Culture Bomb, Magazine 3

a look to2013 in film

Cultimate edition looks at Black christmas

All things lAtex And beAuty with the AlternAtive And burlesque FAir

Addictive gAmes you didn’t know About

Grim John from Dark art tattoo praCtiCed on trees!

All the best

film and music Reviews

dAmnAtion FestivAl

reviewed

Georgi BombEditor

Chris BeattieGames Writer

Rob BayleyFilm Writer

Michael LongDesigner

Andrew Neary Staff Manager &

Film Writer

Michelle ButterworthFashion and Lifestyle Writer

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Well, this feels weird. I don’t really know how to say it. I mean, it’s been so long and to be honest, it scares me because I don’t know how you will react. Maybe I should

just let it hang there and see what you think. So okay, here goes – MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Yeah okay, that felt horrible! A whole year has gone by although

Georgi B

05 Editors Letter

Contents

I cannot be happier with the magazine. It looks great and I am more than proud of all the hard work the designers and writers have put into our new venture. We would love to get your feedback so come and chat to us on Facebook and you can tweet us @culturebombnews.

Despite my disdain for Christmas, there is some postivity, such as a look to some new film releases in 2013 and it looks rather exciting! Our latest writer, Michelle, has met up with the organisers from The Alternative and Burlesque Fair, which is on this month in Manchester so head down!

Finally, I met up with Grim John, who is anything but what his name might suggest, from Dark Art Tattoo. And with a portfolio as stunning as his, I simply have to treat myself to a wee Christmas pressie!

Whatever you do for Crimbo, I hope you have a wonderful time and may your New Year be as merry as I intend mine to be!!

Editor

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Music08 Damnation Festival11 Music Reviews

Film14 Cultimate Edition Black Christmas15 Film Reviews18 2013 In Film

Fashion25 Heresy And Heelz Takeover

Games32 Indie Gaming Roundup

06 Online teaser

Tattoo40 Grim Tattooing is a Dark Art

Street Fashion50 Nightwalk A/W 2012

GRaphic desiGn | photoGRaphyM [email protected]

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My Dying Bride were the highlight of the festival for me. Bringing with them that Yorkshire-tinted flavouring of doom, the band continued to mesmerise the crowd, almost hypnotically

music

Damnation Festivalby Nico Davidson

It was that time of the year again, as legions of metalheads came descending upon Leeds University for Damnation Festival on what could only be described as a chilly day. Ravens Creed opened up the festival with exceeding aggression, whilst Witchsorrow brought things down to a slower, doomy level. Hawk Eyes were an unusual addition to the bill but proved to be just as good as any of the other bands as they rocked the Jagermesiter stage with their alt. rock styling. Wodensthrone proved a force to be reckoned with as they hammered away with heavy guitars and folky elements.Devil Sold His Soul weren’t as entertaining as expected, with a sound more akin to post-hardcore and they didn’t do much to “wow” anyone. Winterfylleth summoned forth an ethereal atmosphere that really set the mood for their performance as they blasted through each song with sharp precision. Vreid were on top form as they conjured up dark, blazing riffs and snarling vocals that sounded like Satan himself had risen. Primordial blasted away the crowd at the Jagermesiter stage with their celtic-styled black metal that provided a truly evil sound.

My Dying Bride were the highlight of the festival for me. Bringing with them that Yorkshire-tinted flavouring of doom, the band continued to mesmerise the crowd, almost hypnotically, as frontman Aaron looked like some darkened prophet of death and doom. Belphegor on the other hand didn’t really have a notable performance, while their blasphemous riffs rung out like church bells on a quiet night, their live show lacked heavily in the raw aggression and energy that is associated with a band of their calibre and the frontman’s faux-gruff voice was more annoying than comical. Fortunately, Electric Wizard made up for this with a truly memorable set that featured their unique brand of doom metal, cinematic scenes in the background and the Hawkwind light show.It’s safe to say that Damnation is well within the top five events of 2012 and here’s to Damnation 2013!

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The new single, taken from the album, The Divinity of Purpose, due out January 25, 2013, can be easily summed up; this is pure Hatebreed, everything you love and everything you hate is right here, on this one song. They have that signature sound; when the chugging guitars kick in before the drums thrash, you may believe it to be Hatebreed but what cinches this idea, is Jamey’s vocals. As usual, they squeeze a lot into two minutes and twelve seconds: anger, passion, a message, thrash, tiny guitar licks, intensity, break downs and most of all, Hatebreed.

