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On Monday 8th May many wrote posts on social media portals that this was by far the best edition yet. Well they’re not wrong! During a recent interview I did with organiser Nick Morales, he expressed and hoped just that! Nick and his group (not the many musical ones he plays in) worked hard so this edition tops the other nine. Because yes, this year’s edition was the 10th and although every year is special this had to be the one. From a humble 4 band event back in 2011 it grew each year into a three day festival with more 40 acts (2023 edition). As Nick related during the mentioned interview, the festival was created as an event to host Italian band Aim during their short tour on the island. It was aptly called Rock The South, held at Zion Bar & Restaurant in St. Thomas Bay, Wied il-Għajn. The place, just like the festival, has undergone many changes since and developed into a first class place to relax and eat. There was always one drawback regarding Rock The South, especially when it started growing: although the acts play back to back (except those performing in the silent disco) it is very hard to keep up watching all the bands for three days. Unfortunately I missed some as well, while others I heard from elsewhere in the festival area. Friday 5th May doors opened at 5.30pm and although the lineup featured only 7 bands split between both stages (plus 4 other acts in the silent disco), the choice was excellent. Probably the idea to have a shorter day was due to the fact that many were still at work, or returning from work at the time the doors were opening. Roza were the first band at 6.30pm followed by Cher Camilleri, Kym Pepe and Michael Azzopardi, whom I have seen for the first time performing backed by a band. Although the music was different from that recorded it was up to a very good standard, and like the other bands before there’s always a note in mind to check from time to time for future live performances. After Michael Azzopardi, it was time for two giants in the local alternative music scene, The Areola Treat and The Beangrowers, both bands that I have not seen perform in a while, but still managed to put on the vibe they did when performing in their early days. This year’s festival boasted three foreign artists, with the first headlining Friday. Bo Ningen were formed in London in 2006 by four musicians from Gumma, Tajimi, Nishinomiya, and Tokyo, who united in the UK. This was their second time on stage at RTS, their first being in 2019 and once again they released a set full of energy and precision. In the meantime, from 8pm the silent disco offered an alternative to live music with sets from Radju Haj, The Violent Violets, Alias 1 and Estranyesa. And if Friday was a fantastic start to this year’s edition, Saturday proved to be another great day. First band on was Edgar Allan Paul on the Jagermeister stage, followed by The Velts, Beesqueeze and the return of Massacre House Party after five years since they last appeared on stage at the Farsons Beerfest of 2018. MHP also released an EP titled ‘If It’s Pop(ular) It’s (Not) Cool just 24 hours before their appearance at 7.45pm on Saturday. Followed by yet another reunited band Shoshtakovich’s Nightmare with an interesting (to say the least) set they are famous for. The last time I saw them perform was when the band supported Therapy? At Sky Club back on Thursday 30th April 2009, (the other Maltese band on the night supporting the English outfit were The Areola Treat). Shoshtakovich’s Nightmare were followed by the Italian band AIM. As Nick confessed during our interview, they were an automatic choice, being the band that ‘gave birth’ to the festival. Rumours say that the band were on a hiatus but got together to perform RTS on the insistence of Mr. Morales…. Brodu followed with a number of songs covering their ten year history. Last band of the day, Leeds alternative rock band Pulled By Horses lived up to their reputation of explosive live performances. Formed in 2008 they boast 5 studio albums, their latest Reality Cheques released September 30, 2022. With the crowd amazed by what they have just witnessed (and with a question on everyone’s lips: What would Tom Hudson (vox) have done had the microphone been cordless?), some made their way to the silent disco, open from 8pm and featuring sets by Black Plague, Spots And Stripes and a DJ set by UK artists Zkeletonz. The sun shone brightly on Sunday morning, and we made our way early towards Marsascala. After an excellent meal at the venue’s restaurant we headed inside the festival area for a beer and some time to chill before the first band hit the stage, The day was opened on the Jagermeister stage with an energetic (as always) performance by up coming band Morsrot, followed by extreme metal supergroup Niket. The brainchild of Nicholas Bonello from a lingering idea he had for some years Niket came into existence circa 2020. In October 2021 a self titled EP was released on Kewn Records with a video following soon featuring Tryst Arcane’s Alexia Baldacchino and David "Beast" Fenech from Loathe. Last Sunday was Niket’s debut live appearance and apart from the two singers and Nicholas the band featured Haine and Abysmal Torment’s Claudio Toscano on bass while Krishna’s drummer Alan Darmanin (also with Skorch). After these two dynamic acts, the crowd was treated with the progressive fusion rock sound of Ferret, who released a single (performed also on Sunday), just a few days prior to the festival. Ferret were followed by thrashers Grotium with an explosive show that only Grotium are famous for. It was then time for Prog rock giants Mirage to hit the stage, playing on the Jagermeister Stage under a hazy sky, the band delivered a set taken from their first two albums ‘For Absent Friends’ released in 1982 and ‘Garage Technology’ from 1987. A more heavier sound followed Mirage with Dalam and Five Years From Now, before it got a bit slower with the stoner doom sound of Hemplifier, who shall be releasing their debut album ‘The Stoner Side Of The Doom’ in June. Next band on, Krishna managed three songs (their latest release Headless is composed of a 50 minute track), followed by Haine, BILA and Club Murder, who played on the Cisk Stand. Back to the Jagermeister Stage the evergreen BNI wowed everyone who could manage to squeeze in front of the stage. Then back to the Cisk Stage for the last band of the night and the festival - Beheaded who were back on a local stage after five years. Their last performance on Maltese shores was during Notte Bianca 2018, and as many expressed in their posts it was worth the wait. Still breathless and amazed after a day to remember, especially if you’re a metalhead, many made their way to the silent Disco area where we were greeted by the tunes selected by DJ Hades which reminded us of yet another great festival we attended a few weeks ago. Other artists during the day in the silent disco were Tina, CHILD, GhꚚsꝉꝉ and Hanek. Apart from the snag, mentioned earlier, that it is impossible to follow all bands, this year’s festival revealed two problems that should be given some consideration. The Jagermeister Stage was a huge improvement from last year’s, but the area in front is too small for many bands, with people moving to other areas of the festival due to the crowdedness, but let’s be honest, unfortunately, and as much as I hate to say it, the grounds are getting too small for the festival and should really be taken into consideration when planning the area next year. The other problem, always in my opinion, was the merch stand. With over 30 bands and the festival’s merch I believe the stand this year was very small, and all went well thanks to the dedication shown by the personnel taking care of it. Still this does not cloud the fact that this year’s edition, the tenth, was in fact the best one so far, promising a very bright future to this festival which was born from humble origins, well we can all admit (as Nick did in our interview), thanks to AIM for playing on the islands back in 2011. The bands performed, but a huge kudos goes to all those behind the scenes, the staff and anyone who made last weekend a magical one. Let the countdown start for number eleven!

I start this off with a confession. I am not a Eurovision buff, so any mistakes are due to my gross ignorance on the subject and are regretted. For most people I know, rock/metal and the Eurovision are in a love/hate relationship, while others state that they do not follow the event, yet somehow end up commenting on it. Like every issue where Malta is concerned, the majority treat it as a crusade and get very hot under the collar when the voting ends............neighbours, bloody neighbours. The European Aspect.................. One of the first bands to fit in the rock/metal equation that participated in the festival was the Norwegian glam metal band Wig Wam, way back in 2005. The Nordic countries seem to have an affinity with exporting their bands to the Eurovision and in 2008 it was Finland’s time with Terasbetoni. In 2006, Finnish metal band Lordi, drew first blood and won the Eurovision with their song ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’. This caused quite a stir but was very well received. Lordi performed this song as part of their set at their concert at Aria Complex on 31st March 2023. This was their first time performing in Malta. In 2009, Alexander Ryback, who represented Norway, won that year’s edition with a metal sounding song entitled ‘Fairytale’. He made a comeback in 2011 fronting the band Keep of Kalessin. In 2018, metal / post-hardcore band, AWS represented Hungary. Unfortunately, Ors Siklosi, their front man, passed away in February 2021 at 29 years of age. A year later, in 2019, Iceland were represented by techno-punks Hatari. In 2021 Finland were represented by nu-metalers Blind Channel but the year will remain synonymous with the Italian rock band Maneskin, who triumphed with their song ‘Zitti e Buoni’. Attempts to tarnish Maneskin’s reputation with allegations that they were sniffing cocaine in the green room failed miserably. Like their front man, Damiano David, rightly exclaimed: “Rock ‘N Roll never dies!” The local aspect................. Malta has never won the Eurovision Song Contest............ or as some say, we were cheated out of winning the contest.......... Also, our country was never represented by a metal band per se, the closest association being pop-rock and soft-rock. Digging deep enough one can find that some of the singers that represented Malta in the Eurovision Song Contest have a background in the local rock and metal scene. Let’s start chronologically. In 1991, Paul Giordimaina and Georgina won the Malta Song for Europe, and the right to represent Malta, with their song ‘Could It Be’. Georgina Abela (nee’ Sammut), way back in 1984, fronted hard-rock band Overdose, replacing their singer, Miriam Spiteri. In 1993 it was William Mangion’s time to triumph with his song ‘This Time.’ Mangion started his career in the 1970’s fronting bands such as Slug and Split. In the 1980’s he joined Exit and after Getting Closer, who he left in 1992 to pursue a carrier as a solo artist. In 1994 it was the turn of Moira Stafrace and Christopher Scicluna to win with their song ‘More Than Love.’Personally, I consider this as one of my all time favourite entries. This rock ‘n roll couple formed their duo in the 90’s, working under the name of Chris & Moira. Sadly, Chris passed away in February 2022. Moira keeps the flame alight with her participation in selected events. Mike Spiteri triumphed in 1995 with the song ‘Keep me in Mind.’ Spiteri has fronted rock groups since the 1970’s and made his presence noticed during the 1980’s with bands such as Stratkast and Mirage, prior to following a career as a solo artist. One of Malta’s most beloved singers (with a connection to the metal scene) to represent Malta in the Eurovision is Ira Losco. She participated twice, namely in 2002 with ‘7th Wonder’, placing 2nd (Malta’s best ever result, together with Chiara’s 2005 entry ‘Angel’), and in 2016 with ‘Walk on Water.’ Ira Losco fronted local rock band Tiara before launching her solo career. Another connection, may seem a bit far-fetched, but notwithstanding exists. Ira Losco features as guest artist on, (local black metal band) Martyrium’s 2002 album, entitled Withering In Voluptuous Embrace. Precisely on track 7 – ‘Promises.’ The same track features also an appearance by Marvic Lewis, known also as Indigo, of Indigo-Darkpsych fame. Though never winning the Malta Eurovision Song Contest, Marvic has participated several times, both as a solo artist and in duet with her sister Olivia Lewis, who triumphed in 2007 with the song ‘Vertigo.’ What’s next............ Metal hopefuls, in 2023’s edition, will be rooting for German industrial metal band Lord of the Lost, with their song ‘Blood & Glitter.’ They too have a connection to Malta as they participated in 2019’s edition of the Dark Malta Festival. This year the Maltese shall be rooting for The Busker, who won the Malta Eurovision Song Contest 2023, with their song ‘Dance (Our Own Party)’. Best of luck from melodija.eu team.

