PRESENTS

Godstone are an extreme modern metal band.  Check out their CD demo 'Descension' - (see review below).  Highly recommended by Strength Beyond Strength - fuckin heavy and powerful.

GODSTONE ARE:

Chris Shaw - Drums (DOB: 17/10/1978)

Michael Burke - Guitars (DOB: 18/2/1979)

Russell Stewart - Vocals (4/7/1979)

Andy Williams - Bass (DOB: 11/8/1975)

DEMO INFO & REVIEW:

Format: CD

Review: Reviewed by Fedja of Strength - Beyond - Strength

First of all, just look at today's music scene.  Everyone starts sounding like shit, we get no radio play, and to put it right things are not what they used to be about 6 years ago, which is why we need band like this to keep the scene going.

After getting in touch with GODSTONE, we added them right here on SBS to the Check' em Out section and shortly after Chris Shaw (drums) sent us the CD demo.  After a few good listens both to the four track demo 'Descension' and 'Predict Corrosion' we have to say that this is without a doubt the best demo we have heard in a long time.  It is the cutting edge power metal full of energy to the max.

The songs are blinding, the combination of powerful vocals, the amazing drumming (love the double bass), the tight solos and the powerful bass makes this an amazing demo.  The quality of the demo is brilliant, everything is so clear. 

Therefore we would like to congratulate GODSTONE on the fine demo and we hope to see some live shows and more releases soon.

To any one out there, if you are into power cutting edge metal, then this is for you.  Here is how you can obtain a copy of this GODSTONE demo.

Reviewed by Fedja of Strength - Beyond - Strength

GODSTONE RECORDINGS:

Broken, Torn Inward

Recorded: 13-15 March, 1998, at Fudge Studios, Sheffield by Simon Gillman.

Mixed: 22 March, 1998, at Fudge Studios, Sheffield, By Simon Gillman and Godstone.

TRACKS:

"Games" (4.55)

(Lyrics: Shaw, Music: Burke, Shaw)

"Brutal Lives" (5.17)

(Lyrics: Stewart, Music: Hodgson, Burke)

"Zero road" (6.01)

(Lyrics: Stewart, Music: Burke, Whittaker, Shaw)

"Garden Of Scars" (6.10)

(Lyrics: Stewart, Music: Hodgson, Burke, Stewart)

Locked

Recorded and mixed by Godstone and Matt Howden, assisted by Tom Henthorn, 15-17 August, 1998, at Fudge Studios, Sheffield.

TRACKS:

"Harsh Cries" (4.19)

(Lyrics: Stewart, Music: Hodgson, Burke)

"Cancer" (2.23)

(Lyrics: Shaw, Music: Burke, Shaw)

"Locked" (3.32)

(Lyrics: Stewart, Music: Hodgson, Burke)

Descension

The new, and to just, definitive statement of Godstone.

Recorded: 23rd & 24th October, 1999, at Academy Studios, Dewsbury, England by Mags. 

Mixed: 4th November, 1999, at Academy Studios, Dewsbury, England by Mags and Godstone.

TRACKS:

"Dismissed Faith" (5.10)

(Lyrics: Stewart, Music: Burke, Shaw)

"System Of Confines" (5.36)

(Lyrics: Stewart, Music: Burke, Shaw)

"Cyclic Protozoan Minds" (4.40)

(Lyrics: Shaw, Stewart, Music: Burke, Shaw)

"Killswitch" (6.20)

(Lyrics: Shaw, Music: Burke, Shaw, Hodgson)

Uncompromising

The new, and to just, definitive statement of Godstone.

Tracks: "Cyclic Protozoan Minds" (4.40)

(Lyrics: Shaw, Stewart, Music: Burke, Shaw)

A 15-track underground compilation available for £4 (UK), £5 (Europe) and £10 (world) from: Addiction Records, 12 The Lawns, High Street, Stonehouse, Glos, GL10 2NU, England. Price includes P&P. Cheques to be made payable to 'M. Shipton.'

GODSTONE HISTORY:

1997

The band started properly when Chris got his kit, but beforehand had been the topic of conversation between Chris and Burky for months.

The band originally formed as Euphony in the spring of 1997, with a line-up of Michael Burke (guitar), Chris Shaw (drums), Russell Stewart (guitar and vocals), Scott Heald (vocals) and Ryan Whittaker (bass.) The band (minus Ryan) first played the Wathstock ’97 festival, which they had planned and organised as a finale to their A-levels. The band then played various local pubs and the Swinton Rock-A-Thon open-air festival of August 31^st. After the Rock-A-Thon, Scott left, which was expected as he did not want to play the heavy music the rest of us were after. At this point, Russ decided to swap guitar for lead vocals, leaving us to find a guitarist. In August, Chris and Burky wrote "Games" in Chris’ living room.

