Reviews

Aegaeon EP Exponential Transcendence

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:06:03 +0100

Starting fast and full on, Aegaeon’s EP, Exponential Transcendence is heavy and pure metal. A real Beneath The Massacre influenced band, self titled track Exponential Transcendence doesn’t allow breathing space for as soon as you set into a groove with the progressive guitar line, it snaps into something different and never rests throughout. Perception starts off with a haunting gradual build, with a dark and dramatic opening, the vocals then change from deep and gore-like to scratchy and hardcore providing a new sound to Aegaeon.
Addictive hooks, clean breakdowns and growling vocals with amazing blast beats would sound like every other Death Metal act out there but Aegaeon bring something different to each song on this 6 track EP making them easily recognizable such as the melodic breaks, chunky riffs and continuing technical speed, this EP does not stop, kicking you in the face throughout every bar providing an intense individual group that seriously know how to piece together some highly enjoyable noise leaving you craving to go check out their live performance.

Bloodstock Open Air 2009

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 22:03:11 +0100

Friday
Opening the arena to the promise of a beautiful sunny day, excited people of all age and sobriety levels enthusiastically began filling the main arena with a definite high level of young Municipal Waste fans running around sporting yellow Waste shirts on. Starting off with Divine Chaos on the Unsigned stage, these guys set the bar pretty high with their powerful and slick show. The real faces of modern Thrash taking some influence from the old school genre but twisting and smashing it into their own individuality. Municipal Waste over the main stage executed their usual Hardcore party antics, entertaining the crowd with general humor, trying to get the crowd going with a wall of death, shouting insults in a comedic manner although it didn’t appear they were giving their all into the set which didn’t phase the mass of freshly bought Municipal Waste T shirts adorning the young crowd. On The Sophie Lancaster stage, newcomers Xearth captivated their medium sized audience with film score compositions dominating their crushing Death Metal sound creating a highly enjoyable sound. Malefice took the stage later on bringing with them a huge crowd of pit enthused metallers. A total, “no holds barred” performance, performing songs old but mainly new, this band proved themselves to be the top of the British Metal scene with such a ferocious show that had everyone obeying the orders of front man, Dale, to break their necks! However, necks remained in tact for the highlight of the evening, main stage headliners, Carcass who stood in front of a crowd that were in complete awe of these British musicians. Not one person stood still as they blasted and growled their way through decades of hits. Carcass owned the stage in their reunion performance and didn’t fail their ever-adorning fans during their dark and ever professional show until it came for them to finish without encore.

Saturday
Despite a night of light showers, Saturday presented itself with another day of sunshine as thrash experts, The Haunted took on the main stage and did not fail to be the personal highlight of the weekend. Taking a while to warm up as a lot of epic artists do, The Haunted powered their way through Dead On Arrival, asking the audience if they were a member of the Anglican Church before politely asking them to leave. Joking around that they weren’t Satanists and screaming through tracks provided the crowd with an energetic and fierce show that proves this band are still going strong supporting their newest release, The Verses.
After depressingly missing Entombed but hearing they were amazing, Severed Heaven, headliners of the Unsigned stage were an incredible sight. An all female band always makes for much interest in a male dominated world and this Black/Death Metal wonderment impressed all. With cat growling vocals high and low that was executed with superb flair and sounding similar to the likes of Bring Me The Horizon’s Olli Sykes, vocalist Satanica could clearly kick his ass in the power stakes. Severed heaven gave a new twist to their breakdowns, which gave a refreshing edge to their dark, somewhat doom-esq but heavy sound. One criticism would be it was difficult to differentiate between tracks, their song Autumn stuck out most although being a new band to the scene, here’s hoping there is more to come from these lasses, definitely one group to keep an eye out for in the near future.
Taking a break from writing new material for their follow up to 2008’s Get Dead or Die Trying, The Rotted filled the Sophie Lancaster Tent, ensuring everyone knew the support the charity needs and how the sickening hate crime was not acceptable although preaching to the converted. Thrashing to a humungous pit to tracks such as Nothin’ But A Nosebleed and Angel of Meth. Gaining new fans to join their already huge fan base at an alarming rate throughout their intense, brutal 40 minute set, The Rotted do exactly as what would be expected and then some.
Cradle of Filth as headliners for Saturday seemed to meet a divided reaction. Cradle of Filth pretty much do what they say on the tin, a group of musicians from all over the world performing with Dani Filth in an expert manner of all gothness, squeals and Black Metal as confirmed by their ever growing back catalogue. Applauded with screams of enjoyment and cries of “Dani….stop whining” which was teamed with enough bottle throwing to make Marilyn Manson strop and storm off, The Filth however, remained on stage, returning his presents to the crowd and continuing in all manner of professionalism until, a step too far when what was believed to be a gobstopper the size of a cricket ball hit bass player, Dave Pybus , in the head; prompting an immediate end to the set, a trip to the hospital and selfishly ruining the evening for all Filth fans.

Sunday
A third day of sunshine and a mass of hangovers which were very quickly kicked into shape as Beholder started the final day of Bloodstock and officially set a high level for all bands preceding them. Clearly future headlining material, Beholder performed Metal that was seemingly old school, with a modern edge that made people sit up and listen. Clean and well-polished guitar solos teamed with equally clean melodic vocals and screams. Promoting single Never Take Us Down in memory of Sophie Lancaster, this band hit it hard and fast.
Black Metallers Eibon La Furies provided a much different sound on the Unsigned stage, complete with make up, masquerade women and appropriately scary backing synths from behind the scenes. Eibon La Furies certainly put on a finely rehearsed show and they have even more to offer when allowed; complete with pyrotechnics to compliment songs and stories surrounding Victoriana Occult and Infernal Brigantia, an area this journalist may not have studied all that much but was definitely convinced of by these guys. Dark, complex lyrics and completely frightening.
Technical experimentalists from Norwich up next, Agonyst roared through a set featuring booming Mastodon style vocals over polyrhythmic guitar riffs breaking into some intricate guitar solos. Agonyst, complete with humor and entertainment value are blatantly going to go far with their technical, individual twist on the ever-growing Metal genre.

