Millions of years ago, the rules of evolution were simple: the biggest, angriest dinosaur wins.And with  Snakes For The Divine, High On Fire have evolved into Godzilla.

With their 5th album in ten years frontman Matt Pike has been leading his crew ever higher in the metal world. While the legacy of his previous band Sleep will always be engraved in the minds of many a stoner, Pike has moved on.

From the first few notes of the album title track, it’s obvious the lazy, stoner jam riffs have become sharper, faster, and penetrate straight into your brain instead of floating around you and pounding your brain. The core is still the same: The power trio, the huge, stomping riffs, the motörhead vocals and mentality. but the intensity at which it’s delivered just keeps increasing.

2007’s Death Is This Communion started the trend by beefing up the sound and and power, but it’s been stepped up here in every area. Des Kensel storms away at the drums, and even during the slow sections gives the feeling that the end of the world is coming, and the guitar work has more light and shade than ever, without losing it’s pontency at any point.

Pike’s vocals have become more and more an important part of the equation. Where once he was mumbling low down in the mix, now he barks and roars like Lemmy at his most angry. And even when he stays silent on The Path the anticipation continues to mount until it feels like the CD player or your computer will explode.

Clocking in at 40 minutes, even including the European bonus track, this is  their shortest L.P to date, and benefits all the more from it. All the fat has been trimmed from the edges and what’s left is sleeker and all the more effective for it without losing anything. Froshammer, Fire, Flood & Plague and the superbly named Bastard Samurai  storm by at six minutes each yet after it’s all done you still crave more.

Critics may say it’s simple and that the likes of Mastodon and Baroness may  have taken the post metal blueprint to new progressive highs, but High On Fire have gone the other and simplified it to it’s purest metallic form. Every song is fully formed and satisfying in a way even Mastodon don’t always manage. The bonus track “Mystery Of Helm” is a perfect example of simple, yet devastating.

With Snakes For The Divine HOF are guaranteed a new army of fans and will, with any luck, get the applause they deserve.

And when they have song names like Bastard Samurai, who is going to argue?

But it was a confrontation between Brad Keselowski and Carl Edwards that will steal the attention of this particular race.

Busch had started the 325 lap race well, and having won this fixture last year, he was determined to fend off the rest of the field to complete his trifecta of wins at the track.

But it was a slight knock on Carl Edwards’ Ford by Dodge’s Brad Keselowski on lap 39, that sent tempers flaring, and would lead to the robbery of Kurt’s deserved limelight.

With just a handful of laps to go, Edwards sought revenge on the young Penske driver, and nudged the 26-year-old’s car into a roll on the front straightaway.

All evidence suggested that Edwards - having been nudged out of contention by Keselowski in the earlier incident on lap 39 - used his repaired car to go back on track and seek retribution against the youngester. In an interview with Fox Sports’ Dick Berggren, Edwards did tell the cameras that he had intended to push the 12 car around a little bit, though he admitted he had not set out to cause such a wreck.

Although out of the race, Keselowski escaped the wreckage unhurt, but Edwards - whose car had not been damaged in the incident - was reprimanded by Nascar, and he was ‘parked for agressive driving.’

A sorry end to the day for two incredible talents, whose history together actually proceeds their arrivals. In the 2009 Talladega race, Brad Keselowski got into the side of Carl Edwards in what was an almost identical wreck to this one, and although they had put that one behind them, it’s going to be a long while before these two drivers get re-added to each others Christmas card lists.

Aside form the squabbles, there was a great deal of intense racing, and Kurt’s victory was not as clear cut as the wreckages.

Kasey Kahne led the most laps for Dodge, and Juan Pablo Montoya spent most of the day cemented in the top five with his Chevrolet, but it was down to the 2004 series champion to lead home the pack and improve on his unexpected 35th place finish at Las Vegas last time out.

He took advantage of a poor restart from Montoya after a wreck involving Jamie McMurray and Clint Bowyer had put an end to the initial green-white-chequered, and led the final two laps of the second restart without any trouble from either of his closest challengers.

Matt Kenseth, who also got by the Colombian on the restart, came home second for Ford, while Montoya finished third in his Target Chevrolet.

Aside from Montoya, it was a surprise to some that only two of the top ten finishers were in facr, Chevrolets. With a manufacturer who usually dominate the circuits, it was a puzzling afternoon for Rick Hendrick, who saw five of his six cars retire from contention with tyre issues.

A special mention needs to be said of Paul Menard, who steered his Richard Petty Motorsports’ Ford Fusion through the carnage to come home fifth, which is his first top five finish in his115 race career.

The series now takes a two week rest while the drivers brace themselves for the spectator’s thrill that offers no mercy, the Food City 500 from Bristol Motor Speedway.

