Acid Bath Return: Sammy Duet on Memory, the fans and Playing Live Again

Following our retrospective on Acid Bath’s discography, we spoke with guitarist Sammy Duet about what it means to return to a body of work that has only grown in stature over time. Across When the Kite String Pops and Paegan Terrorism Tactics, Acid Bath carved out a space that felt insular and difficult to replicate, with a dedication to darkness unique to the swamps of Louisiana.

Decades on, that material exists in a different context. The band’s audience has expanded across generations, their absence only intensifying the connection listeners have to those records. In this conversation, Duet reflects on memories, creative intent, and the realities of stepping back into a project that never fully left public consciousness.

Diana Rotten: When you look back at When the Kite String Pops and Paegan Terrorism Tactics, I have read some interviews with you in the past where you spoke about the kind of emotional landscape that you were living in at the time. I wanted to ask if those memories feel distant to you now when you perform, or do they vividly come back to you when you're playing the same albums?

Sammy Duet: Well, I mean, you have to think that was a very, very long time ago. A lot of us, I would say all of us, have changed since back then, you know what I'm saying? It's good to look back and remember those memories and stuff, of what we were going through personally and all that, and what was happening around us, but yeah, it's life, I guess you can say. It's just that it was so long ago, and… how can I put this to where I'm not incriminating myself… we were a bit chemically challenged. I think nowadays we are more focused, as far as what we're going through now. I'm just happy that we can remember those times, you know?

Diana: Do you still feel the same way about the songs? Do you ever look back at any of them and think, “I felt like this was better at the time”? Or do you still see the value in them as a sort of time capsule that you can still engage with now?

Sammy: Oh, absolutely. Because, I mean, back then, you know, we worked on those songs so hard and spent so much time on them. That was basically our life at that point in time. If I had to look back and say, would I change anything musically about the songs, I would say no, because we worked so hard on them to perfect them. A person told me once, “Art is never completed, it's just abandoned.” So, you know, it is what it is. And I think the songs are still fantastic to this day.

ACID BATH - PHOTO BY CHARLES DYE

Jack Hinks: You said there's a clear distinction between when you wrote it and now, and there's a different state of mind connecting them. Do you see hints of your influence, and Acid Bath’s influence, in other people's music? And do you ever say, “We did that, and we walked so these guys could run.”?

Sammy: I get asked that question a lot, and to be honest with you, there are bands that have told me that Acid Bath has influenced this song, or that Acid Bath was a huge influence on their band. But, you know, personally, I don't hear it. I mean, I appreciate that they acknowledge us and all that. But, you know, I just… I guess we were kind of in our own world in more ways than one, in ways that a lot of people don't really understand. Not so much what we were going through, but I suppose our mindset back then was that our goal was a lot different from a lot of other bands.

I recognise that a lot of people and a lot of bands and a lot of musicians claim that Acid Bath were a huge influence on them. I go back and I listen to these songs that these people have written, and I'm like, I don't hear it. But, I mean, I guess that's cool, because that kind of influence wasn't direct, and that was the whole point of this band.

I guess I have my own preconceived notions of what Acid Bath should sound like. And maybe these other musicians who have said that have their own interpretation of what we sound like to them.

Jack: Sure. Could you possibly talk a bit more about the world that you were in when you were writing and when you were playing? The meaning, the message, and the intention of the band? Could you elaborate on that a little bit?

Sammy: It was just trying to create the darkest music we possibly could without it being, for lack of a better term, “campy”. You have all these bands that are doing historic extreme music, but I guess the way we went about our music was a different route than they did. Rather than going to extreme descriptions of cutting someone open and bathing in blood and looking at the guts, we were more… not so much what a murderer would do in front of them, but more what was going through his mind at the time, right?

Jack: That makes a lot of sense. And so with that intention, did you feel that Acid Bath was in their element in the studio or live? Which felt more true to your vision of the band, and how does that feel now that you're touring again?

Sammy: I've always been a live guy. I absolutely cannot stand being in the studio, and I understand it's a necessary evil, sure, but when you're in the studio, you're completely under the microscope, and everything has to be a certain way. Whereas live, it's more of a primal energy where it's more by instinct. You have to be focused and very concentrated on playing the parts the best you can.

ACID BATH BY CHARLES DYE

Jack: I've always found that in the studio, unless you go in knowing exactly what you're going to do, you start second guessing everything. “Oh, I played it like that. Should I be playing it like this?” And someone says, “Maybe try it like this.” And then all of a sudden, the plan is out the window. And that energy that you're talking about, that live essence, is really hard to pin down because everything's shifting too much.

Sammy: Yeah, exactly. I’d rather go by more of a primal instinct rather than have to concentrate on how well I have to play a part, or whatever.

Diana: Sure, thank you. For years, I've been looking at the comment sections of your Facebook pages and all your online fan environments, and you do have a hell of a cult following. I've noticed that there's a huge sense of pride within your audience, especially from the people who have been there from the very beginning. There are younger generations of fans who are so excited that you've come back to perform. Do you, or have you ever, felt any sense of anxiety, or any feelings about living up to that ideal that people might hold of you in their heads when you perform live today? Or is it like, “Fuck it, we’re Acid Bath, fuck you.”?

Sammy: Well, you know, that was definitely a concern when we first got back together, but after the first two or three rehearsals, everything just fell into place. It was like we never stopped, almost. And after that, I was like, “Oh, we got this.” And I'm sure no one will be disappointed with what we're going to present to them live. But that was definitely a concern for the first couple of rehearsals. Once everything just kind of fell into place, we realised we still sound like we sounded right when we stopped playing together the first time.

Jack: You have perfectly segued into my next question. As a guitaristl, and I could talk for hours about gear, but I saw that you recently got a new signature amp, the SPD100. I believe it was Michael W. Klein Amps? Amazing. And obviously you've got your ESP signatures. That sound that you're talking about, has that felt like an evolution from how Acid Bath was and the gear you were using? Are you using similar equipment, or is it more of a modern touring rig? How has that changed for you and for the band?

Sammy: We were living in poverty, so we did not have the best equipment. We wished we had the money to buy a nice Mesa Boogie or a Marshall or something like that, but we didn't have the money to buy nice gear back then, so we just used whatever we could get our hands on. Nowadays we can get nicer stuff. I think live, we're using Marshall JCM 2000s with Michael Klein pedals. A lot of the shows we're doing are fly-in shows, so we can't really bring a whole bunch of gear with us, so we just have to rent what makes sense. The Michael Klein amp is a beast on its own, and I wish one day I could bring it everywhere. But, you know, we'll see what happens.

Diana: Is there anything that you wish someone had told you about a reunion like this? Is there anything you did not expect it to feel this way? If so, how are you dealing with that?

Sammy: Oh yeah, it completely caught me off guard. I mean, I knew there was a cult following, but I did not know it was to this magnitude. Let's just put it that way. And, you know, when the shows started selling out and all that, I was like, “This is not what I expected.”

Diana: Oh yeah, for sure. What's your favourite thing about your fans?

Sammy: My favourite thing about our fans is… oh man, that they are so passionate about us. Even though we haven't put out a new record in over 30 years, they are still rabid for this music, and that's what I like about our fans the most. They're so passionate about this. And, you know, without them, we would probably not be doing this right now.

Diana: I’m a big fan of your merch. How do you pick your artwork for all that merch? Because it seems like there are different artists involved?

