Bloodshot Dawn
BLOODSHOT DAWN – The road to another masterpiece vol.2
You have made the incredible success on Kickstarter campaign already. Congrats! Have you estimated to get the enthusiastic feedback like that way?
Josh: The feedback we have had has been insane. People from all around the world backed and funded our record! An incredible 293 people decided to back us on this project and from this we have a good bank roll to make the beast that is looming sound incredible!!
Such stunning guests you have revealed for the upcoming album! How did you involve those brilliant musicians to your new songs?
Josh: We have decided to put all 5 guests into one song!! As metal fans we would love to hear nothing more than Chris Amott and Per and the rest shredding off against ourselves in one epic song!! For Per/ Sven/ Teemu we have become friends with them because of touring with them, we bullied them into chipping in to the new effort (by threatening them with tour pranks XD). Andy has followed Benjamin on his solo competitions and was happy to collaborate with us, and I was fortunate enough to speak to Chris regarding some bookings and simply asked the question, he quickly offered his insane licks to complete a simply incredible bunch of guests! We are over the moon!
How about the album producer Jacob Hansen? Do you think the great results of Kickstarter so far made it possible?
Josh: Absolutely! Thanks to the crowd funding we have been able to schedule the recording for the very close future and also have the mix and mastering booked!! (Tight schedules all around) Jacob is a high class producer and would normally be well out of budget for an unsigned band like us! The kickstarter has made it possible for us to get it produced how we want it to be essentially.
You also revealed the awesome cover art (by Pär Olofsson) of the new album. It looks like a horror SF movie and tickles the imaginations for its story. Do you have the clear concept for the art?
Josh: The artwork is all symbolic of certain aspects of the human race! There are multiple hidden meanings behind the artwork designed for album 2! It also ties in nicely with album 1's artwork continuing on the Apocalyptic feel with a complete twist on what many people pictured the first cover as.
The artwork is a vision humanity's lust for survival showing a huge alien creature attacked a futuristic city! On the back cover there is a machine sucking in dimensions to power said city, which represents humanity's will to do whatever it takes to survive. The alien represents a looming shadow of consequence for what we are doing to our planet and world.... There are more twist within the inlay to reveal more of the story and to add more context to our concept for this project!
We chose to do this vision as a Sci Fi scene as we love this sort of artwork but as said above it is all ambiguous in meaning.
One of the Kickstarter rewards “be drawn into the album artwork” is extremely unique I think. Could you tell us which situation will the backers be drawn? “Running from the apocalyptic city” is the only hint you revealed so far, right?
Josh: This is correct! This piece was added simply as a fans chance to be immortalized and we had to come up with a cool idea to put people in the album cover in a subtle manner! What better war to have the people drawn in the album is there, than having them fleeing for their lives on fire hahaha!
By the way, the latest announcement about the upcoming Japan Tour made us crazy because we miss you guys so much. How about you?
Josh: Well put it this way... The offer came around for a return and we scheduled our album release to coincide with the tour!! We love Japan so much you guys have given us such a boost in fan morale! We will never forget EMOJ volume 1 so we have been aching for a return! When the lovely gentlemen at BnF called us we already had our bags packed to make a return... In all seriousness we can not wait to be back and meet all you wonderful people again. You are the reason we do this!
The fact that Sight Of Emptiness will be your buddies through the tour made me overwhelmed as well. What do you think about the band?
Josh: I love these guys!! Met them at bloodstock 2012 and have been good friends ever since!!! Incredible musicians and massively underrated!
Could actually be happier about sharing the stage with my Costa Rican bros !
I’m a bit worried about the timing between the new album and the tour. Do you think we are going to have a chance listening into the new album before the tour?
Josh: We will for sure be streaming the album prior to release! Hoping for a first look during October for the fans so stay tuned, we are coming with full force!!!!
BLOODSHOT DAWN Official Facebook
BLOODSHOT DAWN – Kickstarter campaign for the album 2 had been launched!
Check BLOODSHOT DAWN Kickstarter right away and be part of it!
BLOODSHOT DAWN – Album 2 Sneak Peek Episode 4 – About guest musicians
Preparing for album 2 - Episode 4: Album Touring / Final Guests &
Keep your eyes on BLOODSHOT DAWN facebook
BLOODSHOT DAWN – Album 2 Sneak Peek Episode 3 is out!