The night was split into two distinct gigs with Zane Lowe presenting Plan B, the Courteeners and the Futureheads in the main room before Nick Grimshaw presented two hyped bands of the moment upstairs in the Academy 2; Chapel Club and Frankie and the Heartstrings.

I didn’t see Plan B and I only saw half of the Courteeners’ set which sadly wasn’t enough to convert me into a fan of their quite derivative tunes. There were plenty who enjoyed it in the crowd though and I have certainly seen worse bands in my time.

The real focus, of course, was local heroes the Futureheads. There was no way I was missing them. About to return with a new album entitled ‘The Chaos’, they were able to give several tracks a new airing including single ‘The Heartbeat Song’. The other new tracks sounded promising.

Due to the constraints of being recorded for a radio show, they only played for forty minutes, not long for a band on their fourth album. Still, they managed to cram in all the favourites with ‘First Day’, ‘Decent Days and Nights’, ‘Hounds of Love’ and ‘Skip to the End,’ all getting an airing before they closed with ‘The Beginning of the Twist’ and ‘Carnival Kids’.

To the aftershow and Chapel Club, who I was interested in seeing. They sound at times like a poor man’s Joy Division and at others like a more indie White Lies. I enjoyed their set musically but the contrast between their lack of stage presence and the frenetic sets of the Futureheads and Courteeners before left  most of the crowd underwhelmed.

The same couldn’t be said for Frankie and the Heartstrings who are the young pretenders to the Futureheads’ crown as North East faves. Musically they are different to anything out there at the moment with strong 50s rock and roll and surf rock influences.

However their real strength is frontman Frankie who charismatically dominates the stage with his part greaser, part James Dean, part mackem Morrissey approach. Their set was great fun and a brilliant end to the night.

The Courteeners are back with their highly anticipated second effort but is this the album that will save the genre of indie in 2010?

The band received a cult following back in there earlier days and this grew through the release of there 2008 album St.Jude.

But this album is a lot different to there last. The album feels more complex than there debut. It doesn’t just feel like its four lads playing guitar, drums, bass and singing. It has another level added to it, its a lot more grown up.

Lead singer Liam Fray described it as “elbow inspired”. And although I don’t think the albums as good as Elbow’s ‘Seldom Seen Kid,’ it definitely has that feel to it.

Most of the album feels more toned down and mellower than St.Jude but the songs seem to work well.

Starting with lead single ‘You Overdid It Doll’ it has this catchy dancier edge to it that you wouldn’t expect from an indie band but it works.

But you just feel like the band has stepped up all together. The guitar and drums just seems to have this grittier stronger sound and the use of an added piano throughout the album gives the band a different sound all together.

All these areas can be heard through album tracks “Scratch your name upon my lips, Cross my heart to hope to fly and Will it be this way forever?”

Personally I think the most grown up part of the album comes from the lyrics of Liam Fray. “I miss the city I love but I have been having an affair with L.A. And New York. Dundee and Doncaster.” Fray sings in album opener ‘The Opener’. Shows us that the band has been on a journey over the last couple of years, growing older and wiser. But that they still know where home is.

Overall the album is bigger than there debut an the band are a more mature band now. And by the end of 2010 they could be one of Britain’s biggest bands.

Falcon is out now The Courteeners are on tour in the UK starting next week and will be visiting the Newcastle 02 Academy on march 22nd.

“Having to chase bands members around the stage means with my lens that it never gets boring.” Everyone has their own way of staying on their toes.

Daniel Fellows is a budding photographer, with a keen eye for live shows and models. “I think I do prefer model work really, as there’s a lot more scope and I have a lot more control over the images.” Although he does admit he tends to swap between the two every few months. And although he describes live shoots as “A bit hit and miss” because “you have to work with what’s provided and work within certain rules” that can often cause frustration. “But then I do love the music and I’ve discovered so many new bands and genres this year so I do enjoy it a lot.

Fellowes come from Rugby, and says his life consisted of a “perfectly normal upbringing really.” Currently he works part-time in a newsagents to tide him over for money. He says: “I’m 20, hopefully moving out soon and getting a move on with my life!”

He has taken pictures of many bands, including Pendulum, ZZ Top, Devildriver and Bring Me The Horizon, as well as a few festivals such as Hellfire and Full Metal Racket. Fellowes explains his choice of subject: “ “Metal music is definitely my favourite to shoot, the musicians are generally a lot more active on stage than other gigs.”

But he is keen for work and admits that he “Wouldn’t say no to any kind of gig; I’m up for shooting anything I can and I’m always looking to gain experience in new things.“

His career as professional Photographer started by accident. ”A friend asked me to shoot a local gig for them and wanted some photos to show to people afterwards.”