On Chris’ first day at Sheffield Hallam University, he came across Sam Hodgson in the enrolment queue, and handed him a flier for the band, to which he said that Chris could call him if we ever needed a guitarist. He ended up playing a couple of songs with us that night at a gig in Rotherham! Over the next few months we wrote a few songs ("Zero Road", "Fall Down" and "Brutal Lives"), rehearsed, and gigged heavily in Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and various local towns, losing covers and learning how to play live as we went. We came runners up in a battle of the bands held at the Alhambra Centre in Barnsley, Leading to our Germany trip.

1998

The new year saw the writing of "Garden Of Scars." After finding out that there is actually a signed band called Euphony, we changed the name to Godstone, after Russ saw it on a street sign in Rotherham! This was just as we entered the studio in March to record "Broken, Torn Inward" at Fudge Studios, Sheffield.

After this, the band grew to have an extended originals set list as "Cancer", "Harsh Cries" and "Locked" were added. They gigged extensively anywhere that would have them, but it was hard going due to the number of local venues that had stopped having live gigs since the band’s inception (not our fault!) and the fact that none of us were old enough to hire a van, so we were limited to the area.

Sam had to go home to Cambridge during the summer, but the rest of the band still played infrequent gigs to keep sharp and still jammed regularly. Sam made a mid-summer return trip, and "Locked" was recorded- again at Fudge.

"World To Rights" (all out up-tempo thrashy type thingy,) "Faultline" and "Shall Play The God" were added before the band’s short stint of gigs in Germany from October 1-5. The band then played weekly gigs until the end of the year.

1999

New songs "False Witness", "Burn" and "One Day The Same" were penned early in the year. "False Witness" showcased some of the band’s ability to make complex time changes with a few tricky changes that had us scratching our heads for a few long hours. "Burn" has got a structure from hell, but had the all out brutality with tightness of execution which we were searching for in our material. "One Day The Same" was somewhat of a departure for the band, being melodically based- although we had used melodic sections before- e.g. "Garden of Scars" and "Brutal Lives."

And then in February, Sam Hodgson left the band. He was having trouble with his university work and his finances were basically wrecked, so he really had no choice. Also, there was the prospect of him leaving to go  home for the summer, when the band was starting to really kick off and get ready to really do something. Such is life. The rest of us decided to carry on as a four piece band rather than arse around getting a guitarist with the skills and gear (at that point we had 3 guitar tunings, so any new guy would need- you guessed it- 3 guitars…not likely.) So, we treat it like a new start- throwing out all of the older material that we had not already, and changing the songs we were keeping so that they were good for one guitar. After Sam's departure, two new songs were quickly written: "Killswitch" (including the last riff Sam contributed to the band) and "Desolate" (the main riff of which was jammed on by Burky and Ryan before Sam joined the band!) Come the 30^th of April, we were supporting Kill II This at the Rio, Bradford, and firing on all cylinders (love them cliches!)

Then, during the early summer, it became clear that Ryan would have to leave the band. He had a house and baby to support, and would work between 5 and 6 and a half days a week. He was missing gigs and could not make practice once a week, so he left the band. He is now happier in that he can now see his daughter.

After Ryan's departure, Godstone wrote three new songs- "Dismissed Faith," "System Of Confines," and "Cyclic Protozoan Minds"- which, with "Killswitch" make up the new "Descension" demo. These songs stand head and shoulders (Cliches, cliches!) above the old material, with the band now writing much more mature, dynamic and fresh songs. With a quality demo now available- they just couldn't gig (bum.) On top of that, the band lost their practice room (a price increase of over 700% takes the urine) and another seemed harder to find than a metal head at a Korn gig…great end to 1999 then.

2000

The new millennium (not a wash out at all, then) started well for Godstone, with the "Descension" demo earning lots of interest and good reviews from the underground scene.

But where was that elusive bass player? The new year saw the discovery of a new practice room- about bloody time- and the band got busy with ex-guitarist Sam Hodgson back on bass, giving a big boost to the hopes of getting gigging quick smart. And three gigs were duly completed in March, including a support slot to Kane at Sheffield Hallam University.

However, Immediately after said gigs, Sam parted with us again, and in came Andy Williams, somewhat of a veteran (not that he's old) of the local underground scene. And that's all she (well, he) wrote.

CONTACT GODSTONE:

[ CLICK HERE ] - to e-mail the band.

[ CLICK HERE ] - to check out the official Godstone website, maintained by the band themselves.

Write to Godstone: Chris Shaw, 21 Ellis Crescent, Brampton, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S73 0UG.

Phone Godstone: 07946 079 782