We're having a party!

We promised you a party, Manchester, so here you have it! Delighted to announce very special guests, Evil Scarecrow, Sworn To Oath, and Vice! \m/

Collibus + Special Guests
Satans Hollow, Manchester
101 Princess St, Manchester M1 6DD
Doors @ 7pm
£5 adv, £8 otd

Official Facebook Event Page: www.facebook.com/events/287247968066603
Buy Tickets: www.seetickets.com/event/collibus-special-guests/satans-hollow/772036

Line-up as follows:

Collibus
Manchester prog metal band.
Performing debut album, The False Awakening, in its entirety! We are appearing at some major festivals this summer, including the legendary Download and Sonisphere Festivals, and we can not wait to showcase our album especially for our friends in Manchester who have supported us all these years!
www.Collibus.com

Evil Scarecrow
Nottingham's finest Parody Metal Band!
Opening this years main stage at Bloodstock Festival, and hosts of their own awesome Damaged Stock Festival, we are stoked to have our friends in Evil Scarecrow supporting us! Have you got your Robototrons ready??
www.EvilScarecrow.co.uk

Sworn To Oath
Midlands based Rock/Metal band.
They have been shaking the underground metal scene with both of their highly rated EPs, their explosive live shows and strong work ethic. Their debut album 'Pillars' is out on 2/6/14 after recently signing with Transcend Music!
www.SwornToOath.com

Vice
Bury based Heavy Metal band.
This band are ready to burst back onto the Manchester music scene! Currently working on a brand new EP, being produced by our very own Stephen Platt, they are a very welcome addition to this line-up!
www.facebook.com/ViceMetalUK

WELL!? DID WE NOT PROMISE YOU A PARTY?!


Manchester prog-metallers, Collibus, released their debut album, The False Awakening, on 20th January 2014 with critical acclaim. Come and celebrate the release with the band as they perform the album in its entirety, exclusively for their home town of Manchester. Collibus are also confirmed for this years Download and Sonisphere Festival line-ups, with others to be announced.

“A heady dose of full-on, red-blooded British Heavy Metal”
- Alexander Milas, Metal Hammer/Team Rock Radio

“Collibus are a band who combine the intelligence of prog with the fire of metal, and do it all with an inherent sense of melody. It’s an irresistible feat.”
- Malcolm Dome, Classic Rock Magazine/TotalRock Radio 

For more info visit: www.collibus.com

The Bedford

This month see's our first full gig of the year at The Bedford in London! Little bit of a showcase night for us, very excited about this gig. Those of you from London and surrounding areas, or those who know of people in that general direction, we are calling upon you to help us spread the word! Even if you are unable to attend, please invite your friends and share! And! For those unable to attend, this event will be streamed live online, so you can watch from at home wherever you are in the World! So, we'd appreciate any and all shares and invites! THANK YOU! \m/

Official Facebook Event Page

Sonisphere Festival Announcement / Free Downloads

That's right, Sonisphere Festival have just announced us! We don't know the day or stage yet, but we'll keep you updated! For new fans, we've got some free downloads for you to check out!

Download Festival Announcement / Free Downloads

This morning, Download Festival have updated their line-up with 24 new bands announced, including yours truly. It seems we're playing The Pepsi Max stage on Sunday! Things are starting to feel a little more real now... To celebrate, we're offering you some free downloads! It just seemed appropriate! Head over to: http://freedownload.collibus.com/

The Inno View - Review: Collibus – The False Awakening

http://theinnoview.co.uk/2014/01/23/review-collibus-the-false-awakening/

It’s 2014! New year, new music! Here’s the first new record I bought this year, and if you like the good old fashioned world of METAL (all in caps, obviously) then this, my probably tinnitus suffering friend, is for you.

Collibus
The False Awakening

Manchester-ish based metallers Collibus released their debut album, fresh from a groundbreaking appearance at the House of Commons, introduced by no less than Dr. Brian May. Does the record stand up to the praise showered upon them by the Queen legend?

I have to say, it does. Two confessions: I’ve long followed the work of Stephen Platt & Gemma Fox in their various incarnations and may be slightly biased. Second, I’m not a huge fan of this particular genre of music, so that bias is offset!

From the word go, the record is slick, polished and exceedingly professional. A brief instrumental opening leads into the ferocious riffing that you can expect all through this record. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not all about how fast the guitarists can move their guitar picks – the riffs are solid, and have a groove about them that I just don’t pick up in a lot of other bands that play this fast and this heavy.

