Godsticks: This Is What A Winner Looks Like

Welsh heavy prog rock band Godsticks reach a new level of intensity on their new album This Is What A Winner Looks Like, playing like all the bottled energy that they amassed during the pandemic finally has found a way out. The band's singer and main songwriter Darran Charles started writing again after the restrictions had been lifted, and while some of the anxiety of the lockdown found its way into the lyrics - This Is My New Normal - the main themes of the album deal with politics and finding one's bearings again in a relationship (If I Don't Take It All, Don't Say A Word To Me).

Godsticks always have been a serious bunch, who not just settle for creating a well-crafted rock sound, but also are adamant to teach their audience something as well. Case in point: led single lead Mayhem. The song is pushed forward by a powerful dissonant chord serving as the solid foundation for a the tale about John Frost leading a large-scale armed rebellion by the Chartists on 4 November 1839 at the Westgate Hotel in Newport.

Godsticks: "If I Don't Take It All" video

Welsh heavy prog rock band Godsticks have unveiled a video for If I Don't Take It All, the opening track from their forthcoming new album This Is What A Winner Looks Like. It is classic hard-hitting anthem, with a swirling guitar motif on top. Singer Darran Charles bears his soul on this one, regretting mistakes that were made in the past, and hoping to do better in the future: "It's about the struggles we all face every day and overcoming them - whether it's something a bit more dramatic and harrowing like the shows and characters I was inspired by, or the more personal, inner battles that every one of us will have to face at some point in our lives. It's about not giving in to anything, and each of us tried to reflect that determination in our performances".

Godsticks: "Mayhem" video: new album "This Is What A Winner Looks Like" May 26th

photo: Eleanor Jane

Welsh heavy prog rock band Godsticks have unveiled a video for Mayhem, the lead single for their new album This Is What A Winner Looks Like. The song is pushed forward by a powerful dissonant chord serving as the solid foundation for singer Darran Charles to tell the tale about John Frost leading a large-scale armed rebellion by the Chartists on 4 November 1839 at the Westgate Hotel in Newport.

Godsticks: tour dates

Welsh heavy prog rock band Godsticks will be on tour to promote their latest album Faced With Rage.

Live dates:

• 03/31 Stourport, UK @ Fusion Fest - Civic Centre
• 05/04 Cardiff, UK @ Buffalo Bar
• 05/05 London, UK @ Camden Assembly
• 05/10 Marseille, France @ Prog'Sud
• 05/18 Genk, Belgium @ Colosseum
• 05/19 Cologne, Germany @ MTC
• 05/20 Zotermeer, Netherlands @ De Boerderij

Godsticks: "Hard To Face" video

Welsh heavy prog rock band Godsticks have unveiled the video for Hard To Face, the lead single from their fourth album Faced with Rage, out on October 13th via Kscope ((vinyl, CD, digital).

They paint with broad strokes and fine pencils and thus created a multifaceted song that captures their various moods in a little under 5 minutes. The video was produced and directed by Blacktide Phonic/Visual.

Godsticks: new album "Faced with Rage" 10/13

Welsh prog rock band Godsticks will release their fourth album Faced with Rage on October 13th via Kscope ((vinyl, CD, digital). The album is available for preorder.

They will be on the road in September, supporting The Pineapple Thief. Frontman Darran Charles will be working double shifts as the second guitarist for the headliner.

The Pineapple Thief + Godsticks: European tour dates

The Pineapple Thief and Godsticks, two rather good UK progressive rock bands, will embark on a European tour in September. Godsticks frontman Darran Charles will be working double shifts as the second guitarist for the headliner, who also enlisted former King Crimson drummer Gavin Harrison.

Live dates:

• 09/06 Scheune, Dresden, Germany
• 09/07 Progresja Music Zone, Warsaw, Poland
• 09/08 Kwadrat Music Club, Krakow, Poland
• 09/09 Melodka, Brno, Czech Republic
• 09/10 Backstage Halle, Munich, Germany
• 09/11 Dynamo, Zurich, Germany
• 09/12 Universum, Stuttgart, Germany
• 09/13 Luxor, Cologne, Germany
• 09/14 De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Netherlands
• 09/16 ULU, London, UK
• 09/17 Bierkeller, Bristol, UK

Godsticks: tour dates, download "Emergence" for "name your price"

Welsh prog rock trio Godsticks have landed a support slot for the Textures show in London on February 25th.

Live dates:

• 02/25 London @ The Underworld (supporting Textures)
• 03/11 Cardiff @ Fuel Rock Club (w/ Hunted)
• 04/29 Pontypool @ Dragonffli

The digital version of their latest album Emergence is now up for grabs for "name your price".