He says it was “The first time I ever used a digital SLR camera,” and after borrowing his dads he “got my own camera within a few months and just didn’t stop using it.”
He followed this up through learning: “I went on a short course at the beginning but that’s all I’ve done. I did a lot of research on the theory behind photography though and stuck strictly to the book to start with.” But time has helped him along: “I’m a little more creative and experimental now but it’s always good to know you can create something that looks good if you’ve run out of ideas.”

As with everyone he has his own heroes: “Marianne Harris is an absolute inspiration with her band work, she worked with a band from Rugby around the same time I started out so I got to see her work and it gave me something to aim for.” As with a lot of things the original is still the best: “The ones who I noticed at the beginning seem to stick with me more than others that I discover now.” Adding that: “Lithium Picnic does incredible alternative work, I love to have a look at his work for inspiration and ideas.”

As for the long term he hopes to be a full time photographer: “In an ideal world I’d be able to get a job shooting advertising campaigns for fashion labels, models for magazines” while still being able to shoot the odd gig of course. He also entertains the idea of freelance or even wedding photos: “But I’ll keep striving for the ideal until it’s no longer possible.”

And in the end: “As long as I learn something from it, it’s worth it.”

To see more of his work join the fan page on Facebook: Fellowes [Photography] or go straight to his websites

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielfellowes

http://fellowes.carbonmade.com

Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas has left hospital but doctors cannot say if he will play football again.

Cabanas, who was shot in the head following an argument in a bar in January, will continue his rehabilition under close medical supervision at a clinic in Mexico City.

The Club America forward left intensive care last month but can only walk a few steps at a time and his speech is limited.

In a statement, America said: “After Tuesday’s evaluation, the doctor determined that Cabanas is in condition to leave the hospita to begin the next steps of his recuperation.”

The 29-year-old underwent a seven hour operation immediately after the shooting, but doctors decided it was too risky to remove the bullet from his brain.

Neurosurgeon Dr Ernesto Martinez said: “Salvador has already seen himself in a mirror and didn’t ask any questions, he just stayed there looking without showing any reaction.”

“Having a bullet in his brain would not necessarily impede him from returning to soccer but the neurological recuperation can take one, two or three years. We can’t say precisely.”

Cabanas was a key player in Paraguay’s successful qualification for this summer’s World Cup in South Africa.

The main suspect in the shooting, identified by police as Jose Jore Balderas, remains at large.

Machine Head return to Newcastle on their 380+ date world tour of ‘The Blackening’, the most epic,evil, ambitious album ever made.

Hatebreed are the main support, and they warm the crowd into a frenzy. Jamey Jasta may not be as well known as some of the metal elite, but he is a veteran and knows how to connect with the crowd. the mosh pits are wide and busy, and everyone’s fists are pumping on command. the only problem is that with their brand of hardcore, the songs follow the same pattern the crowd starts to grow weary towards the end and the set goes along too long. But it’s still enjoyable, and full respect to the Hatebreed crew, who give so much effort and respect to their audience.

Machine Head have always been a live band, one of the people’s bands. After the slump that got them dropped from their labial it was their live shows and the passion of their live shows that brought them back onto a label and back to the top of the pile. Opening with a 12 minute song (Clenching The Fists Of Descent)  is brave, but the Bay area thrashers have the skills and the confidence to pull it off.

‘The Blackening’ was an ambitious album, but they have always been a thrash band with a brain, and live this album really comes into it’s own, ‘Now I lay Thee Down’ and ‘Halo’ feel even more intense and urgent than on record. The crowd respond in kind, yelling every word and moving as one huge sweaty beast.

The chemistry between the band, and between the audience makes this feel like an intimate gig, despite being sold out, and Robb Flynn makes you feel like this is the most special gig he’s ever been a part of. and to reward us we get rarely played cuts like ‘Spine’ and ‘Blood For Blood’. Every song is a highlightt: ‘Imperium’, ‘Take My Scars’ and of course the final double whammy of ‘Old’ and ‘Davidian’ send everyone insane and end the night on a high that few bands can ever reach, let alone do it every night.

Despite this and the fact the last couple of albums have been below par they have become one of the biggest goth rock bands around, and with new L.P ‘Screamworks’ this looks like a good year to come.

Ville Valo’s crew hit a high with 2003’s ‘Love Metal’ and after 4 albums of creative highs the bubble had to burst. 2005’s ‘Dark Light’ wasn’t terrible but the popper, diluted sound to try and gain bigger things in the U.S failed. And ‘Venus Doom’ went too far the other way, creating a doom and gloom album riddled with melodies and it just didn’t quite all fit together. Ville’s alcoholism and poor live shows (and at one point a moustache of Shakespearian proportions)  make the quality of this new album even more satisfying.

