3 YEARS OF KAINE REFORGED – BUT HOW DID THE NEW VERSION OF THE BAND COME ABOUT?

The new version of Kaine was officially formed on May 12th 2018. But How did we arrive at this point?

The short lived 2015 line-up

The original band had been formed in 2009 and had had various line ups over the years, the people in the band would usually gradually change over time so things didn’t seem so radical to the wider audience. However in 2016, following the departure of founding member Dan Mailer (bass/vocals) and Ant Murch (lead guitar) in 2015 the line-up of myself, Chris MacKinnon (drums), Saxon Davids (lead guitar) and Stephen Ellis (bass) formed in 2016. Dan and Ant had been known to most people as they had both performed on our first two albums, Dan had left in August 2015 and Ant left at the close of play in 2015. Stevo had been with us a few months already when Anthony departed, and Saxon first joined the band in 2014 as a substitute for Anthony on a tour he couldn’t do and just remained in the band from that point alongside Anthony so the transition between Dan and Anthony departing didn’t seem that different or radical to those who had followed us for years.

The 2016-2018 version of Kaine
HARD ROCK HELL – 2018

The 2016 version of Kaine would go on to be a very popular line-up, from playing our regular shows at The Soundhouse in Colchester, the Asylum in Chelmsford, the B2 in Norwich and The Smokehouse in Ipswich among others. We built up a real following of regular gig goers and supporters during that period and began to write a new album, which would eventually end up being A Crisis of Faith, an album which we played most of the stuff live before we recorded it. There was a real emotional attachment between that group of guys and audience throughout that period and real desire to see us do well. We released A Crisis of Faith in early 2018, and although our fans loved it, it was largely ignored by the wider Metal audience and it didn’t really pick up much steam. Because it took a more modern, proggier direction from our previous release The Waystone it was met with a lot of criticism from the New Wave of Traditional Metal community and it generally didn’t go down well with that audience. We had a number of gigs booked and were also on the biggest festival billing we had ever been on, at Hard Rock Hell Metal 2018 playing the same stage as Grave Digger. We played the gig and we went down a storm at the sold out o2 Academy, Birmingham and it looked like to many on the outside that things were about to happen for the band.

Sadly, life doesn’t work out that way.

Liam joins in April 2018

Internally within the band there were a number of personal circumstances that would force change. Chris was the first to depart not long after that in April, but this was largely an expected departure due to Chris own circumstances and thus I had already sounded out Liam Etheridge as a potential replacement. Liam is someone I knew from way back as his old band Asylum had played with Kaine on a number of shows, someone who I knew was a good drummer and a decent guy and someone who I thought would work really well for the band. I did however offer Josh (or original drummer) the opportunity to come on board again if he would like to, but he was busy with A Bribe for the Ferryman and Dismanibus at that time as well as working with Elimination. Chris formally left the band and Liam came in the week later, rehearsed and we were back to gigging almost straight away with no downtime. Stevo however had said to me at this point that he didn’t enjoy playing in the band without Chris and said he would stick it out but was generally unhappy.

A few weeks go by and Saxon calls me to inform me that he was leaving the band to move to America to be with his then fiance. I accepted his resignation and then called Stevo to offer him his release from the band. Both agreed to stay as long as it would take to find replacements.

I called Liam and gave him the bad news, and we agreed that it was probably game over for Kaine but we would see what our options were and try and keep it going.

I offered Dan and Anthony their old spots back, but Dan had recently joined Osmium Guillotine as a vocalist and was suffering from carpel tunnel syndrome which was restricting what he could do on bass. Ant was playing in covers bands and couldn’t commit to Kaine at that stage. People may think its strange to invite former members back to the band but I feel its a matter of courtesy. Josh, Dan and Ant poured a lot of their own time and money into Kaine in the early years and the band simply would have never existed without them. The least I can do is offer them their position back if it comes up. I never want to be one of those musicians who never asks someone back or holds grudges about departures. Life happens. People have their own reasons for leaving bands, usually varied and you can’t take it personally and you have to respect what they did to help make that band happen to begin with. We wouldn’t exist without those guys, or anyone who has been in the band these past 12 years and they deserve the credit for what they contributed. I knew they couldn’t come back, it’s just a matter of respect, and I respect them enough to ask, even if it is a “no”.