Ant is also talking about upcoming Japan tour in the video.
Past videos of "Preparing for album 2" series
Check their latest interview! Bloodshot Dawn interview on kumi666.com
Check more on Bloodshot Dawn facebook
BLOODSHOT DAWN – Preparing for album 2 – Episode 2
Here's BLOODSHOT DAWN's video series - Preparing for album2 - Episode2 featuring the album art sneak peek and some riffs by Josh.
BLOODSHOT DAWN talk about their Kickstarter plans in the video 1
Get more info on Bloodshot Dawn Official Facebook
BLOODSHOT DAWN – The road to another masterpiece vol.1
Since you have an excellent fan-base in Japan as well, I should ask you about Doug’s withdrawal because that was a kind of stunning blow for us. Could you tell us what happened between Doug and the band?
Josh: Doug and Bloodshot Dawn had a long and prosperous relationship, and honestly, even though we have parted ways we remain good friends and will always support each other's projects. In fact I went to see Doug’s band, Unfathomable Ruination, just one week ago which was a fantastic chance to catch up with him. Unfortunately Doug wasn't happy with the musical direction of the band, and felt it was better to leave than stay in a band he wasn’t fully happy with. We were in agreement with that viewpoint and so the decision was mutual. We wouldn’t want anyone to stay in the band if they were no longer enjoying the experience fully. Doug is a one of a kind drummer and I look forward to maybe sharing the stage with him in the not so distant future!
However, we were absolutely relieved the result that Janne from DEALS DEATH joined the band for Doug’s replacement. How did it happen?
Josh: Janne was one of our first candidates, he has played for Bloodshot Dawn as a stand in last year when Doug could not play for a 2 week tour with scar Symmetry, and some headline shows in the UK. He was the natural choice as he is a lovely guy too, so we simply asked him and he quickly expressed interest. The guy is immensely talented and hungry to make extreme metal, so is a perfect addition to Bloodshot Dawn. And don't worry about the logistics of him living in a different country, as we all have our own recording set ups at home, and we can write and send songs to each other to via the internet, and have band meetings on Skype!
You can shoutout the first full-length “Bloodshot Dawn” was a blockbuster album as a DIY band. Are you feeling any pressure for the second album?
Josh: Thanks for your kind words, we are honoured with the reception our debut has had over the past two years! As far as pressure goes, we understand the fans expect a lot, but we do too! We are not feeling too much pressure, as I would say the great feedback we have been given has been fuel for us to come back with something to overshadow the debut. Bloodshot Dawn was our first album for each of us as musicians as well as a band so there is definitely room for improvement in all aspects of the music (not just technical ability). We are hoping people will enjoy the record, and accept the progression our music takes, but it will not just be a copy of the first album. We have already done that, haha! We are really happy with how it is sounding and we have a lot of new ideas that we think the fans will love, as well as improving on what you can hear in the first album!
Is there anything you can tell us about the proceedings and results of new materials for the new album so far?
Josh: It's all very secretive at the moment but I can say we have lots of music and it's sounding extremely brutal, epic and fast... Watch this space because there is a lot on the way with a series of 4 videos showcasing contributions from each member of the band!!
Currently, Ben is touring with Scar Symmetry, right? Is everything going well?
Josh: Ben is home now so I will pass you to him for this
Ben: Hey Kumi! I have just finished touring with scar Symmetry one week ago. It was a short, 5 date tour in Eastern Europe. We visited Moscow & St. Petersburg (Russia), Minsk (Belarus) & Riga (Latvia). Sadly we had to cancel the first show in Kiev (Ukraine) due to the social and political problems. The tour was an incredible, but surreal experience for me! I was filling in for Per Nilsson, a guy who has had a huge influence on me as a guitar player, so it was more than a dream for him to ask me to fill on for him. Scar Symmetry are one of my favourite bands, so it was a huge honour! Now it's back to work on the new Bloodshot Dawn album for me and I'm super excited for everyone to hear it when it's done!
I would love to ask you about Kickstarter. So, why did you decide to go on as an unsigned band?
