June 15, 2013

Filthy Review - 'Hatchet 3'


Hatchet 3 (2013)

Review by Jude Felton

Maybe it’s just me, but I have never been completely sold on the whole Hatchet hoopla and hype. I do own both the first and second film, with the first one being enjoyable enough and the second one being very forgettable (read as crap), yet I did hold out hope that the third installment in the franchise would get me excited about these modern day slashers. Well, wouldn’t you just know it; I thought part 3 was a blast!

New Character Posters For Nicolas Winding Refn's 'Only God Forgives'


If you're not excited about Nicolas Winding Refn's upcoming Only God Forgives, I can only assume that you haven't seen, or didn't like, Drive, which was the last collaboration between Refn and star Ryan Gosling. The film is released on July 19 at theaters and three character posters have just been made available for you to check out.

June 14, 2013

Steven C. Miller's 'Under the Bed' coming to Blu/DVD and VOD


This July will see Steven C. Miller's latest movie, Under the Bed, hit VOD, Blu/DVD and theaters from XLrator Media. Released under the Macabre imprint it will hit VOD on July 3rd, theaters July 19th and Blu/DVD on July 30th. Having been impressed with Miller's last two flicks, The Aggression Scale and Silent Night, I am quite looking forward to this one. You can check out the trailer and some stills after the break.

June 12, 2013

Exclusive Filthy Interview/Preview - 'Monolith Cult: Run from the Light'


New doom band, Monolith Cult, release their debut album RUN FROM THE LIGHT this summer on Future Noise Recordings. Lair of Filth’s Wayne Simmons got a tasty little preview and exclusive interview to boot.

There’s a lot of Sabbathian doom around at the moment. It’s become something of a trend; or for those more cynical, a bandwagon; low-end stoner grooves emitting from just about every other guitar amp in metal right now. Hell, even Sabbath themselves are getting in on it, their first album in eighteen years released just this week.

As with every trend, there are those that do it well and those that do it… not so well. And then there’s those like Monolith Cult who do it just the way they fucking want. Their debut album RUN FOR THE LIGHT, released this Summer through Future Noise Recordings, is as Sabbathian as they come, particularly with the grooves laid down by axeman Lee Baines. But there’s something else going on here. Something you may not expect...
There was no real plan for this record; we just wrote what we thought sounded good,’ explains vocalist Bry Outlaw. ‘There is a definite Sabbath influence in the music, there is no denying this. Lee has a fucking great guitar sound which pushes the tunes and punishes the ears.’
But…
‘Vocally my favourite singers are Ronnie James Dio, Ian Gillan and Klaus Meine. To me these guys are the ultimate Rock singers. I suppose how I sing is a weak combination of them all.’
And you can hear that clearly within this record. Not least in title track, MONOLITH CULT, a foot-stomping, fist-in-the-air rabble-rouser. Here the vocals are Joe Lynn Turner possessed by Ronnie James Dio, and, despite Bry’s candour, it works a bloody treat. The crooning rides beautifully atop Baines’ guitar, a tuned down riff machine that’s ever changing, ever-fluid and ever brilliant.

Monolith Cult will grab you from get-go. This is good time doom n’roll at its very best. And the feel-good factor is intentional: ‘We tried to work in some choruses that are catchy,’ explains Bry, ‘even though the main themes of the album are quite pessimistic. We have a sarcastic and cynical approach to the world. These definitely are good times for end times.’


Which gets us onto the lyrics. RUN FROM THE LIGHT is not going to best please the vicar, what with titles like BLIND WATCHMAKER and SOLD DOWN THE RIVER. But if Richard Dawkins were a metalhead, he’d  be a fan for sure, and good money says the MC boys probably dig him, too: ‘We are anti-theists,’ Bry explains. ‘Religion is the last bastion of delusion, where no proof is required. Most people are convinced through confirmation bias, which is basically deluded people, telling other deluded people that their delusions are real. To quote Carl Sagan: ‘It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.’
Carl Sagan? Very fucking fancy and not entirely in line with that good-time rock n’ roll vibe we were talking about earlier. But that’s the beauty of this record: it’s the perfect, balls-to-the-wall jam with as much to say musically as it does lyrically.
There’s a strong progressive rock feel, for one thing. Particularly when it comes to song structure. 3rd track on the album, VIOLENT MOVEMENTS, throws brutal yet technical guitar out, riffing like a bastard one minute, discordant harmonies the next. And it’s never stagnant, never lazy: these are guys who’ve been round the block a bit; who know how to play and aren’t afraid to show it. Bry again: ‘The birth of Monolith Cult came from the death of an old band that Lee, Izak and myself were in. We had disbanded but me and Lee still wanted to get a new band on the go. We had known Damo for ages and asked if he fancied a jam which went great, so we asked Izak if he wanted to get involved. We realised we were onto something good; we have known each other for bloody years and it was great to get a line-up that isn’t compromised by people with the wrong attitude.’
Clearly, this is a group effort; a sound that’s all about contrast and embracing such. And yet every single note blends together perfectly: despite the variety of influences and the fingers-up attitude, this is a band, and these are tracks that work together under a single banner.
And the banner in question…
Monolith Cult has a special mission to destroy humanity.’