Interview with Mark ‘Storm’ Micallef carried out by Keith Muscat The older you grow the more you reminisce the days gone by, especially the misspent youth. Dial-up internet in Malta was introduced in the mid-1990’s, before that you either had to make do with what you found on the rock or else go through the whole process of mail-ordering from a catalogue. We did not miss what we did not know, so it was business as usual for us to save some extra liri and try to get the latest t-shirt or some other merch. Apart from some well established shops that provided us with lp’s, casettes and later cd’s, there were a couple of stands at il-Monti and tal-Cassettes (City Gate), from were we used to buy our fix. The first proper shop catering for rockers and metalheads was The Rock Shop way back in 1990’s. I had the opportunity to carry out a short interview with Mark ‘Storm’ Micallef, who together with his brother Phil were much involved in the scene at that time. Having the opportunity, I could not miss out on asking Mark about Brainstorm, Storm and Storm Records. The Rock Shop On Saturday, 9th July 1994, Gozitan Hard Rock Party Leader, Patrick Grima (Ħanfusa) inaugurated The Rock Shop, in Theatre Street, Valletta. Mr Grima (RIP 1957-2019) was quite the character. In fact, few months before he stormed the Victoria Local Council Election and got elected on first count. The Rock Shop was, and I think still is, the only shop that was exclusively dedicated to rock and heavy metal in Malta. The shop used to stock cd’s, cassettes, albums, singles, videos, t-shirts, jewellery, caps, posters, books and other items. KM How did the idea of opening The Rock Shop come to mind? PSM As my brother (Phil Storm) and I always loved the rock scene (and still do) we wanted to open a business that was sustainable, and at the same time a passion of ours. In the days, it was very hard to find rock merchandise and various rock/ heavy metal/ death metal etc albums, we therefore decided to divert from running a Hi Fi shop into a music store specializing in various types of Rock Music The Rock Shop did not only serve its economic purpose, it because a sort of hub for the local rock/metal community. I can still remember ads for wanted musicians or musicians searching for bands, gig posters etc. Was this part of the raison detre behind The Rock Shop? In a way it was, as we are also musicians, we wanted to help the rock scene in general, however we could. If I am not mistaken, the shop shifted from Theatre Street to one of the arcades in Republic Street before calling it a day. When did The Rock Shop close for good and how do you describe this journey? We started off at Regency House arcade in Valletta selling Hi Fi, and over the years, we then started also diverting to Rock Music and merchandise. Further to that, we then closed the shop and opened a new shop ‘The Rock Shop’ on Old Theatre Street focusing only on Rock. It was enough to keep the business going. Storm Records Another brave move was the setting up of Strom Records, with the aim of giving local bands a chance to achieve local and international success and recognition. When did the venture start and what did it entail to start record company? We started ‘Storm Records in the mid 90’s. At the time I also had a recording studio. Through ‘Storm Records’ we also managed a few local bands and helped promote their music overseas, on the other hand, through the recording studio, we recorded various local bands, ‘Storm Records’ eventually produced and released a few albums and some compilations with a selection of Maltese bands. In 1995 Storm Records released several compilations featuring the cream of Maltese rock/metal talents. “Eruption” and “The Storm has begun”, in my opinion still stand the test of time and stand as witness to the bubbling talent in the 90’s. Eruption featured bands on the hard rock side and included the bands Cry (Permanent High), Limestone Kick (Lola), Blade (Faith), Nightwing (Inferno), Brainstorm (One Eighty Seconds), Different Light (In The Grey), Purple Haze (Helping Hand) and Fatal Aggression (Eternal Sleep). The storm has begun leaned more on the heavier side and included Norm Rejection (Trance Upon the Chessboard), Trial By Fate (Once Upon a Time), Beheaded (Vae Victus), Forsaken (Moon Dancer), Sanity (The Insane’s Tale), Masada (Redemption), Orbus Vitae (Lament of the Disturbed) and Amentia (Charms of Mysticism). These were followed by another two compilations in 1996. “The Core of Creation” featuring Thera (Sin or Die), Dirt (Fresh Blood), Obscurity (Obscurity), Sceptocrypt (Oratorio Mortem), No Name Yet (In Your Face), Norm Rejection (Where’s the green?), Subtraction (Humanity Undone), Mystic Pearl (Let the Leaders Fight) and Victims of Creation (Lotions and Potions). “Illusions” included Jane Air (Act), The Koyl (Come), Juicy Affair (Lady), Wex (Damn), Grip (One Life), Dreamscape (The Fall), Wildflower (Love & Reality), Rubber Souls (Before I forget), Purple Haze (No More), Brainstorm (Mushroom) and Storm (Hard Dreams). It must have been quite a feat to coordinate all the bands and a lot of sleepless nights till the final product hit the shelves. What do you cherish most from this experience? It was an amazing experience. In the 90’s it was so difficult for a Maltese Band. Instruments cost a lot of money, recording in a studio and releasing a CD was a dream for many rock bands. We therefore decided to do our utmost to create opportunities for the rock scene, and the 4 compilations we put together gave good exposure to those featured on the albums. The recordings for the compilations took place in my recording studio ‘Storm Studios’. Of course, it was a very challenging experience to put it all together, however once we released the material, it was well worth it. In March 1996, Storm Records opened a new recording studios in Salina (l/o Naxxar). The studios were equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology and services offered included cd pressing, tape duplication, production, artwork, printing and mastering services. What were the greatest satisfactions and delusions whilst the studios were in operation? Working in the studio with a lot of young talent was an amazing experience, although it was very hard work. It brought great satisfaction to us, and at the same time to the bands. I am correct to state that you were not alone in this venture? At the time I was working in the studio with producer Boris Cezec. Once the material was recorded, we used to send it to London to be digitally mastered and to press the CD for the final product. Brainstorm Love them or hate them Brainstorm hit the ground running from day one. A lot of emphasis was focused on the music but image, branding and showmanship were important ingredients for the band. The initial formation, in 1986, included J. J. Axe (guitar), Mark Storm (vocals), Phil Storm (bass), Martin Debono (guitar) and Bobby Calbion (drums and percussion). What can you tells us about how the band got together and the early years? We got together in 1984, the original line up was Mark Storm on vocals, Ivan Filletti and JJ Axe on Guitars, Martin D.Bono on Bass and Bobby Calbian on the drums Where there any line up changes at the early stages of the band? Later on, Ivan Filletti departed and Martin B Dono shifted from bass to Guitars, whilst Josef Petroni joined on bass as a session musician for live gigs until Phil Storm was eventually introduced as the main bassist. During the late 80’s and early 90’s it was not unusual for bands to play at, what today, we would consider unconventional venues, such as small local theatres and the sound systems were not that great. Do you have any experiences you wish to share? Unlike today, in the 80’s and 90’s, in order to perform a concert, we needed to rent a hall where we could perform from and organize a concert from scratch. This meant, we had to rent a premises, rent a sound system with an engineer, rent the lighting system, print out own marketing material such as posters, concert programs, tickets and so on. The biggest challenge was that we then used to have to go out, meet friends and sell our own tickets, at the time was also used to market the concert stating that tickets could be purchased from the Rock Shop or at the door. Keep in mind, that at the time Social Media did not exist, therefore we had to do everything ourselves. What was the average attendance for gigs back then? In those days, we used to have anything between 400 and 500 people attend our self-organized concerts. Playing in festivals with a number of different bands, sometimes used to attract larger crowds. Ever innovative, Brainstorm in 1988 decided to release their first ever video as a publicity stunt towards the release of your first L.P. The video for “Chained to the Wall” was banned from local television as it was deemed as ‘a bad influence to the public’. What was the issue all about and how was the matter resolved? Did this project include a collaboration with Krokus vocalist Marc Storace? AS you know, the mentality in Malta has changed drastically since the 80’s, our video was banned because at the start of the video, we had a girl who was wearing a slightly see-through night dress, this raised a lot of eyebrows. Mark Storace had eventually featured on the title track for the Video ‘Chained to the wall’ The video for “Chained to the Wall” was eventually remixed and re-released in 1989, with footage of a live concert that was held at Axis as part of a charity campaign for muscular dystrophy. What memories do you have of that concert and was Brainstorm involved in other charity campaigns? Brainstorm released the video at Axis, it was a totally amazing concert, it still brings back great memories. Brainstorm was involved in other charity activities, one in particular was a live performance at the Manuel Theatre in Valletta. As far as I could remember, we were the first and last rock band to ever play over there. Another strange incident happened in April 1988, when Brainstorm were participating in a concert at Vibes and somehow someone managed to creep into the band’s dressing room and deliberately damage the drum kit and guitars. What are your recollections on this episode? Ha ha, yes, this was a festival, there were a selection of bands and some bands rivaled other bands. Moments before we hit the stage, someone managed to tamper with the drums, the guitars which were fully tuned, strangely enough were no longer in tune, and the firebombs we prepared for the start of the concert no longer functioned. At the time, it was a very stressful moment, however today I laugh about it. In 1989 Mr Philip Fenech took over the management of Brainstorm from Mrs. Micallef, who had seen the band emerge from nowhere to become on of the best bands for 1988. This came after the release of “Brainstorm Unchained”. How did this change effect the band? Philip Fenech took over as manager, Philip is a great man, but also a business man with much less time than what Mrs. Micallef had. We did a few gigs with Philip as our manager, however the passion and dedication Mrs. Micallef had was second to none. Brainstorm participated in a lot of events is there any concert/gig that you hold above the rest? Probably the first ever gig we played as Brainstorm would be above the rest. This was on 22nd March 1986 at The Scouts HQ in Floriana. This was our first public performance, and we did not know what to expect. The turn out was tremendous, the amount of people who attended stunned us, we never expected to have a totally full house. We literally played our hearts out. The feeling was magical, and the crown joined in from beginning to end making the atmosphere electric. Phil Storm and yourself left the band in the third quarter of 1990. The rest of the band decided to continue working under the same name and seek replacements. I am not going to ask about how this effected you. Let bygones be bygones. You moved on to form Storm. Can you give us some information on this band? Yes, although we never fell out with the band, we eventually departed Brainstorm and formed the band ‘Storm,’ Soon after, I recorded my first ever full-length CD titled ‘Another Day ‘In fact I have just recently uploaded it on Spotify. The album Storm ‘Another Day’ featured several session musicians on various tracks and some guest singers featured for the track ‘Crime of Innocence.’ We also recorded a video for the hit track ‘Naked in the rain.’ This album was a great success and was also nominated in the Malta Music Awards. We performed a string of concerts after releasing the album at Axis After Storm folded it seems that you put your musical career on a hiatus. Is there a chance that we will see Mark Storm back on stage any time soon? That’s a good question, after so many years, I have decided to get back in the game. I am currently planning to record another album by ‘Storm’ we have already started writing some tracks and its sounding great. I guess you will have to wait a little until I can say more on this subject. (Photos for this interview were provided curtesy of Mark ‘Storm’ Micallef)

