It was with a heavy heart this week that we read of the closure of one of Liverpool's live venues, The Masque on Seel Street in the city centre.
A unique (at least in Liverpool) venue with a bar capable of holding gigs, a 600 capacity "theatre" with banked standing area and balcony and a loft which was also an amazing area to watch bands.
We've seen many awesome shows there over the years, standouts thy vine to mind being Orange Goblin in the loft, Galhammer and Sontaran Experiment in the theatre, back up to the loft for General Surgery, a triumphant return to Liverpool by Deicide in a packed whirlwind of a show in the theatre, which we had to watch teetering on the edge of a step in the balcony such was the madness down the front. Our very own Skum played there a few times in his old band, and it will be sorelyissed.
In recent times it had become home to Merseyside based promoters Whiplash, whose tireless work brought back the underground feel Liverpool had during the early nineties when all the underground greats came through the city playing venues like the Flying Picket, the Royal Court Basement Bar and Planet X.
It seems the venue was owned by the group in charge of (amongst other things) the Jacaranda club (where the Beatles first played) and that closed earlier this month, and the rest of the properties have collapsed "like a house of cards" as one report put it earlier this week.
I'm sure that there are people involved in the wider metal community who wish Sal and everyone else involved with Whiplash Promotions all the best fortune in finding a new home, and watch this space, we'll keep you updated.
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Exclusive: Cruel Force Photoset (Live Evil 2011)
Here's a few of the photos we got of the mighty German rockers CRUEL FORCE during their set at Live Evil Fest in Camden Town London last month. The crowd went wild for their black thrash stylings, and we can't blame em for that! Their new record "Under The Sign Of The Moon" is certainly a piece of work. Be sure to check it out if you get a chance!
Further concert photos to be made available from us right here on this page soon, for our thrasher brethren worldwide.
Stay tuned!
Friday, 18 November 2011
HAIL! Taxi!!!
Happy birthday to Kirk Hammett of Exodus.
Your antics in "A Year and a Half in the Life of…" have kept us amused for many years, as have your slightly skewiff onstage noodlings.
You are our least disliked member of Metallica, put your feet up and get the kids to do the dishes today.
Happy Birthday.
Your antics in "A Year and a Half in the Life of…" have kept us amused for many years, as have your slightly skewiff onstage noodlings.
You are our least disliked member of Metallica, put your feet up and get the kids to do the dishes today.
Happy Birthday.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Exclusive: Ravens Creed at Live Evil Fest 2011
Take a knee, troops! Time to take a few minutes to check out a new communication that we have received from the mighty RAVENS CREED: Showing them tearing it up at The Underworld in Camden Town, UK during the 2011 edition of Live Evil Fest.
Das Klaw has been a big fan of Thee Creed since back as far as their appearance at The Fenton (infamous Leeds sweatbox) as a 5-piece back in 2008. The current line-up (including our friend and co-conspirator Mr Al Osta) have been cutting their chops up throughout Europe in the past year, bring military tinged Venom-worship to a festival near you.
Your life needs more Ravens Creed. We foresee an underground revolution happening for these guys in 2012 with the release of new material and a stack of live shows.
Ravens Creed's debut album "Albion Thunder" and the "Nestless and Wild" E.P. are both available now through Doomentia Records.
Das Klaw has been a big fan of Thee Creed since back as far as their appearance at The Fenton (infamous Leeds sweatbox) as a 5-piece back in 2008. The current line-up (including our friend and co-conspirator Mr Al Osta) have been cutting their chops up throughout Europe in the past year, bring military tinged Venom-worship to a festival near you.
Your life needs more Ravens Creed. We foresee an underground revolution happening for these guys in 2012 with the release of new material and a stack of live shows.
Ravens Creed's debut album "Albion Thunder" and the "Nestless and Wild" E.P. are both available now through Doomentia Records.
Monday, 14 November 2011
Wolverine Blues (Alternative Lyrics)
Before you read any further, please turn your speakers up high, press "play" on this YouTube video, then read on!
Entombed: Wolverine Blues
Lyrics by: The Unknown Headbanger
Entombed: Wolverine Blues
War trampoline!Music by: Entombed
Easter bayou team you could seed,
"Watch your log" you told Pat,
To pudding and cake is to put two in Ed.
An avid oat impression,
Lice fuck in-laws.
You and them are gay pie crust.
On a missing tropical brie,
(Haaaam!) I Hope he saves a ball if I knead some feet.
Otter leaves beer lisps,
Boy you lost your flash,
I coddled ham in tights, like I'm Wooorf!
And I have all waifs honking for warts.
Another old Imprezza,
Lysol king lost.