Skrog’s debut album, The Global Elite, has a clear message, to give a damning account on the state of American Politics, with relevant samples and lyrics that scream in passionate anger. Bordering on Marilyn Manson before all the money, Skrog’s progressive element nestles in nicely with the elctro sound, which rather unsubtly glides into metal territory without a second thought. The marching beat remains constant, with bass breaks intercepting to add a touch of variety. The varying range of vocals and eclectic industrial noise really brings The Global Elite alive, building into a huge flurry of intense fury before winding down to a delicate finish.

Skrog, The Global Elite, self released

Dark, gothic, atmospheric sounds and folk guitars don’t actually set the tone for the thrashers however it sounds awesome. It suits the power element that spews from every chord however there can be no denial that this album has some terrifically dramatic mood swings. The head banging riffage soon kicks in and gallops along with the empowering vocals. Air punching addicts will quickly become addicted to this ten track album and there are but two enfluences here, power and thrash. No extra sub genres, jumping drums and intricate guitar solos are all thrown in here. A tremendous effort.

Paradox, Tales of the Weird, AFM Records


music music Reviews

Hatebreed, Put It To The Torch, Nuclear Blast

music Reviews

An eerie intro and fans screaming is a rather absorbing experience. The excitement builds with the crowd as UDO blast into Rev Rapter. Despite being a live album, the sound is incredible and the band is slick. The atmosphere really comes alive with electricity as the audience yells back the lyrics and chants along. Pure heavy metal, with no unnecessary gimmicks, front man, Udo Dirkschneider rallies the crowd as first single, Leatherface creeps into its haunting intro. Screaming For A Love Bite is met with incredible applause and is nothing but addictive. From start to finish, experience a pure, epic performance.

U.D.O Live in Sophia, AFM Records

Classic thrash intro kicks off proceedings and offers a staple vibe to the album. A snappy snare and chunky riff gets your head nodding before the harmonic guitars build up to bring down the intro. Then things really get going. Using a faster version of the opening riff, which becomes a classic element, teamed with a strong, melodic vocal range is fantastic. The solos can’t go unmentioned as they adorn every track at levels of ridiculous speed. Heaven Waits, Hell Takes progresses into heavier territory, all the while, the classic sound emanates. A great debut from these soon-to-be thrash masterminds.

Reign of Fury, World Detonation, Mosh Tuneage

Pathology have something good going on here with their current line up. Evident by their latest release, full on death metal with vocals that are more threatening than a Scottish bam whose had their dole money taken away. Littered with guitar licks that do nothing to lighten load amongst the unbelievably dirty sounds that come from within. Main single, Tyrannical Decay, kicks in with a disgustingly awesome riff and Huber’s vocals are beyond obscene as they hit onto Wormed territory. This really is an album to marvel at, even if death metal is just noise to you; the intricacy in the musicianship cannot be beaten.

Pathology, The Time of Great Purification, Victory Records

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Film

cultimate editionBlack Christmas

The worst horror film in years and years. Literally years and years. Oh you want me to go on? Okay; a lot of mainstream press will have you believe Found Footage films are artistically bankrupt cheap trash. Actually it’s a thriving, brilliant genre they’re oblivious to. Apart from this. Following a group of terrible actors around exorcisms (for very little reason) in the cheapest stand-ins for Rome, The Devil Inside has only one partially-memorable, cheap, moment of shock; this doesn’t detract for from the fact the film’s ending is a web address. That’s not a spoiler because you shouldn’t be watching this anyway.

Bond is back with a bang, and not just the character either. Unlike Quantum of Solace, and to a lesser extent, Casino Royale, for 007’s 50th big screen birthday the Broccoli’s have given us a proper, old-school Bond movie. Epically shot and tidily edited with pace and verve, Skyfall looks gorgeous. In this special cinematic year, it’s fitting that the story is both utterly refreshing yet steadfastly old-fashioned. Combining the character-driven narrative that’s made recent Hollywood action as intriguing as any art-house film, with luxurious settings, nostalgia and real yet outrageous performances, this is everything Bond should be and more.

Film Reviews

the devil inside

skyFAll


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t's a little too confined, the players somewhat more trapped, the playing field is that bit smaller.

Black Christmas is the original. It would be easy to take for granted the slasher template after so many sequels, so many iterations and so many franchises. Where a lunatic stalks a group of hapless youths, one by one, until the last plucky survivor scrapes their way through the holocaust and finally outsmarts the killer before ultimately slaying the slayer.

