GODSTICKS RELEASE “REVERE (UNION CHAPEL EDIT)”, FIRST PERFORMED AT THE KSCOPE 10th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
ADAPTED FROM THEIR LATEST ALBUM FACED WITH RAGE
- Announced UK headline shows for March
- Playing at Winter’s End, Trinity 4 and Sonic Rock Solstice Festivals
Following its live debut in London last year, Welsh rockers Godsticks’ have released a new stripped back version of the song “Revere” which was adapted from a track on their most recent album Faced With Rage.
Godsticks frontman Darran Charles explains its origins:
“The rearrangement of this track came about after we were invited by our label Kscope to perform an acoustic set at their 10th anniversary bash at Union Chapel in London. Given that our last album ‘Faced with Rage’ was the only Godsticks album not to feature an acoustic guitar, devising even a 2-song set-list was going to prove tricky!
I’ve never been a fan of arranging tracks for acoustic guitar if they hadn’t been written with one, so I just sat down with an electric guitar though a clean amp and worked on stripping back the track ‘Revere’ which, to my surprise, actually worked really nicely. It was quite a fun challenge reimagining the melody and chords and it now feels like a new track to us – so much so that this version will be replacing the original when we next perform live.
Looking ahead to what 2019 has in store for Godsticks, Charles says:
“It also serves as a kind of farewell to ‘Faced with Rage’. The reaction to the album both from the press and fans has been phenomenal, and we still love performing these tracks live. We’ve made great strides forward in the last 18 months and that’s largely thanks to the backing given to us by Kscope. But we’re now hard at work on our 5th album, with about 60% of it completely written. We can’t wait to perform two of the new songs at our upcoming headline shows.
With previous albums the music and melodies and have influenced the lyrics, but it’s proving to be the other way around regarding the new songs. I suppose it’s either my being introspective or self-indulgent but I’ve found myself thinking and writing about the constant battles I have with my arch nemesis (myself), especially with regards to music and guitar. It’s really quite unbelievable that I’ve ended up fronting my own band for 10 years because it took a long battle with my self-confidence, perfectionism, and my sense of self-worth to finally take that leap into performing music publicly. In a way the battle continues, although songs like Revere (Union Chapel Edit) with the vocals and instruments laid bare and exposed are a sort of testament to my winning the war against myself.”
Godsticks will be performing headline shows in Cardiff and London on the 14th and 15th March, in addition to festival appearances at prog favourites Winter’s End, Trinity and Sonic Rock Solstice.
Background
This Cardiff based 4 piece delivered on their promise to remain just as heavy as they were on their self-released 2015 album Emergence, but Faced with Rage has a darker feel and more industrial sound. A variety of synth sounds have found their way into the longer song formats (brevity had been the Godsticks calling card up until this point) but as always guitar and Charles’ vocals are still at the forefront of the band’s sound; garnering praise across the UK media:
‘awash with meaty riffs, pitted against moody, Porcupine Tree-esque ballads’ – Total Guitar
‘a winning blend of aggression and emotional depth’ – Prog Magazine
‘.. underpinned by tightly-knit thunderous rhythms, blended expertly with virtuoso leadwork’ – The Guitar Magazine
‘an accomplished work’ – Buzz Magazine
‘this album is a natural progression from Emergence and could be their finest to date’ – The Progressive Aspect
Faced With Rage is available on CD / LP and digitally http://found.ee/FACED_WITH_RAGE
GODSTICKS LIVE IN THE UK:
14/03/19 – UK – Cardiff – Fuel Rock Club
15/03/19 – UK – London – The Lexington
07/04/19 – UK – Chepstow – Winter’s End Festival
11/05/19 – UK – Leamington Spa – Trinity 4 Festival
22/06/19 – UK – Stoke Prior – Sonic Rock Solstice Festival
For all ticket details: https://godsticks.co.uk/gigs
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