What do Cindy Lauper and chimpanzees have in common? Well it’s Crisis in Hollywood of course! Not really knowing a lot about this band before the interview, it was quite an interesting experience researching them. These pop punk rockers from Orlando Florida have a one thing in common as a band and that is writing and playing music together and enjoying every minute of it. Armed with a fun and funky sound and genuine love for making music, I can tell that Crisis in Hollywood is on their way to achieving great things. They will be on the road starting June 7th for the Survive The Swine ’09 East Coast Tour, so be sure to get on board and rock out for a good cause! We had a little chat with drummer Andy to talk about their new release and what’s cooking in the future.

SHOUT!: What’s the story behind the band’s name?

Andy: We spent a long time trying to come up with an amazing band name. We read books at the library for over 4 hours looking for inspiration but it never came. On the way home from the library, we came across a new clip on a local radio station about Paris Hilton. Our drummer Andy blurted out “Crisis in Hollywood”, and the name stuck.

S!: If you were to associate your music with another bands/artists, which would it be?

Andy: Cyndi Lauper. But hopefully people hear a bit of Midtown, Yellowcard, and Jimmy Eat World as well.

S!: You’ve gotten considerably good reviews on your new album Safe and Sound. What was the process of making the album like?

Andy: It was awesome. We had a full five weeks to do the album. We got to work with Anthony from Bayside, which was a great experience. We ended …  Continued »

To be completely honest, I was a bit skeptical towards Misery Signals, whose WikiPedia categorizes them as a “progressive metalcore” band.  Being a fan of progressive metal myself, I am solemnly under personal oath to keep away from every hardcore metal band that has mindlessly abused the genre and shamed the world of progressive metal. Most bands claiming this genre have proven that the combination of these two styles of music would make an unsystematic glob of foul noise. (Note: “Progressive” is not a word to excuse messiness.) However, after checking out some of Misery Signal’s stuff, I have to say, I don’t hate it at all. They don’t fall under my self-made stereotype and have possibly converted me.

After spending about 3 hours completely lost in our own tiny island, my photographer Sya and I finally discovered the mystical location of the Misery Signal’s show. We met with Karl Schubach, Kyle Johnson and Stuart Ross just minutes after arriving, while still in the state of disorientation and sweating like elephants on crack. These boys were as laid back as you can imagine, geared with baseball caps, bermuda shorts and beer in hand. The interview went on in a little corner just opposite a basketball court with kids, bouncing balls. An unlikely venue but then again, it was totally punk rock so we dug it.

SHOUT!: You’ve been in Singapore for a few days now. How do you like it so far?

Stu: I like it a lot! The weather’s really nice and it’s really clean. It’s really nice.

Karl: It’s hot!!

Kyle: We were here (Singapore) for a few days and we went to Jakarta and tonight is the second show of the tour.

Stu: You guys have to lean in to the …  Continued »

You know you’ve been to a good rock show when your leg wakes you up in the middle of the night, pissed. I could barely walk after a night of watching Parkway Drive’s sold out concert in Singapore. Despite being smothered in a mist of human sweat and temporarily handicapped from the waist down, I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The show took place at an unlikely venue. The Singapore Arts Museum (SAM) features modern and contemporary visual art exhibits in an authentic atmosphere with snow white, English themed walls and golden chandeliers. Walking through a sea of hardcore and metal kids at a place such as this was, to say the least, different.

I caught up with the singer of Parkway Drive, Winston McCall, hours before the show. Although coming down with a common flu, Winston appeared genuinely enthusiastic about meeting his Asian fans and didn’t refuse any requests for photos and autographs. Two fans actually managed to sneak a photo with the Australian frontman right as when we were preparing to start the interview. I got to take two things from this interview. A hell of a good laugh and a flu from the lead singer.

SHOUT!: Your last record Horizon was released 2 years ago. When can the fans expect new stuff from you guys?

Winston: We’re starting to write at the moment. We have a couple of songs that are pretty much done. The band is expected to sit down and officially write the album in about 2 weeks. That’s when we’ll try and get something out of our brains and see if there are any songs left in there. We’ll see how it goes.

S!: Is there anything the fans can look forward to this year?

Winston: We’re doing a lot of tours and will …  Continued »

Being as young as they are, it was no surprise that the crowd was a bit agitated at the decision the organizers of the event made when they slotted new local metal band from Singapore, Lepak into the bill to perform with Death Grind/ Black metal heavyweights Hydrophobia and Defiled from Japan. Some weren’t too thrilled at that fact whilst others, such as myself, were intrigued as to what this band was all about. Knowing they weren’t completely supported by everyone in the crowd, they went ahead and gave it all they’ve got. For that, I give this band big kudos for not giving a shit. And to be honest, I don’t think they’re all that bad either. After their slot, I got together with the band to have a little chat about their music. The experience of interviewing Lepak was quite an entertaining one. Shiv, Keith, Mike, Bran and Mark, ranging from the ages of 16 to 18, are pretty much as laid back as their band name suggests.

Shout!: For the convenience of our international readers, can you explain to us the meaning of your band name and why did you decide on such a name?

Shiv: The word Lepak basically means “chill out” or “relax” in (Bahasa Melayu).

Keith: We didn’t want people to take us too seriously. We felt it suited the band and our nature.

S!: Tell us more about the band.

Shiv: We have a wide range of influences. We’re obviously heavily influence by black metal. All the hardcore, death metal..

Mike: ..dark, dark shit

Shiv: yeah, dark shit. [laughs all around]

Keith: We try to incorporate them in all of our songs.

S!: Do you think you’re similar to any bands?