Sammy: Well, we try to find an artist that we like, and we don't really try to paint ourselves into a corner in a certain style. We see an artist who does a piece of art that we like, and we’re like, “Okay, we like this piece, but can you do something maybe a little different?” Or possibly, if the piece is amazing, we'll be like, “Hey, is that available for us to use?” So, you know, it all depends on the artist, if they capture the vibe of what we look for in the band. We can't just stick a bunch of skeletons and pentagrams and put Acid Bath on a shirt, you know?

Jack: You’ll be playing the Manchester Academy. How does your live experience compare venue-wise? I know that a lot of grungier, smaller clubs have a certain energy about them. How do the larger, I guess, shinier venues compare to the scene that Acid Bath was born in and has contributed to?

Sammy: Yeah, I mean, there's different dynamics, you know? What it basically boils down to is just enjoying the live show, no matter what environment it's in. To be honest with you, they both have their ups and downs. I just like playing live regardless. I can do either. I've been fortunate enough to be able to maintain both sizes without getting… I know a lot of bands will get spoiled after a while, and when they have to play a smaller place, they have a shit fit. I'm used to both, so it's like, show me where my guitar is and I'll go to town. I don't care.

What comes through most clearly is that Acid Bath has not been preserved in a fixed state, either for the band or their audience. The songs remain intact, but the perspective around them has shifted as band members evolved. For Sammy Duet, there is no sense of needing to revise or reframe that work. The scale of the band’s return may have been unexpected, but their approach remains dedicated to their original vision. In that sense, the reunion does not attempt to resolve the past or modernise it - it simply brings it back into the room, where it can exist again at the suprise of an audience who has waited 30 years to hear Acid Bath on stage again. God, what a time to be alive.

What Next?

Acid Bath will be coming to Manchester on the 25th of June 2026, more info here: https://www.manchesteracademy.net/event/unavailable/13378907/acid-bath-manchester-academy-2026-06-25-19-00-00?platform=standard

They will also be supporting System of a Down on the 13th and 15th of July in London: https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/acid-bath-tickets/artist/5529769

Wired for Chaos: Shooting the Shit With Harley Flanagan

Founder of the pioneering band Cro-Mags and a legend of the NYC hardcore scene, Harley Flanagan is a punk rock icon who has battled chaos, defied the odds, and come out the other side. But while his career has been a no-holds-barred ride, Wired for Chaos isn’t just about the music; it’s about a man forged in fire, a survivor of neglect, sexual abuse, drugs, violence and PTSD, who’s lived to tell the tale.

His story encompasses playing at CBGBs with The Stimulators at age 11, squatting as a teen in Alphabet City, stealing food, dodging gangs and living in a world that he describes as “some serious Lord of the Flies shit!”. But Harley was a fighter. Whether on stage, in the streets, or in the jiu-jitsu gym with Renzo Gracie, he never backed down. The streets made him, but they also nearly destroyed him. This film dives deep into Harley’s past, but it’s not just war stories. It’s about what happens after.

Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos interviews friends like Flea, Henry Rollins, Roger Miret, Keith Morris, Michael Imperioli, Matt Serra, Jocko Willink and the late Anthony Bourdain, revealing the man behind the legend, confronting demons, raising a family and sharing the knowledge of his experience to help others.

Ahead of the anticipated release of the film, we caught up with the man himself to discuss the vulnerability of allowing someone else to tell your story, his advice for the young men of today, and what he hopes the future holds.

Diana: So what can you tell us about creating a film that speaks truth into this kind of sensationalised legend surrounding your life, and the honesty that had to be a part of that?

Harley: I didn't actually have very much to do with making the film. You know, I actually didn't even get to see it till it was done. You didn't know how it would turn out, which was really kind of nerve-wracking. Because, as you can imagine, when you have someone else telling your story and you have the input of as many people as were interviewed… there were a lot of interviews that didn't even make it in, so it was a little nerve-wracking, because I know I haven’t lived a perfect life. I've done a lot of shady things, and I've fucked up a lot.

You never know how it's going to be perceived. I was a little nervous, but I think the director did a pretty good job. It tells the same story as my book, really, just from the viewpoints of more people, and that's wild, because he never read my book. He didn't want to read my rendition of my life. He wanted to learn it from all the interviews and from all the archives and piece his own story together. He didn't want my version of it because people tend to leave out the things they don't want to talk about, and they embellish things that they want to brag about.

If anything, it just validated what I have been saying all along. I was really honoured that some of these people even came forward to be a part of it. I mean, Ian Mackaye, he doesn't typically do documentaries like this. Michael Imperioli, for example. There were just so many people that I didn't realise how much of an impact I had had on some of these people. And maybe if I had realised that when I was younger, I might not have beaten myself up so hard.

Craig: When I grew up, I basically just listened to nothing but American hardcore. Everyone in that documentary was phenomenal to see, a beautiful ode to your life.

Harley: Yeah, actually, we're working on a book that's going to be a lot of outtakes from the film and photos and stuff. And there's a lot of really cool stuff in there, like behind the scenes, because each one of those interviews was about an hour to two hours long. So there's a lot of stories and a lot of things that obviously couldn't make it into a film. You're working with a limited amount of time. I would never in my life have ever imagined that there'd be a film about me. It's pretty weird.

Photo credit- Jeanie Pawlowski

Diana: There was an incredible amount of material in there, and I found it fascinating. It must be quite emotionally challenging to see those pictures and footage of yourself when you're younger. What would you tell your younger self if you could go and meet him? What would you tell him now?

Harley: Well, you know, that's a tricky one. I probably have a lot of things to tell him, but I don't think he'd listen. I have two sons, and I raised a young lady. I have been giving a lot of that advice that I would have given myself, and a lot of things we have to learn on our own, sadly.

I have a really good relationship with my kids. They know I've been a bit of a madman throughout my life, and I'm able to talk about a lot of things with them that I think most kids and most parents would be too uncomfortable or too squeamish, shy, or whatever, to talk about. I understand what it's like to be a young man in the world and in the streets, and there's a lot of pressure. Sometimes you get in a place where it's like being a man and holding your own isn't always necessarily right, but sometimes what choice do you have? You want to tell your kid you shouldn't do this, you shouldn't do that, but you also understand what it's like to be in that position.

Craig: Yeah, especially growing up as a punk back then.

Harley: Yeah, especially growing up as a punk back then. I mean, if you were a punk rocker, any old-school punk or skinhead from back in the day will tell you you were a walking target. And that's just the facts. The closest you could explain it, it was like being gay or a tranny back in the day, people were gonna fuck with you. You couldn't really walk around and not get some kind of drama somewhere along the way. Things were different, man. Now everybody's got tattoos on their face and fluorescent, crazy hair, and it wasn't like that back then.

Photo- Anthony Bourdain and Harley: New York Natives Interview

Craig: Do you have any advice for young men today who may struggle inside a hyper-masculine environment, struggling to make their way out of that patriarchal machine?

Harley: Well, it's a little tricky, because what the fuck is hyper-masculine? What is natural? It seems like there's been a lot of emasculating going on over the last decade or so. I don't think there's anything wrong with being a man. I think there's nothing wrong with being a woman. I think there's a place and a time for all those things that took millions of years of evolution. I train in jiu-jitsu, and that made me hyper-masculine. That's my drive. That's who the fuck I am… you can't take the man out of me. What the fuck does that mean? Does that mean there's something wrong with me? No, it means I'm a motherfucking man, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. It doesn't mean that you have to go out and be a sexist or a racist or a bigot or an arsehole. What is being a fucking human? Are we supposed to be soft? I don't really give a fuck. Everybody's got their path. There's nothing wrong with being sensitive and emotional and all that shit. Why the fuck can't you be all of the above? I'm a lover and a fighter.