So, the night of the departure announcement I put up an advert for both positions and go to bed thinking that it was probably game over. In fact I had written a retirement statement that night anyway as I had fully expected it was game over. At that point in my life things were a bit of a nightmare anyway, I had started shift work in a warehouse after being made redundant the year previous from a job I had been at for a long time. I was working hard and my hours were all over the place, so my brain was scrambled trying to adapt to that on top of the band imploding suddenly immediately after an album release. I also had a ton of unsold CD’s, shirts and vinyl’s from that release which probably cost me close to £10k to produce altogether that without a band, wouldn’t have been sold so I was in a bit of a desperate situation financially as a result. I am not a wealthy man, so spending that sort of cash (not all at once might I add) on making that recording and then printing the CD’s, Vinyl and shirts to not sell them would have been a huge issue as I wouldn’t have had money to survive on! I think it’s worth pointing out that there are no issues between myself and any of the members from the A Crisis of Faith line-up. That is not the reason the split occurred. As with anything, its more complicated than that and I respect their decision to leave the band.

Toby Woods joins in 2018

A few people have had digs at me for my decision to continue the band. They probably don’t understand that the A Crisis of Faith line-up wasn’t the original band and we had always had changing members over the years. They also were probably unaware of the financially implications to me personally if the band did end. I swallowed all of the bands costs (and still do) and don’t get that money back without sales so for me to put out a record without selling it would have been financial suicide for me at the time. This wasn’t about my ego.

The next morning I was messaged by a guitarist named Toby Woods about trying out. I asked if he could do Saturday, which he could, which was just a few days away and we booked in a try out. Toby went away and learned the stuff. That day I had a message from Dan suggesting I try out “this guy” and sends me a video. He had tried out for Elimination when Dan was working with them and didn’t get the gig. It turns out that guitarist was Toby. Dan’s pretty good at spotting good players so that’s a good endorsement to have going into your first try-out with Kaine!

On the Saturday session at Pioneer it was myself, Stevo, Liam and Saxon with Toby. We go to start playing Heavens Abandonment from A Crisis of Faith and Toby just didn’t join in. I am thinking in my head, this isn’t good and look over to Liam who looked back at me in silent agreement. We stopped playing and asked if he wanted to join in this time. So we start and Toby then plays the song through exceptionally well. Relief. It turns out he was just watching Saxon to just get an idea of how he played the song! The rest of audition went perfectly and we offered him the gig, well Stevo did actually, which was a bit cheeky as he was leaving the band as well! But that was fine as we were in a agreement. We causally asked him as we packed down if he knew any bassists and he said he had a mate who could play bass. We asked if he could ask him to try out, and by that evening his mate was booked in for a audition the following week. Toby was announced for the band and Saxon had officially departed as of that point. He never did find America though.

The week after Isaac Healy, who Toby had played with in Cannon, tried out for the band. Myself, Liam, Stevo and Toby were present. Again it went well and he was offered the position, which he accepted. He and the new line-up were announced that night. Toby would have his first gig with us on the 19th (the following weekend), which would be Stevo’s last show, at The Smokehouse, Ipswich and the new bands very first gig would be May 26th at the B2 in Norwich and we have been together ever since.

Isaac joins Kaine a week later!

During this period I started writing what would become Reforge The Steel. We would learn and work on the new songs between gigs and even began recording it in November 2018, just months after the line-up had changed and not even a year after A Crisis of Faith. We would continue to gig and work on the new album, Reforge The Steel until it was finally released in 2019. We’ve since played 40+ shows together (which would have been a lot more before Covid hit!) released The Waystone anniversary EP, two live albums, another EP and are just about to record a brand new album. This will also be the first time in the bands history that the same line-up has appeared on back to back albums.

I will cover more detail from the new line-up period in more posts throughout the week, I just thought this would be a good starting point to give more details on how this version of Kaine formed, and why.

A Crisis of Faith Live Sells Out on CD – Becomes Members Only Release

A Crisis of Faith Live has finally sold out on CD. The band will not be reprinting any more of these and the digital version of the album will become a members only release on Bandcamp which can be accessed here. The album was recorded live at the Asylum Chelmsford by Short Stack studios and features the A Crisis of Faith album in full and includes two tracks from The Waystone that features founding members of the band Dan Mailer and Josh Moreton.

PIONEER MUSIC CLOSES AFTER 13 YEARS

Kaine’s last ever rehearsal at Pioneer Music

Kaine’s regular rehearsal rooms, Pioneer Music in Colchester have now closed after 13 years of service to local bands and musicians. It is an end of an era for the band who will be returning to rehearsal in a few weeks to resume work on the bands new album.

