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The Nwothm @[email protected] · 2025-11-19 · 18:30 UTC

Interview: Kaine (UK)

11 minutes

The Nwothm

Kaine have been keeping the flame of heavy metal alive since 2009. Rooted in East Anglia’s thriving scene, the band blend Sabbath, Priest, Maiden, and thrash influences into a sound that’s fast, heavy, and defiantly DIY. Sixteen years on, they remain one of the UK’s most enduring heavy metal acts, with a catalogue that charts their resilience and evolution. In this interview with TheNwothm, Kaine reflect on their journey and share what’s next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tuGaWfGYHo

Interview

TheNwothm: For those who might be discovering Kaine for the first time, how would you introduce yourselves and where you’re from?

Kaine: We’re Kaine, we are from East Anglia in England. We’re probably one of the heavier NWOTHM bands, and we’ve been at this for 16 years now. We’re very much a DIY band and not a lot of people know we exist! Our influences are essentially Sabbath, Priest, NWOBHM, and the early Thrash movement in the States. We’re often referred to as a Speed Metal band, as that’s one of the closest approximations people can make to us!

TheNwothm: How did the band form back in 2009?

Kaine: You could say we were one of the original British NWOTHM bands to emerge around that time, along with Osmium Guillotine. Hamerex were around a few years before us, and not long after we formed, you had bands like Amulet, Neverworld, and Toledo Steel emerging, Culloden, Midnight Force, Seven Sisters, Heathen Kings, and up until more recently, Tailgunner, who are the first British NWOTHM band to break into the mainstream.

In Ireland, you had a band called Celtic Legacy, which was very much in the vein of what we now call NWOTHM, too. When we started in 2009, it was a reaction to the Emo and Metalcore scene that dominated the UK underground at the time. There were no straight-up Metal bands playing, and if you went to a gig, it would be a something-core band playing to a handful of school friends, and the venues were empty. People who liked old school Metal were put off and stayed home, so we decided to do our own band playing music influenced by the likes of Sabbath, Priest, Maiden, and the wider NWOBHM movement, as well as the American bands that were influenced by that same movement. We turn 17 in January, so we have been around longer than the NWOBHM movement ran back in the day!

TheNwothm: Colchester isn’t always the first place people think of when it comes to heavy metal. How has being based there shaped your identity as a band?

Kaine: That’s surprising because Colchester, along with Ipswich, probably has two of the best, if not the best, alternative music scenes in the country. This area has always been a hotbed for Metal music. If you look at an act like Cradle of Filth, over the years, they have recruited heavily from the scene here. There are still plenty of venues, promoters, and bands playing great live music across the Rock and Metal sphere in this area, and we’re very lucky to have such a thriving scene. We’re local to the area and are very much proud of it. Norwich also has a thriving Metal scene. I’d argue East Anglia as a whole has one of the best Metal scenes in the country.

TheNwothm: When you’ve toured across Britain and Ireland, have you noticed differences in how audiences respond compared to back home in Colchester?

Kaine: We have only played two gigs in Ireland, which were supporting Mordred on tour back in 2014. As for Britain, audiences have always been receptive wherever we have gone. We have always had a loyal following in Scotland, so we try to visit as often as we can afford to, but really, we have enjoyed great responses over the years up and down the country. We enjoy getting out there and playing everywhere we can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_Nh2GlG-t4

TheNwothm: Growing up, did you have a particular metal hero whose posters were on your wall?

Kaine: We all have a range of heroes and influences, everyone from Priest, Maiden, AC/DC, Sabbath, Metallica, Megadeth, in fact, Toby has a Marty Friedman tattoo, he is that much of a fan of him, and Liam has an Ozzy tattoo now too! We have looked up to and been inspired by a lot of bands collectively.

TheNwothm: If you could cover one classic track from your influences like Sabbath or Maiden, which would it be?

Kaine: We recently did a Sabbath tribute set in honour of Ozzy Osbourne, which included Paranoid, War Pigs, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and The Straightener. It would be difficult to choose a single track from our influences to be a definitive “one”, but at a push, Painkiller by Judas Priest would probably be one we could do justice to.