You and them are gay pie crust.
On a missing tropical brie,
(Haaaaam!) I Hope he saves a ball if I knead some feet.
Bitch huts,
Abel, get out the glock,
Here's my comb.
Pow Boom Pow!
I have the most fishes...
A ball!
Lyrics by: The Unknown Headbanger
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Monday, 7 November 2011
Incoming
To say we are excited about this would be an understatement.
Tickets available for the Liverpool date from http://whiplash4metal.com
Tickets available for the Liverpool date from http://whiplash4metal.com
Motörhead, Liverpool University, November 6th 2011
You can always be sure that winter has finally arrived in the North of England when you go to watch Motörhead on their customary tour.
For the first time in a few years we had the pleasure of simply travelling into Liverpool for the gig, instead of travelling over to Manchester. No real photos either tonight gang, we were too busy enjoying ourselves.
Support came from UK Subs (who we had missed) and Anti Nowhere League who played a solid set; watching them from the side of the stage and singing along to the likes of We Are The League made me feel thirteen again. When they finished, Animal strutted off the stage and through the crowd, straight into me, and I covered my boots with Strongbow. Punk's not dead!!
Just before the ANL's set, a rumour was going round that Motörhead weren't going to make it as there had been an accident on the motorway and that everyone would be refunded at nine thirty. As we were pondering this in the bar we heard the familiar rise and fall of an air raid siren…not only are Motörhead in the building, they're about to come onstage!!
We run to the (it must be said, pretty intimate) main room just in time to hear the opening notes of Bomber, Phil prowling the stage whilst Mikkey (surely one of the best drummers in metal today) bashes away and Lemmy, gnarled anti-hero extraordinaire, marshals everything from behind his Rickenbacker. Bomber is unbelievably followed by Damage Case, and I can already go home happy!
You almost always know what you're going to get from Motörhead, Stay Clean with THAT bass solo, Iron Fist fooling the uneducated into thinking Ace of Spades is about to start, but mid-way through the set, a sweat-soaked Orgasmatron completely takes me by surprise, Lemmy bathed in green ghost light as he sings of banners drenched in blood and crowns studded with eyes. Powerful.
Towards the end of the set, Lemmy puts his bass down, Mikkey comes out from behind his set and sits down with an acoustic guitar and they play Whorehouse Blues, which is a nice change of pace.
In an episode we are sure to repeat hundreds of times, during Killed By Death we noticed we were stood next to Carcass frontman Jeff Walker, so started singing "stood by Jeff" at the top of our lungs, to much bemusement on behalf of anyone around us. Of course, Ace of Spades, your dad's favourite Motörhead song, gets the crowd going nuts and set closer Overkill is still not long enough, and never will be, because you know when it's finished you have to go home.
And Lemmy gets to smoke behind his amps.
For the first time in a few years we had the pleasure of simply travelling into Liverpool for the gig, instead of travelling over to Manchester. No real photos either tonight gang, we were too busy enjoying ourselves.
Support came from UK Subs (who we had missed) and Anti Nowhere League who played a solid set; watching them from the side of the stage and singing along to the likes of We Are The League made me feel thirteen again. When they finished, Animal strutted off the stage and through the crowd, straight into me, and I covered my boots with Strongbow. Punk's not dead!!
Just before the ANL's set, a rumour was going round that Motörhead weren't going to make it as there had been an accident on the motorway and that everyone would be refunded at nine thirty. As we were pondering this in the bar we heard the familiar rise and fall of an air raid siren…not only are Motörhead in the building, they're about to come onstage!!
We run to the (it must be said, pretty intimate) main room just in time to hear the opening notes of Bomber, Phil prowling the stage whilst Mikkey (surely one of the best drummers in metal today) bashes away and Lemmy, gnarled anti-hero extraordinaire, marshals everything from behind his Rickenbacker. Bomber is unbelievably followed by Damage Case, and I can already go home happy!
You almost always know what you're going to get from Motörhead, Stay Clean with THAT bass solo, Iron Fist fooling the uneducated into thinking Ace of Spades is about to start, but mid-way through the set, a sweat-soaked Orgasmatron completely takes me by surprise, Lemmy bathed in green ghost light as he sings of banners drenched in blood and crowns studded with eyes. Powerful.
Towards the end of the set, Lemmy puts his bass down, Mikkey comes out from behind his set and sits down with an acoustic guitar and they play Whorehouse Blues, which is a nice change of pace.
