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Heavy Metal, straight from the pot!


Action: BIWO
Title: Life And Death
Base: Castrop-Rauxel • Germany
Style: Melodic Heavy Metal
Genre: Heavy Metal, NWOBHM
FFO: Wizard, Rebellion, early Majesty
Type: Full-length
Format: CD
Label: Independent
Release: Nov. 11, 2022


Bulletpoints:
🔘 Refreshing debut album of a true idealist
🔘 Straightforward, 100 % honest & all around spirited
🔘 Timeless-classic Heavy Metal of the old school



With one leg symbolically standing in the 80s and with the other performing a skillfully mastered balancing act into the 2020s, the band of guitarist and singer Sven Biwo plays their songs in a mixture of timeless old school spirit and fresh, contemporary coating. In order to position themselves authentically with their self-image, the determined foursome therefore needs neither tattered stretch pants nor self-promoting tattoo excesses.

In the fall of 2022, BIWO released their "earthy" - see cover artwork - and soulful debut album "Life And Death" with a lot of love, dedication and enthusiasm. Its pithy opener "Live Now" was recorded at a DIY gig in the rehearsal room of the Ruhrpott offspring on July 29, 2023. Thus, the stage was resourcefully cobbled together from Euro pallets, lights and sound were self-organized and adjusted with the help of friends and so on. That evening Sven and co-guitarist Finley Marks celebrated some dynamic string duels. There was no lack of joy in playing - whereby bassist Justus Reffler also presented himself from his liveliest side. Drummer Hanno Riese not only let the sticks bang on skins and brass, but also accentuated the whole thing massively with booming-bullish double-bass interludes, which repeatedly let the sound and boom of the songs hammer out of the speakers perfectly potentiating.

From Sven himself you can get an idea besides the music itself also by means of his smart announcements - with BIWO the guy loves what he does and he does what he loves. BIWO organize their gigs completely by themselves, because in the hard-music underground of Castrop-Rauxel clearly dominates the Metalcore scene, says Sven. As always, the friendly and sincere attitude is of great importance to the likeable formation, so food and drinks are always available to the visitors at such concerts for a small fee. Rip-off is almost everywhere, here however just consciously not. BIWO are already working on new compositions, so it remains exciting with the up-and-coming quartet! (Markus Eck)



[ Artwork: dd_grafiken ]




[ Pic: André Krause ]



FLASHBACK:
BIWO stands for absolutely honest, infectiously catchy, emphatically down-to-earth and classically timeless MELODIC HEAVY METAL with a well-dosed shot of Teutonic bullishness.



[Single "Live Now" ]


Mastermind Sven Biwo explains "Live Now":
"There are enough assholes in the world - people who want to pull you down. We invite you to forget all that shit for a moment. Live now - and do what you feel like doing! Because tomorrow might be too late. Don't waste your time with negative stuff - grab a beer, raise your fist and shout it out loud!"


It is clear to hear that here is a musically thoroughly inspired genre fan ambitious at the start, who makes his real music for just such real fans - uncomplicated Heavy Metal brotherhood is there so very heavy!



[ Pic: Pedyfotografie Fotoschmiede ]



The enormously varied and sustainably catchy songs breathe the unique, unused 80s spirit with delicious fervor and in such depth that you simply cannot escape the charm of BIWO if you feel sincerely connected to the early Heavy Metal from that time.
Yes, we mean the very special time when the blessed and equally obscure GAMA Records released unforgettable records by top artists like Stormwitch, Veto and Tyran' Pace - and the scene cult around it grows with every year.

Self-promoting and giga-virtuoso orgies of perfection are therefore not at all what BIWO is about, rather the eternally attractive underground is indulged in.

And although bandleader Sven sees himself more as a soloing mainman with guest musicians, the result sounds damn organic, homogeneous and completely free of wear and tear. All songs on "Life And Death" were composed and recorded by Sven Biwo single-handedly. The mix and mastering were also done by master Biwo at Cubi Studios Bochum. The pleasantly idiosyncratic artwork is deliberately not an obligatory Photoshop bombardment - it comes from the brushes of Gudrun Müller.


[ Artwork: Gudrun Müller ]



The idea for the band was born in January 2020 when Sven (guitar and vocals) and Justus (bass) met at a benefit concert. With Hanno (drums), whom Justus knew from his school days, a man for the kettles was then also found.

Shortly before the first rehearsal the pandemic came and with it the break for the formation. However, Sven took advantage of the creative break and began to transform the ideas into songs and to realize a finished album. The final touches were put on "Life And Death" in the summer of 2022, when the first real rehearsals began and the tracks were given a new shine in the rehearsal room. (Markus Eck)


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TRACKS:
01. Live Now 04:20
02. Fountain Of Youth 04:04
03. Win This Fight 03:22
04. Mother Earth 08:36
05. Poor Boy 04:43
06. I 04:54
07. Alone In The Dark 04:11
08. Judgment Of The Gods 06:45

total: 40:44 min.

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LINE-UP:
Sven Biwo • Vocals & Guitar
Finley • Guitar
Justus • Bass
Hanno • Drums

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DISCOGRAPHY:
2022 • Life And Death • Full-length

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BIWO is available for interviews via phone, Skype, Zoom & email