Category: Wolverhampton

Alunah Live Review by Midlands Metalheads - Supporting Grand Magus - The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - 15/03/14

20/3/2014

"Musically they are fantastic; melodic doom grooves with steady driving beats. Their appeal lies in the combination of heavy music and hypnotic, but strong vocals. Singer Soph Day’s commanding voice fits perfectly into the style. Whilst their set feels disappointingly short, their final two tracks are where the band truly shines. White Hoarhound, the title track from their current album, grabs everybody’s attention and the band gives a solid performance, showcasing extremely impressive musical unity.

Final track Belial’s Fjord is an excellent finale, with talented drummer Jake Mason particularly noticeable. As it is the music that makes Alunah truly stand out, it was unfortunate that a slight crackling noise from onstage kept disturbing the performance. Whilst this was probably a minor fault, the hypnotic effect of the music is easily shattered. Overall, this was a mesmerizing performance from an excellent band."

Read the full review: http://www.midlandsmetalheads.com/grand-magus-the-vintage-caravan-asomvel-and-alunah-15th-march-slade-rooms/

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Alunah Live Review by Maximum Volume Reviews - Supporting Grand Magus - The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - 15/03/14

19/3/2014

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"It almost seems a tad unfair to call Alunah stalwarts of the Midlands metal scene, but it is very nearly three years since we first saw them, low down on a bill that included the mighty Stone Axe. Here, they are again opening, as they seem to do on a regular basis.

They fact is they get these duties for two simple reasons. They are a very good band with very good songs. Downtuned Sabbathy stuff is the order of the day, and songs like “White Hoarhound” hit the right heavy groove, as does closing tune “Beilal’s Fjord” which is arguably the band at their peak. If it’s unfair to call them stalwarts, it is also mightily unlucky that Alunah are bottom of bills like this, maybe they can make the move up, because god knows they have paid their dues long enough."

Read the full review here: http://maximumvolumereviews.co.uk/2014/03/16/grand-magus-asomvel-vintage-caravan-alunah-slade-rooms-wolverhampton-15314/

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Mammoth Mammoth Cancelled, Grand Magus Booked and Call of Avernus Coming on Tape!

24/10/2013

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Unfortunately our gig with Mammoth Mammoth, The Quill and Gringo on Tuesday 12th November at The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton has been cancelled. Please contact the venue for ticket refunds, and Alunah if bought from us.

It's not all bad news however, as we have been confirmed as support to Grand Magus at the same venue on Saturday 15th March. Tickets are £10.00 (inc P&P) available from our online store (http://www.official-alunah-store.co.uk) or from our Birmingham Jex Thoth gig on Thursday 7th November. View the Facebook Event >>

We will also have some details regarding a re-release of our debut album "Call of Avernus". The album will be re-released on limited edition tape cassette, more official details to come shortly.

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Alunah to Support Mammoth Mammoth

12/6/2013

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Alunah are to support fellow Napalm Records band Mammoth Mammoth on the Wolverhampton date of their upcoming European tour, along with Swedish band The Quill who are main support on all dates. Mammoth Mammoth, The Quill and Alunah will play The Slade Rooms on Tuesday 12th November.

What Mammoth Mammoth said about their tour...

More than 200 years ago, four men were transported from Europe and sentenced to life imprisonment on the harsh penal colony of Australia - their only crime, killing unicorns to feed their families. On that day, each swore an oath of revenge upon the continent that had forsaken them and the creatures that had condemned them.

Now, the seed of this foul prophecy has finally born its bloody fruit. The four sole descendants of these men - Mammoth Mammoth have finally escaped Australia and will be joining forces with Swedish metal barbarians, The Quill, to rain down thunderous riffs across Europe and unleash a crushing wave of brutal murder-fuzz aimed at decimating every last living unicorn.

So this November, grab your shank, warn your dealer and keep your lawyer on speed dial, because Hell’s Likely.

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The Sword, Lonely Kamel & Alunah @ The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - Review by Midlands Rocks

11/1/2013

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Thanks to Chop (review) and Mark Lloyrd (photos) at Midlands Rocks for the review, Soph has since been diagnosed with Glandular Fever and she's making a good recovery so not a bad gig and review considering.

"It’s always nice to break yourself into the New Year gently. Three interviews, three bands to analyse, what more could a reviewer want? Before launching into the bands’ appraisals a quick pat on the back for the venue and staff seems in order: always polite, always efficient, guest list always ready and accurate. Thanks to all involved for making this part of the evening run so smoothly. Without further ado, to the bands…

Selected to get the evening under way were local doomsters Alunah. Sophie’s greeting earlier in the evening of a clutched throat and wave meant that everything was crossed for her voice to hold up throughout the set. Initially things went well, but the less said about the last song the better. One song too far I’m afraid, and hopefully there won’t be any lasting damage to her vocal chords. Can’t fault the ‘show must go on’ attitude though. Musically the band was in fine form, and visually the projector onto the bass drum was a nice touch. Four lengthy compositions off their recently released second album showcased the band’s abilities well. Best wishes to Sophie for a speedy recovery!

