Ash is back after eight years with sixth album KABLAMMO! (Edel/earMusic). The Northern Ireland trio—vocalist/guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray—will be on tour supporting the LP in the U.K. starting later this month. Ash will also be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week.
McMurray: I couldn’t do this and not feature my favourite book. It’s a perfect mix of satire and psychedelica; a book way before it’s time. It was written at the height of Stalin’s terror, an incredibly brave move. Anything featuring talking cats and Satan is OK with me. It also inspired “Sympathy For The Devil.” It’s set during the Stalin terror, and it’s about the devil coming to Moscow with his henchmen and just totally fucking up the city for a few days and then disappearing again. I’m a big Rolling Stones fan, so this book inspired one of my favorite songs. The first time I read it, I was just not sure if I got it. I couldn’t really find the satire in it. But after repeated readings, I got into it. It’s kind of amazing; I think it was written in the mid-to-late 1930s, and it’s just an absolute trip. It’s inspiring in so many ways, and 30 years ahead of its time.
Video after the jump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTpQaB5umxc