Josh: Essentially, we want to be able to create a bigger, better album, and give more back to the fans. This includes high quality album production, amazing art, more music videos, longer tours (across more countries), and much more. The first album was completely self funded, and although we produced the album professionally and did a considerable amount of touring, our personal finances took a massive hit as a result. This time around, with such a great response from our awesome fans we decided we will ask for their help in order for us to deliver them something really special. That being said, we have already funded some of the aspects of our second record ourselves, so the cogs are turning already! We are going to be offering some really special rewards for fans who invest in the kickstarter project. Some packages include limited edition Merch only printed for kickstarter investors, as well as unique items like the "bitchez love chicken" drum skin from our official music video for “Vision”, and stage banners we have used on tour! We are even looking into offering the chance at starring in a music video with the band if you are a very ambitious fan! These are just a few of the package ideas, and there is a lot more that we will be announcing very soon!
Do you already have a circumstantial schedule for kickstarter? Could you explain us about the project?
Josh: We are currently working hard to give you, the fans, a great insight into the making of the album! This preparation is taking time, but rest assured the wait will be worth it! Dates are not set in stone, but will be announced very soon!
What is your goal with the project?
Josh: To bring the fans an album that is something really special, in every way. Great songs, great production, art, merchandise, and of course great tours in as many countries as we can. Between us and our incredible fans, we are sure we can make an unforgettable Extreme metal album and we would love to come out and see as many of you as possible! With your support we can make this happen!
Keep your eyes on BLOODSHOT DAWN via: Official Facebook
Kumi666.com
BLOODSHOT DAWN DRUM AUDITIONS ANNOUNCEMENT
If you have any interest about it, be sure to visit www.facebook.com/BloodshotDawn and check more details!
Extreme Metal Over Japan 2012 – BLOODSHOT DAWN Interview
Here is the final round of Extreme Metal Over Japan Tour Reports, and my heart is full to feature one of my favorite support bands BLOODSHOT DAWN this time. The band had proved me that they are the real enormous band not only with the recording stuff but also with the unforgettable live performance in Tokyo! I had an interview with Josh and Ben about the Japan tour. So, here we go!
First of all, thank you so much for coming all the way to Japan! I heard it took about 23 hours to reach here, phew. How was the flight?
Josh: Haha. Well we arrived the day of Osaka, so we only had ourselves to blame but we had a 12 and half hour flight then a 9 hour drive from Narita to Osaka! The flight was fantastic we were given free alcohol which typically we took advantage of!!
So, after the long flight you had to make through the tight scheduled but great organized tour with travelling by car. Are you already familiar with travel to such widely separated venues within a short time (e.g. the long distance between Tokyo and Osaka)?
Josh: No we are not used to this intense travel, but we didn't care the build up to this tour has been unreal so we knew we had to deliver in Osaka!! We arrived at the gig half asleep but with a meal waiting for us we focused and took the stage! The reaction of the crowd was so fantastic it helped us out in that tired situation!
Cut to the chase, how was your first impression of Japan?
Josh: Was unreal... Since I was a kid I have wanted to go to Japan because of the cartoons and games I was bought up on (Dragonball / Pokemon / Final Fantasy) and to be honest it was above all expectations. I could not be more glad I visited as a musician the fans and crowd were so friendly it almost felt like home!
Did you have any troublesome matter or surprised things because of cultural differences between Japan and your country?
Ben: There are some differences between our cultures, yes, but I don't think any of these caused us any problems. We really enjoyed the cultural change coming over to Japan. We got a strong impression from everyone we met that there is a higher sense of respect and common politeness in Japan and we felt very welcomed from the first minute we were there!
How was the very first show in Japan – at PANGEA in Osaka? How was the crowd there?
Ben: The first show was insane.. for a number of reasons. Firstly, we were absolutely exhausted after travelling for over 20 hours with little to no sleep (and getting drunk on the plane into Japan). This meant that playing the show was a little more difficult than usual, but adrenaline kept us able to put on a good show. We were using amplifiers and equipment that we were not used too, for the first time as well, so that was a bit less comfortable for us. The crowd made the show go amazingly though. The reaction from fans was incredible and made us all so happy that these other small problems did not matter. We also got to meet a good friend, Toshihiro Egawa, who had designed some of our t-shirts in the past, so this show was really special. We couldn't believe how great it was, so thank you to all of the fans that came to see us in Osaka! :)
Well, you visited Nagoya Castle in the afternoon on the day of the gig at 3Stars, right? Did you like it? What about the show and the metalheads in Nagoya?