“Hi all, to those who don’t already know, I am closing Pioneer Music in the next week or so.

I’ve been thinking about moving on for a couple of years now, and having a pretty empty studio for almost a year has helped me make that final decision.

I’d like to thank everyone for their support over the past 13 years, I won’t start naming names because there are so many and I am bound to forget important ones!

Also I’d like to wish everyone good luck with their future plans, whether it is music or not, I wish you all the very best. It’s been a blast and I have tons of great memories of working with you all, for which I am eternally grateful.

So long and thanks for all the fish.” – Matthew Abbott

Kaine started rehearsing at Pioneer Music back in 2011 and every line-up of the band has rehearsed there, bar the original since the original band formed in 2009. We would like to thank Maz for his many years of excellent service to the local music community as well as treating us exceptionally over the past ten years, which included collecting Liam’s keys from the roof of Bartech!

REFORGE THE STEEL DOWN TO THE FINAL 5 COPIES

The album has over 16,000 plays on NWOTHM Full Albums

There are only 5 copies remaining of Reforge The Steel available on CD. The album was released last October and is close to selling out for the first time. The album will not be printed in this format again, so if you wish to order one of the first prints of the album before they are gone for good please click here. The album will be reprinted in a different format for the second print run at a later date.

Stocks are also low for the following items which will not be printed again:

  • The Waystone Album CD – 14 copies remaining
  • A Crisis of Faith Album CD [EU Edition] – 8 copies remaining
  • A Crisis of Faith Live Album CD – 4 copies remaining
  • Reforge The Steel Live CD – 47 copies remaining
  • Kaine X Live DVD – 62 copies remaining
  • The Waystone Patch – 9 remaining
  • A Crisis of Faith T-Shirt – 7 remaining
  • Kaine X T-Shirt – 6 remaining

These can be ordered from here.

CD’s and other Merchandise starting to sell out (Won’t be reprinted)

We now only have the following numbers of each item left in stock:

  • The Waystone Album CD: 21
  • The Waystone Patch: 12
  • The Waystone EP: 113
  • A Crisis of Faith UK CD: 91
  • A Crisis of Faith EU CD: 22
  • A Crisis of Faith Vinyl: 172
  • A Crisis of Faith T-Shirt: 3
  • A Crisis of Faith Live: 25
  • Kaine X Live Double Album: 6
  • Kaine X Live DVD: 64
  • Kaine X T-Shirt: 10
  • Reforge The Steel CD: 12
  • Reforge The Steel Live CD: 47

Every item bar Reforge The Steel CD will not be printed again though the next Reforge The Steel CD will be released in a different format to the 1st print. All the albums bar Reforge The Steel will become Bandcamp members only once they have sold out with some limited availability for A Crisis of Faith and The Waystone EP on some select streaming sites.

The earlier prints of the CD and Vinyl are very expensive on re-selling sites so to get the merchandise from the band at the best price please click here to order now. Once its gone, its gone for good!

Patreon Shirts and Waystone EP’s will ship next week + other orders

The brand new Waystone EP and Patreon shirts along with all other orders will be shipped next week.

Due to a recent influx of sales we have only a limited number of some merch/music items left. The majority of these items will not be made or printed again. The Waystone album will become a Bandcamp members exclusive album (much like the band’s debut Falling Through Freedom) once it has sold out on CD. The digital version of A Crisis of Faith will remain on some streaming platforms once the CD’s and Vinyl have sold out. The Waystone EP, Kaine X Live, Reforge The Steel Live, and A Crisis of Faith live will also not be printed again once the remaining CD’s have sold out and will become Bandcamp members exclusives, except for the Waystone EP which will remain on some streaming sites.

We only have a limited number of the following items left to order:

  • The Waystone Album CD: 23
  • The Waystone Patch: 12
  • The Waystone EP: 120
  • A Crisis of Faith UK CD: 91
  • A Crisis of Faith EU CD: 23
  • A Crisis of Faith Vinyl: 172
  • A Crisis of Faith T-Shirt: 3
  • A Crisis of Faith Live: 25
  • Kaine X Live Double Album: 6
  • Kaine X Live DVD: 64
  • Kaine X T-Shirt: 10
  • Reforge The Steel CD: 12
  • Reforge The Steel Live CD: 47

Reforge The Steel will be printed again but not in the same format as the first edition. Every other item on the above list will not be printed again so if you would like to own some of these items, order now to avoid disappointment. Just to note The Waystone CD (earlier prints) go for upwards of £30-40 on reseller sites and The Waystone Vinyl can go for anything between £80-100. You can order any of the above items by clicking here

You can still order a 2020 Patreon exclusive shirt and patch by clicking here for just £1. Remaining a Patreon will also guarantee you get a brand new shirt for 2021 with a new exclusive design on it, and a new shirt every year after.

