Anyone who pays attention to the metal music scene these days, in particular those who read the pages of Metal Hammer Magazine will probably be familiar with the emerging record label 'Rising Records'. The company have sponsered awards at both the Golden Gods and the Kerrang awards and the July 2011 issue of Metal Hammer came with a free cd of bands on the 'Rising' label roster.
Not too long ago, I was in a band who were, for a time, had the (dis) pleasure of being signed to Rising Records and to see the label gaining any kind of widespread recognition in the metal world, frankly, angers me. I genuinely believe, after being part of the label and meeting many people and bands associated with it, that Rising Records and those behind it are parasitically unhealthy for young bands. They are unprofessional, dishonest and take advantage of young bands with no respect for musical integrity.
Firstly, I shall briefly describe my time with Rising Records. My band, (aged between 16 and 19 at the time) sent a demo tape off to a selection of labels and heard back from several, of which Rising Records was one. As a band, we travelled to Ipswitch in order to meet the label boss Mark Daghorn (more on him later). Mark attacked us with a bombardment of impressive offers; music videos, famous metal bands he'd worked with and coverage in popular magazines. We were then given the deal:
The band has to pay Mark £7500 to record an album. A deposit of £1000 was also required before signing. In terms of Royalties, we would recieve just under 50% of what the album made and also retained the rights to our music.
When we left, all of us had reservations concerning the deal infront of us. "How would we raise the money?" being the most prominent. However, I think it is fair to say that the glamour that had been flaunted infront of us was too tempting to resist and we soon phoned Mark to confirm our signing to Rising Records. Interestingly, the contract itself was merely a MS Word document emailed to our drummer that only required one of our signatures. Cunningly, we allowed the contract to be signed by our drummer, at a mere 16 years of age, rendering the contract completely void, should ever we need an escape route.
The only contact from Rising we had from this point was to ask for the £7500. However, not only did we not have the money (we were kids!) but we had discovered more about the label that did not sit well with us. Seven Year Kismet, a metal band with whom we were close friends had signed to Rising 6 months before us and had recorded their album shortly after we signed our contract. The stories SKY told us gave us grave misgivings about the label and their motives.
Firstly, there was no choice available to bands regarding studios, producers, engineers, etc.. All bands on Rising were forced to record at the 'on site' studio with Mark himself acting as producer for each album.
Secondly, the £7500 that was initially quoted was merely the price for the recording itself. The mixing and mastering process cost an extra £4000 aproximately.
Thirdly, Mark seemed to have no interest in the artistic integrity of his bands. All albums HAD to be under 40 minutes in length. Furthermore we were told the story of when upcoming metal band The Dead Lay Waiting were recording their debut album for Rising and Mark had all the clean vocals on the album performed by the vocalist of The Morning After, another band on the label.
After hearing these things, I personally sent a message to Mark asking to part ways with the label, to which we recieved no reply and have heard nothing from since. I can only assume he accepted...
Reading this, you may assume that my anger towards Rising records in purely based on a personal experience however I assure you, I am unbias in my anger.
Rising is not a record label. It is a one-man business. The model of forcing the bands to pay for their albums represents a 'no-risk' policy for Mark. It is clear from the amount of bands who pass in and out of Rising's roster constantly that Mark signs bands, regardless of quality (my own band, looking back, were nowhere near good enough to merit a record deal!) and lets them record an album. If it works, great, if it doesn't Mark still has made a profit on a band that is exactly where they were before they signed.
The restrictions in recording environment and album length simply do not encourage artistic freedom and further enforce the fact that Mark is looking for a quick business transaction, rather than making any effort to produce a high quality metal album.
It frustrates me that in the pages of my much-loved Metal Hammer, Rising is referred to in the same breath as labels such as 30DaysofNight, In At The Deep End and Napalm. Especially considering that Hammer's on reviewers rarely give Rising albums a high score (flicking through recent issues, 6 looks about as high as it gets) and whatsmore, only two sucessful bands have come out of Rising since its inception; Bleed From Within and Trigger the Bloodshed, both of whom seem to openly resent the label.