People that I actually respect, I can have an argument with them and walk away and still respect them. I don't have to agree with people on every single thing. I could still learn from them anyway. In fact, some of my best friends, I've had some of the best arguments with them and I still love them. We don't agree on everything. You don't fucking have to. I came to that realisation a while ago. My master Renzo Gracie, who gave me my black belts, I love him. I love him like a brother, like a friend. He means so much to me. Now, do I agree with him on everything? Fuck no. He’s like a right-wing conservative, this, that, the other, whatever. I still love the man.

Because I thought for a minute, me and my dad, we don't agree on everything, but I fucking love him. Especially your politics, when your politics start to matter more than loving, you’ve got a fucking problem.

Diana: I particularly enjoyed the part of the movie when you were speaking about getting clean. It was so obvious that you had dragged yourself up from hell at a certain point in your life. I wanted to ask, what was a part of that journey that nobody could have prepared you for?

Harley: At this point in my life, I know that I'm not going to relapse into shooting heroin or smoking PCP or shooting meth or smoking meth or whatever the fuck. I know that I'm not going to fall down to that level again because I've climbed the mountain, man, I've come to the other side. I realised that I was in a lot of pain, in my mind, in my soul, and I was doing everything that I could to try to just shut that off. I realised that that's why I've been doing drugs practically my whole life.

You get to a place where, I guess something has to matter. And I don't want to spoil the movie, but if you see the film, you see that something happened in my life where someone else, who was really important to me, needed me to get my shit together. So I did.

Sometimes other people are more important and you have to handle your bullshit, and so I handled mine. And you know, life is fucking great, man. I'm having the best life right now, and I've been through so much crazy shit. I'll tell you, I don't even care about the bad shit anymore. I don't regret much. I am so grateful for where I am right now.

Craig: Yeah, that’s so good to hear, especially with all the stuff you’ve been through. It’s great to hear you just have such a positive attitude and outlook, and you’ve definitely earned it.

Harley: It's wild, you know. Sometimes I think back, and I'm just like, wow, man, what the fuck. I really appreciate everything I have. I know what it's like to walk the streets in the rain at night, not knowing where you're going to go, not knowing how you're going to eat next, how you're going to stay straight.

I don't really feel like I was ever a junkie, though. I feel like I was just a drug addict, because it didn't matter whether I was shooting smack or meth or whatever, I was just drowning myself, you know, smoking dust, whatever. I was a fucking mess. But here I am, 59, feeling fine.

Photo credit- Ehud Lazin

Craig: And in great shape as well. So talking about this, obviously you're currently reaping the rewards of immense emotional work and giving back to your community in the process. What can we expect to see from you next, and what do you hope for in the future?

Harley: Well, I am currently finishing up a new album, which should be out sometime this year or, at the latest, the beginning of next year. I'm in the studio. We've got a bunch of tours coming up this summer, a bunch of festivals, and I've been keeping so fucking busy, man, my head is spinning. It's like I don't even feel like I landed from last year. I've done over 600 shows since COVID opened up. And you know, I've been recording non-stop and just keeping really busy.

As far as what I hope, I just hope I fucking live a really long time, because I'm having a fucking great time. My only regret is that it took me this long to get my head together. I would have met my wife sooner. I've got maybe another 40 years, if I'm lucky. I'm having a great time, so I'm just going to do my best to stay in shape so I can really maximise this fucking ride. I'm really enjoying it.

But in the meantime, I'm enjoying every second of this. Some people think you have to renounce all these desires while you're alive in order to be prepared for the afterlife. I don't know. I'm really enjoying my desires. I'm having a great time fulfilling them, and when it's time to let go, I understand this shit isn’t forever, but I'll be damned if I’m not going to have a great time while I’m here.

Frank White: Harley with Lemmy

Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos is set to release on 11 May 2026. 4K UHD Blu-ray - Limited Edition (1,000 copies): https://screenbounddirect.co.uk/product/harley-flanagan-wired-for-chaos-limited-edition/

WARNING: Harley Flanagan: Wired for Chaos contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

UPCOMING SHOWS

LONDON: 07.08.26

NEWPORT, CORN EXCHANGE: 08.08.26

BLACKPOOL, REBELLION FESTIVAL: 09.08.26

Cultural Autopsy: A Retrospective of Acid Bath

Words: Jack Hinks - Music Editor @ Féroce Magazine

Acid Bath: When The Kite String Pops

Time has proven Acid Bath’s first album, When The Kite String Pops, to be seminal not only in their career as a band, but as an inspirational force within hardcore and metal scenes for decades to follow. Underappreciated in its time for its genre-blending, multi-faceted approach to songwriting, production and metal itself, Acid Bath has seen a consistent rise to cult status in recent years, now amassing half a million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

When The Kite String Pops (1994) encapsulates all of the experimentation and raw energy you come to expect of a band’s first album. We are met by a wall of guitar feedback in stereo, layered with overdubs of plectrums scratching and pinching across the strings, holding the listener in suspense and unease. Fans of metal will be accustomed to treading water in sonic paint like this, and it’s something that Acid Bath do very well. When the feedback erupts, we’re locked into the trudging death march of ‘The Blue’, driven by a sludgy bass line (Audie Pitre) and solemnly matched by the drums (Jimmy Kyle). As the guitars (Mike Sanchez & Sammy “Pierre” Duet) creep back in to join the bass line in full force, we get the first directive from vocalist, Dax Riggs:

“Across your face, I see what you are.
You wanna kill the sun, blot out the stars.
I know you, you’re nothing. You’re so small.
You’re fucking nothing.”

As the album continues we get more of a sample of Acid Bath’s diversity, with multiple tempo changes per track, often combining faster choruses with progressively slower breakdowns and refrains, now a staple of modern metal and djent. The more I heard, the more each track felt like it had been written in movements rather than following a traditional pop structure. From my own experiences as a musician and composer, this felt like an untempered freedom of expression afforded to a new project or artist, before experience and conventional influence inevitably colours the creative process. Their second (and final) album, Paegan Terrorism Tactics (1996), manages to benefit from this experience without losing their signature expression.

Lyrically, Riggs keeps Acid Bath’s tone firmly locked in the gothic and lamenting, often swirling around body horror and a deep sense of anti-establishment. This consistent aesthetic affords them drastic genre shifts in the same album without feeling disjointed. ‘Scream of the Butterfly’ takes a hard pivot into a psychedelic soundscape, with 70s-esque phaser and flanger-effected guitars, a chorus-driven bass line and pristine acoustic guitars; an arrangement that, on paper, could be an entirely different band or even decade, and yet is still undeniably Acid Bath. I found myself comparing When The Kite String Pops to Quentin Tarantino’s unmistakable aesthetic that is often imitated but rarely matched. Both artists choose to focus on brutality and violence as a narrative tool, and in doing so open up the doors to the unlikeliest of soundscapes for genre and juxtaposition. Amidst a sea of bands that strive to be the best in their field, Acid Bath reminded me that genre is as much an aspect of composition as composition itself.

Another underappreciated aspect of Acid Bath’s production is their use of samples. ‘God Machine’ and ‘Cassie Eats Cockroaches’ both feature sampled recordings from The Jerry Springer Show, and A Clockwork Orange and David Lynch’s Blue Velvet. In doing so they borrow cultural capital from fellow cult treasures that share the same dystopian outlook and strain of bleak societal reflection as Acid Bath. These are panned wide on repeat to create a sense of surrounding, inescapable intensity that is only pushed further by a pulsing wall of guitars and distorted vocals.