DEBUT ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE IN INSTRUMENTAL FORMAT

Kaine’s debut album is now available in instrumental format on Bandcamp. You can download the album or stream from the members app here.

The album was written by the bands original line-up and recording originally began in 2011 before finally being released in mid 2012 with the Rage Sadler/Dan Mailer/Josh Moreton/Anthony Murch line-up performing the tracks.

Feature with Liam Etheridge (KAINE – DRUMS/BACKING VOCALS)

Liam has been the drummer of Kaine for the past two years

We’ll be doing a number of features on the members of the bands, their music origins and how they became a part of Kaine over the coming week. We’re starting off with the man behind the kit…. Liam Etheridge!

At The Firehouse, Southampton

When did you first take an interest in music, when did you decide to start playing drums? 

I’ve really always been interested in music, I can’t think of a time in my life where my life didn’t revolve around it, obviously not just in a playing aspect but a listening aspect. I got a lot of my music taste from my grandparents, who not only listened to older bands I grew to love over the years, but also had a lot of underground taste in the Manchester music scene in the mid-2000s, and there were a few bands from that scene that they befriended and ended up becoming a massive influence for my playing. Funnily enough it was from one of those bands that I got my first drum kit, back in 2008!

Classic AC/DC

What would you say your biggest influences were in the beginning? 

In the beginning, my biggest influences were two bands in particular, the first of which was a band that my grandparents knew called The Words, who were a part of the Manchester music scene from 2006 to 2011, and made some excellent music in the time they were around. It was from them that I got my first kit, but the band that first made me realise that I wanted to be a musician was Wishbone Ash, who still remain my all time favourite band to this day, and are without a doubt the most important band I ever listened to. Their iconic 1972 album “Argus” still remains my favourite album of all time, and I was lucky enough to meet founding member Martin Turner when I went and saw his version of the band in Hertford in 2019 to thank him for what the band had done for me. It was these 2 bands I would start playing along to as a kid, prior to my first proper drum kit, with one single tom (which actually belonged to my small cousin!), and a kit made up of 2 board game boxes, one of which I distinctly remember being a Cluedo box! 

In terms of getting into heavy metal, a lot of the music I discovered on my own, or through my best friend at the time in primary school/early senior school, but the first heavier bands I listened to were AC/DC and Iron Maiden, which were shown to me by my stepfather. One of my earliest memories of heavier music was my family being on a holiday in Florida in 2008, the soundtrack being AC/DC’s Black Ice album. Maiden have remained as my second favourite band, and are another one of my biggest influences.

Liam with Martyn Turner, ex Wishbone Ash

So, you started out in a band called Asylum, when did that start and how did that progress?  

Asylum started as an original band in 2014, but the origin of the band goes back to around 2012, before I joined in late 2013, when they were a part of Harlow Rockschool, named Bacon Bandits. They started off performing covers, and then when we changed the name it was me and our guitarist Brad Burtenshaw who started to write originals together. At the time I was really happy with what he was putting out, as we were having the same kind of influences, i.e a lot of 80s thrash metal, and also Pantera in particular, as well as bands like Avenged Sevenfold on my end. We started to get some momentum and we could’ve started doing some pretty cool stuff! But unfortunately after Brad and our singer Rylan did their GCSE’s in 2015, the band just fizzled out, which I think was a shame. 

As Asylum you supported Kaine at several shows back in 2014 and 2015, how did you first discover the band?

I first discovered Kaine in the beginning of 2014, through an ad on Facebook. I saw that it was for fans of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica, so therefore I had to check it out. The first song I heard was Iron Lady, and when I first put that on I was blown away. It was fun supporting the band at that time, as a fan of the band. It was pretty cool to befriend the other members aswell. My favourite gig of ours together was when we played the Asylum in Chelmsford, in October 2014. That was our first gig as an original band, and it was also generally a really fun night.  

At the Hunters Bar, Bury St Edmund’s

You were surprised that they were playing the Speakeasy in Epping for their Waystone album launch what do you remember about that gig?

