Brad Pyn

Whitechapel - The Church of Metal

Whitechapel

While the United States’ most celebrated music may be jazz, something new and darker has been creeping out of it of late. Death metal and metalcore bands have been streaming out like a plague. While this may seem frightening to some, the support for these bands seems to keep growing. One such band, WHITECHAPEL , has taken up the banner of leading artists such as Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Meshuggah and Slipknot into this new age of fast, dirty and violent music. And luckily for us, we’ll get to experience it first-hand, when the group passes by Canberra this January.

Their new album, This Is Exile, was released in July this year despite their almost six month tour. “The only thing I would change,” Alex says,”is to take more time in writing it. We only had two months to write so I think we did a pretty good job, but I think we should have taken a bit longer and the album as a whole would have been better.” While Alex may have his small regrets for the lack of time they had to produce the album, the rest of the world seems to think otherwise. Two of their videos have been put up for nominations as Headbanger’s Ball’s Metal Video of the Year and in the first week of their release the album made over 5,000 sales and undoubtedly a few more thousand in downloads.

While some artists might have been worried about online piracy in this digital age, Whitechapel certainly isn’t. “Right now it’s honestly probably easier than it ever was to achieve success in a metal band.” While it may limit their sales, popularity goes up and “metal is becoming more and more popular with mainstream media covering it like MTV2 and Fuse; I think metal is starting to become more accepted by a wider audience than it was before.”

Most people say that once you’re signed, you’ll sell out. If this is true then Whitechapel must have been the exception to the rule. They support their fellow bands with zeal. “My favourite right now would be Molotov Solution. Very similar to us in sound, a dark deathcore type sound. They just signed to Metal Blade so keep an eye out for their debut release; it’s going to be crushing!” If that’s what you’re think of as ’selling out’, then I think we’re all guilty.

On a different tune, the band has been touring most of this year and will be coming to Australia soon enough. “Never Say Die was a great tour. Tons of people every night, the biggest show was London, I think with like 2,300 people. All the bands were awesome and really friendly. The tour just had a great vibe and atmosphere to it.” While the high of gigging in front of thousands of people is a great high, there is still the demand of going on a prolonged tour, but White Chapel get that they just have to “stick it out until we get to have some time off. Then we’re all ready to hit the road again.” Don’t doubt that they will make it to their ’09 tour dates, they’ll definitely stick it out if only so that they can “come over and meet all of our Aussie fans and see some kangaroos.”

Whitechapel will play a licensed, all ages show at the Basement, Belconnen, on Saturday January 10.

DVDevotee Appleseed Ex Machina (Madman)

When I first picked up the movie Appleseed Ex Machina, I was so thrilled that they had made a sequel to one of the best anime movies in history that I completely ignored the threat of CG animation that loomed on the front of the DVD. I mean, it couldn’t be that bad could it? As I watched the story unfold, it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. While it seemed like an excuse to release a third movie (the first being a poorly done obscure movie from ’88), the storyline did manage to capture the main elements, but as with most translated movies, there is a severe difference and most of the complex bits have been lost in translation.

The storyline consists of a mobile technology device that looks oddly like a Bluetooth headset, being used to take over people’s bodies in order to overthrow the uniting Olympus and allow the creators to create a united ‘perfect’ world, where everyone is a brainwashed, hive-minded, drooling husk. So as is normal, the heroes of the day, Briareos and Deunan slowly become aware of the plot and struggle to end the threat to mankind.

his has them running all over town, blurting out blatantly obvious plot placements and fighting baddies for most of the movie. The main sub plot is the love between Briareos and Deunan. The problems begin when a clone is made from Briareos’ tissue and happens to have everything, right down to his mind, duplicated. This causes Deunan to become confused, mostly due to the fact that the replica of Briareos doesn’t have 75% of his body made of robotic parts and has a face that doesn’t look like a rabbit with five eyes. In general, this movie managed to pack in a full storyline, fight scene after fight scene and the classic conspiracy that is involved in anime and still manage to create a fairly decent film.

