15 Times Dead

I know very little. No idea what Metasultra means. No idea what ‘girth metal’ could possibly mean beyond the variety of rude ideas I just came up with. No idea who started the argument between the two skeletons on the cover. However thankfully I do know that the opening track on this Paisley bands debut, Bullethead, is a lovely chunky bit of metal and an excellent work-boot style introduction to them. It has the chug metal of Metallica et al, sliding into a deep blues riff groove of the vague type Orange Goblin are utter wizards at, melody which nods towards rock sensibilities and fine gruff vocals that can turn from carrying the melody with a fine poise to very expressive snapping and snarling the fast paved lyrics as anger or disgust dictates. In short a fine and distinctive first impression.

The next song Sleep slows things down a little but soon finds that downtuned groove to rock along. It’s something they have a knack for. They also dip easily into atmosphere and the kind of bear growling blues that bands like Earthride inhabit. 15 Times Dead aren’t quite in that exalted beer and sweat circle yet but they have more than just the solid foundation already; listen to Girth Giver and in particular that chorus and you feel not just the anger of the song but hear a band looking forward. They move from first gear grind to bouncing, pounding groove easily and smoothly and pull you along very nicely with some attentive song writing.

There is a pretty downbeat feeling throughout the album, mind. Don’t come here looking for a celebratory stomp or an uplifting chorus; they deal mostly in an eyes wide open, life is damned hard outlook with the big, dark riffs and black melody ushering you closer. The modern metal cousin to blue collar doom. There are no new shiny versions of the wheel here, nothing desperately new, but with excellent songwriting like Through These Eyes (I See Death) and Rape Of A Nation what you do get is a distinctive identity of a fine and more than promising metal bands.

There are no real downsides to Metasultra, certainly no problems that need more than a little tweak or just a little time. Sometimes you might feel that the first few bars too readily latch onto the standard chug, chug, squeal type intro. Or you might wish for a song with a bit more continuous roll to the groove rather than so easily interrupted but really that is all I can whine about. This lot of muscular Scots have talent breaking out like a hard earned sweat and I suspect their songwriting will just get better. The best thing here is that when you sit down and ponder your favorite song you end up with a list: Bullethead, Pray, Girth Giver…. Always a good sign, no? And it’s a grower too.

All in all, this was a very pleasant revelation and in a genre that is not really my natural stalking ground either. Give them a little room and a lot of listening, people, they are worth it. And will get better.

(7.5/10 Gizmo)

http://www.15timesdead.com - Ave Noctum

Whenever I write a review I try to pigeon hole a band into a genre, which whilst it sounds unfair often helps to connect people to that band. 15 Times Dead though, well, I can’t do it as I’m not sure where they fit. At times this band sound like Metallica, at other times there were hints of the Cranberries in there – so you can see what a range you can expect! These contrasting sounds all work together and create this amazingly dark and heavy sound whilst continuing to retain that harmony which so often gets lost. - Dave Nicholls

Headliners 15 Times Dead are well known to the Hard Rock Hell community so their mighty trek down from Glasgow was much appreciated. Scott Watson, Andy and Tam Ritchie and Wullie Brownlie truly come alive on stage and take no prisoners with their skull crushing, brain mushing riffs, this is what Metallica would sound like if they were still good, it really is that simple, from set openers “Through These Eyes” and “No Friend of Mine”, the awesome “Driven By Hate” and “I” the power surge is relentless and all performed with genuine smiles and crowd banter – it really doesn’t get much better than this. The classic “Bullethead” drew the set to an unwanted close and a well deserved barrage of cheers and applause. - Simon Bower, Planet Mosh

Friday for me kicked off at midday on the 3rd stage, all the bands playing where finalist’s from the Hard Rock Hell’s search for a band competition, which had its final in Glasgow back in October. However the curse of the weather which had already caused a couple of bands to cancel, struck again, as the opening act, The Black Lights where still stuck in snow. All the remaining acts played a blinder though, with 15xDead being the stand out act. - David Farrell - Manchester Rocks

Friday afternoon in the Queen Vic. It's one of the few times of the year I get to check out new bands these days, and three were worthy of note.

