Mortiis and Combichrist
plus System:FX and Aesthetic Perfection

@ KoKo Camden, London July 3rd 2011

Review by Rhiannon Marley
Photos by Michelle Murphy
www.mootography.com

Copenhell Festival

Review and live pictures by: Anders Sandvall
Guest contributor: Ulrika Henriksson

The second edition of the Copenhell Festival in Copenhagen Denmark took place at the middle of June and the venue was held at the same place at last year, the old industrial area at Refshaloen located a few minutes outside downtown Copenhagen. Bands like Korn, Judas Priest, Deicide, Morbid Angel and Anvil performed at we thought it was time to head over and to pay the festival a visit. Check out our review of the festival!

Tuska Open Air 2011
Suvilahti, Helsinki, Finland
July 22-24, 2011

Review by Arto Lehtinen, Petri Seppänen Da Costa
Pics by Arto Lehtinen, Sini Huotari

The Tuska Open Air Festival has become one kind of institution amongst all metal festivals in Europe. Tuska was previously arranged in the heart of Helsinki in the central park Kaisaniemi during the past 10 years. The park underwent construction to have a better environment and other mandatory improvements. The organization of Tuska didn’t have a choice but to find and switch the whole festival to a new area. This new area is still located in Helsinki, but only a few kilometers away, to a place called Suvilahti. Having this area was definitely a big part of the whole idea and concept of Tuska. The Kaisaniemi park brought an intimate picnic and park feeling with the grass and trees. Whereas Suvilahti was more like an industrial environment with the burning and redhot asphalt under the feet.

Another thing forcing Tuska to make a change was the date. Originally the festival was supposed to be in the beginning of July, but another big more international based festival took over the date and Tuska was postponed until three weeks later. Well at least some people got pissed off at the changed date. Obviously a few band negotiations needed to start all over. Hopefully Tuska will return back to the original date. However, the line-up looked amazing after all. Morbid Angel and Amon Amarth were headliners, so was Devin Townsend once again. Cult metal bands like Hell, Bulldozer and then something type of stuff such as Jex Thoth, Church Of Misery. The festival was an utter success although the event wasn’t sold out. All in all 28000 people visited Tuska during three days.

Metal-Rules.com was present to check out a lot of bands and check out the new Tuska area.

DARREN WHARTON

INTERVIEW AND PICTURES BY MARKO SYRJÄLÄ

Darren Wharton is a British keyboardist, singer, and songwriter. Wharton first came to attention as a member of Thin Lizzy when he joined bands ranks in 1980. He recorded three studio albums; CHINATOWN, RENEGADE and THUNDER AND LIGHTNING and LIVE LIFE - live album with Lizzy before band disbanded in 1983. Wharton has fronted his own band, Dare since 1989. The band has released so far six albums including the latest one ARC OF DAWN which came out in 2009. The latest incarnation of Thin Lizzy was formed in 2010 and the band: Wharton, drummer Brian Downey, guitarist’s Scott Gorham and Vivian Campbell, bassist Marco Mendoza and vocalist Ricky Warwick have since then been extremely busy and touring across the world with great success. The tour finally reached Finland in early July and then we had a pleasure to sit down with Mr. Wharton himself and hear the latest of Thin Lizzy and Dare as well. Read on!

Interview with Jens Becker of Grave Digger

Conducted by: Carlos M. Llanas

Not very many bands can say that they've reached their 30th year of heart pounding metal.  It takes dedication, time, and hard work to stay in the game for that long.  There will always be many bumps and obstacles through out a career, but the desire for metal cannot be extinguished so easily.  Grave Digger is one of those bands.  Thirty years and fourteen full length albums later, Grave Digger is still one of the best power metal bands that has ever existed.  With crushing drums, pounding bass, wild guitars, and powerful vocals, you can't help but love these German Metallers.  With their latest album "The Clans Will Rise Again" receiving outstanding reviews, Grave Digger has been working hard and staying on their toes.  Bassist Jens Becker was kind enough to share some words with Metal-Rules.com about their recent trip to South America, the release of their live DVD "The Clans Are Still Marching", and what is in-store for Grave Digger in the near future.  Enjoy!