The Nwothm: Your debut “Falling Through Freedom” (2012) was the first full-length release. Looking back, what was the biggest challenge in getting that record out?

Kaine: Aside from being young, having no label support, and frankly not really knowing what the f*#k we were doing at the time, the biggest issue was a mixture of budget and personnel changes that happened during the writing and recording of that record. We did our best with it, and in hindsight we should have held off doing a record until we had a more stable line-up and played the songs live a lot more to hone them, but as previously stated, we didn’t have any management or a label to really guide us, we just had a go at putting a record together and in all fairness a few people still love songs from that album, despite it being a totally unpolished DIY effort.

The Nwothm: “The Waystone” (2014) saw you touring extensively, even alongside Monument and Mordred. What memories stand out most from that era?

Kaine: We were meant to release that album under MGR Records, which was Monument’s label at the time. We had to write, record, and release it to their schedule, which meant we probably didn’t spend as much time on the record as we should have. We had a big disagreement with MGR Records during that tour; they were using our bassist at the time to cover for Chris Dale, unpaid, and not only tried to steal him from our band but were totally unprofessional in how they dealt with the band in general. On the last date of the tour, we fired them and put the record out ourselves.

This album, however, did launch the band, and we got a lot of good shows booked, and a festival appearance (Wildfire) off the back of that record. It sold over a thousand copies on CD, so for us it was a successful record. Our tour with Mordred was a much more positive experience. We replaced Furyon last minute and had less than a day to prepare for the tour before we were off on a ferry to Ireland. Touring with Mordred was an amazing experience and one of the highlights of our career. The Waystone was a bit of a missed opportunity for us, I think. Had we had a label more interested in making us a success and had a little more time to finish it, it would have been more successful, but we made the best of a bad situation.

TheNwothm: “A Crisis of Faith” (2018) marked a turning point before the current line-up came together. How did that album reflect the band’s state at the time?

Kaine: A Crisis of Faith was a very carefully written record. We started putting it together at the end of 2015 and fleshed the tracks out on the road. Most people think it should have been a bigger success than it was, but sadly, the line-up that put it together had to part almost immediately after its release. We did get to play the main stage of HRH Metal at a sold-out o2 Academy in Birmingham, which is probably the most people we ever played to. Most people expected the band to die when the three other members left, but we had spent a small fortune on studio time and printing the release, so it couldn’t simply be left for scrap. We had a few weeks to recruit a new line-up to continue the gigging schedule we had at the time, which we did, and it turned out to be the right thing for the band.

The Nwothm: “Reforge the Steel” (2019) has a title that feels defiant. What was the driving force behind that record?

Kaine: Reforge The Steel is as close to a “Rage Sadler” solo record as you will ever get. These songs were written solely by Rage while the new line-up was learning the A Crisis of Faith material. The band then started learning the new tracks and playing them live alongside the Crisis material, and by the end of 2018, we were back in the studio again to put together this record. It often ends up at the top of fans’ lists of favourite Kaine records, so we must have done something right with this one. The record was a marker to show that we were not dead, the band would continue, and that there was a lot more to Kaine going forward. The title literally refers to the reformation of the band from near extinction.

The Nwothm: “After Extinction” (2022) is your latest album! How do you think it compares to your previous works, and do you each have a favourite track from the record?

Kaine: It’s our heaviest record since our debut album, and it’s the only record we’ve ever done that hit the mainstream charts; it actually reached number 85 on the top 100 in the UK. The lead single A Slave to the Grind seems to be the track everyone loves from that album. It was a different experience from Reforge the Steel, as this record was a collaborative effort. We love all the tracks on the album, but staples of the current set are Second Coming, Protesting for Profit, and A Slave to the Grind.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndhF-pe-Gl0

TheNwothm: Are there any hints you can share about new material in the works?

Kaine: Extinctions End is a redo of the Covid-era album and EP. We had to record those releases between several studios and in a very disrupted fashion due to the pandemic, so we have re-recorded a selection of songs that complement each other from both releases, in a different format and style from the original. I think the release will surprise a few people, especially those who still think we’re a Poundland-Maiden knockoff!

TheNwothm: Do you see yourselves experimenting with different sounds or sticking firmly to the classic heavy metal roots?