‘The Bones of Baby Dolls’ presents another moment of introspection amidst a torrent of outward aggression. These occasional breaks in the storm give the listener a welcome dose of headspace and allow Riggs’ vocals to command more ground than usual, granting this drop-tuned piece of acoustic Americana an anthemic quality that feels like it’s bleeding internally.

It’s easy to hear Acid Bath’s influence on the likes of early Slipknot, Gojira, Rob Zombie, Deftones and, in places, even Scotland’s own Biffy Clyro. Blackened Sky sounds like a beneficiary of the road paved by Acid Bath. Even their more acoustic tracks herald the experimentation of bands like Stone Sour and Alter Bridge. Despite having an unfortunately short discography, owed primarily to the tragic death of bassist Audie Pitre, Acid Bath manage to remain faithful to their unique sound, whilst establishing different directions in their production between albums. When The Kite String Pops revels in layers of unstable audio landscapes, usually guitars, whereas their second album Paegan Terrorism Tactics feels more concise and curated, whilst still possessing the aggressive, untameable edge that their songs are known for. It could be that this was a product of playing live, and a need to keep their material performable without relying heavily on extra musicians or backing tracks, something that would have been rarely seen in their gigging era. In spite of this more considered approach, their whole discography celebrates a rich blend of styles, influences and moods.

Paegan Terrorism Tactics begins more melodically with a nod towards southern classic rock and blues, but of course with the recognisable Acid Bath spin on things. ‘Paegan Love Song’ embodies a lot of the same tonal choices as When The Kite String Pops, crooning and distorted vocals, tightly distorted drop-tuned guitars, imposing bass and thunderous drums that carry them all, but it carries an air of experience and polish that comes with a second album. It follows a more conventional pop structure, and feels more accessible to an uninitiated fan. The next two tracks continue in the same vein, displaying a real sense of cohesion in the arrangement. Guitar harmonics are matched by the kick drum pattern (‘Graveflower’), specific parts of vocal phrases are doubled up with overdubs (‘Bleed Me an Ocean’), and the guitars navigate different tones that create a real sense of distinction and character in their parts, whilst complementing each other in the choruses of ‘Locust Spawning’. This track in particular set me thinking if their writing process was inspired by their swarm-like tone, or if it was a response to concept. Perhaps it was purely my ability to understand their music that grew with time, but Paegan Terrorism Tactics found me considering aspects of their work that I hadn’t realised I had missed in When The Kite String Pops.

The second half of the album leans further into poetics and gospel. ‘Old Skin’ boasts a cinematic soundscape and vocally effected spoken word, which leads seamlessly into ‘New Death Sensation’, a creeping siren song that starts acoustic and by the end has engulfed you in a discordant, pseudo-religious psychedelic trip. This is also the first time that keyboards and synths have been notably heard on an Acid Bath track, performed by Tommy Viator, who briefly joined the line-up for PTT. The addition of keys and string patches allow a broader scope for AB’s tracks, and help sculpt the brooding end for ‘New Death Sensation’, light-mallet drums and layers of plectrums and fingers on guitar strings. This more cinematic and gentle end really hammers home the tragedy of Acid Bath’s story, hinting at a whole new direction that the band might have explored had it not been for his untimely passing.

‘Venus Blue’ pays homage to Louisiana gospel with ample religious iconography. ‘13 Fingers’ draws on their blues inspiration with shifting scales, chromatic riffs and, at its heart, a frenetic instability that prevents a feeling of resolution or rest. ‘New Corpse’ keeps this energy going with an unedited start to the track, with random drum and synth trigger hits, before counting in the rest of the band, highlighting how live all of their work sounds. Due to the nature of their tracks’ many changes across both albums, it would make sense that most of their performances were rooted in a sense of live collaboration, rather than deconstruction and layering. The heart of the band is alive and audible, still. ‘New Corpse’ also stands as an example of their ability to push boundaries and explore even within their niche. It features a much higher-tuned snare, something that’s often found in reggae, forcing the listener to reconsider with fresh ears before they can get too comfortable or complacent.

‘Dead Girl’ is an anthemic acoustic track that, in hindsight, feels like a mournful toast to the end of the band. I found Acid Bath’s acoustic tracks were always well placed in aiding the flow of both albums, and ending on this track feels right given the hindsight. It combines many of the styles and influences that birthed Paegan Terrorism Tactics: rock, blues, gospel, and even poetry, and resolves to a major refrain, something very rare with Acid Bath and wider metal.

Despite all of the aggression and horror, I ended the album with a smile. Not all bands can achieve that, especially given the resistance and brutality from which Acid Bath was born.

Bonus Poem, Bonus Ending. Only after nearly 17 minutes of silence, we are given one final piece of Acid Bath. A timpani drum war march with synthesised brass is given a final vocally shifted sermon in the form of Riggs’ poetry. The final line, “It’s maddening, always touching something” speaks to the discomfort and struggle of life, and the artistic questioning that followed Riggs into his solo career after Acid Bath began their 28-year hiatus.

For a band with such a concise discography and short active career, Acid Bath have managed to leave a lasting legacy on their audience and the musicians they inspired. From metal giants like Slipknot, System of a Down and Crowbar, to stalwarts of the scene like Eyehategod and Goatwhore, Acid Bath are as relevant today as they were at the height of their activity in the mid-nineties. Given the spiritual succession of their work, paired with their consistent listenership, it should surprise no one that Acid Bath announced a live reunion in 2024, with live shows beginning in 2025. After a 28-year hiatus, they announced their first ever UK show in Manchester on 25 June 2026 at the Manchester Academy. They will also be going on a 10-date European tour with System of a Down and Queens of the Stone Age starting in late June 2026.

Visit the Acid Bath website for more information: https://www.acidbathofficial.com/

Acid Bath Merch: https://merch.acidbathofficial.com/

Upcoming Show Dates: https://acidbathofficial.com/dates.html

REVIEW: The Story of Skids: Scotland’s No.1 Punk Band

Words by Diana Rotten, Print Editor @ Féroce Magazine

Féroce Magazine was given exclusive access to the Blu-ray documentary release of Mark Sloper’s The Story of Skids: Scotland’s No.1 Punk Band. This earnest, candid documentary features fresh performances from Skids, alongside archive footage and photographs spanning decades.

Formed in Dunfermline in 1977, Skids are responsible for breakout hits Into the Valley and The Saints Are Coming, and exist as a rare example of what can happen when your fanbase remains dedicated and your frontman does not descend into a cringe alt-right fascist pipeline. Skids are one of Scotland’s most beloved punk bands, and this documentary is truly for the fans.

The film frames the Skids through the life and memory of Richard Jobson, a figure who comes across less as a restless cultural worker who never stopped thinking about what music was really for. Exploring complex themes, the documentary works as social history, personal memoir, and a study of how art survives the industries that try to consume it and shit it back out again.

Becoming Skids: Ambition, Fight, and a Small Pond

One of the film’s early pleasures is how bluntly it deals with myth-making. The Skids were voted Scotland’s best punk band at a time when there were not many Scottish punk bands to compete with, yet they built a fiercely loyal local following and are still widely regarded as one of the most iconic British punk groups. Jobson’s own entry into the band is characterised by his audition, where he reportedly told the other hopefuls to “get lost or else”. It is this Scottish fervour that placed him at the front line of a growing punk movement within Dunfermline and beyond.

