IF I RULED THE WORLD

GEOFF RICKLY (THURSDAY)

HIGHWAY TO HEALTH

First off, I would try and make healthcare universal everywhere; I think that would help a lot of people. I’d make drug companies be non-profit. I would see if we could get stipends for artists everywhere like Canada does, because I think that’s a really good programme.

BYE-BYE BIZARRE BYLAWS

I think a lot of the states (in the US) have ridiculous laws. I guess I’d sweep through and get rid of a bunch of the ridiculous laws like sodomy laws and things like that that are just so outdated. I think I’d legalise gay marriage, I think it’s ridiculous not to be legal.

WASTE NOT, WARM NOT

I don’t think there’s any need for SUVs and stuff like that. I think that we could all be fine with more efficient cars, and I think that factories get off really easily for what they’re allowed to do. If I ruled the world I’d just tell them, ‘No, you have to cut it down to this level – no exceptions’.

FREE FOR (FESTIV)ALL

I think that I’d want to do a big festival in Fort Reno Park, because I used to go see Fugazi play for free there and it was amazing. It would be a free festival first off, no admission. Fugazi would have to get back together and play it, and Q And Not U would have to get back together and play it. Dismemberment Plan would have to get together for it. Envy from Japan, we’d fly them out. Have The Blood Brothers; have to get a little New Order going. Suicide. I think I’d have Isis play. I’d run it a lot like All Tomorrow’s Parties, but free and in DC with a bunch of bands that would never do it.

SELF-LOVE METAL Valo once more a ‘Solitary Man’!

THURSD-UETS

I’ve always wanted to play with the guys from Envy, Tim Kasher from Cursive; I love Kurt (Ballou) from Converge too. The guys from Bear Vs Shark as well; and the Minus The Bear guys – they kill, they’re so good. I’d love to have all them on a record together.

SONIC SYMPHONY

Before Thurston Moore was in Sonic Youth, he did these guitar symphonies with Glenn Branca, and I thought of doing a modern version of that. Kind of like everybody getting together, like members of Mono and Explosions In The Sky, and having this huge guitar orchestra, that’d be really fun.

The album ‘A City By The Light Divided’ is out now on Hassle. www.thursday.net

Finnish love metallers HIM are currently holed up in Helsinki’s Finnvox Studios recording their sixth studio album, ‘Venus Doom’ – their second effort for Sire. Taking a break for a few glasses of claret, frontman Ville Valo told Rock Sound that everything’s going to plan… “We’re ahead of time; the drums and guitar are all done, we’re just lacking some lyrics – as we always are because I’m a lazy fucking bastard!” he laughed. “But it’s all good; if you can make depression sound uplifting, that’s what we’re doing at this particular moment.” Valo’s certainly had a lot of inspiration in that department, and cites the suicide of a close friend in 05 as being a major influence on his lyrical outpourings. “We shared a lot of thoughts and feelings and I really

DECKS OF DEATH e

DARREN TAYLOR

DARREN SADLER

TIM NEWBOUND

RACHEL KELLEHAR

BEN CRUDGINGTON

BIFFY CLYRO ‘Puzzle’ (album, 14th Floor) QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE ‘Era Vulgaris’ (advance album, Polydor) PELICAN ‘City Of Echoes’ (advance album, Hydra Head) PARTS & LABOR ‘Mapmaker’ (album, Jagjaguwar) BARONESS / UNPERSONS ‘A Grey Sign In A Flower Husk’ (split album, At A Loss)

3 INCHES OF BLOOD ‘Fire Up The Blades’ (advance album, Roadrunner) BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE ‘The Physics of Fire (advance album, Century Media) NOVEMBER COMING FIRE new demos (unreleased) TURISAS ‘The Varangian Way’ (album, Century Media) DOWN I GO ‘This Is Robotcore’ (advance EP, Undergroove)

BIFFY CLYRO ‘Puzzle’ (album, 14th Floor) REUBEN ‘In Nothing We Trust’ (advance album, Hideous) SPARTA ‘Threes’ (album, Epitaph) SANZEN ‘This Is Gun City’ (album, In At The Deep End) BJÖRK ‘Volta’ (album, One Little Indian)

SILVERSUN PICKUPS ‘Carnavas’ (album, Dangerbird) TELLISON ‘Contact! Contact!’ (advance album, Gravity DIP) CSS ‘Cansei De Ser Sexy’ (reissue, Sire / Sub Pop) BATTLES ‘Mirrored’ (album, Warp) THE HOLD STEADY ‘Almost Killed Me’ (reissue, Vagrant / Full Time Hobby)

PARTS & LABOR ‘Mapmaker’ (album, Jagjaguwar) MEA CULPA ‘First To Ripen’ (unreleased) BATTLES ‘Mirrored’ (album, Warp) BJÖRK ‘Volta’ (album, One Little Indian) MELT-BANANA ‘Bambi’s Dilemma’ (album, A-Zap)

enjoyed being with him. You can always analyse and try to intellectualise things but there are times when it’s not so fucking easy,” the singer explained. “It made me feel, for the first time in years, really sad and not so egocentric. When you delve into the problems of your own particular relationships, it really does make you concentrate on what the people around you are going through. It seems that my troubles are little compared to what