In an episode we are sure to repeat hundreds of times, during Killed By Death we noticed we were stood next to Carcass frontman Jeff Walker, so started singing "stood by Jeff" at the top of our lungs, to much bemusement on behalf of anyone around us. Of course, Ace of Spades, your dad's favourite Motörhead song, gets the crowd going nuts and set closer Overkill is still not long enough, and never will be, because you know when it's finished you have to go home.
And Lemmy gets to smoke behind his amps.
Sunday, 6 November 2011
Holy shit
Motörhead opened with a one two of Bomber and Damage Case. Less blogging, more gig. See you later!!!
R.I.P. Cory Smoot, Part 2 - An Update From Dave Brockie
“After a restless night spent hurtling through the desolate Canadian wilderness, I crawled from my bunk on the tour bus to face reality, grudgingly aware that the the dark dream that gripped us would not fade with the day. We have lost a brother, a husband, a son, and one of the most talented musicians that ever slung an ax. Cory Smoot, longtime lead guitar player for the band GWAR, has passed at the age of 34.
As the singer of GWAR and one of his best friends, I feel it is my duty to try and answer some of the questions that surround his tragic and untimely death. I know the sense of loss and pain is far greater in scope than in the insulated environment of a band on tour, and I will do my best to provide what clarity and comfort I can.
The most glaring question is how? And unfortunately that is the hardest question to answer. The truth will not be known until the medical officials have finished their work. All I can do is relate what we saw with our own eyes. The last time I saw Cory was after our show in Minneapolis on Weds. night. It was a great show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, one of our favorite places to play. Cory was happy. He was excited about the band and especially the new studio he was building in the Slave Pit back in Richmond. He was deeply in love with his wife, Jamie, and was busily planning their family and future in the beautiful home they had. As usual, after some autographs and banter, I was probably the first person in their bunk as we got ready for a big drive into Canada, and Cory and the rest of the guys were not far behind. As I fell into the slumber that only playing GWAR shows can induce, everything seemed right in the world.
We found Cory the next morning as we collected passports for a border crossing. He was in his bunk, unresponsive, and it quickly was clear that he was dead. It was without a doubt the most horrible moment of my life. That’s all I can say about it. Within moments everybody was off the bus, standing in a wind-swept parking lot in the middle of nowhere, trying to come to grips with the shock of it. First the ambulance arrived, and then the police, but there was nothing that could be done other than fully investigate the scene and remove Cory with care and respect.
We are completely devastated and shocked beyond belief. One night we had our friend and colleague, happy and healthy in the middle of our best tour in years- and the next morning, so suddenly, he was gone. Never have I seen starker proof of the fragility of life. Cory will be transported home to Richmond over the next few days, and an announcement regarding services will be made soon. We ask everyone to respect the families wish for privacy, and especially to keep his wife, Jamie, in your thoughts and prayers.
As we work our way through these difficult days the question is — what will GWAR do? After a lot of consideration, we have decided to carry on with the tour. Although the great temptation would be to return home, curl into a fetal position, and mourn, we can’t do that. First off, Cory wouldn’t want that. He would want us to go on and would be pissed if we didn’t. Plus we know the fans don’t want us to quit. They are going to want a chance to come to grips with their loss, and there is no better place to do that than at a GWAR show. Though it’s hard to believe, I think we all would feel a lot worse if we stopped. For better or worse we have to see this through. That doesn’t mean that Cory will make his final journey without us. When the arrangements have been finalized, Cory’s best friend and GWAR’s music tech Dave “Gibby” Gibson, and myself will return home to attend the services and pay the proper respects to our comrade.
Out of respect to Cory, we have officially retired the character of Flattus Maximus. Flattus has decided to return to his beloved “Planet Home”, and will never return to this mudball planet again. And this is a sadder place for that. Just the other day I heard Cory tell a story about how some 20 years ago he was fourteen years old, at his first GWAR show, grabbing at the rubber feet of our then- current Flattus, and how blown away he was at the fact that now HE was the one getting his feet pulled by the same kid that he used to be. Cory was always in awe of the patterns of life and went through it with a wide-eyed amazement that translated through his playing. I’ve never known anyone who could pick up literally any instrument and rock it the first time he touched it, and more than that make it look easy. Behind that rubber monster outfit, and sometimes even obscured by it, was one of the most talented and beautiful people I have ever known. I know everyone who’s life was touched by Cory truly loved him, as do we, his bandmates and brothers.
There should be some kind of announcement soon regarding services, etc. It would be great to have a memorial show at some point soon, where some of the bands that Cory worked with could come together and show their love for this truly amazing man who left us all too soon and will be sorely missed by many, many people.”
