Ross Allen

Founder/Editor In Chief

Music has been a constant presence in Ross’ life since a very early age, be it rifling through his father’s record collection or listening to his own 7” vinyl, gathered each week from a supply of white labels and ex-radio station stock that somehow found its way to the local paper shop! The influence of his father’s collection and that of his elder brother helped to form an early identity with the alternate side of the indie music scene in the late 80s/ early 90s, bands such as The Wonder Stuff, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin, Half Man Half Biscuit, Manic Street Preachers, Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine and The Cure were the staple diet of his High School years. It wasn’t until his college days that the influence of metal was to rear up its ugly head... Bands like Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Faith No More had already planted themselves firmly within his collection but it wasn’t until a friend played him two cassettes in 1991 that the gates to hell’s record collection were finally opened! Those two cassettes were Megadeth - “Rust In Peace” and Anthrax - “Persistence of Time”, this was swiftly followed by seeing Megadeth and Pantera live at the NIA in Birmingham on the “Countdown To Extinction” tour, from that moment on he was hooked...

Throughout his school years and for a long time afterwards Ross tried his hand at becoming a rockstar himself, playing guitar in bands such as Kin, SuMp and Products Of The Fall, with varying degrees of success. Alas, pressures of university and then work put paid to that dream and dropped music down in his list of life’s priorities. For almost a decade music was on the back seat, it was still there in his life but not up front where it should have been. Then, out of the blue a ticket for Download 2009 arrived, courtesy of his sister, and the spark was re-ignited, well it was more of an explosion than a re-ignition! Music was now back at Number 1!

Ross immediately began to write about Download and other shows he attended on his personal blog, where his writing style caught the eye of the Music Editor at OneMetal, Mark Wrigley. For 12 months Ross happily wrote for both OneMetal and his own blog until the itch to take it to the next stage was too great. Using his schooling and acquired skills, and those of a dear friend, ThisIsNotAScene was born... That brings us to today where ThisIsNotAScene has a team of over 10 writers spanning both sides of the Atlantic as well as mainland Europe.

Mark Wrigley

Editor

25 years ago, Mark won a pig shaped picture disc for "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)", from the W.A.S.P. fanclub. He won because he happened to be such a huge fan and was able to spout forth some obscure piece of trivia about Chris Holmes or Blackie Lawless. That was the first day that Mark actually wrote anything down about a metal band, and could be classed as the origin of his music journo career. As with many, Mark's teenage aspirations of becoming a "Rock Star" never quite came into fruition. Performing to tens of people at "The Shoulder Of Mutton" in Chapel-en-le-Frith and penning such punk infused anthems as "John Craven" and "Bedrock City" never elevated him to the Guitar God status that he was after. The final nail in the coffin in his musical career came whilst losing out to the Girls Hockey Team at a University talent contest, all because "they got their pissing tits out... so what chance did we stand".

From that day Mark has put his English degree to use, and he has written about music and movies ever since. Writing for numerous publications including Total Guitar and The Daily Mail regional newspapers and websites, along with other metal and entertainment webzines. He is an old school metalhead at heart, with his passions spreading from Alice Cooper to Sisters Of Mercy, whilst taking in everything in between. Living in Nottingham with his wife and two sons, he thrives on metal, and he still plays guitar... although he does admit he seriously has more guitars than ability.

Lorna Allen

Hello, I’m Lorna and I like music and food (and my dog, cherrypie!). I have this unwritten rule that if a tune doesn’t grab my attention within 10 seconds, it probably isn’t worth listening too. I know it’s not empirically sound, but it has worked for me since I first listened to the Grease soundtrack….on repeat….a lot!

What else, I don’t like genres, I like music that is unusual, different; stuff that takes you away from the mundane. Oh and I have a little penchant for Mike Patton. That is all!

John Saxon

It is only in the past few years I have started really getting into the music I listen to. I couldn't get any radio stations whilst I was at university, so all of the bands I had managed to hear about was through my brother!

Then 2009 happened! Download followed by Proms in the Park. These were the first festivals I'd ever been too and as of that point I was hooked on live music. So much so I went to four festivals the following year.

As you can probably tell by the Proms, I'm not a complete metal head (even if that is my main preference), in fact after Hammerfest II I went to see The Temptations and The Four Tops the next day! I do like most music genres for the exception of the "urban" scene, put simply it annoys the bollocks off of me! I would rather drink sulphuric acid through the eyes over putting up with lyrics like "You're fit, but my gosh don't you know it". So yes, anything from Katherine Jenkins to Lamb of God just not Snoop Dog or Jay Z!

