| CD REVIEW Nemhain |
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Band : Nemhain German label Tiefdruck Music apparently hope to make a bundle on this London-based band, announcing it as the next big thing! Personally, I think that once people have seen through the name-dropping tactics and started listening to the music, Nemhain will simply continue to be the hobby band of former Cradle Of Filth drummer Anders Erlandsson and his wife Amber, also known as Morrigan Hel, the scarcely clad dame that graced the stages of Cradle Of Filth as stage performer since the late ‘90s to about 2006 (she was also a fetish model, a tv presenter, stage & fire performer for Motörhead and Godhead, has “acted” in the movie Nature Morte, and been an extra in Still Crazy, Judge Dread, and Hackers). It’s where Anders (formerly of At The Gates, The Haunted, and Nifelheim to name but a few) met her, having become the band’s drummer in 1999. Well, at least with two such “prominent” figures in the line-up, there’s a very extensive band biography. Recorded history has it that the idea to have a band of their own came when the two (with Anders on guitar and Amber singing) had just sang a cover of Leadbelly’s “Where Did You Sleep Last Night” in their living room, some evening in early 2006. They decided to draw their influences from the likes of Danzig and The Ramones, and create a self-styled “Blues-stained Punk Rock” outfit. The musicians drawn in to complete their band’s line-up were bassist Lisa “Witch” Dickinson (also appeared in Nature Morte), and guitarist Rachel “Cherry Forever” Irving (formerly bassist of Desolation Angels, she also partook in Demented Scum Cats, a Demented Are Go side-project). On lead guitar the band recruited one Olivia “Liv Fast” Boeree. But then she entered a poker competition and got hooked to the game. She got an offer to present Poker TV in Las Vegas, which she accepted. She was quickly replaced by multi-instrumentalist Sam “Hain” Astley (known from his solo work under the EWSS moniker and being half of The Cry And The Chainsaw (a small independent film company who’ve made a number of music videos – among which Nemhain’s “Ana” – and short films). After a few rehearsals, they were ready to do a small private gig, and in August they let themselves loose at an all-day festival at Camden’s Bar Monsta. In October they recorded the EP Blood Runs Free which, pressed to 1,000 copies only, went on sale at the band’s gig on 12 Nov. at Bar Monsta. Then Cradle Of Filth released their Thornographyalbum, and an announcement was made about Adrian’s leaving. Not that this meant Adrian was quite jobless, as he not only did sessions with Netherbird and Tenet, but also joined Mexican Gore Metal legends Brujeria on their first world tour. He also was the first session drummer for 12 Ton Method. Meanwhile Nemhaim (the name was taken from a mythological Celtic Goddess of battle fury) were given the opportunity to support Australian Hard Rock act Rose Tattoo at London’s Scala, something which the band did with Robin Guy (a good friend) on Adrian’s seat behind the drums, whome at that time was out with Brujeria. In late April 2007 Sam left the band to be replaced quite swiftly by Daniel “Dick Limelight” Kjolsrud (formerly a bassist with Swedish act King Lizard). His stay with the band would be brief, as both he and Rachel sent the band an e-mail in early June, stating they were leaving for “personal reasons”. As replacements came Samara Kain (bassist with Spiders Superstars and also a model/ tv presenter/ music journalist) and Stevie Lee (formerly of Spit Like This). In November this line-up went to Belgium to record a new EP, but a certain tension was already apparent in the band. They performed the Hard Rock Hell festival without Samara, and afterwards Stevie quit. In December the band found a reliable guitarist to fill the empty spots in former Area 54 guitarist Lakis Kyriakou (that band having split in July, with Lakis then concentrating on the September 2006 formed Glam-influenced Love & Bullets). 2008 was opened with a new visit to the NAMM convention in the US (where the year prior the band managed to get a sponsoring deal with Orange Amps), coinciding the event with two gigs…and when the band returned Adrian set off on a massive European tour with Deathstars, who were supporting KoRn throughout February. In March and April Nemhain resided in Gothenburg’s Studio Fredman to record their full-length debut with Fredrik Nordström producing. Then the reformed At The Gates started a heavy touring schedule, which put Nemhain on non-active until early October when they appeared on Bruce Dickinson’s Friday Rock Show on BBC 6 Radio, airing 4 new songs. That same month the band issued a 4-track promotional EP. The band’s December gig in support of Municipal Waste saw the return of Sam Hain, allowing the band to perform their twin guitar sound on stage again. In January 2009 Nemhain recorded a video for “Second Skin”, a song originally by The Gits (which originally has guest vocals by The Haunted’s Pete Dolving, and was video-ed with Gdrax from Ted Maul replacing him)…originally meant as an introduction to the band’s own release of the album in February. But then they got in contact with a couple of labels. August brought news that the band had singed a deal (in blood) with German label Tiefdruck Musik, Nemhain announcing at the same time a release date of October 16. Obviously, they miscalculated…or the label postponed the release for as yet unreveiled practical reasons. So, what’s so extra-ordinary about this band? Beats me! Well…the dual guitar parts are nice enough, but almost constantly played at the same pace, leaving little room for variety. Amber’s vocals are, well…nice enough…as are Lisa’s backings, but nothing to-write-home-about! In essence, the band’s Death Rock is somewhat average in my opinion, even if there are some moments where one cannot help one’s self to start nodding one’s head along with the melodies! But IS there a chance for this band to make it really big? I don’t think so! I mean, somehow Adrian doesn’t seem to be dedicated enough to the band to give it all the attention it needs to develop even further (he’s recently accepted a job with Paradisee Lost). Of course, in the beginning you’ll probably have guys wanting to see the band’s shows, expecting Amber to revert to her Cradle Of Filth days’ type of “clothing” (hey, whadda ya expect from healty young dudes?). Check out whether you like or not by listening to samples of 4 songs off the album (and their full-length cover of “Die Die My Darling” which they recorded as a contribution to the 2007 compilation album Anniversary Of Brutality (Tribute To the Misfits)) the band posted at myspace.com/nemhainband (as well as their two videos). Personally, while this is definitely an album which I can listen to, and would certainly do so a couple of times in case it would fall in my hands through second-hand buy, I would never get the album at full price…but then I ain’t quite into their style of music! Feel free to disagree in favour of Nemhain. 80/100 Tony. |