There is something refreshingly honest in the way the film talks about scale. Working in a factory while the band’s reputation grew, Jobson describes the strange advantage of being a bigger fish in a smaller pond. When bands toured Scotland, the Skids were often booked as support because they had already built something real at home. This is something we can learn from today, where much Scottish talent ends up moving to London or abroad to secure their bag. The band challenged the status quo, but wasn’t immune to traditional punk charm. The Skids’ first gig being a brawl in a bar feels less like a romanticised origin story and more like a rite of passage.

Punk, Class, and the Politics of Being There

The documentary stays true to Scotland as more than a backdrop or jumping-off point. A history lesson unfolds through places like the former Belleville Hotel, where the Skids played their first gig, and the Barrowlands, once a ballroom where Bowie played and later a nightclub. The band played matinees there because Jobson and so many of the Skids’ fans were under 18. Gigs were timed to the end of the school day so a core part of their audience could remain included. There was even a period of “Skids for Kids”, which Jobson looks back on with a profound cringe.

Entertainment laws dictated that under-18s were not permitted to work in entertainment without supervision. The solution, having Hugh Cornwell listed as Jobson’s “teacher” on the road, is both absurd and perfectly in the spirit of a young punk’s persistence in following his dream. Jobson has never lost his sense of youth, and you can tell. He speaks of the glory days as though they were yesterday, and the future as though it has only just begun.

The film never pretends punk sat comfortably within any neat political box. Instead, it shows a scene shaped by class, frustration, and the simple need to make something happen in a smaller community. It is noted in the documentary that when punk was just beginning, very few publications supported it, with the exception of NME, and that it was John Peel playing Charles on the radio that changed the trajectory of the band forever.

Jobson reflects on the connections he made in the industry, noting that he does not recognise the Sid Vicious others describe, and that butter-seller John Lydon hates him and he hates John Lydon. But believe me, we all fucking hate John Lydon. Jobson is arguably more punk than many, with the likes of Johnny Rotten, Michale Graves, and Ian Stuart Donaldson having long since succumbed, like cowards, to the alt-right. Jobson, by contrast, is a breath of fresh air.

At the beginning of the documentary, he notes how women were treated terribly back in his youth, and how, when he first saw the cover of a New York Dolls album, he did not know if they were boys or girls, and it did not matter. Jobson’s art continued to subvert the “boy meets girl” tropes of songwriting throughout the decades, drawing instead on rich and often harrowing histories, and establishing broader critiques of how Nazi Germany drained the optimism from art after the First World War.

Contrary to first impressions, the album Days in Europa and its controversial cover art do not reflect Jobson’s political ideology. He displays profound empathy for impoverished communities and outsiders, and remains loudly anti-fascist to this day, using his musical talent for gigs such as Love Glasgow Hate Racism in 2018. He is a leading example of the potential within men to reject hyper-masculine rhetoric and instead embrace a genuine love for the arts and community.

Songs as History and Foretelling

The Skids’ album Scared to Dance is framed as being inspired by the Great War poets and their attempts to process trauma through art. Into the Valley grows out of that lineage and, in a sombre tone, Jobson refuses to participate in the humour surrounding its “unintelligible” lyrics. He doubles down on the importance of the song and the meanings behind it. The Skids owe their success to history, and it is obvious that Jobson has stayed true to that sense of honour and respect for those who lived through it.

He speaks openly about Scotland’s religious divides and about the impact of the Troubles on young men in the community, describing how many were traumatised by their time in Northern Ireland, with Bloody Sunday hardening hatreds that lingered long after. Jobson’s response was to immortalise the stories of his friends in song, to write about slow-burning hatred and how it evolves through generational trauma. It is hard not to be struck by the fact that The Saints Are Coming was written when he was fifteen, and that forty years later it is still embedded in popular culture. Covered by both U2 and Green Day, Jobson reflects on how, even four decades on, he still receives requests for the song’s use.

The film also gives space to the ideas behind the songs. The Saints Are Coming is described as a conversation between a son and a father he never met because he had died. Charles is framed as an eerily prescient song about the coming digital and technological age, a reminder that the Skids were not just reacting to their moment but trying to think beyond it. Masquerade, written about the bombing of Guernica, remains a classic to this day.

Style, leather, and British subcultural memory

Jobson’s musical influences are worn openly. Velvet Underground, Roxy Music, Frank Zappa. From the age of six onwards, he was soaking in The Stooges and New York Dolls. He grew up on the greats, with Iggy Pop named as a central inspiration when he was around twelve. His wide range of influences sits neatly alongside his broader view of music as something with genuine transformational potential inside what was, at the time, a regressive society.

Like a lot of young punks, Jobson was keen to create his own visual style, sporting dyed black hair with a white streak and paying homage to Iggy Pop with iconic black leather trousers until they were absolutely wrecked. His affection for “The Dominator” leather jacket, the same style worn by Sid Vicious, opens into a wider conversation with Derek Harris of Lewis Leathers about the heritage of biker jackets and their place in punk and rock and roll. It is a small but telling piece of British subcultural history, where clothing is not just costume, tracing back to the 1950s rock and roll era.

The Industry, and What It Takes from People

Sloper does not dodge the uglier parts of the story. The documentary briefly but firmly addresses the suicide of Stuart Adamson, Jobson’s bandmate. Jobson recalls later seeing photographs of him and being horrified, not just by the personal loss, but by how clearly the music industry can chew people up, and spit them out, under the fictional promise that money and audiences will keep flowing indefinitely. There is no attempt to turn this into a morality tale. Instead, it sits alongside discussions about adaptability and the need to evolve one’s skills within an insidious business that rarely rewards the people who feed it talent. The film does not try to smooth these edges down. It lets them stand as part of a scene that was never as unified or as simple as later histories sometimes pretend.

After Skids: A Life in Many Forms

The latter part of the film tracks Jobson’s life beyond the band into spoken word, writing, television, and film. His line, “I had what middle-class people didn’t have: aggression, an edge. I was not afraid of you,” neatly summarises how he moved through different cultural spaces with an unapologetic commitment to who he has always been. He comes across as a kind of Swiss Army knife of artistic impulse, restless and adaptable, capable of anything.

There is also a quieter pride in the way his work has travelled. He loves Germany, speaks the language, and notes that the German football team even used his song as an anthem. It is another sign of how deeply some of these songs have embedded themselves in culture, long after the original scene that produced them has changed.

Ending Where It Began

The film closes with the Skids playing at Dunfermline Abbey, a setting that brings history, place, and memory into the same frame. Jobson reflects on the heritage of the building and its wider importance within Scotland, noting that nobody else would get back in to play a gig like this. It does not feel like self-mythologising so much as a genuine awareness. Jobson is completely devoid of arrogance and beautifully earnest in his retelling of the Skids’ history.

Ending on The Saints Are Coming makes sense, not just as a greatest hits moment but as a way of underlining the band’s lasting value to Scottish punk. The Skids are rightfully framed as forefathers of a movement whose effects are still being felt.

Our Verdict

The Story of Skids has something for anyone interested in art, history, politics, working-class culture, or fashion, but it never tries to please everyone at once. It is thoughtful about context and unapologetic about the darker sides of punk history. Above all, it feels like sitting down with your older, cooler uncle who has lived several lives and remembers exactly what it cost everyone around him. Richard Jobson emerges as someone who was always in it for the love of the art, and the film makes a convincing case that this, more than any chart position or retrospective praise, is why the Skids still matter.