Sabrina Ramdoyal

From murky, subterranean Manchester, there is a metal music ninja who is part photographer, part interviewer and part live reviewer, ready to swing and grab what is within the moment. Whether if it is a body-flying concert or band members being tied up to a chair with a spotlight on them, she can bring it all with camera, vision and voice.

Beware of this meek but unstoppable crime fighter as you'll never know when or where she'll turn up next! Look out!

Mat Davies

Mat Davies is a Welshman living in London and trying to do as many gigs as he can before his bank manager finds out the state of his overdraft. He's got a proper job too but don't let that put you off. Mat's music tastes are pretty eclectic but he has a penchant for most metal, thrash, prog, death and a little bit of black metal, but only when the mood takes him. You can also find him watching rugby and drinking Guinness, often together.

Raymond Westland

My name is Raymond Westland and I’m a 30 year old guy from the Netherlands. My taste for all things heavy started in the traditional way with Metallica and Guns N’ Roses. Back in the day I hosted a metal program with two friends, called the Black Box. Being involved with that exposed me to a wide range of different sub-genres within the rock and metal realm. After three years the program has ran its course and we decided to pull the plug. I went on writing for several Dutch zines, including Zwaremetalenand Vampire Magazine. Besides being active for ThisIsNotAScene I’m the chief editor and one of the founders of Alternative Matter. Occasionally I write about music in my native tongue and I publish those articles on Dark Matter, my own personal weblog.

My musical taste evolved quite a bit over the years. Nowadays I’m very much into the experimental, progressive, atmospheric and technical side of things. I really enjoy listening to bands like King Crimson, Cynic, Meshuggah, Devin Townsend Project, Porcupine Tree, Hacride, Orphaned Land, Textures, Oceansize, Enslaved, Amorphis, Mastodon and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Besides writing and music I like to watch British comedy (Blackadder, Bottom), drinking the finest Belgian and German beers, spending time with my girlfriend and keeping the grey old matter up to date by reading lots of books on history and politics.

Wolfgang merx

My name is Wolfgang Merx. I started as an occasional writer for Rocktimes.de a few years ago and became a regular writer for the Home Nucleonics music blog in 2010 until it joined forces with ThisIsNotAScene.

My musical taste isn’t limited to any genre but my favourites are progressive rock/metal, hard rock, blues and electronica. If you prefer to read some names: Peter Gabriel, Neil Young, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, Klaus Schulze, Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Nine Inch Nails and many more…

Besides writing music reviews I’m also a musician myself, The Hard Drive, playing keyboards in The Ambient League, The W Team and other projects. I sometimes blog about my musical activities, too.

Pete RingMaster

Pete RingMaster is a word doodler from the shadows and music is his lifeblood, the reason to start and enjoy each and every day, though deliciously tormenting everyone comes a close second. His blue fingers are involved as A&R with the exciting and ground breaking website Reputation Media, in the promotion of new, unsigned and independent music and artists and he helps create and co-host the live Reputation Radio Show, the site's own award nominated internet radio shows, alongside the inspirational and site creator Johnny Summers. He hunts the internet and streets finding new artists and bands to share with the listening world, though some might say stalking, and is a ‘legend’ in Serbia, though no one knows why, especially himself.

RingMaster writes promotion pieces and music reviews for artists own websites and EPKs, and has his own website containing the dark, sometimes light, and occasionally teasingly delicious poetry from his haunted mind, Carnivale Of Dark Words And Shadows.

Music burst into life for Blue Clown when the first safety pin was inserted and pogo safely executed and his pleasures have never looked back, all genres enjoyed but make it loud, angry and metallic and he is in carnival heaven.

Stephen Fallows

After being brought up on a healthy diet of Queen & The Beatles, became a lover of all things noisy since upon hearing Iron Maiden’s “Live After Death” back in 1986. Stuck in a grim outpost in Cumbria for the time being, but always looking to escape to gigs and festivals. These are mainly in Manchester and Liverpool, but Donington and Knebworth have also been regular stops on a seemingly never-ending quest for live music. The 200+ shows cover everything from Jean Michel Jarre to The Jesus Lizard, Simon & Garfunkel to Slayer and most things in-between. The highlight (so far) of all these gigs was seeing the “Live After Death” stage show at Twickenham back in 2008.