Doors to this year’s edition of Dark Malta opened at 14.30 on a gusty Friday afternoon on the 21st April, making the main room at Gianpula a much-desired refuge. But the crowd was not there to shelter from the weather outside, it was there to witness one the best editions of the festival so far. The weather came to its senses by the time Friday’s headliners finished, the wind nearly dying completely, promising an amazing weather for the remaining two days. DJing in the main room was different each day and duty fell to DJ Toty for the first one. A return behind the deck after an absence of four years, in fact his last appearance was on the second edition of Dark Malta in 2019. A triumphant return with an insane set filling in between bands till the headliners hit the stage. The festival was hosted by Eric13, guitarist and backing vocals with American aggrotech / industrial metal band Combichrist. The festival could not have had a better host. Having already awed the audience during last year’s edition with an impeccable acoustic solo set on Sunday afternoon and performing with Combichrist later on in the evening, his appeal and charisma this year was spread throughout the three days, during which he interacted with the bands and audience alike, on and off stage and throughout the whole festival area, without showing any signs of tiredness especially during Sunday, the last day of the festival. Eric13 has just produced a play titled BOWIECHURCH: Scenes of a Rock’n’Roll Life which explores the phenomenon of how the music of David Bowie has been present at some of the most important and most terrifying moments of ERIC13's life. When it came to live acts, the festival was opened by locals Damaged & Co. The band is already synonymous with the energy their music delivers, and fresh from supporting Lordi a few weeks ago, the band showed they were still on a hype. Their nine song set-list featured eight tracks from the debut album released 'Life's Grand Delusion' released last February 16th and 'Broken Fields' taken from their self-titled 2022 EP. The first day of the festival also saw performances by Lost Reality, Normoria, Chontaraz, whose guitarist Akon was gentle enough to concede us an interview, which shall air in the coming weeks on Heatstrokes (now can also be heard on Melodija.eu), Dark, L’Ame Immortelle and headliners of the night Swedish outfit Deathstars. The second day of the festival, Saturday 22nd April, commenced earlier with a rooftop pool party from noon onwards, with music provided by Thenia AF., while in the main room legendary Reptile DJ Vade Retro amused everyone with a very professional set. The first band on stage was Instant Lake, followed by Juggernauts, DSTR, V2A, Empathy Test, Icon Of Coil and headliners for the second night And One, German new wave/futurepop/EBM band who replaced Blutengel on the eleventh hour, when the latter had to cancel due to medical reasons. Once the band completed their set, it was time for the afterparty with DJ Yami Speechie and the festival organizer DJ Hades playing tunes till 4am. Sunday opened, like Saturday, at noon with the Batcave Boys who pampered all those who braved the hot sun dancing by the pool. In the main room DJ Jasmin Evilution presented an outstanding set between the bands, starting with newcomers Mal Di Luna from Trieste, followed by local project Ancient Remains performing ‘Icy winds of Sarkesh’ and ‘Midnight Procession Pt 1 and Pt 2 from Unearthed EP released in 2021. Also, on the set-list: ‘Cavern of Solitude’, ‘A Sorcerer’s Tale’, ‘Transylvanian Hunger’, ‘Journey to a distant land’, ‘Of Beast and Man’ and, ‘Danse du Champingnon’. Ancient Remains act was accompanied throughout the set with the choreography of Irish poet 10Pah who also recited one of his latest poems DRKLIT during ‘Midnight Procession Pt 1’ Ancient Remains were followed by another local – Xitan, whose act was initiated by a funeral procession from the festival area main gates, with nun clad models carrying a coffin following the master of procession blessing onlookers with incense. The coffin was delivered to the foot of the stage where the awaiting Xitan launched into his set once it was positioned and all heathens took their place in front of the stage. Sandmist took care of the music and technicalities allowing Xitan to perform more freely. For the last song of the set Xitan performed ‘Children Of The Dark’ (original by Mono Inc.) with the ‘angelic’ voice of Veronique Meeuwsen. The other songs making up his set list were Seraphim Burn, Samael, Union Of The Black, Square Hammer (Ghost cover), Lilith, Satana and Becoming God. The bill for Sunday continued with performances by Toxic Army, The Dark, Motel Transylvania, Alien Vampires, Agonoize with headliners, German dark wave band Project Pitchfork closing the festival for 2023. We left the festival tired, but gleaming with satisfaction of a well-organized event, already with next year’s edition on our minds. Of course, apart from the impeccable organization one must ruminate and congratulate the staff members, stagehands, and stage technicians under the directions of Michael Hersey and sound engineer Ays Kura (Die Kur’s frontman who played the festival in 2022). One only has to read the comments left by artists, musicians and attendees on the Facebook event page towards the crew to see how professional they were. An artisan market welcomed anyone who entered the main room during these three days with anything goth, metal, and pagan under one roof. During the three days one could also enjoy an art exhibition titled ‘Malta Oskura’. Stunning artwork by Ester Cardella, Sara Pace, Joseph Bugeja, Franco Navarro, Luca Cauchi and Jennings Falzon The latter five artists’ works can also be viewed at Casino Notabile in Rabat from the 29th April till the 14th May. Needless to say we all needed time to recuperate, but once energy was regained we were faced of the reality that we have to wait another 366 days (2024 is a leap year) to relive another magical weekend as we did this year. Melodija team chose their personal top 5 foreign bands of the festival. Keith Muscat :Deathstars, Mal Di Luna, The Dark, Motel Transylvania, Toxic Army Priscilla Spiteri: Motel Transylvania, Toxic Army, Chontaraz, Emphaty Test, The Dark Noel Mifsud: Chontaraz, Toxic Army, Motel Transylvania, Mal Di Luna, V2A Share your Dark Malta experience by commenting below pool photos: Antoine Cortis live bands photos: Vica Mifsud / Priscilla Spiteri

