German Hardrockers BERSERKER will donate 18.000€ to the Berlin cancer charity for children on May 25. November 2011 BERSERKER front man Schröder was diagnosed with cancer, now he is cancer-free. In 2012 the band collected money for this charity at their concerts and will also continue to do so in the future. Slayer´s Jeff Hanneman is dead: he passed away at about 11AM on May 2nd near his Southern California home because of liver failure due to an infection after a spider bite. More info: www.facebook.com/slayer
R.I.P. Jeff! Festivals cancelled: ROCK AM SEE (GER) takes a break in 2013 "lacking attractive headliners"; BURNING SEA in Croatia had to succumb to a new tax regulation; yet purchased BS-tickets can also be used to visit METALDAYS in Slowenia.
The Siberian Jay music video "I´m Holding" featuring Mikko Sirén from Apocalyptica on drums - we reported about the videoshoot in our "1h with" Special - can be watched here: http://youtu.be/C-hSNurZVcs
Yesterday a shipment from Australia was to pick up in the main customs office in the port of Hamburg. On the cover was written "gift" - what means in German "poison" - that's why the officials were very suspicious while opening the envelope. Of course, no drugs, but a present - the new EP "Painter" of Australian rock band BaK. Their last CD "Sculpture" in 2009 was already great, so how the four new songs developed?
The basic concept has not changed - a progressive art-rock with 70s influences is created sometimes vigorously shaken, sometimes relaxed stirred and mixed in large parts with Indian and Arabic sound patterns. Tranquility goes unrest, East meets West, Heavy metal greets world music sequences - BaK stays to their tradition of varied song structure.
"Us All" and "What have we done" are the two songs which link a kind of hard rock with Oriental elements. "Creation" is based on melodic tunes by stringed instruments like saz and oud and weaves into this a wordless vocal part, the atmosphere reminds a little of Lisa Gerrard. The song with the long title "The Tragedy of Isabella Lockhart" is a rather short instrumental one, immersed in pure British melancholy.
Well, the band - Kit and Beau from the vicinity of Sydney - are definitely very talented. The new EP continues convincingly, but also without a big surprise. Hopefully the creative speed could increase so that a little more than one or two songs are written each year. And with this "gift" of inspiration and musical skills the new and potentially forthcoming songs could even more expand the spectrum likewise a journey to see and meet things and experiences which never have been experienced before.