I remember when it was first announced I was confused because I had no clue it had been booked! We played that gig when we were still called Bacon Bandits, sadly no originals at the time. It was still a great gig, and we had a great time and seemed to be well received. At the time Kaine were becoming quite a big deal for me, and I was a real fan of their music, having had the Falling Through Freedom album on rotation for the previous couple of months. That day was amazing not just for that gig, but I also was introduced to the band themselves, aswell as our good friends in Osmium Guillotine. 

*Entropy were originally meant to play the same night, a band which featured Saxon Davids who would go on to join Kaine a few months later.

Liam working hard in the studio

You have played a number of the songs from The Waystone both in the studio and live, what’s it like to be playing those songs now as the drummer in Kaine, have you put your own stamp on them on the upcoming EP?  

It’s exciting! I was a big fan of the original album when it came out, although looking back as a member of the band I could sit back and assess how I would’ve approached the process of the album. Chris has a very different playing style to me. He has much more of a funk influence, whereas I’m much more of a straightforward thrash metal drummer, so it’s been really cool to go through the process of this EP, a chance to revisit the tracks and be able to put my own stamp on them, to play them how I think they should’ve been played. I can’t wait for people to hear it! 

So, after Asylum, what have you done musically since? 

After Asylum, I was a part of another covers band called Ultimatum throughout 2015. I was in that band with the bassist and singer of Asylum, and another guitarist called Aidan. We spent that time basically just playing a load of covers, ranging as far as Green Day to Slipknot, essentially just playing gigs with material that we enjoyed playing together. I left that at the beginning of 2016, and was largely inactive for the rest of that year, and for most of 2017 too. I then got back into the scene by joining a Basildon based band called Scarred By Name, whom I found on an advert. After I got the call to be in Kaine I found that the band never really did anything. It was not just because of that, but also the band had their own families, and our guitarist was suffering from bad back problems too. I then got the call to join Kaine in around March 2018.

You attended the Kaine gig at The Green Room in Welwyn Garden City in February 2018 not long after the release of the A Crisis of Faith album and you were in the band a little over a month later, what was that like? 

That was a cool night actually. It was the first time I’d ventured outside by myself with none of my usual mates. Just jumped on the bus from Harlow to Welwyn and had a great night. A Crisis of Faith is an absolutely fantastic album, so I was glad to see that lineup arguably at their peak, firing on all cylinders. It was good to see Rage, Chris and Saxon again aswell, as I had not seen any of them since around 2014/2015, and hadn’t met Stephen before. I had a great time, banged my head, and got very drunk, can’t complain at all! I had no idea that the following month I’d get the news from Rage that Chris had left the band, and that I’d been asked to join. That whole month was quite a rollercoaster, but it was a great experience.

You jumped in during immediately after the release of A Crisis of Faith and not long after Saxon Davids and Stephen Ellis departed the band, how did that feel, did you think it was the end of Kaine?  

I played a couple of gigs with Saxon and Stephen, and they were really enjoyable, even though my first gig with the band was less than a week after my first rehearsal! Thank god I was a fan and knew the songs anyway! I was really excited for what could’ve been, so I was absolutely gutted when Saxon and Stephen said that they were going to leave. I was genuinely scared for what would come next, I thought it could well be the end. I remember speaking on the phone with Rage that night and I’d never known him to be so unsure of anything. He didn’t know if he could keep the band together, although we both agreed that no matter what we would try. I felt it was the end, but then we were saved when Toby was introduced to us, and Isaac was introduced through him. They truly did save the band.

Kaine…. as serious as ever after playing The Bassment, Chelmsford

The new lineup of yourself, Rage Sadler, Toby Woods and Isaac Healy was formed in a fortnight, was it strange to have joined a band to be playing in an entirely new band almost immediately?

The prospect of playing in a new band wasn’t as strange as the speed with which it was put together. I didn’t even know it was possible to do that, I can’t think of anyone else who has pulled that off, so full credit to Rage for being able to make that happen! I never thought in a million years that the band would be reformed as quickly as that, as we then played our first gig with this lineup much less than a month after Saxon and Stephen announced they would leave. It really was quite a surreal experience, but it worked out so much better than I could have ever imagined, and I am having more fun than I’ve ever had playing music. I cannot wait for what the future brings this lineup, after the release of Reforge The Steel. 

Reforge The Steel was written and rehearsed very quickly during that period, how was the process for you as a new member of the band? 