How on Earth has Daghorn forged a respectable reputation for his joke of a business, I simply don't know.
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Saturday, 18 December 2010
Student Fees...WTF
Unless you've spent the last month in a cave (or you're simply not from England...) then you must have heard about the emerging crisis concerning student university fees.
The problem? In the face of the decimating deficit currently taking a firm grip upon the government's spending, the Coalition has decided to utilise a Del-Boy like money-making scheme in order to balance those books. English University fees will almost TREBLE from an already extortionate £3,500 a year (approximately) and that's not taking into account the other expenses that come with university life (accomodation, Pot Noodles, beer).
The (other) problem? The other cuts that have been made so far, the Police service for example, have obviously been met with upset and concern for those involved over the government's demands for decreased spending, however are (understandably) too busy and afraid to lose their jobs if they take to the streets of London and protest. Students however, are a different story. They have a massive amount of free time on their hands and are only too happy to give up watching Family Guy re-runs and having sponsored Wankathons in order to 'stick it to the man' and get protesting.
The (next) problem? As with any protest, there are two types of people whom attend; the majority (protesters) and the minority (dickheads). And without wishing to sound too much like an Attenborough documentary, the Dickheads, in their natural enviroment, experience an excess of stupidity and seemingly forget the cause that made them protest in the first place. This results in ritualistic acts of Dickhead prowess; dropping fire extinguishers off buildings into crowds and attacking the Royal Family (who definitely cause all of the problems in the world...clearly) being just two examples shown during the recent protests.
The consequences of this Dickhead infestation is the main problem for students however, as naturally, all media attention diverts to the minority and as such, the inital (justified) cause that thousands of students peacefully protested over is forgotten. Nice one Dickheads...
The (final) problem? The backlash now begins. Students who were previously neutral in the matter become tarnished in the media through the actions of the Dickhead minority and counteract this scapegoating by rebelling against the initial cause of the protests; the increased student fees. Therefore, what the country is left with is a problem that the population have created purely on their own, whilst the unfair, ridiculous actions of this joke of a government go unnoticed.
The country has forgotten that students needn't pay for university at all, take a look at Scotland. And yet suddenly, increasing fees to levels which are previously unhead of is an acceptable course of action for a government which no one voted for. Yet all that is focused upon in the minds of the populate are the events which occured during the protests, rather than the instigating factor. Put simply, England is not focused enough at the present time to mount a protest on government issues that is effective enough to cause change.
The problem? In the face of the decimating deficit currently taking a firm grip upon the government's spending, the Coalition has decided to utilise a Del-Boy like money-making scheme in order to balance those books. English University fees will almost TREBLE from an already extortionate £3,500 a year (approximately) and that's not taking into account the other expenses that come with university life (accomodation, Pot Noodles, beer).
The (other) problem? The other cuts that have been made so far, the Police service for example, have obviously been met with upset and concern for those involved over the government's demands for decreased spending, however are (understandably) too busy and afraid to lose their jobs if they take to the streets of London and protest. Students however, are a different story. They have a massive amount of free time on their hands and are only too happy to give up watching Family Guy re-runs and having sponsored Wankathons in order to 'stick it to the man' and get protesting.
The (next) problem? As with any protest, there are two types of people whom attend; the majority (protesters) and the minority (dickheads). And without wishing to sound too much like an Attenborough documentary, the Dickheads, in their natural enviroment, experience an excess of stupidity and seemingly forget the cause that made them protest in the first place. This results in ritualistic acts of Dickhead prowess; dropping fire extinguishers off buildings into crowds and attacking the Royal Family (who definitely cause all of the problems in the world...clearly) being just two examples shown during the recent protests.