A-fucking-men.

Track listing:

01. Sold Down The River
02. Monolith Cult
03. Blind Watchmaker
04. Violent Movements
05. Human Cull
06. Suicide and Heroin   

RUN FROM THE LIGHT will be released this summer on Future Noise Recordings on Limited edition White Vinyl, CD and digital download. 

Get inside the mind of a killer with 'I'm Not Guilty'


Serial killers are a strange breed, don't you think? So many get a weird sort of adulation, which other murderers never get. Ted Bundy is without a doubt one of the most famous, not to mention prolific, serial killers of the 20th century, and this new book takes a look deep into the violent criminal mind. Written by Dr. Al Carlisle PhD, I'm Not Guilty is available now.

Filthy Giveaway - 'Skull World' DVD - Closed


Over the past few months or so, you'll have no doubt seen me rattling on about the quite wonderful Skull World documentary, from The Collapsed director Justin McConnell. Well, that's with good reason; it's bloody good! Anyhoo, it's about to hit Blu-ray and DVD (on June 18th) from IndieCan, Raven Banner and Unstable Ground, and I have got 3 copies of the DVD up for grabs! Read on for more details.

June 11, 2013

'Dark Skies' set to hit Blu and DVD in the UK


On August 5th eOne will be releasing the fear flick Dark Skies on Blu-ray and DVD in the UK. The release will include alternate and deleted scenes, as well as an audio commentary from the writing/directing/producing team. You can check out some stills after the break.

June 10, 2013

Filthy Review - 'The Twilight Zone: The Complete Second Season'


The Twilight Zone: The Complete Second Season (2013)

Review by Jude Felton

Can you believe that the classic TV show, The Twilight Zone’ first aired on TV screens back in 1959? Me either, but as a show it is one that has endured over the years. Actually, endured is probably an unfair choice of words, as it has remained popular because it is just flat-out fine entertainment. Now, Image Entertainment has released the entire Second Season, in a no-frills 5 disc collection.

Danish Body Horror Flick 'Postpartum' Shooting This Summer


This August will see the Danish body horror flick, Postpartum, from director Michael Panduro go into filming. The plot involves a young couple who discover an abandoned infant whilst out hiking, and comes with the tagline 'A Film about Having Children'. For more information, including the teaser, news about the soundtrack mixtape and crowdfunding, head on over the break.

June 9, 2013

Filthy Music Review - 'The Lumberjack Feedback: Hand of Glory'


The Lumberjack Feedback – Hand of Glory (2013)

Kaotoxin Records

Review by Jude Felton

There are some record labels out there that I always look forward to the next release. The likes of Dark Descent, Mordgrimm and UKEM, among others, have a knack of putting out consistently high quality music, and it does get expensive. French label Kaotoxin Records is another such label that are really impressing me, with some of my favorite releases of the last year or so coming from them, and now we have another one.

Filthy Review - 'The Numbers Station'


The Numbers Station (2013)

Review by Jude Felton

If there was any justice in the world, and we all know that there isn’t, John Cusack would be the biggest movie star out there. With a career already spanning 30 years, he has managed to consistently appear in terrific movies; many of which sit in that mainstream side of cult. He delivers the goods as the lead, or in a supporting role, and I personally love watching his films, even when I don’t especially like the film; such as 1408.

Filthy Music Review - 'Amon Amarth: Deceiver of the Gods'


Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods (2013)

Metal Blade

Review by Jude Felton

When it comes to a new album from those Viking warriors Amon Amarth you aren’t going to get all that much in terms of differing styles from previous albums. I mean, they aren’t going to throw in a section of free-form Jazz, or anything like that. No, what you will get is stirring and impassioned melodic death metal, belted out quite like nothing else.