Except you know the story too well. Or at least you think you do. What’s so terrifying about Black Christmas is its history. If you’re a film buff, you’re probably aware of this film’s existence: “Yeah, that Christmas themed horror? I heard that was the first slasher.”Something is a little unsettling about Black Christmas. It’s a little too confined, the players somewhat more trapped, the playing field is that bit smaller. There’s the traditional set-up but then, early on, there are the phone-calls. Not phone calls that Scream hoped to parody; Scream would be lucky if it could capture something as revolting as these. The calls in Black Christmas are genuinely some of the most horrifying, deranged audio ever committed to film. It’s something that will stand out and stay with you. This helps build the palpable tension and star, Olivia Hussey, is a grand scream queen.But the best thing about Black Christmas? You will never, ever guess it. The plot goes in a direction that will leave you thinking for days, if not weeks. Yes, there are huge leaps in logic (why do the

girls stay in the sorority house after several murders? And why do the police not have someone next to the phone 24/7?), but it doesn’t matter. Unlike many progenitors this remains utterly original and raw. Thanks to the actors performances and brutality of the plot, this continues to be a terrifying movie to all but the most cynical; and frankly if this picture doesn’t make your skin crawl... it’s on too tight.

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Could this be a sign Will Ferrell is finally emerging from his wilderness years? As Cam Brady, Ferrell recreates his satirical take on President Bush first seen in his play, You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush. Played broader and more individualised, Brady comes occasionally comes close to Ron Burgundy brilliance but never hits those highs. Zach Galifinakis is finally given room to stretch his considerable comic muscles as Marty Huggins. Sadly the comedy is so scattershot and the story meandering, it renders the film entirely forgettable from the moment you leave the cinema.

the cAmpAign

It’s fitting given the amount of drug taking going on in the film, On the Road feels like a mildly hazy trip. Lurid landscapes populated by strange and desperate people drift by in a pleasantly fluid journey across America. It’s a good thing too; if the film concerned itself more with the characters or story such a lengthy amount of time in the company of absolutely narcissistic, conceited, directionless druggies would be unbearable. Luckily they’re just there to facilitate a dreamy journey through some beautiful footage, great music and fascinating imagery.

on the RoAd

Film Reviews

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Shame Super! received a massively wider release than Peter Stebbings’ Defendor; this piece of Superhero-Realism (the least expected emergent genre) is a near-masterpiece. The forever brilliant Woody Harrelson plays the titular hero, a mentally challenged man struggling to make sense of the world his parents left a fractured version of. Kat Dennings plays his crack-whore friend and, reliable as Harrelson, delivers a warm and charming performance despite her character’s placement. Straddling a line between tragedy and comedy Defendor delivers a wonderful story backed-up by great supporting players. Then, by surprise, it takes a turn for the beautifully moving. A must see.

deFendoR

A miniscule cinematic re-release and with good reason; this is one of, if not the most putrefying films ever made. Not to say that’s a bad thing though. If there are ‘feel good films’ then this is the ultimate feel bad film. A raw and bleak exploration of what is and isn’t civilised existence, Cannibal Holocaust is a horror movie that’s truly horrifying in the truest sense of the word. It’s notable for creating the Found Footage genre but the film-maker’s use of genuine animal cruelty precludes this from any real praise, which is an absolute shame.

cAnniBAl holocAust

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Andrew Neary takes a look to the New Year and what cinematic treats, 2013, has in store for us.

2013 In Film

Film

by Andrew Neary

The year is drawing to a close and it has got minds thinking about what lies ahead for film in 2013. This year has seen some spectacular releases in blockbusters such as The Avengers and The Dark Knight Rises, both films that managed to break the $1billion mark becoming the 3rd and 7th highest grossing films of all time, respectively. As if that was not enough for 2012, we also have the pleasure of looking forward to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, ready for release on the 13th December. But, enough about 2012, looking to the future, what treats does 2013 have in store for all us film lovers.

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Film

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January - MarchThe start of the year is always an important time for filmmakers as it hosts the ‘awards season’ and those looking for a statuette will aim to release their works of art at this time. Looking towards the awards season, there are a few titles being released in January that are tipped as contenders. Les Misérables is set for release on the 11th January and stands a good chance in the Best Director and Best Picture categories. Directed by Tom Hooper, already an academy award winner for his work on The King’s Speech, and having a large following from the stage musical, Les Misérables will be a film to look out for come the new year.

Other films that will be in with a shout are Quentin Tarantino’s western drama, Django Unchained, and Tom Tykwer’s Sci-Fi drama, Cloud Atlas. Tarantino is no stranger to the Academy Awards,

April - June

while Tykwer, who’s work has been critically acclaimed within independent circles, has been looked past in Hollywood up until now.

Other eagerly anticipated titles: The Last Stand (25th January), Arnold Schwarzenegger’s first leading role in nine years, and Warm Bodies (8 February), a romantic horror comedy starring Nicholas Hoult.