It was a brilliant experience, my first experience of really writing an album. I had obviously been a part of writing a few originals before, but never really had the pressure of writing an entire album. I was really excited with the material that Rage had written for the album, and I genuinely believed we could be better than any other lineup of the band. The chemistry between all four members throughout the writing process was great, and it felt good for everyone to have a common goal for how the album should sound, something which I feel we will have way into the future. I couldn’t have been happier with the way the album came together, with such quality material in such a short space of time. So again, full credit to Rage for that.

Liam with Kaine fan Wally in 2019

You released the album back in October 2019, just a year after A Crisis of Faith how did it feel to release of the album? What are your favourite songs from the new record?  

It was cool to finally have something properly released with my name in the credits. It felt really good to see the amount of people that listened to it, and the amount of praise the album received, even with comments commending my drumming on the album. I love all the tracks on the album, but I would say my favourite tracks are Black, To All My Love, The Dragon Reborn, and the title track. The album has a lot of twin lead influence, so being a big fan of bands like Wishbone Ash and Thin Lizzy I found it really cool to see the band take that direction with the music.

Reforge The Steel on NWOTHM Playlist
At Kaine X, Colchester Arts Centre

You have played a few big shows with Kaine already, how did it feel to play a packed out Colchester Arts Centre for the Kaine 10 year show, and how did it feel to support ex Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley recently at Burr Fest?

The Kaine 10 year show was just something else. None of us expected it to turn out the way it did, and it was my biggest gig to date ever. I remember prior to the show sales had been pretty good, but I did not expect the event to be nearly sold out by the time the night arrived. My best memory was coming out of the backstage area not long after the doors opened, peeking out from behind the stage, and seeing the amount of people that had already arrived. It was rammed before any bands even came on, it was amazing! I didn’t think we could top that until we played Burr Fest this year, which really was a special experience! For me that was this bands best ever performance, and to do it alongside ex-Iron Maiden members, in particular Doug Sampson and Blaze Bayley, was amazing. I had a brief conversation with Doug at the bar not long before Blaze went onstage, and he really is a top bloke! I also managed to get my poster signed by Blaze, which was really cool. The whole experience was just incredible, and I feel so honoured to have been a part of it, and it was an honour to be so well received by the Burr Fest crowd. I hope one day we can be asked back!

Liam playing the Dome, London for Burr Fest 2020

You also play guitar, how long have you been playing? 

I have been playing guitar by myself since early 2014. I have never played guitar in any bands, but I have obviously written my fair share of originals with it, a few of which you may hear on the next Kaine album!

You have written a number of tracks for the new album, do you like having the freedom to write in Kaine?  

I love that I still have creative freedom in this band. I was obviously more than content with my role during the Reforge the Steel cycle, but it’s been really cool to finally bring my ideas to the table. I have three tracks ready for the new album so far, so it’s been cool to record them and send them to the band. It’s also a relief because I have been sat on one particular song since April 2018! The feedback from the guys on my songs has been good as well so that’s exciting.

From the Reforge The Steel photo shoot

All the rehearsal and recording activity has been suspended due to the Corona virus outbreak, are the band still writing and communicating while everything is suspended? 

We are still communicating every day, bouncing ideas back and forth and making sure we check in on each other regularly. I myself have been very busy during the time indoors. I have been furloughed by my day job, so I now have a lot of spare time to put my tracks together properly. It’s definitely kept me sane, because otherwise I feel I’d be bored to death! 

Black from Kaine X

There is a new live album coming soon from the B2 Norwich last year from the Reforge The Steel album, how was that night for you and are you looking forward to releasing another live album? 

That was a fun night actually, and another night that I didn’t expect to be as good as it was turnout wise. It was mired by some technical difficulty, and also tainted when we found out in the car that a close friend of the band had unexpectedly passed away that morning. But we managed to get through it, and both us and Osmium Guillotine played blistering sets, despite the horrible news. I feel we really made a great night of it, despite the circumstances. I’m looking forward to releasing this live album, as it really does sound excellent! 

What can you say about the new record your working on right now with Kaine? 

You thought Reforge the Steel was the best this band has done? Well just wait because this is gonna be the best album ever! It’s heavier, it’s faster, it’s amazing! 

West Ham celebrating earlier this season…

You’re a big fan of West Ham United, how long have you supported the team and what are the highs and lows of following the Hammers? Which was the last game you attended and do you think they will stay up? Favourite players?  