The most glaring question is how? And unfortunately that is the hardest question to answer. The truth will not be known until the medical officials have finished their work. All I can do is relate what we saw with our own eyes. The last time I saw Cory was after our show in Minneapolis on Weds. night. It was a great show at First Avenue in Minneapolis, one of our favorite places to play. Cory was happy. He was excited about the band and especially the new studio he was building in the Slave Pit back in Richmond. He was deeply in love with his wife, Jamie, and was busily planning their family and future in the beautiful home they had. As usual, after some autographs and banter, I was probably the first person in their bunk as we got ready for a big drive into Canada, and Cory and the rest of the guys were not far behind. As I fell into the slumber that only playing GWAR shows can induce, everything seemed right in the world.
We found Cory the next morning as we collected passports for a border crossing. He was in his bunk, unresponsive, and it quickly was clear that he was dead. It was without a doubt the most horrible moment of my life. That’s all I can say about it. Within moments everybody was off the bus, standing in a wind-swept parking lot in the middle of nowhere, trying to come to grips with the shock of it. First the ambulance arrived, and then the police, but there was nothing that could be done other than fully investigate the scene and remove Cory with care and respect.
We are completely devastated and shocked beyond belief. One night we had our friend and colleague, happy and healthy in the middle of our best tour in years- and the next morning, so suddenly, he was gone. Never have I seen starker proof of the fragility of life. Cory will be transported home to Richmond over the next few days, and an announcement regarding services will be made soon. We ask everyone to respect the families wish for privacy, and especially to keep his wife, Jamie, in your thoughts and prayers.
As we work our way through these difficult days the question is — what will GWAR do? After a lot of consideration, we have decided to carry on with the tour. Although the great temptation would be to return home, curl into a fetal position, and mourn, we can’t do that. First off, Cory wouldn’t want that. He would want us to go on and would be pissed if we didn’t. Plus we know the fans don’t want us to quit. They are going to want a chance to come to grips with their loss, and there is no better place to do that than at a GWAR show. Though it’s hard to believe, I think we all would feel a lot worse if we stopped. For better or worse we have to see this through. That doesn’t mean that Cory will make his final journey without us. When the arrangements have been finalized, Cory’s best friend and GWAR’s music tech Dave “Gibby” Gibson, and myself will return home to attend the services and pay the proper respects to our comrade.
Out of respect to Cory, we have officially retired the character of Flattus Maximus. Flattus has decided to return to his beloved “Planet Home”, and will never return to this mudball planet again. And this is a sadder place for that. Just the other day I heard Cory tell a story about how some 20 years ago he was fourteen years old, at his first GWAR show, grabbing at the rubber feet of our then- current Flattus, and how blown away he was at the fact that now HE was the one getting his feet pulled by the same kid that he used to be. Cory was always in awe of the patterns of life and went through it with a wide-eyed amazement that translated through his playing. I’ve never known anyone who could pick up literally any instrument and rock it the first time he touched it, and more than that make it look easy. Behind that rubber monster outfit, and sometimes even obscured by it, was one of the most talented and beautiful people I have ever known. I know everyone who’s life was touched by Cory truly loved him, as do we, his bandmates and brothers.
There should be some kind of announcement soon regarding services, etc. It would be great to have a memorial show at some point soon, where some of the bands that Cory worked with could come together and show their love for this truly amazing man who left us all too soon and will be sorely missed by many, many people.”
Friday, 4 November 2011
Rumour Mill
What could it mean? Is it really the worst kept secret in Metal?
I foresee a Claw road trip in much the same manner as those to see Maiden, Heaven and Hell or Metallica.
Big, brash, loud.
I foresee a Claw road trip in much the same manner as those to see Maiden, Heaven and Hell or Metallica.
Big, brash, loud.
Devil's Rain
It's hard for me to get excited about new Misfits material, I'm sure any longtime readers of this blog know how we felt (all three of us) about the band when we were growing up, and how we feel about what they've been doing since they reformed. However, I was putting together a Hallowe'en playlist lately and it had a lot of Misfits on, naturally, and I even threw tracks in like "Dig Up Her Bones", because regardless of how I feel about the multi faceted marketing machine the Misfits "brand" has become, the two albums without Danzig have got some decent songs on.
SO… let's move on a bit and review their latest album, Devil's Rain, which, rather unbelievably, is their first album of all new material since 1999, when this photo of Patchie, Skum and Jerry Only was taken. See how much we love the Misfits that we are wearing the band's shirts to their gig, an honour normally reserved only for Maiden and Motörhead.
Anyway, I digress.
Devil's Rain is a whopping sixteen(!) track monster of an album, but is it any good? Well, the answer is yeah, it's alright.
Probably not the most intellectual review you're going to hear, but it's the truth.