A big cinematic excitement for Glaswegians will be seeing their dear city on the big screen come 21st June. Acting as a double for Philadelphia, Glasgow was used for the apocalyptic zombie flick, World War Z. Directed by Marc Foster and based upon Max Brooks’s novel of the same name, zombie film fans will be readily awaiting the opportunity to take a bite out of this summer blockbuster. Other than this, the second quarter of the year seems equally split between horror and blockbuster releases. Iron Man 3 is set for release on 26th April and Zack Snyder’s retelling of Superman, Man of Steel, will hit the big screens on the 14th June.Carrie and Evil Dead are also being released as reincarnations of themselves on the 5th April and 12th April, respectively. Evil Dead will be able to appease hesitant fans with Sam Raimi, the original writer and director, on board for the remake, and Bruce Campbell, the original series’ star, sitting in as a producer.

The start of the year is always an important time for filmmakers as it hosts the ‘awards season’ and those looking for a statuette will aim to release their works of art at this time.

July – September October – DecemberWith what will undoubtedly be the biggest film of the quarter, and most likely one of the highest grossing of the year, Monsters University will hit the screen on 12th July. The marketing behind the film is already astronomical with an entire, fully functioning, academic website being built purely for the film. You can literally lose hours out of your day on the site, we can only hope that the film lives up to its marketing and Disney Pixar’s run of heartfelt, emotional fun for all films.

Another Disney film set for a re-release is The Little Mermaid, this time being released in 3D on the 13th September. With the success of The Lion King 3D in 2011, it should not be that far fetched to imagine Disney produced one of these every year or so.

Other eagerly anticipated titles: Kick-Ass 2 (19th July), the sequel to the action blood bath will a film you will not want to miss, and The Wolverine (26th July), Hugh Jackman’s 6th appearance as Logan since 2000’s X-Men

Now, with absolutely no prize for guessing this a year in advance, the year’s biggest film will be released on 13th December. Of course, we are talking about The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. Being the second instalment of the second trilogy in what is the most successful cinematic franchise ever, The Desolation of Smaug will, without doubt, be another gem in Peter Jackson’s telling of Tolkien’s much beloved stories.

Another film that will be worth a look is the conclusion to The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy, The World’s End, set for release on 25th October. Written by Spaced duo Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, we are sure there will be as many laughs and cries as were experienced during Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. We’re sure that there will not be another instalment of a trilogy you will be more eagerly awaiting (sorry, Peter Jackson).


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Features

For those of you bored by what the mainstream high street has to offer, the increasingly popular Alternative and Burlesque Fair, brainchild of Heresy n Heelz Productions, will have already caught your eye. This Aladdin’s cave of squeaky rubber, clanking metal and ripping lace will next be unleashing itself at Sound Control, Manchester on Saturday 8th December for its Christmas special. I caught up with Heresy n Heelz director, Jules Evans, his wife, Shazzie and logistics manager Howard at Whitby Goth Weekend (where else?) to see what it’s all about.

heresy And heelz takeover

by Michaelle Butterworth

Alternative and Burlesque Fair

Michelle: So, Heresy n Heelz are behind a lot of events on the alternative scene, but in terms of the Alternative and Burlesque fair, how did it all begin?

Jules: Well Heresy n Heelz started in 2009 as a relatively small alternative and fetish burlesque club event in a room in Nottingham. It grew rapidly and we launched the Alternative and Burlesque Fair in September last year. It was a bit of a mishmash of what we did before because the old club nights that we used to do had stalls as well, so what we kind of did was take the old club night and put it in to a daytime formula. We’ve been running that since September. We started off as a single one-day event in Manchester and in 2013 we will be running that in Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Bristol. It’s expanding in a very big way.

Michelle: And are you still involved with Burlesque competitions?

Jules: Yes, we also run the Battle of Burlesque, which is a joint project with Kitty Klaw from the Ministry of Burlesque. We’ve been running that as a joint project with them to find the best upcoming performers in the country.

Michelle: So, if you don’t mind me asking, who is catching your eye at the moment in terms of Burlesque performers? Have you got anybody who has really stood out to you recently?

Jules: Some highlights of the scene at the moment funnily enough has been one of our own; Havana Hurricane.

Shazzie: I would definitely agree with that.

Jules: She only started a couple of years ago. She is actually one of our hospitality, front of house team but doesn’t have time to do that any more because her career has really taken off. She is, in my opinion, one of the brightest stars in her class by a long way.

Michelle: Will we be seeing any of her performances at the next fairs?