Infrequently Asked Questions............Off Air with DJ Noel Mifsud Interview by Keith Muscat Disk Jockeys in the rock/metal scene tend to be underrated and mostly unappreciated. That is why I have decided to turn on the spotlight and interview the interviewer. If Faithless had to do a remake of the video for ‘God is a DJ’, Noel Mifsud would fit the bill perfectly. Sporting a salt and pepper beard, he must have a divine patience to go through all those tracks to select a playlist for his radio programmes or for a live set. Ever present at gigs and concerts, he gives his all-in to promoting gigs, events and above all bands that pertain to the local scene. KM. What or who got you into rock / metal music? NM. As far as I can remember I was always into music, considering my age, my first love of course were The Beatles and other 60’s bands, mainly due to the breakfast show on the radio which was always on in the morning before leaving for school. And I believe that this was my first step towards rock. The morning DJ, if I recall correctly was Noel Mallia, amongst others and they would always insert that Deep Purple or Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath song which always stood out from the rest. Then came Motorhead followed by the Sex Pistols! KM. What were your first influences, the bands that set off the avalanche? NM. As I mentioned my first influences were the British beat groups, but on the heavier side I got into Led Zeppelin, then Motorhead and then the Punk era. Afterwards came the era of NWBHM with bands like Demon (who were my gap between prog which in those years was on a decline from the grandiose that it held in the early years of the 70’s). Unlike others that liked punk, I liked prog very much and still do. KM. Do you play an instrument and were you in any bands? NM. Unfortunately, no. But to say the truth I never gave it much thought, I guess I was just happy seeing others do the music I liked. KM. How were you involved in the local rock/metal scene prior to starting djing? NM. Before Djing I was just an attendee to gigs and sometimes wrote a letter or two to the editors in newspapers about the scene or what was wrong and needed to get fixed. At that time I was still young and of course wherever we had to attend, we had to go by bus, which service stopped at 11pm, so there weren’t many places we could go except those which were walking distance. Hence my early visits to the Vandals rehearsal room which was (and still is) in Tarxien, walking distance from my hometown Rahal Gdid. KM. Tell us something about your first steps on the radio waves? How did it all start? NM. In the mid 80’s I started working and making new friends who played with bands or were doing some radio and stuff. In 1991 on Friday nights, after an evening in Paceville, or a gig (which were rare those days) I used to visit a couple of friends who had the ‘nightshift’ at the newly opened ONE radio (Super One, as it was still called) and used to discuss with them the music scene on air. Then I was asked by Jesmond Grima to co-host a rock show sponsored by the newly opened Rock Café on the same station….and the rest is history. KM. Tell us more about your career and what you are up to now? NM. From radio I moved as a resident DJ in one of the rock clubs that were popping around in Paceville – Harlequin Rock Club, which unfortunately closed down around 1995. During this time, working from Tuesday to Sunday meant that I had to miss a lot of gigs if they did not take place at the rock club, but this also meant making new friends both local and foreign more directly involved in the metal scene. During the following years I kept an eye on the local scene from afar, but always took interest in what was going on, and attended as much events as I could. After a while, around 2009 Joe Tanti, who from Bay Radio moved to Super 1 through Calypso Radio asked me to co-host his rock show titled Rock Moods with him and his son Marc. Joe had started Rock Moods many years before and was now bringing it to Super 1. Both father and son then moved on, Joe to host other shows while his son went on to continue with his studies and since then I was privileged to host one of the island’s iconic rock shows with Joe’s blessing. For a brief period I was joined by my school friend Lito (may he rest in peace) till the summer of 2011 when I thought of rebranding the show to cover solely Maltese talent. Since then Rock Moods has been regular every week on ONE Radio. In March 2011 I was asked to join a team on a new 24/7 rock radio station. allRock is a digital station which airs online and on DAB. I started presenting a metal show titled Heatstrokes (named after a Krokus song as a tribute to Marc Storace). A show which is still going strong today. I am also the co founder of a group named Prog The Islands, a group aiming to help Maltese artists by organizing events and merchandise distribution and part of The Malta Doom Metal Festival organisation since 2012. Also in my curriculum I must add the management of Colourblind, officially since 2011. Nowadays? Well apart from the radio shows, Djing events, Melodija.eu, interviews and a lot more things on the agenda I try to find time to relax, but it is very difficult, although I must say I enjoy my life. KM. Some people are of the opinion that those who cannot play, dj! What are your opinions on the matter and what does it entail to prepare for a show? NM. Yes, unfortunately that is a perspective, wrong, but it is there. Being a DJ many think it’s just playing one song after the other. But it is more than that. You have to be sure, for example, that if you play a song that is relatively unknown or new you have to follow with a song everybody knows otherwise, they get bored. One always has to keep an eye on new songs being released especially for the radio shows. As all my three shows differ in the genres I play, I have to be a little more attentive to the local and foreign scenes. Many artists now keep in touch and send their music, but still, there’s always many to look for. Unfortunately, an ordeal with local artists is that they do not inform us (radio presenters) when they have new material, but still ask why their music was not included on the shows. The number is small, but it’s still there. KM. Throughout the years you must have built up quite a music collection. Any prized possessions? NM. As you might know my collection goes beyond media, and in all aspects I have some possessions that I maybe cherish more than others as Bruce Dickinson’s bio signed by the man himself and a Sanctuary album signed by Warrel Dane when I interviewed him a few months before he died. Of course there are some collectables in my collection, but there is much more stuff with sentimental value. KM. Apart from music I know that you are an avid collector of set-lists and other memorabilia. How did that come about and what are your most prized possessions? NM. To tell you the truth I have no idea how I started collecting set-lists. But for years I have been collecting any memorabilia whether local or foreign. The oldest set list I have is from that summer of 98 that you spoke so well in your article on melodija.eu. Alannah Myles set list. During MDM we had to submit the songs bands played to the PRS and it was my job collecting the set lists to vet them, although I had already many in my collection this blew the number up considerably. I also believe that memorabilia is part of the history of the band, the scene and maybe it will be of help to patch up the story further on up the road. KM. Out of the international artists you have met mention a few that you are really pleased to have interviewed? NM. Too many to mention. Fortunately 99% of those I had the fortune to interview were really down to earth people, but I guess my favourites are Doro, Warrel Dane, Lips from Anvil and recently Mr. Lordi. Probably the most nostalgic for me was the one with Deborah Bonham where she talked openly about her brother John (Led Zeppelin) and his demons. KM. You also DJ at events and concerts. How is it different from hosting a radio show? NM. On a radio show I try to play what I believe is interesting for the listener, especially when the material is new. When you DJ at an event although you still have to play keeping in mind the interest of the attendee you have to play music they’re familiar with, on the other hand when Djing in an concert you play to warm up the crowd and to get them ready for the bands. KM. What is your opinion on the Maltese rock/metal music scene? NM. Truth be told I was expecting a calamity of some sort after spending two years in limbo (not only music wise), but fortunately, and I’m happy to say, I was proved wrong. The scene is at its best for decades. After hitting a low in the 90’s it slowly started to redevelop in the mid 2000’s. Since the world returned after covid, we saw an influx of new talented musicians on the scene, who probably used those couple of years learning and playing music while seasoned bands and musicians came out with a good number of songs. Of course, attendances to gigs are another matter, and although the crowd is returning those two years changed the mentality of many. KM. Are/were you involved in any other way with the local scene (for example organization of events / festivals, band management etc).? NM. At the moment not directly but I’m always happy to help if time permits. KM. Apart from your involvement on the airwaves you are tirelessly supporting the local scene. This is all done after your working hours. Does this leave you any time for other hobbies? NM. Not that much. I try to leave at least a day for myself, which is very difficult, but it is better than turning to a couch potato. KM. How much is the support of your loved ones important for what you do? NM. Very much. My wife supported me from day one and still does, as you know. I am sure that without her I cannot do one third of the things I do. KM. The bucket list is never exhausted. Any items you wish to aim for in the near future? NM. I don’t really have a bucket list, although any new achievement that would have seemed impossible I always consider it as another one off the bucket list. As I mentioned I don’t have a list but I really would like someday to meet and talk to Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, but I guess that’ll remain just a wish. KM. Shows that you are currently hosting: NM. Heatstrokes (metal show) on allRock DAB every Sunday 6pm with repeats during the week (and now also on Melodija.eu) Rock Carousel (rock show) on allRock DAB every Tuesday 3pm with repeats during the week Rock Moods (Maltese rock and events) on ONE Radio (92.7FM) every Wednesday 9.15pm

Our experience at Dark Malta was superb. Playing with such important names in the metal and dark scene and in a country like the Maltese one has very few comparisons; the atmosphere experienced in the three days was nothing short of wonderful, it brought us back to the festivals of a few years ago in terms of atmosphere, sensations and with a stellar bill. Not forgetting the professional and organizational skills of René and Hades' management and Hades events which were flawless and perfect. How can I tell? Well let's start from Malta. I visited it a few times for work reasons between 2017 and 2021 and I must say Malta has its own particular charm, a set of contradictions and different rituals but coexisting in this more unique than rare melting pot. Having had the opportunity to be a "tourist" for a few days in conjunction with Dark Malta has allowed me to review some particular places (I have reviewed Valletta and Vittoriosa with affection, such as the Catacombs in Rabat and Rabat itself) and above all to visit some that I've always missed due to work meeting times or the closing times of museums and attractions (Caravaggio's paintings). (I have yet to see the hypogeum, I should be able to see it in this 2023). The fact that in a small island like Malta there can be so many different styles of architecture and different views, so much history and different landscapes, shocks me every time. The fact remains that my only problem in Malta is driving; I think I wouldn't drive around Malta, except with a hummer, I admit it; better ecabs or similar services. As for the festival... I'm a "differently young" and lived some of the best dark and metal moments of the late 80s and early 90s, including festivals, and reliving the same atmosphere not it's pricey. To understand what I mean by "the same atmosphere" I mean: being at a concert of several bands with people who experience that music all year round and every day, who for a weekend can be themselves without any social constraints , finding and rediscovering that friendship with strangers (unknown for a few seconds), that passion shared with different people who came from other nations but found themselves there, at Dark Malta, was something spectacular. Then finding some compatriots to share the stage with and then sharing several beers with our new Italian, English, German and Maltese fans was wonderful. Let's add that René and all the Hades management and Dark Malta staff treated us with kid gloves as a band. Demonstration that the ability, the will to do and the foresight of the project goes far and above all brings excellent results. In addition to the fact that finding similar "souls" the result is always excellent and positive. Last but not least bar with excellent prices and equally excellent drinks, catering service with good food and spotless bathrooms. On a purely "technical" level, there is nothing to say about Dark Malta; I had the second fastest and most precise soundcheck in my history (the fastest, for now, remains the one at the Bingo Club in Kiev in 2013), times respected both by us and by the staff; we had a very small backline snag which was resolved in seconds and allowed us to continue seamlessly for the show, for the festival and for us. All the conditions proposed to participate in the festival have been respected in detail; this which should be the norm for the organizers, and the bands, but unfortunately it is not always respected; another point in favour of the organization of the festival which demonstrates once again beyond any reasonable doubt that it can be done without having to change the cards on the table "on the way" and without having to be "Macchiavellian" in terms of conditions. The desire to go back to playing on the Dark Malta stage is there, like going back to Malta to play and that's it. We will see if we will succeed in the near future, also because like Blut we will release the new album entitled Traum on May 12th and MAYBE for Dark Malta 2024 we could bring Traum to Malta, but for this I have to hear from René if there will be the possibility to host us again . In any case, a piece of Blut will also be present at this Dark Malta 2023, even if "only" as an audience. There are some friends I want to see on stage again and others I'll see there for the first time even though I've known them for years. ______________________________ Alessandro Schümperlin was born in 1976, in love with music and videogames since 1985, originator of steampunk Italia in 2011, and founder of Blut in 2014, with whom he is the singer, lyrics writer and (de)composer. He wrote and published two books and a bunch of short stories. He also penned a tarot manual. Blut was born as a free artistic expression by Alessandro, formerly a member of gothic metal band Anthologies. The project from a one-man band developed, first as a studio project, and now a true band able to combine musical styles blending them into a kind of kaleidoscope of sounds. The band brings original music with no gender limitations, making it is impossible to define Blut. Perhaps the true essence of this project is its absolute indescribability. Discography: 2015 Inside My Mind Part 1 2017 Inside My Mind Part 2 2020 Hermeneutics 2023 Traum Electrodark Remixed Albums: 2018 Inside Your Mind 2021 Samonions' Night (Hermeneutics Remix) Blut were part of Dark Malta’s line-up of 2022 Dark Malta 2023 takes place between 21st and 23rd April at Gianpula Main Room with over 25 International and Maltese Bands. Band photo property of Alessandro Schümperlin. Note from Melodija Team:Everyone has an opinion and we at Melodija value each and every one of them. To make this a healthier and interesting, please comment in the space provided below. Thanks