I'm going to get it out the way now and say it right at the beginning of the review; it's too long, and although I enjoyed it greatly and will listen to some of the tracks again (more of that later), it is to my mind, the weakest album the Misfits have ever recorded.
But, when you consider that the company it's keeping includes Static Age, Walk Among Us, and Earth A.D., that's not too bad an achievement.
But, sixteen tracks…sheesh.
If they had trimmed it a bit it would have been as good (if not better) than Famous Monsters or American Psycho; all the woah-woh's are there, the fast bits and slow bits, the horror imagery (and an absolute fucking STORMER of a song in "Father" which works not because it's a classic Misfits track, but because it sounds like an old NWOBHM track. Had this song been a b-side on a Neat Records or Bronze single in the early eighties, Thee Claw would be burning it onto every mix cd we ever make) are all there, but it's spread too thinly over too many tracks. I know they've had a lot of time out of the studio so there's been an awful lot of time to write songs, but it's too much, even though the songs are quite short. And don't let Dez sing on stuff if he isn't going to sound like Dez.
For completists and the curious, but you MUST all hear "Father".
SO… let's move on a bit and review their latest album, Devil's Rain, which, rather unbelievably, is their first album of all new material since 1999, when this photo of Patchie, Skum and Jerry Only was taken. See how much we love the Misfits that we are wearing the band's shirts to their gig, an honour normally reserved only for Maiden and Motörhead.
Anyway, I digress.
Devil's Rain is a whopping sixteen(!) track monster of an album, but is it any good? Well, the answer is yeah, it's alright.
Probably not the most intellectual review you're going to hear, but it's the truth.
I'm going to get it out the way now and say it right at the beginning of the review; it's too long, and although I enjoyed it greatly and will listen to some of the tracks again (more of that later), it is to my mind, the weakest album the Misfits have ever recorded.
But, when you consider that the company it's keeping includes Static Age, Walk Among Us, and Earth A.D., that's not too bad an achievement.
But, sixteen tracks…sheesh.
If they had trimmed it a bit it would have been as good (if not better) than Famous Monsters or American Psycho; all the woah-woh's are there, the fast bits and slow bits, the horror imagery (and an absolute fucking STORMER of a song in "Father" which works not because it's a classic Misfits track, but because it sounds like an old NWOBHM track. Had this song been a b-side on a Neat Records or Bronze single in the early eighties, Thee Claw would be burning it onto every mix cd we ever make) are all there, but it's spread too thinly over too many tracks. I know they've had a lot of time out of the studio so there's been an awful lot of time to write songs, but it's too much, even though the songs are quite short. And don't let Dez sing on stuff if he isn't going to sound like Dez.
For completists and the curious, but you MUST all hear "Father".
Thursday, 3 November 2011
R.I.P. Flattus Maximus (of GWAR)
Flattus Maximus was the lead guitarist in the heavy metal band GWAR. He is known by his red face, white dreadlocks, dinosaur-head shoulder pads and reptile feet. The name "Flattus" implies (verified by various concerts) a flatulent character. His speaking mannerisms suggest a childlike intelligence and naivety (until recently; his entries in the current website's blog depict a different, more violent Flattus).
On November 3, 2011, GWAR released a statement to MetalSucks.com that Cory Smoot had died:
"It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of GWAR must announce the passing of their long time guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of GWAR are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred. At this point there is no word on arrangements and the disposition of the remainder of GWAR’s current North American tour, nor are there any details regarding long term plans. At this point we are just dealing with the loss of our dear friend and brother, one of the most talented guitar players in metal today. We ask that our fans and the media be respectful of our request for privacy for those that have suffered this terrible loss. A full statement will be coming in the next day or so, in the meantime please give your thoughts and your prayers to Cory, his family, and all the people that love him."
- Dave Brockie
Photography on this page: Suzi Zobair
Photos taken during GWAR's set at the 2010 Bloodstock festival in England.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Megadeth Perform Symphony Of Destruction (in Full Halloween Costumes)
Check this shit out!
Really dig these costumes that Megadeth wore when performing on the Jimmy Kimmel show for Halloween 2011. But we are surprised how MegaDave (AKA FrankenStane) was able to stop his latex head from falling off whilst headbanging!
Awesome stuff, we love a bit of Megadeth here at Claw Towers!
Really dig these costumes that Megadeth wore when performing on the Jimmy Kimmel show for Halloween 2011. But we are surprised how MegaDave (AKA FrankenStane) was able to stop his latex head from falling off whilst headbanging!
Awesome stuff, we love a bit of Megadeth here at Claw Towers!
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