Leave It All Behind, for example, swaggers into your eardrums with a killer riff, then sets up base camp with the killer vocals and an amazing rhythm section backing. The solo is as frantic and note perfect as you’d expect from a player of Platt’s obvious abilities – but for me, what sets him apart is not what he plays, it’s what he doesn’t play. He’s got amazing technique, but doesn’t fall into the trap of overplaying just to show how good he is.

While I’m mentioning the band’s strengths, you have to talk about Gemma Fox and *that* voice. It’s nice to hear a band this heavy that has a singer that sings rather than grunts or roars – although the power is certainly there to do that. Her range and warmth of voice is most evident for me on The Fallen, Break The Silence and the title track especially, but the whole record is a testament to how good a vocalist she is.

The lyrics are strong enough to thrive in the framework that music provides, a good thing given the clarity and power that they are delivered with. Prog metal isn’t usually something that makes me come back for a second, third, or fourth listen within a day – this, however, does. The record as a whole has more of an Angel Dust era Faith No More feel to it than a bloated Dream Theater style – for me, that’s a HUGE plus. The synths and flourishes are still there, rest easy twiddly widdly fans!

As I said, I don’t usually listen to a lot of this type of music, yet I dig this record on the first couple of plays – and for me, that’s a good sign. I may not know much in life, but I know what I like – and I like this record. A lot.

Go and check them out – with a slot at Download already secured, 2014 could well prove to be the year of Collibus – and not just a false awakening (see what I did there?)

You can get more info and your copy of the record here: http://www.collibus.com/

Interview with Manchester Rocks

http://manchesterrocks.webs.com/apps/blog/show/40823135-waking-the-beast-collibus-on-their-new-album-the-false-awakening-more

Manchester progressive metal band Collibus are readying the release of their highly anticipated debut album, The False Awakening. Guitarist Ste and Vocalist Gemma Fox speak to Manchester Rocks about the album, having Dr. Brian May as a fan and what's in store for 2014.

'So, who exactly are Collibus' you may ask. Collibus, as Ste puts it "are a female fronted metal band with progressive elements.," although he admits they are not strictly progressive. "You Can't exactly label us as progressive entirely (an example would be Dream Theater) but there are certainly proggy moments present. The string orchestrations, for example, add a bit of an epic feel to our sound at times. The music can vary from heavy, to soft, to technical, yet there always remains a 'hook' in each song, and something memorable for the listener. 

"I don't really like labelling us as female fronted either," he continues. " That seems to spark assumptions that we are going to sound like Nightwish, Epica or Lacuna Coil, with very feminine and either operatic or softer pop-like vocal styles. Gemma seems to be the complete opposite with a more aggressive, and dare I say, masculine approach to singing, yet dynamicly a softer side to the music when needed." 

With The release of The False Awakening finally here, the band are childishly excited for people to wrap their ears around the fruits of their labour. 

"We've been through a lot to get here, so it feels good to finally release the album" states Gemma. "We kept breaking promises last year regarding its release due to a tonne of set backs, but we got there in the end! We just hope everyone thinks it was worth the wait!" 

"I'm really excited to get the music out there," adds an ecstatic Ste. "It means that the months of slaving away in the studio working on this album have all been worthwhile." 

For Ste, who wrote the majority of the music, it means he has something to show for the hours whiled away in his home studio. 

"Basically, the majority of the music side has been written by myself with exception to a couple of tracks where I have collaborated with RJ [bassist]. During the writing process, I write and record at the same time in my home studio. 

"I've never really been that fond of, or comfortable with writing in the practice room. When writing, I will usually record a rough demo of the song with full instrumentation and then send it off to everyone else for opinions, and we build from there. 

"As for lyrics and melodies, Gemma writes the majority of her own, with RJ occasionally contributing with lyrics, and myself with melodies." 

The next album, which Gemma reveals is already a topic of discussion within the circles of the band, will be a more collective effort however. 

"It will take on a different approach, as now we can write knowing we have a complete line-up, and the bulk of it won't be on Ste's shoulders this time. Dan [rhythm guitar], for example, already has a load of song ideas, as does Ste, and I'm pretty sure RJ has a few riffs up his sleeve." 


Despite being a metal band, the sources from which they avidly pluck inspiration are more varied they you may imagine.

Says Ste: "When it comes to metal, bands which come to mind for me are the likes of Opeth, Nevermore, Testament, Lamb Of God, Dream Theater, Meshuggah, Pantera and anything Devin Townsend has done. Too many to name to be honest; I could be here all day listing them! But I also enjoy classical music. Which is what inspired me to add string orchestrations, as well as other parts which might be classed as "non-metal", such as synth, mellotron and piano. Dan even plays flutes on one of the songs!" 