As already reported, the long-awaited album from Krishna finally saw the light of day on Saturday 25th March. The event took place at Palazzo De La Salle in Valletta. One could not have asked for a more intimate place for a performance, any performance (although I cannot picture an extreme metal band performing there to a seated audience). The Malta Society of Arts, established in 1852, is Malta’s oldest institution for the promotion of the arts and crafts and is based in this Palazzo which was probably built in the 1570s and was certainly a residence of great distinction, but little is known about the early owners and occupants. According to the Malta Society of Arts description on their website: “In the late 17th Century it was the residence of the Prior of England and Venice, Fra Stefano Maria Lomellini, subsequently inherited by his nephew, an Italian knight. There is indication that it became the property of the Prior of Barletta, Fra Camillo Albertini in 1711. After he died in 1712, the property was handed over to the Treasury and bequeathed to the Order. The Palazzo became the residence of the family of Grand Master Raymond Perellos Roccafull in 1713 until 1720, when it was donated to his nephews. Sometime around 1730 the building passed into the hands of the De La Salle brothers, two French noblemen appointed as bailiffs by the Order, and whose name remains associated with the Palazzo to this day. When the last of the brothers died in 1739, the Palazzo was inherited by Fra Tommaso Sammut. The ownership during the late 18th Century remains unclear. A British merchant and subsequently a wealthy Maltese widow occupied the property during the 1800s. The Palazzo suffered various changes throughout this period, indicating that its guardians were more concerned with functionality rather than the preservation of its historical and artistic value. In 1992 the Malta Environment and Planning Authority listed Palazzo de la Salle as a Grade 1 Scheduled Property.” More information on the Palazzo and Malta Society Of Arts (MAS) can be found here The night opened as many performances at this venue do, with a drink and a chat amongst friends and bands members at the Gugar Hangout, situated just across the road. By eight thirty everyone was seated (waiting for the curtain to open, if only there was one). As in Krishna’s ‘Seeker Of Light’ album launch Eyes To Argus opened the night. And it would have been a pleasant approach to the evening had it not been for some technical problems Samwel encountered with his pedal board. And while he was trying to deal with these troubles the band showed how professional and tight this outfit is. Let’s be honest, the majority of those present in the audience have seen Eyes To Argus before and know their songs and their experience, and could admire their tenacity to not let these difficulties affect their show as much as possible. Their set was made up of one song (Circling) from their debut ‘Veer’, released in 2017, two from the 2021 release ‘Habitat’ (namely Glory Be and Last To Last) and a brand new track titled Bloodstream / Waterfall / Cannonball. Although slightly indignant, the band still managed to produce a very good enjoyable set. Eyes To Argus will definitely be back….. A quick change over and Krishna hit the stage presenting to the public the first glimpse of ‘Headless’. The album is made up of one song, around 52 minutes long, making this no easy task to perform live. But regarding the performance and the music presented, Viper Soup Complex’s Michael Spiteri, who was present in the audience, put it best in a post on his Facebook page on Sunday: “50 minutes of challenging, sometimes difficult music to go through - This is the second album following a 7 year wait from "Seeker Of Light" Will be honest, for me the first movement was the most difficult to absorb - it felt like the pains of creation... and I think that this was the point. Once the foundations of this introductory piece were set, the rest was a transportation of somewhat alien-like sonic expressions which required focus, attention, and personal involvement to go through. On the whole, it felt like a complete expression with subtle changes that upon instant will drag your attention to the following movements (sometimes even without warning). Very much reflecting our intimate moments where we are dragged by our own thoughts and emotions to places we don't plan to visit. Extremely well done to Timothy Garrett and Alan Darmanin for this piece - it was emotionally memorable.” Anyone who knows the music of Krishna, especially their live shows, knows very well that this was a one off experience as every time the band performs, their songs’ versions are different. This is attested by Timothy Garrett himself in a recent interview when he disclosed that they record every rehearsal as it never comes out the same. This makes Saturday’s performance unique and many those who attended listened to the piece for the first time (the album was available on Friday on Bandcamp, while the cassette was on pre-order and could only be picked up on the night). Of course, it would be difficult to compare the music on the cassette (the only physical media released on so far) to any live performance of ‘Headless’ let alone the performance presented on the night. Hopefully the band recorded the audio of the performance and it shall be available in the coming future, not for comparison but for the live experience produced. The album was recorded in 2021 at Temple Studios and is the first recording with Timothy playing guitar, to which he switched from bass a few months earlier. Krishna at the time of recording still had Liam Formosa on drums and this recording boasts his forte. This makes Saturday’s performance even more unique with ‘new’ drummer Alan Darmanin filling the post up to excellence. With this formation the band released a new single ‘Despondent’ a few days prior to the launch. The recording was mixed by Derek Leisy and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Studios. Headless was released via Kewn Records (KWN11) on digital platforms and on cassette with part one featuring the first 27 minutes and a half on side one, with the remaining 23 minutes on side two. Cassette release was a limited edition in white in a cardboard case with artwork by Samwell Mallia According to the band’s Bandcamp page only a few remain, which can be ordered from here Krishna’s next performance is on Sunday 7th May at Rock The South.

If you look at a map of Europe 35 years ago you will hardly recognize the geography of the continent. So much has changed since then. U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, etc. were still on the map and Germany was still divided between the West and East. Germany was split as a result of the Yalta Conference, held in February 1945, during which the U.S.A., United Kingdom and Soviet Union agreed on the division of Germany into occupation zones, as an aftermath of World War II. The part of Germany under Soviet control became known as the German Democratic Republic and was physically separated from West Germany by means of the infamous Berlin Wall, which came down in 1989. Both sides were officially reunited in 1990. Rightly you might be asking, what the heck does a history lesson have to do with the Maltese music scene? Apart from trying to put some context to my story, it happens that West Germany, mainly due to presence of British and American forces, became another attraction for Maltese bands and artists to go and perform there. Bands such as Black Train and singer Mary Charles (Maryrose Mallia) were few of those who ventured on the German soil. High ‘N Dry Formed in 1984 and originally based in the city of Cologne in West Germany, High ‘N Dry are a heavy metal band with a strong Maltese connection. The line up that released ‘Hands off my toys’ in 1988, which was their first record, included two compatriots namely Joe Mitz (Mizzi) on vocals and Gino Micallef on bass. The rest of line up of High ‘N Dry consisted of Detlef Kowalevski on guitar and Mark Rich on drums. The adventures of Joe Mizzi and Gino Micallef deserve to be written on their own merit but that is a story I am not qualified to write. Maybe someone else can take up the task. As far as Maltese who have made it abroad only Marc Storace is mentioned, and full credit to him is well deserved, but there were others who made the cut. ‘Hands off my Toy’ came out during a period when speed, trash and the heavier side of metal were dominating the scene. 1988 was the release year of ‘.....And Justice for All’ (Metallica), ‘Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II’ (Helloween), ‘State of Euphoria’ (Anthrax), ‘Blood Fire Death’ (Bathory), ‘Them’ (King Diamond) and many more. Other magnificent releases in the same year, worth mentioning are ‘Seventh Son of a Seventh Son’ (Iron Maiden), ‘No Rest for the Wicked’ (Ozzy), ‘Kings of Metal’ (Manowar), ‘Destiny’ (Saxon) and many more. High ‘N Dry were not staying put in Germany, in fact the band had toured heavily in France, Belgium, Holland, U.K. and other countries. This helped in making the name known. They played alongside many important names such in the metal and rock scene of the time. The mood on the record oscillates from heavy tracks such as “Bad in Black” to ballads such as “Too much to lose.” Apart from being very capable musicians, the band members had also the image to complete the package. Though the band was put together for years before the release of ‘Hands off my Toy’, each member had a baggage of experience that can be witnessed on this record. The tack list of the album is as follows: 1. Intro 2. Run Away 3. The Last Time 4. Streets of Fire 5. Too Much to Lose 6. Piece of my Heart (Cover) 7. Love Reaction 8. In the Dark 9. Bad in Black 10. Lost Souls 11. Ain’t Gonna Take It 12. Standin’ on the Frontline In 2016, after the album was reissued as a cd by Scream Records, Michael Bugeja caught up with Joe Mizzi and Gino Micallef and interviewed them. The interview, which I am reproducing in its entirety hereunder, was published in the Times of Malta on May 15, 2016. It makes a very interesting read as it gives a clear picture of how Joe and Gino ended up in Germany and the band’s connection with Iron Maiden. The reissue includes three new tracks namely The Light, We All One and Welcome to the Show. It’s not that unusual these days to hear of a Maltese artist moving abroad in the hope of pursuing a career overseas. In the 1970s and 1980s, however, when the local music scene was very different to what it is now, things were different. Bassist Gino Micallef and vocalist Joe Mizzi were among those who took the big step into the unknown back in the day, their overseas experience culminating in a fruitful experience as part of the German band High ’N’ Dry. Michael Bugeja caught up with the two musicians after the band’s 1988 album Hands Off My Toy was reissued on CD by Scream Records. What had you been doing musically before joining High ’N’ Dry? GM: I was playing with Fragile back in 1978, and then with B3, with Joe Mizzi as lead vocalist. After B3 folded, I met (guitarist) Detlef Kowalewski, with whom I formed High ’N’ Dry after moving to Germany. Two years later I went to London, where I played alongside Ray Mercieca in the original Characters before moving back to Malta and then back to Germany as Detlef was reforming the band. JM: Gino and I first met at Għadira Bay, and we hit it off straight away. He played with Fragile then, and I was an aspiring singer. Later on, after Fragile split up and Gino formed B3 with John Gafa, they asked me to join them. B3 was the band that really helped our creativity as we played with some of the best musicians around at that time. When B3 folded, I joined StratKast, then Gino, who had moved back to Germany, gave me a call saying I should audition for High ’N’ Dry, so off I went and got the job. Was it difficult fitting into a music scene that was new to you and so much bigger? GM: Yes, in the beginning it wasn’t easy, but on the music front it felt great; we had a proper rehearsal room and a recording studio. When I started to understand the language I felt more at ease. I also recall being very nervous when we played our first gig at University of Cologne in front of a few thousand people. JM: The difficulties we faced in the music scene were practically the same we’d have faced anywhere else. Detlef had some good contacts, among them the management team that got us our record deal with Bellaphone Records, so that was a big boost. Which are your most memorable moments with High ’N’ Dry? GM: Mine are opening for Iron Maiden twice in Cologne. Another great moment was playing to a large crowd at the Lorelei festival in Koblenz on the same bill as Meatloaf and Marillion. JM: For me, the two concerts with Iron Maiden are my favourite memories from High ’N’ Dry, but touring France and the UK was a great experience too. The Iron Maiden connection is now legend in High ’N’ Dry’s history, but how did that come about? GM: I met (Iron Maiden vocalist) Bruce Dickinson at a club in Cologne and we obviously ended up talking about music. They were interested in our studio as they needed a rehearsal space ahead of their Seventh Son of A Seventh Son World Tour. They moved in a few weeks later and, since my apartment was above the studio I could listen to them rehearsing every day for a month. We were lucky enough to open for them on both of their warm-up gigs in Cologne. JM: Detlef owned the Empire Complex in Cologne where we were based, which included rehearsal rooms for bands, a fitness club, a music club and disco which could host about 1500 guests. Accept had already used our studio to rehearse in, and recommended it to Iron Maiden, who wanted to rehearse for their world tour. Steve Harris and Bruce Dickinson came with their road manager; they loved the studio and while we were showing them around, they mentioned the club could be a good venue for a surprise gig. Gino and I both remarked that we’d love to open for them and they just said OK, so that was it basically. We had a great time in the weeks they spent there. Gino is still in contact with Steve Harris to this day. The last time we met them was backstage last year when they played in Germany. At the time of its release, Hands Off My Toy caused quite a fuss here in Malta. What was the reception in Germany? GM: When the album came out in Germany we played a few gigs and did TV shows in Germany to promote it. We also gave radio interviews in Malta, where I believe only the vinyl format was available, which we sold quite a good number of. In Germany it was also avail-able on cassette and CD. The promotion abroad worked well, as it landed us some important festivals in Germany and France. JM: Regionally, the band’s profile was quite high, particularly in the area around Cologne, where we had played plenty of gigs. The band’s popularity was growing quite steadily, although along the line we did encounter some unforeseen hiccups that inevitably held the band back from going on to greater things. Looking back and listening to those songs now, is there anything you would have done differently, both for the record and as a band? GM: Listening to the album now, I know we could make it better but Scream wanted to reissue the original version, further to which the CD includes three bonus tracks we recorded as demos these past few years. JM: Looking back, yes, there are definitely things I would do differently, especially with my voice. I wasn’t technically trained then, but I am now as vocal coaching is my main activity. As a band, I wish we’d had the time to move on stylistically. When the album came out, Hair Metal was coming to an end and I’m sure we could have evolved with the times. The album’s reissue suggests there is a relevance to the current market. Could this and the three new songs mean High ’N’ Dry may be getting back together at some point? GM: It’s a question of gauging sales really, but we’ve agreed to record more tracks this year. We actually recorded the new songs via internet, except for one track which I recorded bass for at Detlef’s studio in the Azores. Joe did the vocals at his home studio in Germany. JM: Detlef and I co-wrote the three new songs, with input from Gino and (drummer) Mark Ulrich. At the moment, there are no concrete plans to reunite or tour again. With Gino in Malta, myself in Germany and Detlef in the Azores, the distance makes it all the more complicated to organise, but who knows? For the record, High ‘n Dry as a band are still active, with Detlef Kowalevski as the only survivor for the legendary 1980’s line up. If you still do not own a copy of this album its high time you get your hands on one. PS. Opinions expressed in my rants are completely personal and might not reflect the opinion of melodija.eu. Main references: Times of Malta, October 21, 1988 Times of Malta, May 15 2016. Note from Melodija Team:Everyone has an opinion and we at Melodija value each and every one of them. To make this a healthier and interesting please comment in the space provided below. Thanks