The Story of Skids: Scotland’s No.1 Punk Band is available to order now:

https://screenbounddirect.co.uk/product/the-story-of-skids-scotlands-no-1-punk-band-limited-edition-blu-ray/

REVIEW: 'Reincarnate' by Witch Fever

Words by Jack Hinks

Birthed from the hugely diverse music scene of Manchester, Witch Fever are an aural force to be reckoned with.

Releasing their first single with their current line up in 2019, ‘Berzerk(h)er’, Witch Fever is Amy, Alex, Alisha and Annabelle. They have been concocting a potent sonic assault on listeners for the past two years, and their latest single, ‘Reincarnate’ pulls no punches.

My attention was immediately grabbed by a swollen, distorted guitar chugging through a dark, hypnotic riff that sent me straight to thoughts of Black Sabbath. Drums and bass are swiftly added, and the guitar kicks up a notch and builds on the riff now taken by the bass guitar. A concise wall of punchy sound 15 seconds in? A very promising start. 

The vocals provided by Amy fit exactly as they should; full of confidence, style and aggression. Her presence is more than enough to front a band of this intensity. You need only watch the video to see just how unified and imposing they are together. 

The first verse caught me lyrically. My impression of this song speaks of elevating above negative people and energies, and finding empowerment in your autonomy and ability to rise above and recreate yourself. 

“Sitting in my living room 

I thought that I saw you 

Folded in the corner 

Acting as a warning”

The band say that their name is inspired by the hysteria which accompanied the witch trials in Salem, Massachusetts, and Europe, which they have long considered were a means to belittle, suppress and diminish women. Even their band bio is powerful. 

Reincarnate - Witch Fever

The track continues to build in intensity and my desire for layers of filthy guitar tones is satisfied. As if they were catering to my personal tastes, the track reaches its peak before dropping in to an ensnaring half-time breakdown, which really hammers home the essence of the track like a chanted spell. 

“After all that I’ve been through

After all that I’ve seen

You wont break me”

Full of anger and empowerment, Witch Fever command your attention from start to finish. I’m positive they will only go up from here. You can find and support Witch Fever here:

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Jack Hinks is a musician, producer and music journalist based in Scotland.

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REVIEW: 'Age of Fatality' by Livia Rita

Words by Jack Hinks

Livia Rita is a young pop artist and fashion designer from London with a devotion to visual and aural art, and avant-garde performance. Feroce was lucky enough to catch her Winter Solstice single, Age of Fatality. 

My first impression of Age of Fatality was a two pronged attack on my visual and auditory senses. The accompanying music video-turned fashion film displays Livia Rita’s depth of care for every aspect of her creative process. The visuals’ synchronicity with what I would have expected to see based on the track is scarily accurate. 

“Hysterical hearts are hungry

To be reborn, to rewild, vulnerable inside”

We are lured into a cave-like setting filled with Livia and her fellow witches all in a shared, resolute worship. Whilst visually compelling and somewhat intimidating, there is a distinct air of purpose, belonging, fertility and security. Livia is known for her eco-conscious feminist writing, and it certainly isn’t amiss here. 

Age of Fatality - Livia Rita

The first thing that hooked me into Age of Fatality, is its hypnotic simplicity. A driving and bouncy bass synth welcomes you, open with almost endless opportunities of how the song will build on an already infectious start. Livia’s whispered and staggered vocals reel you like the faint glow of an angler fish’s light: before you know it, you’re too close to escape as you begin to see and hear the bigger picture. The chorus explodes with higher layers of wet, crackly synths and pads as the bass synth grows and swells in aggression. A post chorus chants “Fatality” as the bass begins to rise and descend with more hostility as full drums kick in, making this feel much more like a spell than a refrain. All of the other worldly pads, ethereal synth-like vocal harmonies and crashing drums dissipate as we are brought back to the core bass synth for another round of expert dynamicism, like the tide pulling us out before delivering us the the earth once more.

The second chant builds even further on the first, with the synth bass resolving to a major with Livia’s vocals changing tone also. This feeling swells and crackles as we ride out the last few bars of the song on almost a whole new plain. Whilst all of the sounds and familiar textures are with us, it somehow feels new and a very refreshing end point for the song, to me, implying growth and positive change or optimism for the future. 

“Summoning empathy

Come close

Touches of

Savage emotionality”

Truly an artist not limited to one style or even medium, Livia Rita is definitely one to watch. Alongside her single release, accompanying ArtFashion collection and upcoming 2021 debut album, FUGA FUTURA, you can find and support Livia Rita here:

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Jack Hinks is a musician, producer and music journalist based in Scotland.

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REVIEW: 'Graceless' by Gefahrgeist

Words by Jack Hinks

Gefahrgeist are a brand new electronic pop duo based in Edinburgh, combining the pedigree talents of Fiona Liddell & Niall Rae. At the end of October this year, they stunned us all with their debut single, ‘Graceless’.

Both coming from musical backgrounds, Fiona and Niall already boast a wealth of experience and influences. Fiona; being a singer-songwriter, vocalist, and violinist originally from Glasgow, tells us most of her influences growing up were fellow female singer-songwriters - Aimee Mann and Mary Chapin Carpenter to name a few. This definitely comes across in her writing, as she is no stranger to leading multiple projects and collaborations with her powerful, dynamic melodies and lyrics. Pair this with Niall (pronounced Neel), a bassist and producer from Aberdeenshire with an abundance of musical diversity and a penchant for rock, electronic and hip-hop, and you can see how tightly Gefahrgeist mesh together as one experimental, melodic unit.

‘Graceless’ begins with an ethereal soundscape: Airy synths, Fiona’s lush vocal harmonies, and a fluttering harp (provided by Esther Swift of Twelfth Day). It’s there we are first introduced to Gefahrgeist’s lyricism. Fiona’s lyrics land like silk with the invitation for a much deeper, sometimes darker interpretation. Within the first 30 seconds, it’s already a song that suggests a second listen - there’s just that much going on.

“Vigorous hearts full of blood and tar

Loop an endless start to forget who they are”

Niall’s production hits you like a buttery punch; smooth yet forceful. His arrangement allows him to showcase his virtuosity on bass guitar without ever drawing attention away from the bigger picture, the markings of a true professional.

‘Graceless’ grows with each stride, and by the end we are enveloped in a wall of synths and vocals, which are promptly tossed aside with a snappy and proud ending before we even know what hit us, or how we can get more.

Gefahrgeist have re-sculpted the landscape of what electro-pop can be, and we look forward to seeing them build on an incredibly strong foundation.

For those wanting more, you’re in luck. Gefahrgeist recently announced their second single, ‘Nukular’, will be released on January 29th 2021, and is available for pre- save here.

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- ‘Graceless’ was written and performed by Fiona Liddell. It was arranged and produced by Niall Rae. It features harp from talented Edinburgh musician Esther Swift (Twelfth Day) and was mastered by Phil McBride (Midi Paul). The single’s artwork/video were created by Tyler Andrew Mortimer of Blank Page Digital Art.

LISTEN ON SPOTIFY: https://tinyurl.com/y63o6leuThe debut release from the new Scottish electronic pop duo, Gefahrgeist, Fiona Liddell and Niall Rae present '...

Jack Hinks is a musician, producer and music journalist based in Scotland.

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INTERVIEW: FAIRUZA Balk | ARMED LOVE MILITIA X MEL SANSON

I got in touch with Fairuza and Mel to ask some burning questions about their collaboration together, and it’s my pleasure to be able to share the conversation with you all here at Feroce Magazine.  I wanted to know how they discovered each other, the dynamics of their artistic relationship and what their plans are for the future. In between we discuss what’s important to them about the music industry and more.