Have worked in education and youth work for 8 years, currently between jobs and hoping to move away in the coming months to a new job and better opportunities. Outside of work and music, photography and art are major passions. Currently collaborating with several artists and venues on various different projects. This includes working on three music videos over the coming months. Started writing for ThisIsNotAScene in March 2011.

For all sorts of rambling nonsense and occasional sense follow me on twitter @falcoholism and @dvlpmntlstudios for news of my art projects.

Myron Schmidt

I am a 44-year-old father and grandfather that has been a life long metal lover. I purchased my first metal album, KISS Destroyer, as a new release in 1976, and somehow convinced my younger brother to use his allowance money on KISS Alive. I haven’t looked back since. From that time music has always been a source of inspiration, comfort, and company throughout my life. Whether I was feeling down or needed company during the long graduate school night’s music has been there.

Now, music is something I share with my two sons. I am not bound by any one genre of metal; I like to listen to all types of metal. It is my belief that artificial borders should not bind appreciation of music. If music strikes a chord with you, listen. Focusing on one type of music mean that a listener will miss out on a universe of other good music.

Mark ashby

They call me 'Monk' because of my devotion to all things rock and metal \m/ I eat, drink, breathe, sleep and shit rock and metal. Over the past 25 years, outside of actually playing in bands, I've virtually every job imaginable in the music biz - wrote Northern Ireland's only dedicated rock column and went on to present the only dedicated rock radio show; managed bands, humped gear, worked in marketing and A&R, dug bands out of jail in Istanbul, promoted gigs to which only two people turned up.

Now, I've got a proper job but still live and breathe rock and metal: I run a rock club, give PR and marketing advice to bands and, of course, write stupid shit about them on the old internet... all for the love of rock 'n'f'n'roll baby!

Bari Ann

Bari Ann is a black metal enthusiast who revels in the grim and frostbitten shadows of NYC. Her heart is pure and hipster free.

She writes too honestly, takes irrelevant photos, listens to Motorhead too loud and speaks Irish with a New York accent. Looks like Axl Rose circa 1987 and officially declared the "smallest person in metal."

John Toolan

Music has been a very important part of my life since being a pre-teenager and listening to the likes of The Sweet, Slade and Mud. I very quickly progressed from my diet of glam rock, into developing a penchant for early Electric Light Orchestra albums and acts which were classed as “progressive” such as Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, King Crimson, Robert Fripp, Brian Eno and all the side projects that were associated with them. Whilst at high school the “punk” phenomena happened and I became aware of bands such as The Stranglers, who I became very fond of and found myself contributing to their fanzine “Strangled”. Punk enveloped my life until I attended University in Leeds, and I allowed myself to become aware of other styles of music such as metal and classical music, and begin to add elements of those to my collection.

When I began employment, and, more importantly, began earning money for the first time, a whole new range of musical styles opened up to me, and I began listening to, and collecting jazz, particularly the more obscure European acts that were to be found on the ECM label. As the years have progressed and I have understood myself and music more fully, I have grown to appreciate an alarming range of musical styles, and can now confidently say that I can listen to and collect jazz, reggae, dub, funk, soul, dance, ambient, folk amongst many other styles that would be impossible to categorise. An unintentional common thread of obscurity has always run through my musical and cultural taste, and continues to this day. If there were to be one sentence to sum up what I feel about music it would be “There is music I like, music I don’t like, and music I haven’t heard yet”.

Elizabeth Moran

Elizabeth was just another nerd walking home from the library with her reserved copies of Anne Rice paperbacks and Occult pamphlets on a cold winter’s eve when the gates of hell opened up and unleashed a terrifying demon upon the Earth, into New York, and several blocks away from her. The demon needed a host body to hide in and so it wasted little time and grabbed the girl and led her down into a shitty nearby abandoned basement apartment. As the demon assimilated with the girl’s body, wearing her skin and bonding with her muscles, the clashing of the minds of these two very different beings caused this new entity to have a nervous breakdown. The creature searched desperately for something to remedy the ailment when it spotted the JACKPOT….they say that music soothes the savage beast, and BAM, right next to the demon/woman/thing lay a box full of avant garde black metal cds and Prince and the Revolution’s Purple Rain on cassette. Ever since then the demon has favored this music most of all.