Shazzie: She did a Derby one last month in October and she will probably be performing at some of the earlier events next year.

Michelle: Are there any other performances that are going to be at the next Manchester fair?

Shazzie: Alexandra Hofgartner. She’s an ariel performer and she’s not very well-known at the moment, but she’s come from a circus background so she can do ground-based acts as well as breath taking ariel performances, combining them effortlessly. She really is stunning.

Jules: We’ve also got Slinky Sparkles at the Birmingham fair, who is one of the UK’s top 20 performers and is probably one of the most beautiful girls on this entire planet.

Michelle: And what kind of style does she have?

Jules: Old style. Old style traditional burlesque and


she looks more like Marilyn Monroe than Marilyn Monroe herself.

Shazzie: She looks like Marliyn Monroe did when she was very young.

Jules: She looks like a 30s movie star.

Michelle: Wow. I think that might be worth travelling to Birmingham for.

Jules: Yes, she is devastatingly beautiful. The kind of beauty that you just don’t see any more. It’s an old-fashioned look.

Michelle: And is there going to be any fresh talent at the Manchester fair?

Jules: Frankie Lynn, another of our resident performers.

Michelle: What does she do?

Shazzie: Well her background is ballroom and salsa, so she puts her own Latin twist on Burlesque. They’re two completely different styles of dance, but she has the skill to pull off a very elegant routine, which is fantastic.

Michelle: Great, and are there going to be any fashion shows?

Jules: Yes, we have a stunning show from Eustratia, who make latex based outfits that feature a fusion of other materials. They have a special winter wonderland themed show, which we are all looking

Fashion

It's not really a case of choosing the talent, the traders choose us.

forward to.

Michelle: Sounds impressive, on a side note, I’m not sure if it’s just me who seems to have been unaware of latex until recently, but it seems to be suddenly becoming incredibly popular, is that the case?

Jules: Definitely, over the last couple of years.

Shazzie: It has always been something that has been a very big thing within alternative circles.Howard: Lady Gaga is responsible for a lot of the latest uptake. She uses a designer in London called Atsuko Kudo, and that’s who makes all of her latex outfits.

Michelle: Right, and Katy Perry as well. Do you think that’s affected the alternative community?

Howard: It’s made people think about it more, rather than just people like me who have been wearing it for years.

Michelle: I’ve noticed that for quite a lot of people starting out in the alternative modelling career, latex seems to be a strong favourite.

Jules: That’s because it always looks fantastic on the camera.

Shazzie: And it doesn’t need ironing, which is a bonus.

Michelle: True! So who choses the talent to feature at the stalls at these fairs?

Jules: It’s not really a case of choosing the talent, the

traders choose us. We normally have around 60% of traders who tend to re-book for events, and we have about 40% new traders at each event. Some of the traders just do regional ones, some regular traders do virtually every event. We normally always have around 40% new traders but we’re getting several new trader enquiries pretty much on a regular basis now, so word really seems to be getting round.

Shazzie: We try to not have too much product duplication, so the only instance when we would actually refuse a trader would be when we have already got somebody selling a similar thing.

Michelle: And are traders in particular catching your eye right now?

Shazzie: One of my favourite designers in terms of jewellery is Venus Flytrap. Her stuff is so unusual. She uses crystal beads and then she also uses cameos and she does various different sizes of jewellery, but her stuff is just so unusual and good quality. In her cameos she uses all kids of characters from a wide spectre of genres such as Marie Antoinette, Little Red Riding Hood, The Wizard of Oz, and she uses fetish and pin-up imagery a lot too, so keep an eye out for her.

Michelle: There also seem to be a lot of bird skulls on the alternative jewellery market at the moment, will we be seeing any of those?

Jules: Yes, we’ve got Deadly Desires, who do taxidermy. They’re definitely doing Manchester. She’s doing fascinators made out of bird skulls. She sources everything ethically, picks up road kill, goes about finding dead birds in forests, that kind of thing.

Michelle: Have you been quite surprised with the kind of success you’ve had with your fair? Did you ever think it would take off this quickly?

Jules: No, because it only started by accident, it was an idea on the back burner. We went to see a venue

[Sound Control] in Manchester, and we decided to do an evening event there last September. The basement struck me as ideal to do a shopping fair. So we decided to do the event on a Friday night and the Alt fair on the Saturday in the basement. So it kind of started by accident. It turned out to be more popular.

Howard: It was another drunken idea.

Michelle: All the best ones are.

Jules: it was incredibly popular, so we moved it to three floors and it’s kind of developed its own momentum from there. Most shopping fairs tend to be one thing regularly in one place, whereas we travel round the country.