MERCY ARMS

WHAT: SYDNEY ALT-ROCK
WHERE: ANU BAR
WHEN: THUR DEC 4

While they might not have been around for very long, Mercy Arms have managed to stir up quite a buzz in the three years they have been together. The alternative rock band is based in Sydney and got together only days before their first gig. Consisting of Thom Moore (lead vocals, guitar), Kirin J. Callinan (guitar), Ash Moss (bass guitar) and Julian Sudek (drums) this original band is a breath of fresh air in the pool of stagnate synths and redone riffs from past songs that the music industry seems to be supporting nowadays. The band has done extensive touring with the likes of The Pixies, Editors, Cut Copy and The Strokes. While they don’t have an extensive catalogue, the band released an EP in ’07, and last August found the band releasing their self-titled debut album independently. Upcoming for the band is their first single from the album, Half Right. They are to be touring Australia next month and will be playing the ANU Bar on Thursday December 4.

HOLA MEXICAN FILM FESTIVAL

WHAT: MEXICAN FILMS
WHERE: DENDY, CANBERRA CENTRE
WHEN: DEC 11 - 14

Get out your tequila and sombreros my good friends, it’s time for the Hola Mexican Film Festival. From December 11 to14 at Dendy, a range of films will be screened featuring award winners from directors such as Christopher Zalla (Blood Of My Blood), Gael Garcia Bernal (Deficit), Sergio Tovar Velarde (Aurora Boreal) and Rodrigo Pla (The Zone, The Desert Within). Also included are several western sci-fi movies, comedies and documentaries. There will be an opening night fiesta, with plenty of food, beer and music to go around, followed by the films the next day. For starters, there will be two ’60s sci-fi films that have been refurbished, followed by two films co-produced in Mexico and Chile. The top ten films from Mexico’s own short film festival will be played next and the last event will be an animated film, Una Pelicula De Huevos (A Movie About Eggs). The festival will also visit Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. For more information, please pay a visit to www.holamexicoff.com .

OXFAM CHRISTMAS FAIR

WHAT: GREAT X-MAS SHOPPING
WHERE: ALBERT HALL
WHEN: SAT NOV 29

Been trying to find some way to put an end to that Christmas shopping list without too much hassle? It seems that we may just have you covered this month with the Oxfam Christmas Fair. Money from the fair will be used to aid those in need in the community, so there’s no need to feel guilty either. The fair will have a selection of unwrapped gift cards, toys, home wares, as well as teas, coffees and chocolates. Over 40 stalls will be set up for the sale of the local crafts and wares brought for sale at the Albert Hall in Yarralumla. If you’re still not convinced, entertainment will be provided by local performers, including Kh’ara Belly dancers. There will also be an Embassy Goodwill Stall selling goods that will give all proceeds to Oxfam Australia. The only entry fee will be a gold coin donation and all proceeds raised at the event will support Oxfam’s nutrition programs in East Timor. The fair will be held on Saturday November 29 from 10am to 4pm, Albert Hall, Yarralumla.

ATOMIC HOOLIGAN

WHAT: UK BREAKBEATS
WHERE: TRANSIT BAR
WHEN: FRI DEC 12

Already having an almost cult base in the UK, Atomic Hooligan are coming to Australia to promote their new album. The DJ duo Terry and Matt Hooligan are regarded as one of breakbeat’s premier artists, due to how consistently they have managed to create hit after hit for the dancefloor. As their first album managed to be ranked in the Top 10 Best Albums in DJ Mag, they seem to have managed quite well in keeping up appearances with their latest album Sex Drugs and Blah Blah Blah. The rock and rave album came and astounded reviewers. While most of their pieces are much more uplifting than most current music, they have a gritty edge to most of their songs. Atomic Hooligan will be touring over the summer and their Australian tour starts on December 5 and goes through to January 1. Their Canberra show which is sure to end in a party for the ages will be on December 12 at Transit Bar.

GEORGE FEST

WHAT: FOLK AND FUNK FEST
WHERE: GEORGE HARCOURT INN
WHEN: SAT DEC 6

As Christmas races towards us, it seems that things slow down and drag out to the last. If you’re looking for a good way to spend your time in the lead up to the holidays, you may want to consider going to The George Fest, where Australian bands ranging from folk music to a bit of funk will be performing. The hosts of the festivities will be none other than the George Harcourt Inn, a pub with a more laid back attitude than the average venue. On December 6 however, this place is bound to be a little less quiet, as Sydney rockers Finn start up the afternoon at 3pm. You can kick off your shoes for a while and relax where local singer and her band, Annie & The Armadillos, and folk singer Ms Ashleigh Mannix take you into the evening. After that former Australian Idol contestant and his band, Dan England & The Thieves, bring a bit of funk into the evening and Sydney band King Farook bring the show to its end at midnight. Admission is free and all you have to do is show up and enjoy yourself on December 6.