Bruce Smeath

Bruce hit 50 earlier this year and still hasn't grown out of metal. Its a safe bet he's probably not ever likely to. Which is just how he likes it. When he was at school he used to visit record shops in his lunch hour just to listen to Rush and UFO and Blue Oyster Cult and he still remembers the special day in 1978 when he heard 'Runnin' with the Devil' off Van Halen's epic debut.

He was a huge NWOBHM fan at the end of the 70s but unlike Lars Ulrich didn't go off and form the greatest metal band of the 80s. As thrash faded the early 90s were a little quiet until Machine Head and Fear Factory emerged and then everything was right with the world again.

In recent years Bruce has embraced black metal and cannot wait for a third album from those In Mourning guys, but he is also still grieving for Oceansize.

In his spare time Bruce plays drums in a band about as far removed from metal as its possible to get and is attempting to get his young son into Rammstein. Never too early, don't you know.

Ro

When not terrorising goats that clomp clumsily over the bridge black metal troll Ro calls home, she turns her clawed hands to scraping album reviews in the mud, annotating happenings in the live music world and pushing her large beak into the whole interviewing idea. She prefers bondagegoatzombies on album covers to normal sorts on bridges and frequently up and offs from her subterranean den to frequent the true forests of Northern Europe and bring back tidings of bands few people have heard of, much less care about. Sometimes she files her claws down and has a go at Cossack dancing, sword wielding, and testing the shimmery waters of dark, gothic, melodic, and folk metulz, as life can’t always be monochromatic.

Victoria Anderson

Victoria Anderson marries her degrees in Theory and Compositon with Visual Anthropology. She wanted to be Jimmy Page when she grew up, but her guitar playing is rubbish. She developed a love of bass guitar, "It's easier and more fun to play" so she can be out of the box and creative in her music. Charlie Mingus is her inspiration. She was actually late for an Iron Maiden concert in Paris because she was distracted by the architecture. Paul Stanley of KISS says she smells good. And John Taylor of Duran Duran once turned down her marriage proposal.

Victoria is short. Cute. Obsessed with pretty colours. And she's well stocked for the impending Zombie invasion. When she isn't geeking out at Comicons, reading theoretical physics books, or doing what ever her kitty kats tell her to do, she is working tirelessly to capture her love of music visually to create The Moment When All The World Stops (TM). She blogs and publishes her own photography magazine. You can also follow her on Twitter @theKaliDiaries. Victoria believes that shooting and interviewing should be fun and natural. She works in an organic, free flowing style that puts those around her at ease. If you are looking for a one of a kind, zen, groovalicious photographer - Victoria Anderson is the person you want shooting!

Luke Morton

Brought up on a diet of pop-punk and nu-metal in the early noughties, Luke has since found a craving for anything heavy, fast and dirty.

He's been writing about various forms of alternative music for over three years, from dubstep to death metal, but he's still a Slipknot fanboy. Find him in various dirty rock bars across London or in the nearest muddy field, probably bitching about boring music.

Simon Crampton

My name is Simon. Megadeth obsessive, Thrash devotee and all around metalhead. Every now and then bands let me interview them and then I tell people to go to their gigs and buy their albums. I am sarcastic, outspoken and cannot tolerate stupid genre labels, music is not a scene its a way of life. All opinions are my own so apologies in advance. This is me, you've been warned.

Phill 'Krav' Krawiec

Born and raised in Manchester and a proud Mancunian metalhead, I have always been curious on different types of music throughout my life and wanted to know more about them and Metal became one of them.

Slipknot was the first band that fed my curiosity and then led me to buy my first album, which was Linkin Park - "Hybrid Theory." Then the list grew into finding new, present and past bands, also finding even more fascinating genre's such as my favoured Death Metal and Black Metal plus Industrial, Progressive Metal, Classic rock & metal, Hard rock and many more.

So that pretty much sums up me as a person who has a thirst for more exciting and heavier metal from this day forth.

Berns von Bernington

Hi, I am Berneau aka Berns von Bernington. I’m 22 year old trapped in a 38 year old's body. I am a South African based metal head. I am into Extreme Metal from Thrash Metal to Black Metal and of course Death Metal. I have a passion for music and it is reflected in my writing. Recent IT double major graduate from Monash University. I play bass in two bands; one is a Thrash Metal project known as Death Pegasus and the other a Black Metal outfit known as Belthezar. Music is my first love and passion. Porcupine Tree and Camel fan boy. Creative swearer. Oh, and once a year I go on a pilgrimage and find myself in Germany for some Metal festivals.