Ben: Nagoya Castle was beautiful, and we were really excited to have a little time for sight-seeing. We knew we would get to see modern city sights in Tokyo, but it was great to explore something more traditional while in Japan. I would have loved to have longer there, but it was brilliant! The show was great again that night. There were more surprises for us as a this gig, as we had fans meet us outside the venue before we had even walked in to set up the show! The reception was wonderful, again, and we were blown away after the show as so many people came to talk to us after our performance. Thanks, Nagoya!
Did you have a fun time at the signing party at Shinjuku GODZ in Tokyo, by the way? I guess you guys got surprised with a lot of gifts from your fans there?
Ben: This night was crazy! We are still a very small band, considering we have only released one album so far, so we felt like we were in a dream when we went to GODZ. The atmosphere was so great - everyone was meeting new people and talking with fans and friends, having a drink and partying for the whole night. And yeah, we were so surprised by the gifts that some fans had for us. Some people had even hand-made or drawn for us, and it was really incredible. I can't possibly tell you how much that meant to us and we are never going to forget it!
I’m still stoked with the amazing night at Shibuya Cyclone! I and everybody else had an incredible time with your kick-ass performance! How about you guys? Do you think our passion matched well to your expectations?
Ben: Thanks, Kumi :) We had an absolute blast at this show! The energy in the room was so intense that it made performing that much more exciting. For me personally, it is undoubtedly one of my favorite shows I have ever played.. maybe even the best! I had an awesome time on stage, and usually I am super focused on my instrument on stage because of the technical music, but I kept finding myself with a huge grin on my face during our songs! I think I can definitely say that the passion of the fans, both at this show and the others, has far exceeded our expectations!
BLOODSHOT DAWN is a very technically adept metal band with very complex songs and I was totally impressed with your absolutely precise and tight playing. Concerning to various circumstances like the changed environment you had with this tour, do you feel any difficulties to play the songs on gigs as same as on your blasting record?
Ben: Thank you! I'm really happy it sounded precise! It is always going to be different playing shows with equipment that you are not used too, or after travelling / with a time zone change. It's a bit more challenging as we had to get used to the new equipment while performing (no practicing with it before hand), but it only makes a slight difference I think. Without own equipment it is more comfortable for us and I think the songs go a little smoother, due to some of the changes in our music, especially with lots of solos. We were still happy with how the shows turned out though, and fans seemed to really enjoy it, so no complaints from us! Hopefully next time we will have a little more time to get settled before we begin performances and then we can play even better! :)
I wonder why you have avoided to play the new song - Theoktony - on this tour. Can you tell me the reason?
Josh: Simple reason being that the song was ready to present to the Japanese crowd and due to time constraints with our set we wanted to give Japan the best set possible! Next time we come we will be armed with a bunch of new songs ready to grace your ears!!
The next question is to Josh. You joined Deals Death to sing along to their song without your axe, that was a real highlight for us! Did you enjoy it too? Have you ever stood on a stage for singing without a guitar before?
Josh: I am glad you enjoyed it, the song "Fearless" is a very exciting song and I enjoy it very much on record, on the day Olle from Deals Death invited me to join the stage and help get the crowd really pumped up for the remainder of the bands set, needless to say I was excited to rejoin the stage after our awesome set just 30 minutes before! I have been in other Death Metal acts in the UK in which I screamed without guitars so its something I feel comfortable with anyway, as its easier to interact without having to hold that spikey piece of wood!!
By the way, it’s really enormous that you sold a lot of physical copies of the first full-length in Japan. Even you have won the first prize for sales among imported albums for a while, as you know. Congratulations for your epic success! In this regard, the tour was just at the right time for you, right? How did you feel when you knew that you became No.1 in Japan?