Kaine: We have a new EP we’re writing at the moment, which is a pure love letter to NWOBHM, and we’re working on a new album, which has heavier material than we have done before.

TheNwothm: Where would you most love to take Kaine next, if you could choose anywhere in the world?

Kaine: We’ve never played in Europe, so that would be amazing, America, Japan, also, but we’re realistic. Many of the promoters there have been aware of us for years, but have never asked us to play, so we’re not optimistic that it will change in the future! If we can just make our UK gigs sustainable, we will be happy. We’re not rock stars, we’re just four regular blokes that happen to be mates and play in a Metal band together. That’s really what we’re about more than anything.

TheNwothm: If you could design your dream tour line-up with Kaine plus three other bands, who would you pick?

Kaine: Oddly, we have found in the past that the Death Metal audience has been far more receptive to us than most! So a tour with Obituary, Carcass, and Kaine would be a dream line-up as it would be riffs galore and full of raw energy. However, I doubt we could ever afford to buy onto a tour like that! That’s the nature of the music business. But if they ever needed a support, we’d be more than up for it!

TheNwothm: What gigs do you have coming up for the rest of 2025 and 2026

Kaine: We have just one gig, which is on May 17th at Club85 in Hitchin. Nobody else wants us at the moment! Joking aside, there will hopefully be more dates announced in the future.

TheNwothm: How can our readers buy your music and merch?

Kaine: We have CDs, vinyl, shirts, and hoodies for sale on Bandcamp:, and we also do exclusive merch and CDs over at Patreon starting at just £1 a month: https://patreon.com/kaine_metal?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

TheNwothm: Where can fans follow you online?

Kaine:

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube channel

TheNwothm: Anything else you would like to mention?

Kaine: We’ve recently relaunched our YouTube channel, so we would invite people to check that out first!

#aCrisisOfFaith #afterExtinction #fallingThroughFreedom #heavyMetal #kaine #kaineColchester #kaineUk #newEp #nwothm #theWaystone #thenwothm #thenwothmCom

#acrisisoffaith #afterextinction #fallingthroughfreedom #heavymetal #kaine #kainecolchester

The Nwothm @[email protected] · 2025-11-05 · 18:30 UTC

Review: Agartha “The Hidden”

Release date: Out now!

4 minutes

The Nwothm

Agartha is a heavy metal band founded in 2019 by Jeremy Berry, a multi-instrumentalist handling guitars and drums, and vocalist Ryan Evans. The duo shares a deep-rooted love for classic metal and a drive to explore its outer edges. Their sound blends soaring melodies with a dramatic sense of scale, drawing from the genre’s rich legacy while introducing fresh and unpredictable elements.

Grounded in the traditions of heavy metal, AGARTHA takes cues from a wide spectrum of influences. Their music channels the grandeur of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal alongside the grit and urgency of underground scenes. The result is a style that feels both timeless and personal, with compositions that balance epic ambition and emotional weight.

In 2020, the band released their first demo independently, offering a bold statement of intent that quickly resonated with fans of authentic metal. A limited 7-inch vinyl pressing followed in 2022, earning attention from collectors and reinforcing their presence in the underground circuit. AGARTHA’s approach is marked by tight musicianship and a commitment to melody, always guided by a respect for the genre’s foundations and a desire to push forward.

With each release, Agartha continues to shape their own identity within the heavy metal landscape, staying true to their roots while forging ahead with purpose and intensity.

Review

Intro is up for first and I feel like I am walking through a hazy mist while bass strings twang and acoustic melodies sing. The vocals come in velvety and smooth working perfectly in accompanying the music. I especially like how the vocals layer up at points to create some thickness and texture. Personally listening to this a few times I wish the music would have developed a little more. Otherwise a nice little opener leaving me some what intrigued.

Silver King comes in with a bang and straight away I get pure Sumerlands vibes. The music is exciting, vibrant and full of colour. The chosen guitar tones and the production some what help to give the track a great sense of uniqueness and character. I do enjoy more up tempo songs and this certainly caught my attention. I am sat here tapping my feet and shaking my head around at my desk while I do this review. The vocals slot together with the music magnificently and make the the song feel wholesome and well rounded.