“I’ve got my right hand to write and wank with, so I’m fine!”

others have been through.” Typically, ‘Venus Doom’ reflects HIM’s light-and-shade view on matters of the heart, with song titles set to include ‘Love In Cold Blood’, ‘Bleed Well’, ‘Sleep Walking Past Hope’ and ‘Passion’s Killing Floor’. “There’s also a song called ‘Cyanide Sun’ about how much it hurts to be with somebody: you can love somebody to death and you can maybe over-love somebody to death,” Ville added. “It doesn’t necessarily make it more complicated but it makes it painful.” After recording their last album in LA, the band’s decision to work closer to home is mainly due to keyboardist Burton becoming a father in October. With knob-turner Tim Palmer – who also produced ‘Dark Light’ and mixed ‘Love Metal’ – at the helm, Valo added that ‘Venus Doom’ is a much heftier prospect than the 05-released ‘Dark Light’. “It’s more direct, more macho, more organic, more straight in your face. There’s a bit of Metallica and Machine Head in there – it’s definitely a lot more aggressive and violent than our other albums,” he enthused. “I’ve been addressing some different emotions that I should have been addressing years ago. My self-parody’s going in a direction I never knew it would. I’m guided by ghosts of the past. I always write in isolation – you’ve got to be isolated when you go through all that shit. I’ve got my right hand to write and wank with, so I’m fine! Everyone in the band seems quite happy and we’re having a blast doing it!” ‘Venus Doom’ is slated for release in July. www.heartagram.com

[14] rock-sound.net HOT AND HAPPENING

MALKOVICH They can only be described as partycore really! Dutch punk rock ‘n’ rollers Malkovich have just released their new album ‘Kings N’ Bosses’ through Go Kart – and it’s one big party record from start to finish! Bored of music being way too serious? Malkovich could be your perfect antidote! www.iammalkovich.com

For daily updates and gossip visit rock-sound.net ROUND UP

MISSING IN ACTION…

LIMP BIZKIT Thought nu-metal was dead and gone forever after the failure of Fred Durst’s last outing? Well according to reports Limp Bizkit’s redcapped frontman has said he’d love to do a tour again with the original line-up. We can’t wait!

CUTTING EDGE Enter Shikari in the workshop!

Enter Shikari’s guitar-slinger Rory has told Rock Sound that the band’s success stopped him from fulfilling his real ambition – making his own axe! “That’s pretty much all I did at university,” he told us. “I was in the university workshop making guitars every day, but if I was using a big bandsaw or something like that the day after I’d been up all night after a gig it was pretty dangerous. There was a risk of falling asleep at the saw! I’ve almost finished a guitar, though. All I need is the bridge and then I can string it up. It looks like a cricket bat at the moment. It’s the easiest kind of guitar to make and then the next year you move on to

an electric guitar or classical.” He added: “I loved the course – I love making shit out of wood!” The St Albans quartet all had to quit university to concentrate on the band but, not surprisingly after their new album ‘Take To The Skies’ crashed into the Top 5, they don’t have any regrets. “It was the easiest decision ever,” co-vocalist and bassist Chris laughed. “It was hard explaining it to the tutors. They were saying, ‘You’ve got to pick one thing or the other’, and we were like, ‘You don’t want me to make that decision!’” www.entershikari.com

ROCKSOUND.TV ON THE AIRWAVES! Tune into Sky Channel 368 to watch RoCkSounD.TV – bringing you the best of Rock Sound magazine alive and screaming on your screens every month!

On air as part of the RockWorld.TV channel, this month’s episode of ROCKSOuND.TV is packed with some of the hottest bands that feature in your favourite music monthly! In the latest episode Rock Sound scribe Andy Kelham mimics a salmon while chatting to Funeral For A Friend (don’t ask – just watch), and Mr Kelham also gets serious with the Godfather of blistering sonic noise – Steve Von Till from Neurosis. London rockers Orange Goblin also chat with Rock Sound’s Dep Ed Darren Sadler about their new album ‘Healing Through Fire’. There’s also a chance to win a year’s subscription to Rock Sound magazine! Elsewhere on RockWorld.TV this month you’ll find the first airing of Totalrock.com’s Licensed To Rock! The Total Rock radio team bring you exclusive chats with Wednesday 13, Buckcherry, Beyond All Reason, Cathedral frontman Lee Dorian, and a plethora of top music journalists, as well as some chart rundowns and live sets from Buckcherry and Beyond All Reason – all in the local pub! Indie-rockers The Rakes will be making their debut appearance on the channel, and the increasingly mental Rockjaw show just keeps getting better. This month there’s an interview with the legendary Biff Byford from Saxon and a ludicrous Leander and Julia mask-wearing competition! Watch with caution! There’s also a behind-the-scenes special called Murder Music: Backstage, which explores some never-beforeseen footage from the channel’s explosive look at the black metal scene. The original show, Murder Music, can now be watched online at a special pay-to-view rate. RockWorld.TV has a mega month of competitions lined up too! Win tickets to Download 2007 with VIP access, and there’s the chance to win a Bullet For My Valentine signed guitar! All this plus loads more! Check out www.rockworld.tv for full programmes and watch on Sky channel 368.

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rock-sound.net [15]

rock-sound.net [15]