The one and only Brian May has often blown the trumpet of the Manchester troupe, which is a little surreal.

Says Gemma: "I think surreal is an understatement. Queen have been my idols for years, Freddie and Brian in particular. To not only meet the man, but to have him watch me perform and then praise me after... I have to pinch myself." 

"I was a bit speechless when I found out he was a fan of our music. Brian has always been one of my favourite guitarists due to his sense of melody and use of harmony," Ste gushes. When he told me that he thought I was an amazing player, I was really left quite speechless, and even more-so when he expressed an interest in my 7 string guitar!" 

2014 then, looks to be huge for the band, being booked for Download 2014 is the icing on their cake. Gemma recalls her emotions about being asked to join the bill. 

"It was a strange one as we were told literally about an hour after we found out we'd won the Rock The House Award. Two days later, Ste and I were on our way to Parliament to collect the award... Very strange and surreal. Playing Download Festival has always been a dream of mine, personally, ever since the first time I went back in 2005. Wow, was it really that long ago? Seems I've been chasing the dream for quite some time, but feels good to finally catch it!" 

She the gives the lowdown on how the rest of 2014 is shaping up. "We've got a few things in the pipeline. A new music video being shot very soon; booking some gigs including an album party in Manchester of which we'll have details for over the coming weeks; management is working away behind the scenes on things we don't even know about yet! Safe to say, it is going to be a very busy year for us. Can not wait!" 

For more information, visit www.Collibus.com
The False Awakening is released 20th January.

Collibus - The False Awakening Review by Manchester Rocks

http://manchesterrocks.webs.com/apps/blog/show/40695466-collibus-the-false-awakening-review

It’s not often that a band can boast fans in Brain May, Malcom Dome, Alexander Milas and Andy Copping so early in their career, with The False Awakening however, the 14 track epic debut release from Manchester progressive metal act Collibus, after only one listen you realise just why they’ve all fallen for this band.

From the off your ears are treated to blistering prog metal that straddles both the artistic sentiments that define the genre and a commercial appeal that will see this band reaping rewards later on in the year – with a place on the bill of this year’s Download festival more than deserved. Complex and catchy, these songs were tailor made for the hallowed turf of Donnington Park. 

"Dead Inside is lathered in a searing energy that ignites the track."

The grandiose intro track of Lie In Wait flows straight into a stabbing riff that underpins the early movements of Leave It All Behind. Its chorus and Gemma Fox’s overall vocal performance are truly outstanding, the passion and the fury crackling in her throat throughout. Despite the song veering off in all directions – as every good prog song should – it always remains focused on the task at hand, it always remains hugely entertaining.

Renowned within the band for his meticulous perfectionism, guitarist Stephen Platt proves just how virtuous patience can be on the album. With a tone that lends itself perfectly to any mood that it needs to portray, he mercilessly unleashes stunningly brutal riff after stunningly brutal riff while his soloing is flamboyant-yet-powerfully melodic and emotive. His playing alone would be enough to shift records and sell tickets but the fact it sits, alongside Gemma's gigantean vocals, as the centre piece to an extremely well produced and mixed collection of songs raises The False Awakening to a whole new level. Platt, who took on the producing duties himself, deserves a fair degree of credit here. With such a busy sound, completed by atmospheric synths and a skull rattling rhythm section, there is still room for the instruments to breathe.

Dead Inside, the album’s lead single is lathered in a searing energy that ignites the track, which includes another fine vocal performance and some magnificent Killswitch Engage inspired riffwork.
Break The Silence meanwhile, sees the band tapping into softer, ballad-esque territory; furthermore, it shows a band unafraid of broadening their musical horizons. Taking a menacing, demented twist as crunching, distorted guitars stomp to forefront of the mix; it remains unpredictable and leaves you utterly transfixed. It’s a track that represents the intellectual musicianship which drives the band and album. With every song, they know when to toy with the dynamics, flaunt with different rhythms and melodies before crashing back into a killer chorus or devastating riff. To sound this accomplished so instantaneously is incredible.

While the length of the album, being a debut, may put some people off, rest assured that there are no filler songs on here. With lashings of Dream Theater, Tool, Rush, Periphery and more, all coated in a distinctly individual sound and played with a fearless conviction, The False Awakening, in this writer, can claim itself another fan, another victim.

Words: Phil Weller

For more infomation on the band, head to http://collibus.com/