"Headless" is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication from Krishna, and we believe it is their most powerful and ambitious work yet. Featuring crushing riffs as well as atmospheric passages, this album is a true masterpiece of the genre. As a fan of heavy music, we know that you appreciate the raw power and emotion that can be conveyed through music. And as a collector, we know that you value unique and exclusive items that showcase your passion for the music you love. That's why we're offering this limited edition cassette tape of "Headless." With only a small number of tapes available, this is truly a rare and special item that will become a cherished part of any collection. By pre-ordering your cassette tape now, you'll be among the first to experience the crushing soundscapes and hypnotic rhythms of "Headless." Plus, you'll be supporting a band that is truly pushing the boundaries of heavy music. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to own a piece of metal history. Place your pre-order today, and get ready to be blown away by the power of Krishna's "Headless." Pre-order here Krishna is an instrumental heavy music duo from Malta consisting of Timothy Garrett on guitar and Alan Darmanin on drums. Originally founded by Garrett and Liam Formosa in 2013, Krishna’s sound is very much indefinable, however, in musical terms, it channels such styles and techniques of post-metal, post-rock, drone, ambient, stoner, doom as well as a host of other genres. Stay tuned for Krishna ‘s album ‘Headless’ coming out on the 24th of March! Audio Stream Check out the audio stream video for their latest single Despondent on our Youtube Channel Copyright (C) 2023 Kewn Records. All rights reserved.

Despondent was written in the latter part of 2022, with Timothy initially coming up with the main riff, and then improvising on it with drummer and percussionist Alan until the song was formed. The song itself deals with the themes of heavy sorrow and burden; highlighting the particular helplessness that results from Anhedonia (The loss of ability to feel pleasure). Check it out! Krishna is an instrumental heavy music duo from Malta consisting of Timothy Garrett on guitar and Alan Darmanin on drums. Originally founded by Garrett and Liam Formosa in 2013, Krishna’s sound is very much indefinable, however, in musical terms, it channels such styles and techniques of post-metal, post-rock, drone, ambient, stoner, doom as well as a host of other genres. Stay tuned for Krishna ‘s album ‘Headless’ coming out on the 25th of March! Copyright (C) 2023 Kewn Records. All rights reserved

On Saturday 11th March, in front of an enthusiastic crowd, thrashers Mur.Doc 104 physically launched their debut EP ‘The Undying’ during an outstanding event at The Garage. Officially ‘The Undying’ was released a few days prior, on 3rd March, when in fact the event was supposed to take place, but due to unforeseen circumstances had to be moved by a week. Still, this did not deter the band, nor those who attended. In fact I believe that this actually worked in favour of the band, because this way they could get another prodigious band to play on stage before them. So, let us start with the first band to hit the stage on the night. Hailing from the region of Veneto, a northern province in our neigbours’ peninsula with a population of about five million, this, was the second visit of Italian outfit Adversor. The first time the band visited our islands was on the 23rd February 2019 when they shared the stage with Dubliners Gama Bomb and locals Thrashacre, Grotium and Mythril. Adversor was formed by brothers Marco (Dado) and Jacopo Cardi in 2015 after the split of H.O.S (Harvester Of Sorrow) that same year. During their 9 year span H.O.S. released one full-length album titled ‘The Beginning’ in 2011 after three demos and a split with Violence Spread. Conversely, Adversor released their first demo in 2016, with their debut full-length album ‘Rise To Survive’ following a few months later. In 2018 the band released ‘The End Of Mankind’ on Punishment 18 Records. Their third full-length album was still fresh when they performed on stage with Mur.Doc 104. ‘Portrait Of A Wasteland’ was released on 24th February on Time To Kill Records, and made up most of the band’s setlist on the night at The Garage with five out of the ten songs presented by the Italians. The set opened with the same song that commences the new album, ‘Purifying Hate’, which gave a glimpse to all those who have yet to listen to the album, of the brutality of the songs to follow. The next three songs were ‘Psychotropic Nightmare’ from ‘The End Of Mankind’ followed by the title track of their 2016 debut ‘Rise To Survive’ and back to ‘The End Of Mankind’ with ‘Ignoble Blackmail’. These were followed by three songs from the new album ‘Portrait of a Wasteland’, namely, ‘Seven Years’, ‘Entangled’ and ‘Les Miserables’, before ending their show with a re-visit to ‘The End Of Mankind’ with ‘Fall Of the Empire’ and the title track. Talking to the band after their outstanding performance, it was easy to see their delight to be back on the island and the reception they were greeted with. A quick change over and Mur.Doc 104 were back on stage for the first gig of 2023. Their last time was in June 2022 during the celebrations of The Garage's fifth anniversary alongside Morsrot and Delirium MT, which was the first gig in over three years. The band was formed in 2017, as a 5-piece band, inspired by the late 80s Bay Area movement. Since then, the band released a single in Maltese titled ‘Insolenza’ (which is added as a bonus track on ‘The Undying’ EP) and an English version of it, ‘Reign of the Dead’ a few months later, both in 2020. Back to the event, aptly named Return Of The Living Thrash! The band immediately launched into a new song ‘Not Worth The Kill’ before visiting the freshly squeezed EP with the title track (‘The Undying’), ‘Mur.Doc 104’ and ‘Ignorant Masses’ which although concert goers have heard before, in fact the EP was recorded prior to covid but was postponed to a later date under the circumstances, sounded fresh as ever. The band then introduced two more new songs, ‘Brain Dead’ and ‘Summoning The Oppressor’, before playing one of the crowd’s favourites ‘Thrashing The Boat’ also found on ‘The Undying’ EP, as is ‘Insolenza’ which followed. The last two songs on the setlist were also new ones: ‘The Curtain Falls’ and ‘Hell’. But the crowd was not ready to go home yet and to the shouts and cheers to play more, the band played the EP’s titled track once more. Still the crowd wanted more, and they obliged with their eponymous song ‘Mur.Doc 104’. Any Maltese thrash metal enthusiast could not ask for a better night. The sheer brutality performed on stage by both bands does in fact reminiscence the Bay area movement of the eighties. With regards to Adversor’s album ‘Portrait of a Wasteland’ and ‘The Undying’ EP from Mur.Doc 104 both are a must in any true metalhead’s collection. photos of bands (live) by Emvin Mifsud Note from Melodija Team:Everyone has an opinion and we at Melodija value each and every one of them. To make this a healthier and interesting please comment in the space provided below. Thanks