The consequences of this Dickhead infestation is the main problem for students however, as naturally, all media attention diverts to the minority and as such, the inital (justified) cause that thousands of students peacefully protested over is forgotten. Nice one Dickheads...
The (final) problem? The backlash now begins. Students who were previously neutral in the matter become tarnished in the media through the actions of the Dickhead minority and counteract this scapegoating by rebelling against the initial cause of the protests; the increased student fees. Therefore, what the country is left with is a problem that the population have created purely on their own, whilst the unfair, ridiculous actions of this joke of a government go unnoticed.
The country has forgotten that students needn't pay for university at all, take a look at Scotland. And yet suddenly, increasing fees to levels which are previously unhead of is an acceptable course of action for a government which no one voted for. Yet all that is focused upon in the minds of the populate are the events which occured during the protests, rather than the instigating factor. Put simply, England is not focused enough at the present time to mount a protest on government issues that is effective enough to cause change.
Thursday, 21 October 2010
Wanye Rooney. WTF.
This is my first ever blog and what a great time to be doing it, especially as a Manchester United fan. Up until a week ago, I was concerned about Rooney's disasterous lack of form since being dramatically stretchered off during last season's Champion's League quater final against Bayern Munich. Now however, I'm more concerned with the fact that that fateful night may have been the last time he played for the Red Devils with any sort of passion or drive.
Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United, after six years of service because he doesn't like the current situation regarding the club's transfer policy (i.e. there isn't really one at all). Perhaps the hardest thing for United fan like myself to swallow is that, simply, Rooney's reasoning wrong. Here's why.
1. None of the "Top 3" clubs (Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal) made any significant squad changes in the Summer transfer window. Respectively, Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Ramieres and Maroune Chakakh were the biggest signings of those three clubs. This suggests that maybe the problem is not so much with the club, as Rooney suggests, but that only the richest clubs (Manchester City and Real Madrid seem to be the main offenders) can afford to pay for 'buzzname' players.
2. Alex Ferguson is not a manager who buys ready-made world class players often, rather he buys good players and turn them into world class ones. Evra, Vidic, Ronaldo, Tevez (and maybe Nani judging by recent performances). Furthermore, United are the best English club at bringing talent through the academy ranks. The club are still reaping the benefits of Scholes and Giggs and can look forward to the forthcoming services of Gibson, Evans and Cleverley.
3. According to Sir Alex's initial press conference regarding Rooney, the player made his decision to leave in mid August, right after the world cup. How can Rooney predict at that point that United would not compete for trophies in the coming season, bearing in mind that the previous year, they lost the League by a mere point to Chelsea, were the best performing English club in the Champions League and won the Carling Cup.
4. Buying ready made football superstars does not guarantee success. Take Real Madrid and Barcelona. Madrid have forged a reputation for attempting to buy success at any cost, yet continually they are outdone by their rivals Barcelona who contrastingly have a modest transfer policy (David Villa aside). Barca have produced from their own ranks the likes of Messi, Bojan, Pedro, Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta and look far more stable than the free spending Real Madrid.
However, a player who does not want to be part of United's future is not welcome at the club and it is clear that cashing-in time has arrived for David Gill. So who will be tasked with filling Wayne's shoes when he finally leaves. Assuming his replacement will be a big money purchase, here's my shortlist...
Fernando Torres - Not a good move in my opinion but this was the first name to be throw around in the papers as Rooney's successor. Personally, I don't see the use in replacing one striker who's lost his touch through injury with another one and I don't think this deal will go down well with fans. Or indeed the player himself, who will surely have his heart set on Barca?
Luis Suarez - Another name banded about in this morning's press. A much more viable option in my opinion, Suarez is young but experienced and would likely be willing to make the step up from Ajax to a bigger club. He's a proven goalscorer in all competitions and would suit Berbatov's style of play brilliantly.