» godsticks.co.uk

HCTF review of Emergence.

The Aristocrats: shows in Finland, Greece and Malta

Power fusion rock trio The Aristocrats are extending the second leg of their tour with shows in Finland, Greece and Malta to promote latest album Tres Caballeros. No support act, with the notable exceptions of the Bristol show @ Bierkeller on December 17 when things wil be kicked into gear by Welsh trio Godsticks and the London show @ Heaven on December 18 with avant-prog quartet The Fierce & The Dead.

Godsticks: "The Making Of Emergence" Documentary

Welsh prog rock trio Godsticks have unveiled The Making Of Emergence, a documentary about the recording of their studio album. Filmed and directed by Chris Vinnicombe during recording sessions that took place in November 2014, they discuss their influences, getting the right tone, rave about the drum and bass sound at Monnow Valley Studios and getting the vocals right at producer James Loughrey's studio.

Emergence is available for pre-order from the band's website. All pre-ordered CDs will be signed by the band and will include: a free digital version of the album and remixes of two tracks by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief), available for download on the release date (September 4th).

Godsticks: "Below the Belt" video

Watch the new Godsticks video for Below the Belt, the opening track from their forthcoming third studio album Emergence.

Filmed in various locations in deepest darkest Sheffield (England), this is the single edit of the opening track of the new album called ‘Below the Belt’. The album version is actually a little longer featuring a heavy and intense instrumental section.

This song is actually one of the most challenging songs we’ve written, and it took many, many different forms during the *gulp* almost 12 months it took to write (that’s how long it took to finally nail the groove we were looking for). Anyway, this is one of our favourite tracks from the new album; let us know what you think by commenting on YouTube or Facebook.

The Welsh prog rock trio will be supporting Tony MacAlpine in October.

Live dates:

• 08/23 Ystrad Mynach, UK @ Geckgo Festival 2015
• 10/15 Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
• 10/16 London, UK @ Underworld

More dates TBA.

Emergence is available for pre-order from the band's website. All pre-ordered CDs will be signed by the band and will include: a free digital version of the album and remixes of two tracks by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief), available for download on the release date.

» godsticks.co.uk

HCTF review of Emergence.

Godsticks: Emergence

photo: Eleanor Jane

Welsh prog rock trio Godsticks third studio album Emergence is a trip through hard rock, folk and even a bit of grunge. Lead singer and songwriter Darran Charles is growing fast as a lyricist. He has picked up a scalpel to dissect his fears and doubts. Bass player Dan Nelson has a wealth of fluid melodic licks up his sleeve and acts a second lead. Drummer Steve Roberts combines the power of John Bonham with the dexterity of Bill Bruford.

This is a band that is well versed in the history of their genre, with the obvious Rush reference song title Exit Stage Right as a dead giveaway. But unlike a lot of their peers they don't get bogged down by heavy-handed conceptualism. The song always comes first. All the decorations by way of keyboards, double-tracked backing vocals and shifting time signatures can't hide they fact that they are basically a power trio, albeit a technically extremely proficient one.

Emergence is an album that sounds light even when the subject matter is rather dark at times. Press repeat and discover that it is a chrysalis that turns into a butterfly.

Godsticks:
Darran Charles: vocals, guitar, keys
Steve Roberts: drums, keys
Dan Nelson: bass

Emergence is available for pre-order from the band's website. All pre-ordered CDs will be signed by the band and will include: a free digital version of the album and remixes of two tracks by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief), available for download on the release date.

Tracks:

1. Below The Belt
2. Ruin
3. Much Sinister
4. Exit Stage Right
5. All That Remains
6. Hopeless Situation
7. One Percent
8. Emergence
9. Leave Or Be Left
10. Lack Of Scrutiny

Live dates (supporting Tony MacAlpine):

• 10/15 Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
• 10/16 London, UK @ Underworld

» godsticks.co.uk

Godsticks: "Much Sinister" video, new album "Emergence"

Welsh prog rock trio Godsticks will release their third studio album Emergence in August 10, They are sharing video a video of Much Sinister. It was shot and edited by Chris Vinnicombe during the recording sessions. Recommended if you like Adrian Belew-era King Crimson.

Godsticks:
Darran Charles: vocals, guitar, keys
Steve Roberts: drums, keys
Dan Nelson: bass

Emergence is available for pre-order from the band's website. All pre-ordered CDs will be signed by the band and will include: a free digital version of the album and remixes of two tracks by Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief), available for download on the release date.

» godsticks.co.uk