Best band in the pub were Glasgow's 15 Times Dead and they won through on a fans' forum Dark Circle vote, and it wasn't difficult to see why, despite the fact that they looked like the long lost cousins of the Eastenders' Mitchell Brothers. It seems that Black Sabbath riffs are never too far away at a rock festival - The Steel Daffodil

With a name like 15 Times Dead, I expected these guys would be another cookie cutter metal/death-core bands, so I was pleasantly surprised when a neatly packaged retro-thrash band tore its way out of the Myspace player.

What seems apparent from the recent revival of this revered sub-genre is that the hardcore elements that helped form the rudiments of this style are well represented (DRI, COC, Anthrax, Nuclear Assault), but the classic metal influence is less well represented (unless you count the endless power metal bands). This is perhaps because the big names on that edge are still going strong – namely Metallica and Megadeth. It’s certainly cool to be punking it up, but could it ever be cool to sound like Metallica when the beast lumbers on through varying levels of purist disrepute? This is perhaps why the labels aren’t clambering to sign up bands like 15 Times Dead.

That’s not to say that 15 Times Dead are a one trick pony. This music is deceptively diverse. The thrash masters are all here (Metallica, Anthrax and Testament seep through in varying levels) but there’s a grounding here in classic rock which is tempered by grunge and alternative flavours. - The Inevitable Nose

15 Times Dead are Glasgow’s self-proclaimed “Godfathers of Girth Metal” with “Feel the Girth” being the metal act’s latest EP.

Kicking off with ‘Driven by Hate’, this mid-paced metal track provides the perfect introduction to the Scottish quartet. Showcasing the instrumentalists’ skill and control wonderfully, every note is crisp and precise. Add to this the biting vocal contribution exaggerating the bitter feelings behind this song and you begin to get an idea of what 15 Times Dead is all about.

My favourite track from the EP is ‘Dying’ with the vocal harmonies the definite highlight of this song. The rich texture adds extra depth and power without detracting from the great instrumentals; the guitar solo towards the end of the track was a particularly pleasant surprise!

Final track ‘Bullethead’ is by far the most powerful of the three tracks. Incorporating the best bits from the previous songs with an extra bit of something for good measure, there is no mistaking that these guys mean business.

What I like best about 15 Times Dead is that they haven’t fallen into the trap of moulding themselves entirely on an already successful band, a mistake that’s all too common in the metal genre. With a distinctive sound all of their own, it’s only a matter of time before they become a well-known name on the metal circuit. Having already supported the likes of Panic Cell and Blaze Bayley as well as performing at Hard Rock Hell, the future is looking incredibly bright for 15 Times Dead! - Sian Jennifer Smith - Rocking Music

The judges at the Scottish Emergenza Final in Glasgow had this to say about 15 Times Dead...

"A powerful act with a very distinct style. There’s a lot of energy on stage which compliments the music"

"Powerful – will do well as a live band on the metal circuit. Our metal D.J. will play them to death"

"Very tight, good stage presence"

"Very powerful sound" - Emergenza UK

Scottish band 15 Times Dead are here with their latest demo “Gathering Of Skulls”. Their style is pure old school metal with elements of thrash here and there too. Its pretty fast with clear vocals and good sturdy riffs and bass lines.

Musically 15 Times Dead are nothing intricate and the way they perform isn’t spectacular, but their sound is pretty good and very enjoyable. First track on the demo is “Bullethead”, a track which demands you nod your head along too it all the way through.

“Respect Thru Fear” relies on a strong powerful drumming back bone and crunching riffs to truly take effect. It’s pure thrash from start to finish and keeps 15 Times Dead’s fast and hard hitting style going.

This is very much my thing and I can’t wait to hear more from this band. 15 Times Dead get 7 zombies out of 10. - No More Room In Hell Promotions

Unsigned Magazine had this to say about our two track demo, "Gathering of Skulls"

"A short and sweet demo consisting of just two songs, 15 Times Dead rock like fuck with what can be described as contemporary thrash metal.

Imagine a collision between Therapy? and "Kill 'em All" era Metallica and you won't be far off.