You're familiar with the term "target audience". In the music scene, we often refer to it as "your crowd"—the group of people for whom you're writing your music. But there's an important distinction between creating a product for a target audience and creating music for a crowd. As a musician, you'll find that there's going to be at least some overlap between what you love and what your crowd loves. And you probably already understand that the extent of that overlap is entirely up to you. Unfortunately, though, a lot of musicians find it hard to accept the fact that there are also trade-offs that come along with that choice. It's a spectrum. On one extreme, you're creating music for an audience that you're not a part of. Maybe you love Cannibal Corpse and despise dance music, but you choose to create in the latter genre because you find it more lucrative. On the other extreme, you're creating music that fulfils you uncompromisingly. Maybe you're in love with the ukulele and decide to have a ukulele-fronted thrash metal band. There's nothing wrong with either extreme as long as you're fulfilling your goals. But you also need to live with the trade-offs of your decision. If you're completely outside of the crowd you're creating music for, you must come to terms with creating for others, rather than for yourself. And if you're creating exclusively for yourself, you might find that the crowd is a tiny one. Of course, most musicians will find themselves somewhere in the middle, juggling trade-offs from either extremity. But the compromises are always there. I bring this up because, as someone who has chosen to play prog metal, I'm aware that my crowd (at least locally) is a very small one. Yes, it's disheartening to have a small turnover for a gig. But it comes with the territory, and I embrace it. Now, I know that many of you prescribe to the idea that, "we're a small scene, we should support bands even if we don't like their music". If that's how you feel, you have my thanks and respect. But if you don't, I don't blame you. Maybe the very idea of prog makes your stomach churn, so why would I expect you to spend your time and money to show up at my show? Music is something that should be enjoyed, not force-fed. When you embrace the trade-offs brought about by your artistic choices, you'll find that your creative process becomes more fulfilling. And as a result, your crowd will enjoy it more. To me, the entire purpose of music is to elicit some sort of emotional response in people. If you can do that with your music, and you can keep that goal as your guiding star, then it doesn't matter whether your crowd can pack a stadium or barely fill the restrooms at The Garage. You'll be doing what you were meant to do — moving people. And that's all that matters. Cedric is probably best known for his role as bass player in local prog-metal band Twenty-Six Other-Worlds, and more recently for his brief stint as a session bassist for Damaged & Co. Note from Melodija Team: Everyone has an opinion and we at Melodija value each and every one of them. To make this a healthier and interesting please comment in the space provided below. Thanks

Singer/songwriter Michael Azzopardi anounced that his debut full-length album 'Vaganza' is now available on all platforms. 'Vaganza' follows debut EP 'Pistola' released 12th February 2021. Earth Garden team announced today 14th March 2023 on their social media pages, their biggest line-up so far for this year's edition of Malta's largest alternative festival held annually, usually on the first weekend of June. 2023 marks the 16th edition of the festival which shall take place between the 2nd and 4th June at Ta' Qali. More info can be found here German record label Witches Brew which specializes in Thrash, Death, Heavy and Speed Metal announced that Zabbeth is now on vinyl and can be ordered. Zabbeth is a Bathory Worship album from the mind of Sean Attard .

Introducing the highly-anticipated album "Red Town Baby" by The Areola Treat - a thrilling fusion of alternative rock with eclectic inspiration from other genres. This album is a must-listen for any music lover looking for something fresh and exciting. The album opens with "Jailbait," a hard-hitting track that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The band's signature gritty guitar riffs and powerful vocals are on full display, drawing you in with their raw energy. As the album progresses, you'll be treated to a diverse range of tracks that showcase The Areola Treat's impressive versatility. “Tell A Lie” is a short, compelling and antagonistic Alternative Rock anthem that would not be out of place on your favorite workout playlist or energy booster. "Into My Shadow" is a high-energy romp inspired by glam rock, with infectious hooks that will have you tapping your feet and nodding your head. One of the standout tracks on the album is "Speak No Evil," a dynamic and soulful ballad that showcases the band's softer side. The heartfelt lyrics and soaring vocals will give you chills. Throughout "Red Town Baby," The Areola Treat skillfully blends elements of punk, grunge, and alternative rock to create a sound that is uniquely their own. With its catchy hooks, powerful vocals, and infectious energy, this album is sure to be a hit with fans of alternative rock and beyond. So don't wait - grab your copy of "Red Town Baby" today and experience the electrifying sound of The Areola Treat for yourself! There’s much more to come from The Areola Treat in 2023! Copyright (C) 2023 Kewn Records. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website, Bandcamp or in-person events.

On the first day of March instrumental heavy duo Krishna posted the following message on their fb page: “Thought you were only getting 1 new release? Think again We’re so excited to announce that we’ll be releasing ‘Despondent’ on the 17th of March via Kewn Records. 'Despondent' is one of the new songs we wrote after the band’s line up change and was a sign of the new direction we were taking with our sound. This song’s come to mean a lot to us, and we can’t wait to share it with you." So, Krishna are set to release a non-album track prior to the release of their fifth album ‘Headless’….confusing?! Not really…after all this is Krishna, but, we still had to ask….. “As many people know, Krishna experienced a significant line-up change in 2022, with Alan Darmanin taking on drumming and percussion duties. Although we initially planned to rehearse written material, we very quickly started jamming and coming up with new ideas. As we were planning the album launch itself, we thought it’d be a good idea to release an extra single ahead of the launch itself to show the new direction the band’s sound was taking following the line-up change”, replied Timothy. M: For now this is a non album track. Shall it be included on your next or future releases? T: “For the moment we’re considering ‘Despondent’ as its own release, but we don’t discount including it on a future album. You’ll just have to wait and see”. Krishna will be releasing their new album, ‘Headless’, just a week later at Malta Society of Arts, with support from Eyes to Argus. M: How are preparations for the launch going and what are we to expect? T: “Preparations for the launch have been underway for some time. At this point we’re rehearsing as much as we can. We’re quite excited to perform this piece for the first time live. As people have come to expect, we never play songs exactly the same twice, so expect new sounds and textures during the performance”. You can book your place at the launch ahead of time by contacting the band

In a short statement on the band's fb page Delirium announced on Friday 10th March a small change, re-branding of the name: "After recruiting 2 new members, we decided it was time for a little re-brand... And so without any further ado *drum roll* we present Delirium's official new logo and name: "Delirium MT" We chose this name because we think it better represents us and our origins! Special thanks to David Cauchi for the awesome design WE ARE DELIRIUM MT. 10/03/2023 was Angelcrypt's D-Day with the release of a new single after 3 years: "Forever Hero" is unleashed through Boersma - Records! Check out the official music video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYznLWVB0bQ Buy on Bandcamp: https://angelcrypt.bandcamp.com/track/forever-hero Audio Stream: https://hypeddit.com/angelcrypt/foreverhero... Buy the T-shirt: https://angelcrypt.bandcamp.com/merch/forever-hero-t-shirt Thrashacre have announced that as from the 8th day of March their debut EP 'Live & Let Thrash' (released October 19th, 2021), is online for listening on YouTube with more platforms to be added in the near future. 'Live & Let Thrash' can be listened here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6fyVCz0Pig