Shiv: We definitely listen and look up to a lot of bands but …  Continued »

The crowd was insane and the band was spectacular. Hyrdophobia’s set at their recent gig in Singapore, did not disappoint the fans one bit. This Japanese band adds friendliness and smiles to the brutality that is metal. They came outside to mingle with everyone before the show and were the biggest sweethearts. I was incredibly surprised at how nice and adorable these bunch of guys were. The organisers had set an interview for me with their guitarist/vocalist Rin. Unfortunately, due to the barrier in language, I had to cut our interview short. Thanks to Defiled’s guitarist, Yusuke for helping us translate during this interview.

Shout!: Why did you choose to play Death Grind?

Rin: [long pause] We love extreme metal that’s why we decided to play deathgrind. It started from our love for fusion music.

S!: How is it like touring with Defiled?

Rin: Awesome! They are like our big brothers and we look up to them.

S!: Why did you decide to do an Asian tour now?

Rin: The underground music scene here in Asia has been constantly evolving and has been getting better day by day. Thanks to the internet, this type of music has had plenty of exposure. And there is so many new good metal bands rising these days.  That’s why we decided that touring Asia now, while the scene is rising, was a good idea.

S!: You’ve recently released your first album after forming the band 12 years ago. What challenges did the band face while recording this record?

Rin: Hmm…We wanted to be as original as possible and do the record exactly the way we wanted.  We wanted it to be technical but simple.

S!: What is the metal scene like in Japan?

Rin: There’s so many young bands rising up now but it takes …  Continued »

Luckily for me, I got to talk to Truth Be Known, way before their set. Having a MySpace headline that read “Most alcohol induced band in Singapore”, I was excessively worried and had no idea what to expect. But fortunately, these guys were so easy to talk to. Not only were they sober and cooperative, Subash and Gene might just be some of the most decent and nicest guys I’ve ever met.

Shout!: Are you guys nervous at all for your upcoming slot with Defiled and Hydrophobia?

Subash: No.

Gene: No, we’re sorta already used to this.

Subash: It’s just that we’re sober right now. We’ve never been sober for any of our gigs. And this one will be no different.

S!: What do you think of the crowd today?

Subash: It was surprising, to be honest. We were very worried about the turn out as it’s the festive season like Hari Raya (Muslim holiday) here, but the metalheads did us proud!

S!: I heard the song “Build The Hate”, on your MySpace page. It’s pretty intense. How did that song come about?

Gene: Usually for most of our songs, our guitarists will start out by producing the riffs and I’ll follow up with the drums.

Subash: Lyrics will usually come last. After the composition of the guitar and drums, I’ll come in with the lyrics. It also depends on the song structure. Sometimes, if neccessary, I’ll do a bit of research to get the lyrics together.

S!: Research?

Subash: Yeah. I’ll carry out research on certain subjects or people to get inspired. For example, we have a song based on a philosopher called Frederick Mitchell.

S!: So lyrically, what are your songs usually based on?

Gene: For …  Continued »

Mary Magdalan
www. myspace.com/marymagdalan

I was first introduced to Mary Magdalan when a fan of theirs added me on myspace. Her myspace profile was plastered with pictures and music by Mary. Curiosity is what killed my junkie virginity. Honestly, I have never seen such dedication and loyalty from fans than that of the Mary Magdalan junkies. And this craze is for good reason.

Inspired by a dark past, struggling with a mother battling a heroin addiction, female front woman, Mary Magdalan, whole-heartedly bears her soul through her lyrics, in high hopes of bringing healing to those going through the same pain. All of Mary Magdalan’s lyrics are biographical and is what makes them so original. Her story is truly inspiring and is one of the many reasons why I am so attracted to this band.

I can’t quite place what genre of music they belong in. They remind me very much of the band Otep, but with a little more grunge. Their sound is truly a breath of fresh air and very different from what we’re used to hearing. Their different musical influences explain why this band is so darn different. On guitars is Ericb, who has his masters in classical and is heavily influenced by Metallica and Pantera. Gzus brings the hip-hop element to their music and Mary, the vocalist, is influenced by legendary songstresses like Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Their unique blend of genres is heavily reflected upon their music and is something you just can’t find anywhere else.

Mary Magdalan’s debut album called “Pity Girl” ,which was solely mastered, manufactured and distributed by the band themselves, is out on sale and can only be bought directly from the band. They are in the midst of recording their next album and …  Continued »

Get a Front Row Stand

It takes careful consideration and planning to achieve a want. This is one advice that can be applied to every aspect of your life. Concerts are no exception. Teenies prefer to play dirty to get ahead. I know this from first hand experience. Their plans usually provide results but this approach is prone to backfire.

From every regretful experience in life comes about something positive. I’d like to think that my horrid years as a teenie would someday benefit another human being. That somehow I have achieved something from 3 years of “OMGILOVEYOU”s and that it can subsequently help others.

Well, the day is finally here! I come to you, as a former insider, bearing a gift of knowledge. Here are some tips on how to be sneaky in a concert crowd and get yourself front and center!

• Dress for Comfort

If you’re planning to be covered in spikes with 50 pounds of metal attached to your body, be prepared to be a target in the mosh pit. First of all, how comfortable can dragging your heavy metal body (literally) be? If you think this will prove how metal or brutal you are, think again. Arrogance equals a target mark on your forehead.

Secondly, what is the point? Unless you have glow-in-the-dark skin, no one can see you in the crowd! And quite bluntly, NOONE CARES! Some of you may be thinking, “but what if I bump into the band after the show?” Believe me, there is nothing sexier than a sweaty band shirt. That’s your way of showing the band you had the time of your life getting down and dirty with them. The goal is to sneak your way to the front, so ensure that you can move about freely and not have anything …  Continued »