I am indeed a big Hammers fan, born and bred! However there are definitely more lows than highs right now. I feel the last real high was our last season at Upton Park. We played some of the best football I’d seen from a West Ham side, and finished well at the end of the season aswell! Since then however, it has all been downhill! The last game I attended was in November 2019, we lost 3-2 to Newcastle. Although the scoreline was flattering, we were 3-0 down for the longest time and it was easily the worst West Ham performance I had seen to date. Although since then we have definitely played worse, it’s been embarrassing! The only player I can think of that is any good at the moment is Michail Antonio, just because he’s the only one who seems to put any effort in! If this season finishes, I cannot see us staying up! 

To order Reforge the Steel on CD please click here. There are also a limited number of CD’s and DVD’s from Liam’s performance at Kaine X which can be ordered here. You can also pre-order The Waystone EP here. You can also hear the album by clicking the Spotify tab at the top of this page.

Bandcamp Sale in Response to Bandcamp waiving revenue share on all sales this Friday

We will be holding a one off Bandcamp sale tomorrow in response to fees being waived by the site in response to the current Covid-19 pandemic. We will be passing on these savings to you, we have many limited items that will be available to purchase which once sold out, will be gone for good and these included Kaine X items, A Crisis of Faith items, Waystone items and many more. Kaine members will get an additional discount.

We’ll still be offering free downloads to anyone currently unwell or stuck in self isolation – for details please click here – https://kaine-metal.com/2020/03/16/free-download-code-for-those-currently-in-self-isolation/

See Bandcamp’s statement below:

“The Covid-19 pandemic is in full force, and artists have been hit especially hard as tours and shows are being canceled for the foreseeable future. With such a major revenue stream drying up almost entirely, finding ways to continue supporting artists in the coming months is now an urgent priority for anyone who cares about music and the artists who create it. The good news is that we’re already seeing many fans going above and beyond to support artists across Bandcamp.

To raise even more awareness around the pandemic’s impact on musicians everywhere, we’re waiving our revenue share on sales this Friday, March 20 (from midnight to midnight Pacific Time), and rallying the Bandcamp community to put much needed money directly into artists’ pockets.

For many artists, a single day of boosted sales can mean the difference between being able to pay rent or not. Still, we consider this just a starting point. Musicians will continue to feel the effects of lost touring income for many months to come, so we’re also sharing some ideas below on how fans can support the artists they love and how artists can give fans new, creative ways to provide support.

It may sound simple, but the best way to help artists is with your direct financial support, and we hope you’ll join us on Friday and through the coming months as we work to support artists in this challenging time.

Ethan Diamond
Co-Founder & CEO
Bandcamp”

https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/bandcamp-covid-19-fundraiser

https://loudwire.com/bandcamp-donate-profits-artists/

The X Files – When former members have re-joined Kaine for one off appearances

The new live album available from our Bandcamp

December 29th, 2012 – Hole in the Wall, Colchester

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Dan Mailer: Bass/Vocals
Anthony Murch: Lead Guitars
Josh Moreton: Drums

Background: The band were offered a slot as a last-minute support for Coronach at the Hole in the Wall. Chris MacKinnon who had recently joined the band was unavailable for the gig so original drummer Josh Moreton filled in for the night where the band played its debut album Falling Through Freedom in its entirety for the first and only time.

May 16th, 2014 – The Barfly, Camden, London

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Dan Mailer: Bass/Vocals
Anthony Murch: Lead Guitars
James Balcombe: Drums

Background: James joined the band on the final show of the Renegades Tour with Monument when Chris had to perform for his university exams finals in Colchester on the same day. James joined the band for what was the most intense nights in the history of Kaine, as they dropped their association with MGR for management and as a record label that day due to incidents that occurred on that tour.

February 5th, 2016 – The Soundhouse, Colchester

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Chris MacKinnon: Drums/Vocals
Saxon Davids: Lead Guitars and backing vocals
Stephen Ellis: Bass
Dan Mailer: Vocals

Background: Dan Mailer, who was at that time playing in Ipswich based Death Metal band Daemona joined the band onstage as guest vocalist for Solidarity during the bands set, a song which Rage broke a string and had to perform the final song of the night Quality of Madness as purely a vocalist. It was also the first gig the band played with the new four pieces line-up after Anthony Murch left making it the start of the Crisis of Faith era.

