AMOK
Stephen Matulevicze - Vocals
Calum Henderson - Guitar
Greg Corlett - Guitar
Keith Henderson - Bass
Matt Storry - Drums
Amok: The Premium Brand of Scottish Thrash Metal
The
brainchild of Calum Henderson and Greg Corlett, Amok formed in early
2004. Angered by the metal nonsense bred out of the early noughties, the
brief for them was simple: write and perform some of the heaviest and
most relentless songs possible! Intense writing, practice and home-based
recording provided a solid foundation and within no time a strong line
up was formed.
With the pieces in place, Amok commenced their
calculated attack on the unsuspecting Metal Scene. Planting the seed by
spreading the word through the then-flourishing social media circuit
along with an old school fly posting campaign, the news was out and the
battle lines drawn. A hectic gigging schedule throughout their native
Scotland followed, coupled with the release of demo tracks as Amok set
out to convert the metal masses and catch the attention of the
congregation. The band quickly became famed for their over the top and
memorable live performances, increasing their already growing popularity
and making them a staple within the Glasgow Metal Scene. Throughout
their early gigs, blood was shed, bones broken, vomit induced and
equipment smashed to pieces as the boys continued to make their
statement of intent known.
With
the emergence of the Thrash Metal revival in the UK, Amok ramped up
their barrage and invaded the rest of Britain. Stellar live performances
showcasing new material let the rest know that the rumour was true and
Amok where indeed a force to be reckoned with. Their hard work,
determination and rising profile saw them duly rewarded with several
high profile support slots paired with positive media exposure
throughout the internet as well as a favourable mention within UK Metal
Magazine Terrorizer upon, the release of their final demo 'Operation
Thrash'.
Fast forward 4 years from their conception, to 2008, and
Amok finally released their debut album 'Downhill Without Brakes'. This
self-funded 40 minute offering encapsulated the fine-tuned and
distinctive sound Amok had honed over the years. Unbeknown to Amok,
within this release they had written what would soon become a cult
anthem among Thrashers in the form of the track 'Thrash Island'. Its
amusing, care free lyrics, catchy riffage and chorus hook struck an
instant chord with its target audience and helped propel Amok's
popularity to new heights. The album received positive reviews all
round, both published and blogged, and saw German-based Metal label
Witches Brew sign up Amok and promptly re-release 'Downhill Without
Brakes', exposing the band to a new market. The album would prove to be
hit and go on to be a cult favourite among thrashers worldwide, with
downloads, physical purchases and streaming via YouTube still on the
increase to date.
In early 2013, Witches Brew called out Amok to
release their second album, bringing to an end their exile. With fresh
goals, enthusiasm and riffs to boot, Amok made the radical decision to
make their first ever line up change to spearhead their new era. This
saw founding member and drummer Jamie Bremaneson make way for the
incoming powerhouse Matt Storry, an extraordinary talent and close
friend of the band. With the new look Amok ready and fired up, work
commenced immediately on recording 'Somewhere in the West'. An evolution
of Amok's already distinctively heavy, yet very accessible sound: the
album fuses together technicality, speed, aggression, power and melody
to produce a fresh outlook on modern thrash metal. Telling stories
through lyrics of poverty, corruption, addiction, lawlessness and the
general deterioration of the civilized human world, 'Somewhere in the
West' promises to wipe out any pre-conceived notions of what a Thrash
Metal album is, whilst seeing Amok pick up where they left off -
forging new paths within the genre and mixing things up.
On 29th November 2013, "Somewhere In The West" was released with Amok putting 'Premium Brand Thrash' back on the menu!
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