Michelle: Do you try to aim it at places with a well-known alternative community?

Jules: We do tend to pick areas where there is

an established alternative base of either fetish or burlesque. Sheffield, for example, we’ve picked because there’s a long-standing history of alternative events, especially at Corporation. Birmingham has a long-standing reputation for alternative and fetish fairs.

Shazzie: And Manchester has a big scene and didn’t really have anything like that going on there.

Fashion

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Every time we turn up in a new city with a new event, we bring something new, because we bring a load of new traders that a lot of people have never seen before and they're not the sort of traders who you would just come across by accident browsing the internet, it really is unique stuff that you're being put in front of.

Jules: Every time we turn up in a new city with a new event, we bring something new, because we bring a load of new traders that a lot of people have never seen before and they’re not the sort of traders who you would just come across by accident browsing the internet, it really is unique stuff that you’re being put in front of. Plus, at the next Manchester event I’m sure there’ll be a pervy Santa making an appearance at some point, together with scantily clad ladies, which is always a bonus.

The Christmas Alternative and Burlesque Fair is taking place in Manchester on December 8, 11am-5pm, tickets are £5 on the door and it’s strictly over 18 so bring your idea if you’re still fresh faced!

http://www.thealternativeandburlesquefair.com/

Fashion

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indie gaming Roundupgames

by Chris Beattie

Chris Beattie explores the finest that independent gaming has to offer, and invites you to experience a growing market with big ideas and small price tags.

Last year, it was reported that the games industry was worth $74 billion. It’s the fastest growing entertainment industry in the world, and it’s not hard to see why the shelves are dominated by multi-million budget games.

But while commercial developers rely on tried-and-tested methods of selling games, there are independent pioneers who are replacing celebrity voice acting and motherboard melting graphics with unprecedented, innovative gameplay.

Here’s a roundup of games, which you might not have heard. They might not have a high marketing budget, and you might not see them on the shelves, but they are part of a growing market of gamers that reject the catch-all formula of big budget releases, and they are as worth your attention as any triple-A title.

With 8 million players, Minecraft is probably the biggest success story of indie gaming history. If you haven’t had the chance to see what the hype is about, now is the time to see what you’ve been missing.

Minecraft throws you into a randomly-generated utopia, made entirely of cubes. Each cube can be mined, axed or harvested. You can then place these blocks in whatever way takes your fancy. If you cut down a tree, you can build a log cabin out of the wood. If you mine rock, you can then use it to build a statue of yourself. It’s basically a giant LEGO toybox.

You have one goal in Minecraft: build a shelter. When the sun goes down, zombies and skeletons want your blood, and your only defence is a well-lit abode, safe from the night terrors on the other side of the walls.

For a better chance of survival, you’ll have to craft yourself tools, farm crops and animals, and eventually dig into dark, underground caves, where the most valuable resources are protected by hundreds of improbable monsters out for your blood.

It sounds simple, but the next morning, you’ll look at your shelter and decide it would look better with a bay window, or a second floor balcony. Before you know it, you’re miles underground, mining out giant caverns looking for precious diamonds to complete your gem-studded set of armour. It’s usually at this point that your morning alarm goes off.

The addictive nature of Minecraft is one that you need to experience for yourself. It mixes survivalism with horror with an episode of Grand Designs. It’s even more fun when played with friends, and will leave you with stories of triumph, tragedy and undignified screams.

I leave you with this piece of advice. If you see a large, unshapely green monster during your time in Minecraft, be sure to walk over and give it a cuddle.

Minecraft is available on PC (£17.95), X-Box Live Arcade (1600 points) and iOS (£4.99). Website: http://www.minecraft.net/

Minecraft

FTL: Faster Than LightFTL places you in the position of a captain of a federation spaceship, managing your crew and keeping your spaceship running while you dash through eight different sectors of space, outrunning trigger-happy rebel starfighters to deliver important data to the home fleet. If you’re expecting a romantic adventure through the wonders of the universe, be warned: this game is less Firefly and more Event Horizon.

As the rebel fleet home in on you, the game forces you to make careful decisions. You might be in

Illustration:Magdalena Werner culture Bomb 35

desperate need of repairs, but can you risk a trip back to the trading post, or do you push on and hope for the best? As you engage in zero gravity combat, do you divert power to shields or to weaponry?

On your journey through space, you’ll pick up new crewmembers and gadgetry, and be in charge of how you use these assets. Every decision you make to improve a system means that another system loses out.