Be it saints or sinners the Maltese are divisive by nature. It might be the fruit of years of colonisation but we air our opinion on everything and assume a parochial stance. It seems that fifty shades of grey is not our favourite topic.........the shading part I mean..........and tendency is that we shade in black or white. We are either in favour or against. Only few were those who tried and succeeded in making us pull the rope in the same direction and they should be hailed as true national heroes. Don’t get me wrong, we do come together when disaster strikes or to aid in charity ventures, but that’s about it. When it comes to bringing together bands and supposedly like minded people in the early 1980’s the sense I get is that it was an attempt at herding cats. Yet some ventures had much more success than others. One of the first attempts I encountered was the forming of the Rock Appreciation Society (R.A.S. ......not to be confused with the band) in August 1981. This was an initiative taken by Mr. A Farrugia and Mr B Hili, amongst others, who headed this society as co-chairmans. Their aim was to “help various kinds of rockers from Punk to Ska to Reggae to Heavy Metal, to get together to exchange ideas, addresses, posters and photos.” They tried to start with a bang by organising “Rock Summer ‘81”. This event took place at the Orpheum Theatre in Gzira on Friday 7 August 1981. It was promoted as the first such event for the local rock groups, with the aim to promote and encourage local talent. The announcement mentioned that 12 groups were to take part but no names were mentioned. From correspondence in local press one takes the impression that due to problems with the sound system the event, though well attended, failed to reach a high standard of organisation. Only three, of the twelve promised bands performed on the day, namely Mirage, Valdacry and Fusion. A battle of words raged through the local news papers on the merits and demerits of R.A.S and the organisation of this event. R.A.S. was a voluntary organisation and depended for funds on membership donations. Eric Montfort, in his article entitled Rock On Summer ’81 (Times of Malta, September 14, 1981) gave a detailed description of the event, that I am reproducing hereunder: Just over a month ago, a long awaited organization finally materialized, The Rock Appreciation Society, a concept for four years, initiated by Vincent Saliba finally came into being at a Press Conference held at a band club at Gzira. The following Friday the first activity – Rock On Summer ’81 was held at the Orpheum, Gzira. Heavy metalists Valdacry headlined the show, which was a pure gig; people listening to the music, jumping and going out for a beer and returning when they heard a couple of striking notes. Anyway, Valdacry had a terrific start with “Fool for the last time”, a fire engine’s siren preluding a grating guitar, and a good melody which was spoiled by the biggest stigma in local concerts – the poor sound system. The group comprises Benny Hili (vocals), Charlie (Spider) rhythm guitar, brothers Joe and Charlie on drums and bass and Twanny (Pistol) on lead guitar. Furthermore, there was a lack of feedback which dimmed Benny’s voice to a minimum. The band also seemed to indulge in long tracks, this present day and age is a fast-moving era employing catchy economic sounds and this should be understood by the group if they are into other aspirations. Let’s hope that this materializes before the group turns to the more elaborate Spanish guitar and boogie. With more practice, this gap might close and Valdacry would surmount the huge impediments that they’ve faced, for theirs and everyone’s satisfaction. Mirage were a richer (not only in apparatus but also in music) outfit and looked less nervous. Long complex sounds influenced by Camel and Rush could easily be inferred. Incidentally, this group consists of Denis Vella (joy-boards percussion), John Vella (bass, lead guitar, percussion, guitar, synths: the latter weren’t used), Robert Longo (lead, bass guitar, percussion) and Joe Zammit (percussion). This group is opting for a drum-kit in the future. Three of the five numbers incorporated lyrics, which were down to earth and included a love song – “Don’t get me wrong” an obscure on-the-road feeling about loneliness. “Are you ready for Fusion” shouted the very polite voice of Ray Mifsud Bonici, apparently taking over from Noel Mallia who seemed a bit hoarse after his two introductions (or short sermons about rock?). Well, Fusion appeared. This group has now been going on strong for six months and includes Audrey on keyboards, Eugene (bass guitar), Tony (guitar) and Lawrence on drums. A group full of enthusiasm and commitment, the members are deep into jazz-rock and the full use of the possible instruments and sounds that they can deploy. However, as might be expected, the sounds are too complex and many a time were lost in the aula. Indeed jazz-rock requires a lot of attention and a gig like the Orpheum’s would certainly not befit Fusion and even Mirage. After all would the audience be there to appreciate the music or simply to be stimulated and react accordingly? I doubt how many teenagers were sure of what was gong on when Mirage and Fusion were playing, which brings me to the Rock Appreciation Society and what it stands for. Briefly, this society is aimed at instilling a sense of feeling, acquaintance and knowledge for rock, be it symphonic, ska, blues, punk and all other forms and labels. It is there to shun the rotten conservative 60’s idea that Rock Music is a blasphemy. Mentioning abuses in sex and language, one must point out that these always cropped up during this century, be it in films or in the back rooms of some Chicago swing club. It may be that Lydon and others gave us a full cornucopia of swearwords lately, but then one must not forget Dylan’s relish for God and Lennon’s doing away with drugs. Rock itself is an art which borrows from many other fields of music – African, Jazz etc. Indeed, this is rock’s enhancing characteristic. One must feel disappointed at the lack of sponsors which reflects the lack of interest shown by many local firms – only (a local record shop) gave a helping hand and one must not forget Philip Pace’s and Araxis had work on the Alp lights system. It is also noteworthy that Andrew Farrugia and Benny Hili deposited LM450 to cover the use of the hall and the sound systems as well as other factors and costs. The three groups were tired, battered, hungry and worn out, but at least it was their own show in which they did all the dirty work involved in the preparation. Their very own fumbles could best be forgiven if the society would be unified enough to promote other groups like Flash, as well as getting adequate sound system. A 2000W, 16 channel PA would be enough for Maltese groups. Applications for membership should be sent to PO Box 2, Gzira. I have found some more info on the Rock Appreciation Society in the printed press during 1982 but sadly that was about it. Thus came to a close the short episode of trying to bring supposedly like-minded people together.............a most noble cause turned out to be a failed exercise in the art of herding cats. But something good might have grown out of this first attempt. The second and more successful chapter of this venture was written by Rokarja, a private-public partnership, set up mainly to represent and organise concerts for bands that were based at Tigne.............’nuff said for today, will be for my next rant. PS. Opinions expressed in my rants are completely personal and might not reflect the opinion of melodija.eu. References: Times of Malta, August 4, 1981. Page 13. Times of Malta, September 7, 1981. Page 7. Times of Malta, October 8, 1981. Page 9. Valdacry photo property of Charles Fenech

Local Gothic Metal band Delirium announced new singer today in a post their band page on social media: Band Announcement A few days ago we asked you what Delirium was searching for. As some of you may know, we were searching for a vocalist for a short while, and now, we are very happy to announce that we have found DELIRIUM'S NEW VOCALIST! We would like you all to meet Cezar! Cezar is a half-Maltese, half-Romanian who has lived in Malta for the past 13 years and also goes by the nickname 'Hybrid'. He discovered heavy metal at the age of 16, and in 2018 decided to pursue his passion for vocals. He was previously the vocalist in the band Dead Impaled, which unfortunately came to a halt in mid-2022. He is heavily influenced by Dark Funeral, Septicflesh, Arch Enemy, and Semblant. Cezar highly believes in pushing oneself to improve one's skills every single day. Delirium will be gracing your news feed once again with some exciting posts in the coming weeks. Credits to Matea Blazhevska for photography

Album Launch ‘Out Of Darkness’ 25th February 2023 When Oblique Visions returned to the stage during Rock City Metal City Festival in March 2022 it was apparent that this was the comeback every Maltese metalhead was waiting for. This return was capped by the release of the band’s second album on the 25th February at The Garage. Aptly titled ‘Out Of Darkness’ the album comes after a gap of 28 years since their debut full length album ‘Seas Of Serenity’ in 1995. Since then the line-up changed numerous times, now, stabilized once Jeffrey Bugeja returned from living abroad for some years. He rejoined original members Brian 'Fusa' Sammut on bass and drummer Conrad ‘Twister’ Attard who kept the band going throughout these years. This line up was completed with the addition of Conrad Borg (ex-Martyrium and Sceptocrypt, amongst others) on singing duties and Italian born Frank Pizzo on guitar. ‘Out Of Darkness’ is the labor of this association plus the collaboration on three songs of yet another original member who, lives abroad and record as Tatius Wolff, which is the alternative metal solo project of Stephan 'Wolff' Borg inspired by Type O Negative, Tool, Deftones and Nine Inch Nails. Back to the event at The Garage. The night was opened by Hemplifier with one of the heaviest, sludge sound we have had in recent years. The band consists of seasoned musicians Dino Mifsud Lepre (Victims Of Creation and numerous other bands, too many to mention) on drums, Justin 'Bazaz' Borg on bass (who apart from Lady Lizard is also a member of a large number of bands) and Emanuel Portelli on guitar and vocals. From the three members Emanuel probably plays with the same number of bands Dino’s and Bazaz’s bands added together, having recently joined Tryst Arcane and Pilgrimage. But back to Hemplifier, formed officially in 2020 (the band has been jamming for some years prior), released their debut single ‘Weedcraft’ on 17th November 2021 and are on the verge of releasing their debut album, from which most of their setlist for the night was taken from. This was the band’s first gig for 2023. Coincidentally Dino Mifsud Lepre was in Victims Of Creation when they supported Oblique Visions back on the day when ‘Seas Of Serenity’ was released in 1995. After the heavy slow set from Hemplifier and a few minutes change-over, Oblique Visions took the stage and with the first few notes the audience knew that this was to be a continuation of preeminence and a glimpse of the magnitude the album is. The band opened with the title track, ‘Out Of Darkness’ and continued with yet another album track ‘Tears Of A Sad Man, before playing the band’s trademark ‘ Oblique Visions’ from ‘Fallen’, the demo the band released in 1994 to the delight of the die-hard fans that returned to see the band after many years of wait. The next two songs (‘XIII’ and ‘Back To Earth’) were again taken from the band’s latest opus before revealing their first surprise guest for the night. The band this time visited the ‘Seas Of Serenity’ with ‘Seasons’ to which Viper Soup Complex singer Annmarie Spiteri joined Conrad for a superb duet. Lights were dimmed for the next song while the band left the stage only to leave Frank and Annmarie who were joined by Jenny Wheeler on cello to perform ‘Crepuscolo’ a relatively quite piece of music Frank wrote to his wife and performed originally on their wedding day. This was followed by three songs from their 1995 debut album, ‘Deranged’, ‘Destroying Angels’ and ‘Dethroned’, much to the delight of the band’s seasoned fans and new ones. Unfortunately, during ‘Dethroned’ Frank’s guitar decided to play up but the band played the song again as an encore, just after the last song from the new album for the night ‘The Loss’ Comments congratulating both bands for their show stated to pop on social media pages especially on the event page from attendees and other musicians present on the night. Proficient singer Leo Stivala (Forsaken) posted, “I always liked this band and yesterday they did not disappoint. They give Doom Death a different (I dare say progressive) touch with up-tempo and some really interesting breaks. Veru well done guys” Indeed, although the new tracks that form this album are a trip to the old school stuff Oblique Visions were known for in the 90’s, they feature a progressive sound probably, thanks mainly to the guitar riffs of Frank Pizzo, who during a recent interview he admitted that his first love was progressive metal. Frank collaborated on three other songs on the album apart from ‘Crepuscolo’, namely ‘The Loss’, ‘XIII’ and ‘Out Of Darkness’. Brian 'Fusa' Sammut cooperated on all songs except ‘Crepuscolo’. Other credits go to Jeffrey Bugeja (‘Back to Earth’, ‘Husk’ and the title track) and Conrad Borg for ‘Tears Of A Sad Man’. Next stop announced for Hemplifier is in Tolmin, Slovenia at the Tolminator festival in July, whilst Oblique Visions are working on some local dates, so best keep a look out for any news!

In a short statement on social media on 2nd March 2023 Electric Valley Records announced that local band Hemplifier are now part of its roster "We are proud to announce that heavy riffers Hemplifier have just signed with EVR for their debut album." "HEMPLIFIER is a Stoner/Doom band consisting of Emanuel Portelli (Thy Legion, Victims of Creation, Pilgrimage, Animamortua), Bażaż (Lady Lizard, R.A.S.) & Dino Mifsud Lepre (Victims of Creation, Pilgrimage) formed in 2019. All three members are experienced and have been playing in numerous other bands in the past, and present apart from Hemplifier. “Some of us have been in the scene from the ‘90s. The trio's target was to jam, get high, compose the heaviest riffs possible, have a good time & send seismic waves to the planet while aboard their spacecraft! We worship Amps & Vintage Gear! Our lyrical themes are that of sci-fi, aliens, the supernatural, occult, voodoo, weed, giants & a touch of local folklore & myth." Stay Doomed”, explained the band.