Josh: The response has been absolutely fantastic in Japan, we have been seriously well received in such a short period! The Tour was perfect timing and our distribution and promoters have done a fantastic job, without them we would not of sold 1/10 of the records! For this we would like to thank Benneth and Fay at Chaotic Tapestry Management Asia, Disk Union and last but not least Kumi!!! Being number one is Testament to the hard work put in by there great people and organisations, we are extremely humbled to be a part of such a great collective of metal fans and together reaching number 1 In the import charts!!
Thank you so much. Hope you come back and have a much bigger tour in Japan very soon! We love you guys! Good luck!
Live photos at Shibuya Cyclone Tokyo below by METALSHIP
Check the complete pics on https://en.metalship.org/livereports/379
BLOODSHOT DAWN facebook: www.facebook.com/BloodshotDawn
BLOODSHOT DAWN Official online store: bloodshotdawn.bigcartel.com
The latest music video: Theoktony – BLOODSHOT DAWN
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7c5T1Qbbiw
Extreme Metal Over Japan 2012 vol.1 – The tour report
Part.1 - The full tour report by Benneth from Chaotic Tapestry Japan
Day one 11/14/2012 Tourism
Pretty excited after 4 month of intense promo and booking work for this tour, I go to Narita to pick up Deals Death in the morning, first meet with the guys, they are super nice and I already feel that this tour is gonna be awesome. After a quick stop to my place for shower, we decided to go check the ESP Craft House in Shin Ochanomizu and then Akihabara, to buy some video games, then the last tourist spot we did this day was Asakusa temple. The guys were really impressed about this spot, this temple is really cool and show you the traditional side of Japan.
11/15/2012 Osaka
After couple of hours of sleep, my driver (Tomoya Takeuchi, a big Thank you to this awesome guy) came to pick us, direction Narita airport once again to get Bloodshot Dawn. This was a bit stressful for me as they were landing at 10:00 a.m. and supposed to be in Osaka at 19:00 p.m. the same night.
All the guys are waiting us already when we stop to Narita, same feeling as for Deals Death, they are all cool, the difference is I know already couple of them. Then we had a 9 hours driving time to reach Osaka, when we went to the venue (Pangea) the show has already started. Bloodshot and Deals Death were not able to do any sound Check. I was really busy to meet everybody who helped me in Osaka to make this show and really glad to see that one of the most talented Drawing metal design artist was in the audience (Toshihiro Egawa, I want to thank him and his wife for their kindness and support).
In Osaka Hemorrhoid Carnage killed the stage, they are playing a Technical Death metal who remind me bands Like Obscura/Necrophagist/Archspire to name a few but better, those kids will be huge that's for sure!
Then Gotsu Totsu Kotsu go on stage, this band is just one of the most impressive Japanese act ever, Haruhisa the Bass/vocals is definitely the best Bass player I ever seen on live, they will tour in Europe in September with Bloodshot Dawn!
Venue start to get kind of full when Serenity in Murder reach the stage. They play a Symphonic Death/Black Metal. All members are pretty active on stage. Emi, the vocalist, has a god communication with the public. They are also pretty young but I am sure that they will become a major act in the future.
Finally time for Bloodshot Dawn. I never saw them in live but couple of friends (from Decapitated and Aborted) told me that this band is pretty cool. Well, I won't be disappointed: they know what they are doing and they are raping the stage. Josh has a good communication with the audience and people start to get crazy in the venue, Ben is playing is solo exactly like on the album (It's sad to say but now many bands can't play live what they are doing on studio). Anthony is smashing his bass and Doug was playing tight and sing in the same time. I had a really good moment to watch them.
After 5 minutes of setting it's time to Deals Death to come on stage, well I was really impressed by their show. They are happy to play in Japan and they show it. There is a symbioses between the members, they are not here to joke. Their music is really powerful and the sound-man did a good job. Everything was perfect!
For two bands who traveled 16 hours by plane and then 9 hours by van giving such energy in live was just awesome!!
After the show Toshihiro and his wife brought us to a bar in Shinsaibashi, we drank several beers then it was time to leave, Thank you so much Osaka!!
11/16/2012 Nagoya
We arrived in Nagoya around 7h30 in the morning, everybody was really tired after the Party with Toshihiro so we went to sleep at the hotel directly, we woke up around 11h00am, and went to visit the Nagoya Castle, it's always good to see the history of the country you are playing shows in.