As everything is randomised, games can last from thirty minutes to four hours, with pure luck being the difference between making your trip or breaking your spirit. It’s not a massively complicated game, but sacrificing your best technician to the dead of space by opening the airlocks to put out a fatal fire is an experience that will stay with you.

Happy nightmares.

FTL: Faster Than Light is available on PC (£6.99).Website: http://www.ftlgame.com/

Illustration:Magdalena Werner

BraidIn Braid, you play Tim, a mop haired man in a cheap suit, as he rescues a princess from a monster. It sounds like a Mario parody, but it soon becomes a somber experience. The narrative is provided through Tim’s existential thoughts, as he struggles to work out his own reality.

But the gameplay itself is a deeply unique and fiendishly challenging lesson in time travel. With the ability to rewind time, death is never your main concern. But throughout your adventures through the watercolour backdrops, you’ll come across items that react differently to time manipulation. These little items throw up puzzles that are so paradoxical and confusing that it borders on inhumane.

Braid is not a particularly forgiving game, but it’s one with a lot of heart, and one that forces you to think rather than act.

Braid is available on PC (£6.99), X-Box Live Arcade (800 points) and Playstation Network (£6.99)Website: http://www.braid-game.com/

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It’s even more fun when played with friends, and will leave you with stories of triumph, tragedy and undignified screams.

Center Of The Great Unknown

Melodic Metal meets enchanting female vocals.

For fans of old Nightwish, Kamelot & Epica

a high-class, rich and varied album that will appeal to music lovers from Power Metal to Classic Rock!

Mixed and mastered by Markus Teske

(Vanden Plas, Saga)as CD, ltd. digipak and ltd. vinyl

Out on October 26th

The Latin Metal pioneers return with their outstanding new album!

Strong, characteristic songs

in best ILL NIÑO tradition!

first edition comes as digipak!

Out on October 26th

A POWER METAL MONUMENT! “TO THE END” TAKES TRADITIONAL GERMAN METAL TO THE YEAR 2012!EXPECT HEAVY RIFFS, EPIC MELODIES & A MODERN PRODUCTION!

ON EUROPEAN TOUR IN NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

WITH LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY!

OUT ON OCTOBER 26TH AS CD, LTD. DIGIPAK (INCL. BONUS TRACKS & BONUS DVD), LTD. SPECIAL EDITION WOODEN BOX & LTD. VINYL (250 IN BLACK, 250 IN CLEAR ICE VINYL)

´TO THE END`

With an abundance of tattoo shops opening up all over the place, it can be hard to know where to go and what to look for. Georgi Bomb has a chat with Grim John from Dark Art Tattoo who shows he’s one of the more passionate tattooists in the industry and the one you may be searching for.

Grim Tattooing is a Dark Art.

Grim John started Dark Art Tattoo Studio a few years ago.

His approach to learning the trade was to throw himself in and absorb everything he could. Originally unhappy with a tattoo he received twelve years ago, he then went about setting up in The Asylum, which he quite affectionately refers to as The Nut House. Working on a self-employed basis, he made lots of connections and featured at various studios, picking up tips and advice along the way. It wasn’t long before Dark Arts Tattoo Studio set up place in Regent Studios on Regent Street in Glasgow.

“How I got into tattooing?” John talks about the beginning, “I got tattooed, I came from a place where there were no tattoos and to me, I looked and it was so vibrant and I thought, I have to get a bit of that. As I said, I was sorely let down and I got really pissed off. I researched it using everything that was available to me; internet, people, even trees. I tattooed trees! That was for line work. “

It seems John took a different approach to learning his trade. Rather than take on an apprenticeship and reside in one studio, John’s reasons for going against this seem logical. “A lot of people think they will go in a place and think, yeah I’m going to get an apprenticeship but I’m not out to make competition for myself you know, there is no right or wrong way to tattoo once you have tattooed.”

Grim John’s style is notably dark, with plenty of skulls to boot and lots of dark and grey work, but with a hint of colour splashed in. Such as a

striking grey skull with a spider crawling on top of it, the red in the spider’s back really brings it to life, with the arachnid’s legs delicate and intricate. According to John, it’s all good fun to absorb the darker side of life. “My work’s attracted some of the worst psychopaths on the planet. And same as anyone, people bond with the tattooist over that, some people don’t though. But they’ll remember you. Definitely tattooing with the dark always came from looking at imagery, musical taste and from there it went a wee bit haywire.

“If people come in with a good brief as well, with what they like. A lot of people still don’t have a clue. They have a visual imprint in their head of what they like so I take it a wee bit under. What I did earlier [today] was a hannya mask but more Japanese style, it definitely looked mean with reds and I even put yellow in it! It’s more to do with suiting the person that comes in.”

