There has been a special place in my heart for Imicus, ever since they wowed me a few years back with their live performance supporting Sacred Mother Tongue at The Purple Turtle in Camden.

If I say this band are an outstanding live act, it is not an overreaction. The sheer passion and energy from the entire band captivated me. That, alongside the fact that the music was really bloody good provided me with enough enthusiasm to go home and search for them on YouTube. Yes, they really were that good.

There is a reason why this band hit the right spot with me. If you take some of my very favourite bands – namely Alice in Chains, A Perfect Circle and The Deftones – put them in a blender and pour them into a long glass over ice, you have Imicus! There are elements of the above bands evident throughout, however Imicus manage to secure their own sound in amongst all that. Obviously influenced by, but not imitating these great artists.

Formed in 2005, Imicus built a fairly solid fanbase and reputation whilst gigging locally to them (which is London and the outskirts), relying on self-promotion and self-releasing material. In 2009 Imicus signed to Transcend Records. Their first studio-recorded album, ‘Animal Factory’, was released in 2010, along with a video for the first single, ‘Visceral’, which received airplay on UK rock TV channels, Scuzz and Kerrang. Following a series of shows and festival appearances (including Download, Bloodstock and Bulldog Bash), Imicus are back recording all new material. We at CackBlabbath feel privileged to be able to share with you our thoughts on the first two songs we’ve got our grubby little mitts on, The Marionette and Chameleons.

So on to the music.

What happens when you mix a strong vocalist with an impressive CV, and four musicians who share his vision of bringing traditional heavy metal back to the masses? Well, that would be Monument.

Born out of the cobbled streets of East London with an unrivaled passion for heavy metal, Monument are primed and ready to take the rock and metal world by storm. Comprising of annoyingly catchy riffage, killer hooks and enough “Oooh’s” and “Aaaah’s” to leave these songs permanently imprinted into your mental jukebox, we feel that this band could very easily go all the way to the top. If talent, ambition and passion are the key factors to success then I have a feeling you’ll be hearing a lot about these guys in the weeks, months and years to come.

Ahead of the release of their new single, Fatal Attack, we caught up with Monument front man Peter Ellis to discuss life after his stint as White Wizzard vocalist, The Ultimate Warrior, pop music and his monumental new project.

Let me point you all in the direction of this event!