While they haven’t ignored the last seven years, they have managed to mould the newer elements  to that core ‘HIM’ sound better than they have for a while, giving the whole album a cohesion and flow that was sorely missing.

Opener ‘In Venere Veritas’ is the perfect example of this new, old HIM sound: the heavy but catchy riffing, the crooning voice, it all just feels to fit. Ville’s voice has the power it’s been missing, and the time changes and different parts of the song come together.

The prominence of the Synths maybe be part of Ville’s wish to have a more 80’s sound, but they add to the layers of the songs, rather than detract, the lead single Heartkiller shows how well it can work, mixing the chugging guitars with the pop synth tones.

‘Disarm me’ is the slow ballad but doesn’t sound forced, but like a band enjoying themselves again

The first half of the album is a return to form, and could have sat nicely on any of the other albums, the second shows real progression, and how good a band really are.

‘In the arms of rain reminds you how good a guitarist Linstrom really is, and when he is let loose he stands shoulder to shoulder with any of the more well known players, the solo in ’shatter me in hope’ is especially impressive.

‘Like St. Valentine and ‘Acoustic Funeral’ power on and by the time it’s all over you’re left wanting more, the songs never outstay their welcome, and Valo really puts his all into the songs, showing a side he’s only ever hinted at before.

While it’s still not their best record,and shit cover aside this is the HIM album that fans wanted and should have followed ‘Love Metal’. The songs are memorable, heavy yet mellow. And it has that classic quality that the early albums had that made them so special.

There will still be metalheads booing them, but at least now they have the music to argue back again. And Bam Magera can be proud of his heartagram tattoos again.

Among the treasure trove of the online shop are these Decadence Earrings. A Charming exclusive they cost a mere £9.50. Made from from rare vintage pieces they are simply show stopping!

With bows as big as ever, this bow necklace is bang on trend. Made of antique brass they are an absolute steal at £9.
 

And for those of you waiting in anticipation for Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland film… I present the “I’m Late, I’m Late” brooch. Made from antique gold and priced at a meager £8.50 this is one piece to snap up before its sold out!!

Real Madrid have topped the league table of football’s richest clubs for the sixth successive year.

The Spanish giants became also became the first club to break through the €400million (£363m) barrier in a single year, according to Deloitte’s Football Money League.

Real’s arch rivals Barcelona have taken second spot in the list, ahead of Manchester United who fall to third.

Dan Jones, partner in the sports business group at Deloitte, said: “Real Madrid’s 10% increase in revenue to €401m (£342m) came despite a relatively disappointing season domestically and in Europe. Broadcast income provided Real with its largest increase in revenue and at €161m is now greater than the total revenue of all but the top 10 Money League clubs.

“Barcelona’s unprecedented on-pitch success, winning a domestic double and the Champions League, helped drive a revenue increase by €57m, the largest absolute increase of any Money League club, to €366m.”

Manchester United earned a total of €327m, marginally up from €324.8m last year.

The list, based on clubs’ revenue excluding transfer fees, also sees Arsenal overtake Chelsea with the Gunners recording a 7 per cent rise in revenue to £224m compared to their London rivals’ £206m – a 3 per cent fall in revenue.

Jones added: “Chelsea’s revenue has dropped because last season was a bit worse than usual on the pitch, they had frozen season ticket prices and there was not a lot going on in big new commercial developments.

“Arsenal have the advantage in matchday income with a new 60,000-seater stadium and they made the semi-finals of both the Champions League and the FA Cup.

“All the English clubs were impacted by the continuing depreciation of the pound against the euro and the scale of this is shown by the fact that if exchange rates remained at their June 2007 level, United would be top of the money league table.”

The top 20 was again dominated by Europe’s “big five” leagues, with five clubs coming from Germany, four from Italy and two each from France and Spain.

There are seven English sides in the list - Liverpool are seventh, Tottenham are 15th, Manchester City 19th and Newcastle 20th.

The Top 20

1 Real Madrid (Spain)

2 Barcelona (Spain)

3 Manchester United (England)

4 Bayern Munich (Germany)

5 Arsenal (England)

6 Chelsea (England)

7 Liverpool (England)

8 Juventus (Italy)

9 Internazionale (Italy)

10 AC Milan (Italy)

11 Hamburg (Germany)

12 AS Roma (Italy)

13 Lyon (France)

14 Marseille (France)

15 Tottenham Hotspur (England)

16 Schalke (Germany)

17 Werder Bremen (German)

18 Borussia Dortmund (Germany)

19 Manchester City (England)

20 Newcastle United (England)