John has met many challenges along the way and highlights progressing as one of the more difficult issues he’s faced. “Mainly it’s things like having inks available when I first started.” He said, “It’s not like that now. If you got money, you can put money into your trade, it’s like any other profession; you wouldn’t find a joiner that’s using shit tools. With inks, that was the main problem, and getting clientele. The hardest thing was battling through and getting people that had a good job and the money to pay for tattoos. It’s a major complaint in Scotland, I know we’re reasonable in here but the reason for that is because we’re a luxury item for a lot of people and down to what’s happened with the economy, we slashed our prices for this year.”

Getting recognition for his work proved to be difficult and he goes on to say how it only takes one bad tattoo to go out when you start for a bad reputation to closely follow. As great as it is that someone will recognize and recommend a tattooist’s work, there are also those who greatly criticize. “But there are also people who are so

critical that they will ask you for something and then change their mind two days later.” He says, “That’s difficult because then it’s your fault. This job has no room for error, absolutely no room for error, that’s something I definitely have to put out there.”

So talking about error margins and bad reputations, there are plenty of websites out there that showcase some of the most appalling tattoos ever in existence, and the media doesn’t always create a fine picture on the industry, needless to say, John has something to say about that.

“You can make a permanent mark on anyone’s skin and it’s going to stay there, but if you got a passion and a wee bit of pride in your work, then definitely, you’re going to go places. I’d say a lot have an ego and I’d say the ego really kills a lot of the tattooing trade.

“There was a programme that was on TV, My Tattoo Addiction, they were making it more a case study about people as opposed to the


I came from a place where there were no tattoos and to me, I looked and it was so vibrant and I thought, I have to get a bit of that.

tattooing trade and it’s far more advanced than that. It just made us all look like a bunch of back room scratchers [editor’s note: a scratcher is basically an industry term for a bad tattooist], everyone needs to start somewhere, that’s what I’ll say. The people who continue to do it to make a quick buck well, I’m sorry guys but we are more of a legitimate business than that now.

John talks with relief about the legitimacy, “Those days are slowly but surely coming to an end. There are too many professionals out there who have worked their arses off. To those guys who are continuing and not trying to progress, just stop doing it. Stop buying off of Ebay. What you’re doing is mutilating people so just give it a rest. There’s other ways to mutilate people, you know? [laughs]. “

So for those seeking to get into the industry, you have to put your money where your mouth is, but what about if you’re seeking you’re first tattoo? “Ask yourself, do I really want a tattoo? First and foremost, don’t just do it because your mates are doing it. Have a good think and try to meet someone you feel comfortable around. You’re always going to be nervous walking in for the first tattoo.

“All I’d say is, recent portfolio; check out the work and make sure it’s their work. If you can see a freshly done piece or you see it on a

person and say, “wow, I really appreciate that” It’s always word of mouth.

“Don’t go for cheap shit, it isn’t always better”

John goes on to talk about the advancement of the machines and the industry, talking excitedly about air

powered machines and new rotary machines and the insane array of colours available. “It’s changing on a yearly basis. We are taking over! Who knows? I don’t even want to quote some of the great sayings I’ve heard, Cory Millar had it signed up when he said, “The tent’s stayed the same, the circus just got bigger.

“I think equipment and the outlook on tattooing will change. If it hasn’t already and I’m not aware of it, I’m stuck in here all day!“

So if you’re seeking out a guy who is passionate and knowledgeable of his

trade - along with a sick portfolio to boot - has grabbed your attention, then John has these, final words, “Get tattooed at Dark Art Tattoo, Ask for GRIM!”

Dark Art TattooWithin Regent Studio184 West Regent StreetGlasgow0141 328 0473

Portfolio

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To those guys who are continuing and not trying to progress, just stop doing it. Stop buying off of Ebay. What

you’re doing is mutilating people so just give it a rest. There’s other ways to mutilate people,

you know?

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Photography by Michael Long

street Fashion

Fashion/ Art

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On the 6th of November The Arches Glasgow played host to Nightwalk A/W 2012, after a power cut cancelled the Fashion Show originally planned for the 9th of October. Photographer Michael Long gives us a look backstage, as the deisgners prepare for the show and shows us the best looks from the Catwalk.

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Fashion/ Art

C a r o u s e l

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D aw n t r o v e r s i a lP o p u l a r

n l m d e s i g nb e t t y s p o k e

C r i k e y a p h r o d i t e

fa i r f e at h e r e d f r i e n d

a f r a i d

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b e t s a b e l l e

N o t h i n g

B r i a n C h a n g

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Culture Bomb, Magazine 3

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