Pato - AC Milan's young Brazilian would be my No.1 choice to replace Wayne. He's mightily young and not as consistent or experienced as Suarez but Ferguson has built his reputation on seeing potential and this kid could be one of the best of his age in the world. United's squad already have a fair Brazillian contingent at Old Trafford and surely a high profile transfer such as this would silence any critics.
Andy Carroll/Theo Walcott/Gabby Agbonlahor - What with this season's brand spanking new rules regarding home grown player quotas, it may be necessary for Rooney's replacement to also be an Englishman...but as you can see, choices are limited...
So there we go...my two pennies on the current Wayne Rooney saga and some food for thought on replacements. To conclude, as one banner in Old Trafford read during last night's game; "Coleen may have forgiven you...but we will not".
Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United, after six years of service because he doesn't like the current situation regarding the club's transfer policy (i.e. there isn't really one at all). Perhaps the hardest thing for United fan like myself to swallow is that, simply, Rooney's reasoning wrong. Here's why.
1. None of the "Top 3" clubs (Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal) made any significant squad changes in the Summer transfer window. Respectively, Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Ramieres and Maroune Chakakh were the biggest signings of those three clubs. This suggests that maybe the problem is not so much with the club, as Rooney suggests, but that only the richest clubs (Manchester City and Real Madrid seem to be the main offenders) can afford to pay for 'buzzname' players.
2. Alex Ferguson is not a manager who buys ready-made world class players often, rather he buys good players and turn them into world class ones. Evra, Vidic, Ronaldo, Tevez (and maybe Nani judging by recent performances). Furthermore, United are the best English club at bringing talent through the academy ranks. The club are still reaping the benefits of Scholes and Giggs and can look forward to the forthcoming services of Gibson, Evans and Cleverley.
3. According to Sir Alex's initial press conference regarding Rooney, the player made his decision to leave in mid August, right after the world cup. How can Rooney predict at that point that United would not compete for trophies in the coming season, bearing in mind that the previous year, they lost the League by a mere point to Chelsea, were the best performing English club in the Champions League and won the Carling Cup.
4. Buying ready made football superstars does not guarantee success. Take Real Madrid and Barcelona. Madrid have forged a reputation for attempting to buy success at any cost, yet continually they are outdone by their rivals Barcelona who contrastingly have a modest transfer policy (David Villa aside). Barca have produced from their own ranks the likes of Messi, Bojan, Pedro, Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta and look far more stable than the free spending Real Madrid.
However, a player who does not want to be part of United's future is not welcome at the club and it is clear that cashing-in time has arrived for David Gill. So who will be tasked with filling Wayne's shoes when he finally leaves. Assuming his replacement will be a big money purchase, here's my shortlist...
Fernando Torres - Not a good move in my opinion but this was the first name to be throw around in the papers as Rooney's successor. Personally, I don't see the use in replacing one striker who's lost his touch through injury with another one and I don't think this deal will go down well with fans. Or indeed the player himself, who will surely have his heart set on Barca?
Luis Suarez - Another name banded about in this morning's press. A much more viable option in my opinion, Suarez is young but experienced and would likely be willing to make the step up from Ajax to a bigger club. He's a proven goalscorer in all competitions and would suit Berbatov's style of play brilliantly.
Pato - AC Milan's young Brazilian would be my No.1 choice to replace Wayne. He's mightily young and not as consistent or experienced as Suarez but Ferguson has built his reputation on seeing potential and this kid could be one of the best of his age in the world. United's squad already have a fair Brazillian contingent at Old Trafford and surely a high profile transfer such as this would silence any critics.
Andy Carroll/Theo Walcott/Gabby Agbonlahor - What with this season's brand spanking new rules regarding home grown player quotas, it may be necessary for Rooney's replacement to also be an Englishman...but as you can see, choices are limited...
So there we go...my two pennies on the current Wayne Rooney saga and some food for thought on replacements. To conclude, as one banner in Old Trafford read during last night's game; "Coleen may have forgiven you...but we will not".
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