This CD is full of energy and is a short, sharp kick to the knackers! Heavy fucking metal indeed! - 8 out of 10" - Unsigned Magazine

15 Times Dead took to the stage of the Attic Bar dressed in black in front of a small crowd. The thrash metal act is high energy, fast and powerful from their first song to their last.

Front man Scotti Watson is an energetic showman and the bands exuberance would be easily suited to an outdoor festival. The band has been together since January 2004 and musically is very tight.

The first song on of the set ‘Haste’ merged into ‘Gone to Far’ a short but meaty number. The band's influences from rock and metal bands gone before such as Pantera, Metallica and Megadeth are evident throughout.

Drummer Davie Scott removed his top for ‘Bullethead’ a number with some fantastic guitar riffs. “We call ourselves the gods of girth metal!” shouts Scotti before launching into ‘Girth Giver’ while marching from side to side across the stage during the build up.

He stirs up the crowd as the song’s guitar and drum peaks slow down again “Let me hear you. Come on!” boomed Scotti.

The last number got a good reception from the crowd as it built up into a frenzy of beat and sound with Davie Scott thrashing drums and electric guitar melodies from Jarrett McColl, Andy and Tam Ritchie.
- Katy Whitelaw - Live Music Direct

Musically we're talking Pantera mixed with Metallica here. The vocals are quite refreshing as i was expecting a Phil Anselmo-rip off, but i didn't get one, so that's good haha. The vocals are quite good too - they're not quite singing, but quite akin to James Hetfield and work with the music. There is nothing new here, but it is done well. I've heard much much worse thrashy bands than you guys. Your vocalist helps the cause quite a bit as he can hold the tune and not stray offpitch. The guitar solo tradeoffs are pretty nice too - very old school, and thus would appeal to fans of said genre.
Aaron Everitt - A&R Scout for RRUK - Aaron Everitt - A&R Scout for RRUK

"As the opening riff of the first song 'HASTE' in this 4 track demo plays, you know what your going to get from Gathering of Skulls... Nothing but total thrash metal that is a joy to listen to.

The instrumental work on this demo is brilliant and the vocals effortlessly fit on to the punishing riffs and pounding rythm section making 15 times dead a force to look out for. With enough guitar flourishes to keep you happy and four tracks of what modern thrash metal should sound like, 15 times dead have certainly left a mark on us and they will do the same to you. 9/10" - Savage Promotions

...If Donphobia are metal superheroes, then 15 Times Dead are most definitely supervillains. Frontman Scotti Watson is shaven-headed and intense, like the rock equivalent of Lawrence Tierney in Reservoir Dogs, and is in total command of the stage as tracks such as the standout 'Psychokill' bludgeon the audience into submission. Their Pantera-esque attack is proper, no-nonsense metal, and they sound like they've been together way longer than two years. Be afraid of 15 Times Dead. But in a good way.

...Challenging for top honours tonight were 15 Times Dead - a more straightforward proposition than Donphobia, but no less energetic. Well-drilled classic thrash (the band are the self-proclaimed "Godfathers of Girth Metal"), played with power and precision, and a hefty dose of vitriol. It was a short, sharp set of perfectly honed brutality that left the audience gasping for more.

The full set of reviews can be found at www.scottishmusicnetwork.co.uk - Scottish Music Network

...Next on the bill were an impressive bunch of metal heads by the name of 15 times dead. The ‘Godfathers of Girth Metal,’ managed to get the somewhat reluctant crowd to respond by using a mix of great tunes and banter. The bass player was playing an instrument shaped like something satan might consider using if he was ever asked to play a wee tune for his minions, and had an attitude to go with it. In fact they all did. Smouldering anger seemed to ooze from everyone, and was reflected in the great mix of songs they provided their audience with. Their tunes ranged from one end of the metal spectrum to the other, with their influences, to name but a few, ranging from early Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer. My favourite song on the night was by all accounts a new one called ‘Deceit’ which produced a guitar riff good old Dimebag would have been proud of achieving. 15 Timed Dead put on a great performance that was gratefully received by the crowd. Long live Old School Metal! - Alaine - Live Music Direct