It’s the evening of Friday 17th July 2009, the weather gods have decided to bring a world of shit raining down on Sunderland. Special invited guests are arriving at Hi-Fidelity Studios, where Transplant Research are recording their first album. Tonight is their night; it’s their record label signing party. After a sterling support set from local Sunderland metallers Cruentus, Transplant Research hit the stage. This is their celebration. These are their fans. Once you "discover" Transplant Research, you run a 90% risk to remain perpetually infected by their simply brilliant, addictive and mighty music. After the sinister and mechanical intro, Johnny “War Machine” Wall, Nez Armstrong & Psycho Jai possess every living soul in the pit. Welcomed as stars, they are actually ready for success. Very soon they’ll be entering the studio to finish recording their first full length album for Weedspell. We hear the new songs today, and some of the live favourites that have cemented their fan base and those especially invited for tonight’s celebration. Songs that immediately leave an awesome "taste" in everyone’s inner being.
Front man Johnny Wall (considered by his peers as the best punk/metal/thrash singer in the North East) looks excellent, his trademark purple tartan kilt in full flow. The set list couldn’t be better; opened by the strong “Destroying Angel”; it’s a bringer of wrath and sorrow. “Black Budget Boys” follows. Its then we hear “Horse”, one of the live favourites of the last few years. CEO Simon Robinson commented on the performance of Horse, “I remember the first time I listened to this track in the Hi-Fidelity studios; it’s the same emotion that floods through me now, it’s this song that made me want to sign them. Horse is like having lava flow down your throat”. As the set continues, the audience are now deep in powerful feelings of bitterness, anger, pain and sorrow that morph in to strength and endurance.
After “Innocence Lost”, we hear the poetic “Angel Bleeding”, a song that will tear your heart out, show it to you, smile in your face and then stamp it into oblivion. “Stone Cold” is followed by the preview of “Bring Me Home”, which immediately sounds cadenced and addictive. This song will be one of the next toxins against which it's impossible to produce antibodies. We have moved time from the future to the past and returned to the future with the same intensity in just 3 songs. "Are you fuckers ready for Battle Brothers" asks sinister Johnny. “Battle Brothers” moves like an obscure mechanism and offers a noticeable guitar intensity played by Nez. In each song the interlace between the guitar, bass and Jai’s drumming is mesmerising. The work of guitarist Nez and Johnny’s bass is a dialogue, the rhythm and emotion of one flowing to the other and vice versa.
We are already used to the constant and elastic contribution of drummer Psycho Jai to the rhythmic onslaught, and let's add that Jai’s backing vocals get more and more authority with each performance. The band is empowered by this Sunderland motor behind the skins, a drummer of true animal qualities. Transplant Research drive into the final number, “Take a Bullet”, melody and intense feelings crown this performance.
This is not the end of the story; before the crowd could even start to demand more from the lads, Johnny came to the mic and reminded everyone that this wasn’t just another gig; this was their celebration at being signed to Weedspell Records. It was something they wanted to share with their guests. CEO of Weedspell Records, Simon Robinson, walked onto the stage with contract in hand. Johnny, Nez and Jai signed their contract in front of the audience, sharing their moment to great cheers of appreciation and respect. Everyone there were now part of Transplant Research’s moment.
A special gig topped off with the evitable encore. Paul Crake joined the band for the performance of “Axe Man”, supported by a warm expression of affection from the band and audience, and a firm live favourite with everyone. A reprise of “Horse”, which will be the first single off the album and finally, “Red Messiah”, which had the entire room joining in. Finally, thanks were given by the band to the fans, and to all who have walked together with them in these past few years.
Congratulations to Transplant Research – Natural Born Motherfuckers.
2009 is turning into "Metal Mayhem" at HiFidelity Studios in Sunderland as Transplant Research strolled in to wreak havoc.
Sunderland's premier metal outfit Transplant Research, have recorded the first five tracks for their forthcoming album. To celebrate, the band and label are holding their official label signing party on the 17th of July at HiFidelity Studios in Sunderland. The forthcoming album will be a release to make you run crying to your mommy.
Singer and bassist Johnny Wall said "We're aiming high with this album. It already has our label Weedspell Records chomping at the bit to release, but we're taking our time. We've sunk a lot of time and effort into this album and we've still got more to do."
Working with Dave Dorn at Hifidelity in Sunderland, the aim is to achieve a sound that will see them transverse all boundaries. The band want something to take their fans to place no man will ever forget. The result? As Dave Dorn has commented, "The opening seconds of the opening track will cause any listener to have an involuntary bowl movement, pure brutality!"
We at Weedspell describe them as "experts and instructors in a shit kicking factory!” This is no understatement, but there's much more to this band than raw power. With Jai Wall, a drummer - part man, part machine with brain damage behind the skins; guitar and vocal assaults from Nez Armstrong; solid bass and vocals to make you bleed from Johnny, these guys have got a formula that will make you convulse into submission.
Keep an eye open, an ear to the ground, this summer, a Transplant Research assault is coming.