Set list: Demeter’s Grief, White Hoarhound, Oak Ritual, Belial’s Fjord

Lonely Kamel were playing their first ever show in the UK. On the evidence of this set they’ll be playing a lot more gigs over here, and hopefully soon. Good as Alunah’s sound was, Lonely Kamel sounded massive, with slicing guitar tones and a perfectly mic-ed drumkit. Classing them as a stoner outfit is selling them somewhat short; their three quarters of an hour set encompassed aspects of classic rock, doom, stoner, and blues rock to name but a few. Such was their crossover appeal that they’d have fitted comfortably on a bill with a whole gamut of bands – Wolf, Orange Goblin, and Year Long Disaster sprang immediately to mind. It’s astonishing that a band that have been around as long as they have, with three albums under their belt, have such a low profile over here. If their performances on the rest of the tour are anywhere near as good as this, you’ll be hearing a lot more about these guys. Journalists have a reputation for being a cynical bunch, and much of the time it’s true. Then you witness a set like this, grin from ear to ear, and realise just why you enjoy going to gigs so much. Solid as a rock musically, with a frontman from the Mikael Akerfeldt school of banter, expect great things from them. Absolutely stunning.

Set list: The Boys, Don’t Piss On The Lizard, I’m Your God, Rotten Seed, Damn You’re Hot, Evil Man, Stick With Your Plan, Spacerider

Tough act for The Sword to follow then? Maybe so, but with seventy minutes stage time and the benefit of four albums worth of material and ten years’ experience to draw upon, it proved to be well within their capabilities. Perhaps you could question the selection of songs played, and perhaps the lack of audience involvement and crowd addresses could be held against them, but otherwise this was the best I’ve seen them play since they supported Nebula onThe Age Of Winters tour.

New drummer Jimmy has settled in remarkably well; he hits the kit frighteningly hard, whilst utilising considerable finesse with his fills and runs. The dual guitar work and thumping bass is as solid as ever. Being picky, some of the slower material dragged a little, but the more up tempo songs more than compensated for this. All in all a return to form, a quality display to round off a thoroughly enjoyable evening, with the bar set very high for future gigs to surpass. Looks like 2013 could be quite a year!!

Set list: Apocryphon, Freya, Hammer Of Heaven, Tres Brujas, How Heavy This Axe, Cloak Of Feathers, The Hidden Masters, Dying Earth, Maiden, Mother & Crone, To Take The Black, Seven Sisters, Arrows In The Dark, The Horned Goddess, Veil Of Isis. Encore; Winters Wolves."

http://www.themidlandsrocks.com/the-sword-lonely-kamel-alunah-the-slade-rooms-wolverhampton-6-january-2013/#.UO_NduSEyzk

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The Sword, Lonely Kamel & Alunah @ The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - Review by Rocking The Midlands

8/1/2013

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Thanks to Andy at Rocking The Midlands for his review of our gig with The Sword and Lonely Kamel on Sunday 6th January 2013.

We first clapped eyes on Alunah not far off two years ago. Since then they have released the “White Hoarhound” record and are developing very nicely. Opening at an early time tonight the crowd is a little thin, but the local stoner mob have a nice line in slow, Sabbathy tunes. The title track of the new album is perhaps the highlight of a set that not even the loss of vocals halfway through and frontwoman Sophie struggling with a sore throat can spoil too much. Here is a Brummie band playing traditional Brummie metal and doing it well.

Lonely Kamel were a new one on us. Not really surprising considering that it was, according to frontman Thomas Brenna, their first time on these shores. They Norwegian’s bill themselves as “Blues Boozers” and although they are broadly – like the rest of this bill – a stoner outfit, they are one in the same vein as RTM faves Stone Axe. Rather than Sabbath, they take their cue from classic rock bands like Thin Lizzy. It also helps that they give the appearance that they live in a van.

Their sound is built around the superb guitar work of Brenna and lead axeman Lukas Paulsen and such is the fun they are having in their 45 minute set they carry the audience with them. “Rotten Seed” and “Blues For The Dead” have an instant appeal, but really, the whole thing was a copper-bottomed triumph. One of their songs is called “Roadtrip with Lucifer” for goodness sake, how does it get better than that? Our new favourite band to bore everyone about – bet your last pound on it.

Austin, Texas foursome The Sword have plenty to look forward to right now. Tonight is the first show on their European tour and this is not just any tour either. It is one to celebrate the majestic “Apocryphon” record and happily they play most of it during their frequently brilliant set.

It is with the album’s title track that they kick us off this evening, before moving us right back to their debut record “Age of Winters” for “Freya.” Indeed it is a well structured show which sees the song “How Heavy This Axe” from the second and the fourth “Tres Brujas” being from 2010’s “Warp Riders.”

“….Brujas” neatly sums up the band. It’s verses about “the sacred smoke” wrapped up in an extremely catchy and tight track. It is a style that the “Apocryphon” album has built on superbly and its second track “Cloak Of Feathers” sounds incredible in this setting as does set closer “Veil of Isis.”

There is a time for an encore of “Winters Wolves” with frontman John D Cronise explaining it was the only choice for a gig in a place called Wolverhampton. At its end you are left to reflect on the jaw-dropping power of the group.

There is nothing remotely flashy or gimmicky about The Sword, indeed, if they suffer from one flaw it is a slight lack of charisma. They are a group, though, that rather like obvious brothers in arms Red Fang and Mastodon, prefer to let the music do the talking. It didn’t so much talk tonight as shout very loudly.

A quite superb way to start 2013.

http://rockingthemidlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-sword-lonely-kamel-alunah.html

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Alunah Live Review by Midlands Metalheads - Supporting Grand Magus - The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - 15/03/14

Alunah Live Review by Maximum Volume Reviews - Supporting Grand Magus - The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - 15/03/14

Mammoth Mammoth Cancelled, Grand Magus Booked and Call of Avernus Coming on Tape!

Alunah to Support Mammoth Mammoth

The Sword, Lonely Kamel & Alunah @ The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - Review by Midlands Rocks

The Sword, Lonely Kamel & Alunah @ The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton - Review by Rocking The Midlands

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