February 24th, 2017 – The Asylum, Chelmsford

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Chris MacKinnon: Drums/Vocals
Saxon Davids: Lead Guitars and backing vocals
Stephen Ellis: Bass
Dan Mailer: Vocals
Josh Moreton: Drums

Background: This was the night A Crisis of Faith live was recorded the band played a large number of the new album songs before they were even recorded at this show and were joined by Dan Mailer on vocals for Iron Lady and Solidarity and Josh Moreton on drums for the Iron Lady, a song he had never played with the band before. Chris joined Dan Mailer in joint lead vocals for Iron Lady.

April 15th, 2017 – Hope & Anchor, Islington, London

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Saxon Davids: Lead Guitars and backing vocals
Stephen Ellis: Bass
James Balcombe: Drums

Background: Chris was unable to do the show, so long time band friend James Balcombe of Osmium Guillotine stepped in to perform on the night for the second time. The set was recorded and is available to bandcamp members here.

May 20th, 2017 – The Smokehouse, Ipswich

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Stephen Ellis: Bass
Ant Murch: Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals
Josh Moreton: Drums

Background: Kaine were originally due to play with AJ Kemp of Dismanibus fame on Lead Guitar alongside Josh Moreton and Dan Mailer on bass as a special one of show playing songs from the original album. However, Dan was diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrome (he and Josh were playing with Elimination at that time and on the same night for the bands 10-year celebrations) so had to drop out. Stephen Ellis was then drafted in to play bass, alongside Anthony Murch to play a set comprising of material from the first three albums. It was the first time Josh had performed with the band since 2012 and Anthony, which was 2015.

May 4th, 2018 – Voodoo Lounge, Stamford

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Saxon Davids: Lead Guitars and backing vocals
Stephen Ellis: Bass
Liam Etheridge: Drums
Chris MacKinnon: Vocals

Background: Chris joined the band on stage for Frailty of the Blade on vocals, the second time he had performed solo as a vocalist for the band the first being when he joined Dan Mailer to sing Iron Lady at the Asylum for A Crisis of Faith live. This would also be the last show played with Saxon and Stephen as official members of the band.

May 26th, 2018 – B2, Norwich

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Liam Etheridge: Drums
Toby Woods: Lead Guitars
Isaac Healy: Bass
Dan Mailer: Vocals

Background: Dan Mailer joined the band on stage, coincidently for another new line-up debut at the B2 Norwich for Iron Lady during his tenure as the lead singer of lone time Kaine friends and collaborators Osmium Guillotine.

July 7th, 2018 – B2, Norwich

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Liam Etheridge: Drums
Toby Woods: Lead Guitars
Isaac Healy: Bass
Ant Murch: Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals

Background: Ant Murch joined Kaine on stage to play an encore of songs from The Waystone and A Crisis of Faith eras including a solo trade off with Toby Woods.

August 11th, 2018 – Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Liam Etheridge: Drums
Toby Woods: Lead Guitars
Isaac Healy: Bass
Dan Mailer: Vocals

Background: Dan Mailer again joined the band on stage for a rendition of Iron Lady with the Reforge The Steel line-up.

September 14th, 2018 – The Cavern CM7, Braintree

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Chris MacKinnon: Drums/Vocals
Toby Woods: Lead Guitars
Isaac Healy: Bass
Saxon Davids: Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals
Dan Mailer: Vocals
Stephen Ellis: Bass

Background: Liam Etheridge was unable to perform at this show (which was Osmium Guillotine’s album launch) so Chris MacKinnon covered on the drums, Saxon Davids joined as an additional guitarist for a set which was a mixture of Crisis of Faith and The Waystone material which also featured Dan Mailer again on guest vocals for the Iron Lady and Stephen Ellis joined the band for the encore which was The Mind is Willing, the penultimate time that song would be played and that line-up would play together.

December 22nd, 2018 – Scruffy Murphy’s, Birmingham

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Liam Etheridge: Drums
Toby Woods: Lead Guitars
Isaac Healy: Bass
Saxon Davids: Lead Guitars and Backing Vocals

Background: Saxon Davids joined Kaine on stage for several songs from the A Crisis of Faith album.

April 27th, 2019 – Arts Centre, Colchester

Rage Sadler: Vocals/Rhythm Guitars
Chris MacKinnon: Drums/Vocals
Saxon Davids: Lead Guitars and backing vocals
Stephen Ellis: Bass

Background: After the Reforge The Steel line-up performed, the A Crisis of Faith line up closed the night as that line-ups final gig to celebrate the first 10 years of the band. A double album was recorded and released featuring both sets.