘Sea the Truth – in 2048 the oceans will be empty’,  a documentary about Shock Doctrine about America’s “free market” will be shown, a documentary called ‘LoveMEATender’  will reveal 'the world of meat as it has never been seen before, a documentary about the Orange County Hardcore Scenester hardcore/punk music scene from 1990 to 1997 and much more.

You can check out to the online schedule to know which debat or documentary will take place at what time: http://www.ieperfest.com/2011/mtm

And last but not least the MTM tent is also full of:

-Bookfair / NGO-stands

-Oxfam Fairtrade Bar

-Vegan Snackshop

-Organic Meltdown Chocolate saves trees.

-Ieperfest Zine Library

-Ieperfest Zine Workshop, UP YOURS!

-Vort’n Vis Benefit

-Diabolixx + workshop

-Help Solve World Hunger!, here you can donate the food that you were about to throw away, to somebody else that is hungry.

Third of all, Ieperfest’s kitchen is entirely vegan AND the food is served with re-usable plates and cutlery only. The menu is the following:

 Snacks:

· Burger: served between bread with mixed salad and lovely sauce

· Bread with a homemade spread, with fresh vegetables (every day another one, collect them all !!)

Hot Meals:

· Chili con tofu, with some nice rice & fresh vegetables (will be served 3 days long)

· Seitan stew (sounds worse than it tastes, be sure to taste it once), with potatoes and vegetables (available on Friday and Sunday)

· Gyros à la Ferm & Fameus, along with some pasta and fresh vegetables (eat it on Saturday and Sunday)

Miscellaneous:

· Fries with ketchup / veganaise (vegan mayo) or the well-know homemade pepper sauce

· Various fruits (while supplies last...)

· Various pastries (while supplies last...)

· Vegan ice-cream to lick & like

I’m not vegan, but I can tell I look forward to this food more than any other food on any other festival.

Ieperfest 

What started 19 years ago in a garage grew out to be a successful underground festival for hardcorefans. The following bands that headlined Ieperfest through all the years can give you an idea of  what to expect from the festival: Misery Index, Darkest Hour, Das Oath, Caliban, Sworn enemy, Maroon, Madball; The Black Dahlia Murder, Bane, Rise and Fall, Parkway Drive, Annotations of an Autopsy, Terror, Agnostic Front, Converge, Comeback Kid,…

The start off is Friday already and Brutality Blog will be there to interview a few bands: First Blood (US) and Betrayal (US) + three more interviews with...  The Carrier, For The Fallen Dreams AND…

Check Brutality Blog out the next coming days because this one is a surprise for you guys.

Carl from First Blood will tell us some more about the green hat that is glued to his head and of course there will also be some serious talk about their new album as well.

Betrayal will explain why the good die young and what it inspired them to write the music from their newest album ‘Abandoned’, which was released last April.

The Carrier will reveal the key to their success and Brutality Blog decided to bother For The Fallen Dreams with some questions about their story from 2003 until 2011.   

This year's headlining pearls are: Comeback Kid, Meshuggah and The Dillinger Escape Plan

   Bands: Blood For Blood, Bury Your Dead, Kvelertak, Drums Are For Parades, Stick To Your Guns, First Blood, Angel Crew, The Carrier, Oathbreaker, For The Fallen Dreams, Betrayed, Headshot, Cheap Girls, Horse The Band, Ghostlimb, Sheer Terror, Soul Control, City of Ships, Reiziger, Ignite,... and many more 

For the entire line-up: http://www.ieperfest.com/2011/bands

See you at Ieperfest!

Brutality presents: 1 guy, 3 x D.I.Y.: Enemy Inside Booking/Management, United German Core Crew and United Core Fest

As you may have noticed, Brutality Blog has its first banner on.

Huuuugeee thanks to Nick for creating this. Check out his D.I.Y. United German Core Crew and Enemy Inside Booking/Management. Have a listen at the bands Nick manages as well: All I've Got, Another Hero's Fall, Bitter Verses, Manifestations, Nothing Left, Subliminal Verses, Stranglet, Sullen Eyes Sore, Turn Away and Violence Approved.  

Since that is a bunch of bands, let's make a game out of it: Close your eyes, point with your finger at the screen and when you open your eyes, you can go and listen to the band you were pointing at.

AND

Certainly check out United Core Fest at the 16^th and 17^th of September:

 “For oldschool and newschool, for everything that has to do with hardcore.”

Final Prayer, Hookline, Nothings Left, Manifestation, Cocoon, Cherished, Welcome Karen, Never Put Aside, Evisceration and Hemera will parade on stage. Be there in time to support them all!

United Core Fest: http://www.facebook.com/ugcc.official#!/event.php?eid=251950904820231

Enemy Inside Booking/Management: http://www.facebook.com/EnemyInsideBooking?sk=info

United German Core Crew: http://www.facebook.com/ugcc.official