Sad news: The music world mourns the loss of Ray Manzarek (74), founding Member and keyboarder of The Doors, White Zombie drummer Phil Buerstatte (44) and Uriah Heep bassist Trevor Bolder (63). R.I.P.!
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. R.I.P. Jeff!
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
Abandon Hope offer now their first album, which was produced by themselves. It is based on good Rock with Nu Metal elements, but nevertheless sounds very flabby. The quartet tries to make their music sound fat and forcing, but this does not really function. What begins very promising like “The Sad, the Damned, the Dead” ends up in Rock uniformity. Which is really good is the well-made cover version of the Jethro Tull song “Locomotive Breath” and the Metal hymns “World of Hurt” and “Displaced”. Also a softer interruption in form of the song “Interlude” is existing, but only instrumental. The final track “Road Sons” offers good stanza melodies, whereas the chorus is not turned out so well.
All in all Abandon Hope show, that they are able to play their instruments and that they have potential for the next album. Maybe it would please more if played on stage, but this record cannot really convince.
