Knuckle Duster

Description

Astonishingly, the fiery rampage of ASOMVEL's metal-punk-rock'n'roll masterpiece Knuckle Duster marks 20 years since these British bruisers first started jamming on a pig farm with a load of Special Brew. Formed in 1993 by guitarist Lenny Robinson and bassist/vocalist Jay-Jay Winter, ASOMVEL's first drummer was ex-Cathedral/Acid Reign man Mark Wharton, but "about ten" more came and went before the band recorded their first demo in 2001. After 2007's Full Moon Dog 10" the power trio managed to thrash out their raucous debut LP Kamikaze in 2009 to much acclaim, ASOMVEL firmly establishing themselves as underdog cult heroes of the UK HM underground. Barely a year later, however, the band was shaken to its core when Jay-Jay Winter was killed in a road accident. Although a devastating tragedy, Lenny knew that the band had to continue in tribute to the determined spirit of their founding frontman: "ASOMVEL could've died with him, but I was never gonna let that happen," affirms the axeman. However, the initial post-Jay-Jay line-up was short-lived. "I had to stop the band until I could find somebody like Jay-Jay," explains Lenny, "cos he's still a part of this band, he never left. Whoever is in this band needs to know they have to do it the way he wanted it doing. Conan came along and he was perfect, plus he always admired Jay-Jay's attitude." With ex-Deathwing bassist/vocalist Conan onboard, ASOMVEL headlined their own inaugural Full Moon Dog Festival in Bradford in 2011 in honour of their fallen comrade, and have shared the stage with the likes of Carcass, Anvil and Orange Goblin. Asked how the band has changed with the new line-up, Lenny is unequivocal: "The band hasn't changed from the day we started it," he asserts. "It's something we both believed in strongly; never change...ever! It's the downfall of a lotta bands, they think they have to grow musically for some reason, but they just end up out-clevering themselves."