This castle is really beautiful and everybody was felt this zen and peaceful sensation!
Let's get back to the show, well show started with Resurection, a metalcore band, pretty good live, vocalist can growl and do clean vocals. Then Gotsu Totsu Kotsu, who one more time blow my mind, Haru and Atsushi have fun when they play and you feel it, their set have so much energy!
Followed by Serenity in Murder who one more time played a really tight show, Freddy the guitarist is giving 100 percent of himself , I had a really good time.
Then Bloodshot Dawn go on stage, well, the audience are waiting them as everybody start to scream their name, the guys play a good show, the audience went crazy since the first riffs until the last, special mention to the sound-guy of Nagoya 3 stars club who did an excellent job for them.
Couple of minutes of setting then Deals death come with their melodic Death metal, it's really good Olle is really impressive and the show was insane!
After the show we stayed at the venue drink with people , then around 1h00 am it was time to come back to Tokyo.
11/17/2012 Tokyo Signing session
We arrived in Tokyo around 8:00 a.m., then went back to sleep, today was a day off so we organized a signing session to God'z Metal bar. We had time to do some tourism spot like the city hall of Shinjuku, then we went to do couple of interviews for Metalship webzine (Thanks to Guillaume Cattella for the time he spent with us!)
We also went to eat some fish and chips and pizzas in a British pub, we had a lots of fun, after that we went to the signing session. The signing session went very well, a lots of people came, bands had a lots of fun!
We went home around 23h30 to prepare for the Biggest show of the tour.
11/18/2012 Shibuya Cyclone
We arrived in Shibuya around 11.00 a.m. We had time to go visit the Disk union store, then the Donkijote, we ate some sushi and then time to go to the venue! Cyclone is a nice venue and I heard that tonight we have almost 130 presales, which is pretty insane!
It's early when Hemorrhoid carnage start to play, but still a lots of people are already here and everybody seems to enjoy the show! After it's time to Ogre, to reach the stage, Sayaki and his crew are not here to joke, they have been around since a while and you can feel it, I saw them several times in live, it's always a good moment!
The venue is really packed when Serenity In Murder come on stage, tonight was there best show, really intense and powerful, they play really tight and Emi is really active with the audience!
Then time to Bloodshot Dawn, as usual they deliver an energetic show, Josh is a really good front-man, Ben plays his solo perfectly, Doug and Ant are also good, this show was clearly insane!
It's 21:00 p.m. when Deals Death reach the stage, same as for Bloodshot dawn, the guys are really tight and happy to be in Japan, they show it, the show is really good, Olle is a good front-man, Erik and Sebastian plays there solo very well, Janne and Fredrik are super tight, no other word awesome show!
After the show we went to an Izakaya to party, maybe to hard haha, bands convince me to stay all night in Shibuya so we did. The morning it was time to say goodbye to everybody, I made a lots of friend on this tour, and had a lots of fun. I would like to thanks Everybody who came to those shows, it was our first real tour in Japan, and it was a success because of the people who came!
Special thanks to:
Kumi (for her support since the Day 1), Tomoya (for driving us the whole tour you’re the best man!), Fay (for Supporting me even when I am a dick), Mika (my beloved wife who accept that 9 guys come to sleep at her house), Toshihiro Egawa (for coming to the show and support us!), Freddy and Emi (for helping me to make this tour happen), Hemorrhoid Carnage/Gotsu Totsu Kotsu/Ogre/Resurection for their help for the Promotion and the badass show they played!, God'z metal bar (for their help in promo and let us to get drunk to their place) and one more time EVERYBODY who came to those show!
Without you guys nothing will be possible, if you want to keep having cheap shows in Japan please support us!
Our next Event is in February with Aborted and System Divide 5 shows through Japan please check the facebook for more info! https://www.facebook.com/ValentineSmasher
Thanks again
Benneth / Chaotic Tapestry Japan
- The whole photos below at Shibuya Cyclone by Live Action Hero -
Bloodshot Dawn https://www.facebook.com/BloodshotDawn
Deals Death https://www.facebook.com/dealsdeath
Fabulous moments passes so fast always, but the memories could dwell vividly in your heart forever… I’m sure I’ll never ever forget about the incredible time with BLOODSHOT DAWN and DEALS DEATH at Shibuya Cyclone. The kick-ass metal shows made me feel totally alive and blissful, gave me much positive powers for the future. Thank you so much for all guys from BLOODSHOT DAWN and DEALS DEATH. Thanks so much for all your efforts Benneth. You rule.
