Barney Ribeiro, guitarist for Dubai-based NERVECELL is featured in a new interview with MetalTalk.net. An excerpt is available below:

Q: What is it like being based in Dubai, what is the music scene like there and how much support is there for metal?

Barney: "Dubai has only been around for 42 years and we've been a band based here for the last 12 years, so you can imagine there is still a lot more to learn here with regards to the music industry. Just like everything in Dubai it's all completely westernized and completely trendy. So the music scene that exists here has always been dominated by the same chart topping hits you'll hear all around the world on radio stations, of course there is also the Arabic pop music that seems to dominate here too.

Having said that, we only experienced a rise in rock and metal music pick up in the Middle East somewhere around the late 90s. This had a lot to do with channels like MTV being broadcasted here, music magazines and the internet starting to become more accessible for all of us to discover new bands. You also need to realize that we never had access to going to a music store and buying a metal CD as the stores here at the time didn't really have a metal section. So it wasn't very easy or common to get into metal music in the first place.

Regardless of all the lack of initial support we've still been able to accomplish a lot as a metal band based in Dubai, right from releasing albums, touring etc. If you were to tell me 12 years ago that we would one day get to open for METALLICA, I would have thought you're either being too kind or assumed you're crazy! But hey what do you know, it did happen in 2011 with us and we're out there today continuing to put Dubai on the map for heavy metal!"

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Nervecell have been confirmed for Burning Sea 2013, being held in Zadar, Croatia from June 5th - 8th, 2013. It will be the band's first time playing Croatia.

Acts confirmed for Burning Sea 2013 include: 4ARM, AMORPHIS, ANGEL WITCH, AS SILENCE BREAKS, BARBARION, BENIGHTED, BLACK LIGHT DISCIPLINE, CAMBION, CANDLEMASS, CRIPPER, DEBAUCHERY, DECAPITATED, DESTRUCTION, DEVASTATING ENEMY, DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER, ENSLAVED, FLAYED DISCIPLE, FOREVER STORM, GRAVE, HERFST, ICED EARTH, IN SOLITUDE, INNER SANCTUM, JADED HEART, KADAVER, KING DIAMOND, META-STASIS, MASTIC SCUM, MOONCRY, MOONSORROW, MYSTERY BLUE, NERVECELL, NIGHTMARE, OVERKILL, RE-ARMED, SAREA, SHINING, SOEN, STEEL ENGRAVED, THULCANDRA, THUNDERBOLT, TSJUDER, TURISAS, VANDERBUYST.

Further details can be found here.