In a world of mindless consumption, Fairuza brings honesty, authenticity and a tangible essence of pure talent to the industry. By her side in perfect harmony, Mel Sanson.

Photo by Valentina Socci

DR: Please tell us how you both met!

Mel: Like most alternative girls I’ve been a huge fan of Fairuza's acting since I was a teenager. In 2011 I randomly looked her up to see if she was on twitter. I must have watched one of her films. I discovered she was also a musician!! Not just any musician an AMAZING musician. She had recently released Stormwinds. I was immediately blown away. The textures, layers and emotion in Fairuza's voice were like nothing I had heard before. I loved it and wanted more, so I let her know! I sent over my music and she was very complimentary and super supportive about it. We’ve been sending each other songs we’ve been working on ever since and have become really good friends.

Fairuza: Ditto! What Mel said.

DR: Mel, what was your first impression of White Lillies when you heard it?

MS: It gave me goosebumps. I thought it was absolutely perfect and was a little terrified that adding my vocals would ruin it! I had some harmony ideas and mentioned where they would go and Fairuza said no, I want you to harmonise on ALL of it. Fairuza is the real deal. Music is in her blood and it absolutely pours out of her when she sings. She is unapologetically herself in every way and the music world is crying out for something so real.

Jennifer Sanson Photography @Jensansonphoto

DR: Fairuza, what compelled you to get Mel involved, can you tell us about the moment you realised she was perfect for the track?

Fairuza:  I really admire Mel’s voice and energy. She is a great performer and an even better songwriter which is saying a lot. If you ever seen her perform you know what I’m talking about. It wasn’t so much like I knew she’d be a perfect fit for this track it was more like “ Hey I have this cool Appalachian folk/murder ballad style song and I was thinking it might sound really great with some harmonies on it. Wanna check it out and see how it goes”? So I sent her the song, she dug it and worked out some harmonies which she recorded and sent back to me and I was blown away.

“That song always felt like something was missing but I couldn’t quite nail down what it was. Once I heard it with our voices combined it just fit like it had always been done that way. ”

DR: Both of you, can you tell us about the day that you recorded the track together? What was it like? What is the most memorable part of that day for both of you?

Fairuza: Oddly enough, I remember being in a lot of pain. I’d had an impacted molar pulled out that week and the dentist has sprained my jaw badly. I couldn’t open my mouth more than an inch or so. Mel could only stay for those days so we had to get it done. Mel is such an awesome funny person. I was all swollen up looking like a hamster with cheeks full of nuts groaning in pain and Mel laughed and said “ “Use it! Take that pain and push it through “! Which I did. I’m surprised when I listen to it because that pain is audible in the track but it comes through in the emotion. Makes me laugh when I think about those hamster cheeks of mine. We were rehearsing and I’d be singing away @ White Lillie’s they ——— expletive———— to the ground” suddenly cursing really loud cuz I kept forgetting to keep my jaw closed. What can I say, making art keeps you tough ! Lol!

MS:  Absolutely! Fairuza’s heroic efforts were not in vain. Those hamster cheeks were like little mini acoustic halls. Her voice sounded incredible. We had this cool rehearsal/live music space for the week. I bought my home studio with me from the UK and set it all up. We were supposed to have the whole week to hang out, rehearse and record. We did hang out and got some rehearsals in the first few days but then we lost a few days post dentist surgery because it was so bad at first she couldn’t even open her mouth. We actually ended up recording the track in one take at 3am, the morning of my flight back to the UK. The most memorable part was that we managed to do it! There’s a little giggle from Fairuza right at the very end of the recording that I wanted to keep in because it sums up the feeling we both had when we realised we managed to get the take!

DR: We read in one of your blog posts that you realised you both sang really well together - what sort of things would you sing together?

FB: Mel and I share music back and forth. We email each other songs we're working on or ideas. We trust each other’s opinions and trust that we will get an honest opinion back. I’ve never had a friend I’ve really done this with in this way but it’s really wonderful. White Lillies is the main song we’ve worked on together but there are a couple other songs that we might work on. We’ll see.

MS:  It’s rare to find someone that you’re able to sing harmonies with so easily. They just come so naturally with us, it’s awesome :)

DR: What is something that you both believe is super important to the music industry?

MS: Real music firstly. I can’t get behind generation autotune. Over production wipes out the textures and layers that I spoke about before, the realness that grabs you in the gut. Each to their own but please don’t let the real music die.  Secondly women, cis, trans and non binary.

“We have to keep fighting for our visibility. Whether it’s on stage, behind the stage, out the front or in the crowds. We have to look out for each other and the guys need to fight with us. ”

This year I have started to see this change because people are speaking up. Courtney Love and Shirley Manson have been vocal about it for 20 years which heavily influenced my generation to pick up a guitar and write songs. Now we’re seeing up and coming artists like Dream Wife & Jen Cloher kicking off about it, which is great. Isn’t it crazy though, it’s been over 100 years since we’ve had the right to vote but go look at festival line ups and award ceremonies, it’s all incredibly male dominated. It’s very easy to feel like you don’t fit in and give up. We have to speak up and support other female artists. Check out this article written about Sammy Andrews. A force of nature in the music industry at the moment who is pioneering this change as we speak :)

FB:  I agree with everything Mel just said. I think that the industry is in a big state of transition these days. I think that there is more interest in singer/songwriters than there has been in a while.

“People are getting tired of the modern highly overly produced stuff. They want to be able to actually feel something from music again.”

I think that’s why people are getting back into collecting records and tapes because the sound is so much more visceral.

DR: What’s next for both of you?
FB:  We’ll see. I’m not the kind of person who likes to really make plans per se but I love Mel. I have the utmost respect for her as an artist so I hope we will record some more tunes together. Fingers crossed :)

MS: I’ve just released my debut solo record Ghost and am writing and recording my debut EP. I’m very excited about the release of the Armed Love Militia Raw Life Lo-Fi EP. The more Fairuza music in the world, the better place it will be.

Check out more here!

www.fairuza.org

www.melsanson.com 

ARMED LOVE MILITIA (FAIRUZA BALK & MEL SANSON): WHITE LILLIES REVIEW

Armed Love Militia, fronted by the beautifully present Fairuza Balk are in the process of releasing their 3 song EP and a part of this is the track White Lillies. Haven’t heard their previous tracks? Check out Davie, Dream 45 and Stormwinds. White Lillies was written 8 years ago however last year Fairuza recorded a duet with friend and fellow singer songwriter Mel Sanson and the results are astonishing. You’ll be familiar with Sanson’s own haunting sound from our review of her latest track here, but now, the musical gods have blessed us and Fairuza and Mel have come together to produce a track that’s so good we’re going to be devastated if these two don’t sing together again soon.

Two previews of the track have been released online so far but we were lucky enough to be sent the whole thing to review for our readers. In a nutshell the track is down to earth, mellow, and every aspect of the track is beautifully defined. Featuring crisp acoustic guitar and siren like singing from Fairuza and Mel, it’s relaxing to the casual observer and a painful experience to those who are familiar with the tale.

The introduction to the track is a small masterpiece on its own. The pause just before the vocals is intense and the intro does a good job of setting the atmosphere and building the anticipation for the duet. Being fans of both Fairuza and Mel separately we could barely wait for the introduction to finish to hear them both together.

The vocal melody between the two is unforgettable. They sing not only like sirens, but two wise women you’d meet on your travels with every single syllable holding your attention. Insane vocal quality, there is simply not a better combination of voices for the track.