- Kumi666
Part.2 - The live review at Pangea Osaka by one of the witnesses of the show - "Are You Ready, Osaka?" An Extreme Metal Live Report! by Alicia
Extreme Metal Over Japan's first stop was at Osaka's PANGEA, and every band was terrific! The final European two groups in the five-band session were on their initial Japanese tour.
The first was English band Bloodshot Dawn. They'd just arrived in Japan earlier that day and before their set spent a few minutes calling out instructions to the sound engineer; Anthony, the bassist, loosened up the joints in his fingers with some warm-up exercises.
All movement stopped and the anticipation exploded as the opening strains of "Becoming Oblivion" gave way to some hellacious drumming and guitar solos. They may describe themselves as an "unrelenting, hyper speed, extreme-metal machine" but I thought their melodies were also lyrical and moving.
Deals Death had a much darker tone than Bloodshot Dawn and most of their songs had a very forceful, direct beat. The entire band radiated this mesmerizing charisma and the crowd sensed it too. Audience members would rush the stage, body-slam Olle, the vocalist, and crash back down to the floor. At one point Olle grabbed one of the most enthusiastic fans and spun him around. He looped the mike cord twice around the fan's neck, pulled hard, and screamed the chorus while the entire place erupted in utter chaos around the pair. Amazing stuff!
When will Boodshot Dawn and Deals Death return to Japan and perform for the crowds once more? For Extreme Metal Over Japan was easily one of the best lives I've seen this year. Kudos to both European bands for traveling such a long way to show us what death metal is really about!
Thanks a lot Alicia for your awesome review! - Kumi666
BLOODSHOT DAWN interview on 28th July 2012
Some days ago, BLOODSHOT DAWN the epic melodic extreme metal force from UK announced their very first Japan Tour on this fall. So I had a short interview with Josh the singer/guitarist/ manager and so on and Doug the drummer of the band urgently.
I'm absolutely stoked that Bloodshot Dawn Japan Tour on this fall has been confirmed! It will be the first time overseas tour for you, right? How are you feeling about it now?
Josh: We are completely honoured that an unsigned band from a small village in the UK can be offered such an opportunity in this day and age where there is such a vast amount of bands throughout the world. The fact that we are playing in Japan for our first shows outside of the UK is a dream come true, simply adding to an incredible 2012 we have had so far.
Do you have any thoughts about Japanese metal scene and metalheads?
Josh: For us, and from what our peers have said Japan is supposed have the best fans in the world (you must prove this statement for us)! As manager of the band I have always felt that Japan was high up in the list of countries of the world thats market we want to break into! Also we know how much you guys love guitar solos, and we have 1 or 2 of those in the record!
The brilliant first full-length "Bloodshot Dawn" will be available in Japan in upcoming days. Could you introduce the album by yourself shortly to metalheads here? How do you describe Bloodshot Dawn's music?
Doug: The album is an intelligent blend of extreme metal influences. It combines brutal vocal styles, blastbeats and crushing riffage, with an impressive display of melodic fretboard wizardry. Impressive lead work and melodic hooks, in the styles of Arch Enemy and Scar Symmetry, are built upon death and thrash metal sections, akin to the likes of Decapitated and Testament.
Here’s some “fretboard wizadry” by Josh and Ben that you can see:
Please give some message to Japanese fans.
Josh: Bloodshot Dawn are coming, and we are taking no prisoners! Be prepared to have your face melted by our guitars and for some epic partying times!
We are really looking forward to seeing your shows in Japan on this November! Thank you so much!
Here’s the current flyer for the upcoming Japan Tour
BLOODSHOT DAWN on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/BloodshotDawn
BLOODSHOT DAWN Official Online Store
www.bloodshotdawn.bigcartel.com
The official music video “Godless”
The official music video “Vision”