The Hidden is up next and it opens up with the sounds of organic, edgy riffing. The second guitar comes in and the song progresses into a steady walking pace. In reflection to Silver King this feels slightly more slow flowing and of a hard rock vibe. But the vocals remain expressive and charged throughout standing tall and giving off some presence. So a more mellow track providing some balance to the EP.

South Flight flicks off the kettle and brews for a moment, opening with crisp, panned guitar chugs, open chords, and cymbal taps. This intro gives way to a steady, chord-focused section before the vocals slide in. What defines the track is its cascading guitar melodies and vocals that reach out into the shroud. I was hoping for more development in the guitar work, and while the riffs do shift later on, they never quite catch the ear like “Silver King” did.

Inter Hyperborea closes the EP with emotional, driving guitars and majestic melodies that immediately lift the atmosphere. There is a drifting, almost weightless quality to the track, a feeling that runs throughout the release, but here it feels more expansive and adventurous. The melodic, interwoven guitar riffs add sparkle and movement, keeping the song engaging from start to finish. Vocals remain strong and consistent, and this final track is no exception. It conjures the feeling of gliding through galaxies or soaring across open skies, like a heroic quest in search of meaning. A confident and stirring closer that gives the EP a sense of resolution.

Conclusion

This EP lays down a strong foundation, with plenty of atmosphere, expressive vocals, and flashes of character that point toward something exciting. “Silver King” is the clear highlight, bursting with energy and colour, and showing just how good this band can be when everything locks in. The rest of the release has its moments too, especially in mood and vocal delivery, even if some tracks feel less developed. There’s definite room to grow, but the core ingredients are here. With sharper songwriting and bolder shifts, this band could really carve out a distinctive space. A promising release that shows the bands potential.

TheNwothm Score: 7.5/10

Links

Bandcamp: https://agartha4.bandcamp.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agarthanprophecy/

Label: https://www.noremorse.gr/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m-deKc2gkM

Read More Reviews

Review: Agartha “The Hidden”
5th Nov 2025
Review: WitchHound “Mountain Knows”
3rd Nov 2025
Review: Mourn The Light “Sorrow Feeds the Silence”
2nd Nov 2025
Review: Steel Arctus “Dreamruler”
1st Nov 2025

#Agartha #AgarthaUSA #HeavyMetal #NewEP #NewWaveOfTraditionalHeavyMetal #noRemorseRecords #SilverKing #thenwothm #thenwothmCom

#agartha #agarthausa #heavymetal #newep #newwaveoftraditionalheavymetal #noremorserecords

Retroworldnews @[email protected] · 2025-03-22 · 07:27 UTC

After a two-year hiatus, GRiZ is back and better than ever with his electrifying new EP, “GEMiNI.” The funkstep pioneer’s latest release is a dynamic, genre-blending experience that reaffirms his place at the forefront of electronic music.
https://retroworldnews.com/griz-returns-with-explosive-gemini-ep-a-technicolor-fusion-of-bass-funk-and-soul/

#GRiZ #GEMiNI #BassMusic #Funk #Soul #MusicRelease #NewEP #ElectroFunk #LiveMusic #MusicLovers #FestivalVibes #DanceMusic #MusicCommunity #SoundCloud #MusicianLife #InstaMusic #MusicIndustry #CreativeSound #VibrantBeats #Audio

#griz #gemini #bassmusic #funk #soul #musicrelease

Retroworldnews @[email protected] · 2024-11-19 · 05:42 UTC

FREAK ON‘s latest EP, Freeze Sucka, delivers dancefloor anthems packed with urban storytelling. The release features two electrifying house tracks infused with bold hip-hop energy, channeling the vibe of a city that comes alive after hours.
https://retroworldnews.com/freak-on-brings-the-heat-with-new-ep-freeze-sucka/

#FreakOn #FreezeSucka #NewEP #MusicRelease #HeatUp #HipHopVibes #FreshTracks #MusicIndustry #ListenNow #EPLaunch #ArtistSpotlight #SoundCloud #MusicPromotion #IndieArtists #ViralTracks #BeatDrop #MusicLovers #TuneIn #music