Fairuza describes the lyrics as follows:

“The lyrics speak of a lover mourning the loss of the beloved, eternally searching for them through eternity, calling out to them through song like a Siren to try and find them again, to be reunited. Also a warning that should the song be heard by a stranger's ears the curse that befell the beloved could land on them as well.”

Fairuza is inspired by traditional folk music and was taught some by her father when she was younger. Here she has created her very own folktale, written years ago, initially recorded back then too. But like all folk tales, as they are retold the story changes. This change has come with the addition of Mel Sanson.

“My very talented singer/songwriter friend came in and we did it as a duet and finally FINALLY it sounded the way it had in my head! Joy! That’s one thing about songwriting, you know the difference intrinsically between when it’s not quite there and when it’s right. This felt beyond right and it was like breathing a huge sigh of relief that it was finally done.”

All in all there’s not a lot of words for White Lillies. For us, the simplicity of this track IS its complexity. The welcomed absence of over-production and the presence of only 2 key elements: vocals and acoustic guitar, imprints the track in your mind far too easily. The emotional impression the track leaves on you is intense. Their performance is intimate and sincere. Even if you forget the story this track tells, you won’t forget the feeling it gave you.

You can pre-order the EP on Fairuza’s website. There’s a lot of awesome packages up for grabs, including signed CDs and tapes, badges, t-shirts, or even the whole set.

We encourage our readers to share this piece and support Fairuza/ALM and Mel Sanson as independent artists bringing great contributions to the industry. People power!

Cover photography Valentina Socci



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MEL SANSON: ‘GHOST’ REVIEW

English singer-songwriter Mel Sanson has made her first solo debut with the single Ghost. This talented performer’s track is worlds apart from her other projects, Auxesis (Rebels & Lost Souls) and Kenelis (Nobody Sees Me But You). The charismatic, badass frontwoman of Kenelis, often compared to The Pretty Reckless, is here stripped completely bare.

In her own words:

“This is Ghost. I’ve come to realise that the worst part of dying is not really death itself, but how much it hurts the ones you leave behind. The people that love us the most will hurt the most. Life’s cruel joke. I’d like this song to be a comfort to those going through the motions; it’s the hardest thing.”

The song’s structure has a wave-like feel to it; you drift in and out of different thought patterns as you listen. The introduction is slow and steady, and your mind wanders to uncharted territories before you’re brought back to the present moment by Sanson’s vocals. The ending mirrors this, with a repetitive mantra of “I know this much is true” that lulls you into a cosy security blanket before the song ends, leaving you almost startled by the silence once it fades out.

The overall performance on the record is stunning. There’s a sensitivity behind Sanson’s delivery, as though she herself knows the pain the listener is going through and treats it with tentative support. The live feel of the track isn’t just live; it feels like sitting down beside her while she pours her heart into your ears, without oversharing. If this track truly comes from the heart and soul as she says, then we have an angel walking among us.

Good music doesn’t just get put on repeat, and this track has encouraged Mel’s fans to open up and share their own stories and pain. There’s a cathartic effect for those who listen. At times, she sings from the perspective of someone already gone, acting as a melodic medium between the listener and someone they’ve lost. “A ghost will follow you, I know you’ll come through.”

There’s a morbidity to her lyrics that is masterfully balanced with comforting vocals and an intimate sound. Something so haunting yet so soothing at the same time is not an easy balance to achieve. This track can have two effects: it’s three and a half minutes of the comfort you needed, or a gentle insight into “life’s cruel joke”. One thing we do know is that when the time comes for Sanson (dark, we know), she will be more than covered with a debut that explores an unexpected, gentle yet powerful aspect of herself as an artist, rooted at the core of her being. Very few get to leave a gift like this behind.

This isn’t the type of track you’d ever hear in the charts, but the kind a listener keeps close and shares with others when they need to hear Sanson’s words the most. That is worth miles more.

Listen to Ghost below:

You can follow Mel Sanson on these links:

http://www.facebook.com/melsansonmusic

http://twitter.com/melsanson

https://www.instagram.com/melsanson/

https://www.youtube.com/c/MelSanson

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/ghost-single/1434064553

KYAN PALMER RELEASES NEW SINGLE

LISTEN HERE: https://open.spotify.com/album/3ez7Zio1ZipshqIdfHHVbP

Fresh off the release of his new single "Make It Up," Palmer announces his debut EP 'Burn Mona Lisa,' slated for release on September 28th 2018. In celebration of the EP, Palmer will be hitting the stage the same night with an intimate set at Elsewhere's Zone One. Tickets are on sale now and are available here: http://bit.ly/kyanreleaseparty

LA-based singer, songwriter and artist Kyan Palmer is emerging as a promising act to watch with his unique blend of pop and R&B. Last month, Palmer released his brooding and addictive single, "Make It Up," which has already amassed almost 300K across DSPs.

Arizona-raised, LA-based Kyan Palmer is proof that there is no one path to success in the music industry. A former employee of Republic Records, Palmer released his debut single while still sitting behind a desk in the Universal Music Group building. With no expectations and no team behind him, his debut single “Burn Mona Lisa” took a life of it's own, getting added to numerous Spotify playlists, hitting the viral charts, and amassing over 3 million Spotify streams to date.

Since his initial release, Palmer has stepped out from behind his desk and into the spotlight. Now relocated from New York to LA, Palmer has become a sought after up-and-coming writer, collaborating with the likes of Little Mix, PRETTYMUCH, Sam Fischer, Alex Tirheimer (Andy Grammar, Sabrina Claudio), The Fliptones (Britney Spears, Jason DeRulo) and Aire Atlantica, among others. He has also continued to put out a steady stream of solo releases such as "Hidden Feelings," "Can't Help It," "Poetry In Motion," and, most recently, "Make It Up."

Palmer's forthcoming EP, named after his hit single 'Burn Mona Lisa,' promises more intoxicating pop and R&B infused anthems. With a growing catalog of hits, there is no doubt that Kyan Palmer is an artist you don't want to sleep on. 

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CREEPY: THIRD CULTURE KINGS - SUNSHINE FOR SADIE

Sunshine for Sadie is the latest to be taken from the forthcoming debut album 'Is That Light You Carry?' - out 18th August 2017 via 100.000/Internet & Weed. 

‘Is That Light You Carry?’ is the debut record from Third Culture Kings, a new project led by Jan Johansen (Glorybox) and Alap Momin (dälek). Filtering classic vibes through modern interpretation, 3CK reimagine The Velvet Underground or Leonard Cohen as if they had been mixed by King Tubby and Afrika Bambaataa, all the while incorporating influences as diverse as Indian drone, early 80’s synth pads and Miami booty bass.

Cuts like ‘Seven Slayers’ send you on an arcane descent into alien subterranea, while ‘Sunshine For Sadie’ floats you across a dreamy, space-like universe. Elsewhere in tracks like ‘Flamingo’ and ‘Higher’, rock and roll guitars are juxtaposed with rattlesnake drums, creating ambient desert soundscapes perfect for an imagined intergalactic western. Throughout the record, hypnotic layers of sound and ambient psychedelics grip you to an electric-folk universe in which slow bubbling beats are matched with woozy flourishes and gently propellant melodies.

Personally, we're in love with the video that features many creepy dolls, malevolent vibes and a sad madness. If we're honest, if you could 'hear' Xanax, this is probably how it would sound. Don't play the video late at night and listen when you want to chill out and creep out.