Sabaton in full matching uniforms entertained the crowds over on the main stage; chasing each other, jumping about, with a fresh and fun outlook. Marching and leaping to Cliffs of Gallipoli and 40 1 with a full crowd punching the air, singing along and generally some light relief from the serious Black Metal tone that covers Bloodstock Open Air.
Brutality was key with Sower, a tight, full on intense show from these guys as chunky riffs and Lamb of God style vocals that dipped into darker territory throughout made for an enjoyable listen.
With festival goers freshly donned with red war paint and having battles with amour and weapons made from empty beer cases, it was quiet obvious it was time for Turisas to remind the crowd why they deserve to be respected as one of the top bands of Viking Battle Metal. Splitting the audience to sing to each other, leaping and bounding on stage around accordions, violins and fur, Turasis gave a fun and good performance.
French Metallers, Darkness Dynamite, recently signed to Metal Blade received the poorest reception, which was a shame, as despite playing to an audience of around 12 people, Darkness Dynamite laid out a performance of sweaty, full on brutality that they would give an audience of 1200. Possibly a little too “scene” for Bloodstock, Darkness Dynamite were laying on the line between Black and the modern Death Metal using Emmure for example. Scratchy hardcore vocals, superbly timed blast beats and breakdowns with moments of melodic segments certainly converted one young lad into a fan situated at the front for the entire set. A slight Hardcore mix in places but remained intense throughout and definitely worth checking out on their next UK tour.
Satyricon’s dark doom yet pounding sound blasted the audience as the final hours of Bloodstock drew to a close. Elegantly soaring through the hits like No, Diabolical and Black Crow On a Tombstone, the repetitive and positively addictive blasting of drums and guitar as vocalist Satyr owned the stage he was standing on, made for compelling viewing that was not possible to stand still to.

(We Are The) Carnivorz Title Does Not Dictate Behaviour

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:38:30 +0100

Uk Death Rap from the Midlands, smashes in with catchy backing tracks and choruses with smooth and confident vocals from (We Are The) Carnivorz duo Adam and Craig. If you’re new to the Death Rap genre, it is defined on www.urbandictionary.com as:

“a style of rap thats lyrics and rhymes derive from the intense lyrics of Death Metal and Goregrind Metal.
Death Rap roots are also related to the violent and explicit lyrics of Gangster Rap, however Death Rap lyrics are more over the top and violent than those of Gangster Rap.”

Title Does Not Dictate Behavior is a bang on trend to the above quote and carries various lyrical messages throughout, the album also features various up and coming artists on the underground. (We Are The) Carnivorz are a great band to listen to if you’re the type that’s into Cypress Hill and/or Necro but also carries a decent Metal vibe to boot. Strongly advise Temporary Solution which appears to be about cannibalism but if it’s less obvious gore you’re looking for, then worry not, the album also features deeper and darker lyrics from an emotional point of view like on Azraels Ballad. The good production on the album creates a superb professional feel throughout and managed by Craig’s own management team, Say No To Emo.

A fine sense of electricity has been caught on caught on this record as the mood goes into quite dark territory but not enough to bring you down as it quickly jumps up again, forcing you to nod your head in time, eager to see where the album takes you next.

(We Are The) Carnivorz can also be seen in a slightly different light fronting Metal band Enemo-J. It is quite clear these lyricists know what their doing and this highly addictive album will have you listening again and again.

© 18/06/2009

The Gallows, Grey Britain Tour

Wed, 13 May 2009 22:25:32 +0100

Only aware of one support act for The Gallows being Every Time I Die, I was pleasantly surprised when Rolo Tomassi entered stage right. Although the majority of the set felt like the audience were gate crashing a band rehearsal, this may have had something to do with the fact the constantly growing crowd were standing around like they were on a school trip to the Norwich Puppet Theatre.
Musically, Rolo Tomassi are in a league of their own, however their live shows don’t seem to compare as well with vocalist Eva Spence thrashing and banging around through songs such as Scabs and Seagull with the rest of the band and crowd remaining fairly stationary until James Spence clearly felt if you want some decent atmosphere then best create it yourself and launched himself into the crowd which certainly lightened the feel in the room and got people using their feet.
A whole different vibe occurred when Every Time I Die took to the stage, light hearted and less serious but oozing with confidence and a don’t give s**t attitude added to the admiration as they slammed and sweated their way through classic tracks old and new. Impressively keeping their audience positively hypnotised throughout their set, a strong and energetic performance was held to the very last scream.
ETID’s faultless set didn’t seem to phase The Gallows one bit as they marched on stage to a flurry of applause acting as if they owned every single person in the room. Although the set started a little frosty as Frank Carter, in usual character gobbed off to various members in the pit. Twenty minutes in however and the Gallows seemed to thaw out slightly with Frank spending half as much time crowd surfing as he did on stage. Overall impressive set, totally winning over every single person, pioneering human pyramid’s amongst the pit, spitting and rocking out tunes like I Dread The Night, London Is The Reason. The Gallows really are heading up at tremendous speed and it is evidently well deserved.

© 13/05/2009