-Raz- has written the following articles:
Estonia is a unique country. It’s a very new country – only regaining independence in 1991 – and it’s also one of the most progressive. It's also the only Baltic state running an international music conference. The point? Estonia is different. Drop your pre-conceptions and listen up because Tallinn Music Week and Estonian music is only going to get stronger.»
10 things you need to know about Reeperbahn Festival 2011»
If you’re serious about your heavy music, you’ve been following all the lineup releases already and you’ve started thinking which of the three summer festivals you’ll be attending and while it was relatively simple last year, the addition of Sonisphere to the list just makes the decision that bit more difficult explains Thrash Hits' editor Raziq Rauf.»
Raz on the Raz: A Life in Rock. In his first guest column the editor of Thrash Hits tells us about his week, what he thought of Chinese Democracy, Bullet for My Valentine and more..»
Even if you are a Biffy Clyro fan that’s been in it for the long haul, this compilation will be very useful for when your iPod fails»
Mugison, one of Iceland's premier music exports, has announced details of the annual I Never Went South Festival»
They’re bound to draw comparisons galore with the likes of Idlewild and Biffy Clyro but, nationality aside, this Scottish trio share oodles of musical nuances with those two heavyweights»
DiS's Raziq Rauf has something of a reputation round these parts for putting away the JDs, with or without mixer. He made the trip to Tennessee, via a bag of peanut butter M&Ms, to celebrate Jack's birthday»
Coheed And Cambria are perceived by some to be something of a guilty pleasure. It’s silly really. You get a band who actually enjoy playing music with silly fills and wanky prog moments and ridiculously massive hair and how bloody good they are is totally forgotten...»
The first thing that crosses your mind is that the LA2 (yes, it’s finally been re/un-named) has been less full for ‘bigger’ acts. To say the Reuben are underrated seems obvious until you ask yourself, “underrated by whom?”»
The London International Tattoo Convention is in its third year and takes place on 5-7 October at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane. You can win a pair of weekend passes by entering this competition... »
Whilst, to the unititiated, Every Time I Die might just seem to be another generic emo/hardcore/whatever, the reality is that over the past decade they’ve carved out a niche so unique, they’re already providing the musical inspiration for many...»
Well, we’re back in Finland again (eastside) and as per every other festival anywhere this summer, the weather’s a bit ropey. But everyone’s still having a great time regardless. The bills of most European festivals are so generic that, whilst attending one of these so-called international events, you realise that you really could be anywhere in the world. So, here are some domestic highlights...»
High On Fire? We leave the Underworld high on bloody everything. This is what heavy music was made for...»
It would leave a bitter taste of disappointment if everyone wasn’t so pleased that they would finally be able to say that they saw Glassjaw...»
Even better is the fact that you and a friend can win tickets to go. And you'll get free booze if you're over 18. Mint!»
There is no chatter from the stage for a while but, along with brothers Shawn (drums) and Glen Drover (guitars) and James Lomenzo on bass, Dave Mustaine powers through riff-tastic song after guitar-duelling solo and has the crowd enraptured throughout.»
Following a warm afternoon sunning myself on the beach, I catch up with Scottish masterminds Biffy Clyro at what must surely be the best club in Barcelona. I talk with the trio for nearly an hour at Club Razzmatazz, but this is no time to trivialise matters with wacky articles documenting Raz on The Raz @ Club Razz, oh no. With a move to a major label for their fourth album, this can be nothing but deadly serious...»
Fear Of A Blank Planet is a lonely and ambiguous tale fearing for the future, spoken softly against a complex arrangement of symphonic swirling guitars and absolutely watertight drumming...»
We’ve been keeping a keen eye on iLiKETRAiNS. We’ve thought that they’re one of the UK’s finest talents for some time now, and a lot of you have agreed with that. DiS caught up with the all-singing, all guitar-playing David Edward Martin ahead of the band's appearance at The Camden Crawl, and he duly answered Some Questions for us. What a thoroughly good egg... »
LostAlone have been on and around the UK rock scene for a few years in some shape or form. Building a reputation around their incessant touring and the heady harmonies found in their infectious choruses, the Midlands-based trio have found themselves on the bills of some great shows of late including a few slots with the mighty My Chemical Romance by personal request and a forthcoming appearance at the annual emofest/hell, Give It A Name...»
Machine Head are the kind of band that everyone hears the name of and wonders if they’ve actually done anything of any worth since their stunning debut album, Burn Your Eyes. The truth of the matter is that they haven’t. Not really...»
Sadly, the devastating energy of Cult Of Luna's startling crescendos and giddying explosions of sound just aren’t evident tonight. Everything they do seems lacklustre and fails to fully capture the attention of their audience...»
Daath are not all that they appear to be. On the surface they’re just another death metal band but scratch that surface, however seething and angry it might seem, and you find concepts and thoughtfulness that is rarely seen in such depth...»
You can win tickets to see 36 Crazyfists in Manchester and you'll also get to meet them and stuff. How exciting...»
If you like metal of any sort then you’ll understand the importance of Sweden. The country has a strong pedigree in exporting bands of the sort of calibre that send hearts racing across the globe. As a debut album this is astonishingly developed and well put forth...»
DrownedinSound.com's Raziq Rauf talks to Jesse Lacey from Brand New in an exclusive online interview...»
Only a year has passed since their magnificent debut album, This War Will Last Forever , but Dumbarton tykes Mendeed have returned with the follow-up already in quite magnificent fashion...»
DiS loves it in Finland. Well, more specifically, DiS loves it in Joensuu at Ilosaarirock Festival. DiS will be there again, rocking out and stuff...»
You never get away with just making great music. Never. Killswitch Engage make great music; they make the best metalcore around, but they have an added dimension. The hilarious dynamic between their frontman Howard Jones and their guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz is what helps this band’s live show rise from memorable to legendary. You’d have thought that without a major ingredient such as their lead guitarist, this show wouldn’t be legendary and you’d have been right...»
