Live Review : Voivod + Cryptic Shift + Damnation's Hammer @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 20th 2023

I have always been drawn to the more avant-garde and obscure corners of metal's rich tapestry. When I was making my first faltering steps into the genre in the mid-80s, whilst my contemporaries had their heads turned by the commercial giants of Maiden, Priest and the rapidly ascending Metallica, I was seduced by bands offering a more difficult and select version of metal. My early adoration with musical mavericks such as Celtic Frost, Suicidal Tendencies, Queensryche (back when they were brilliant) and Voivod.

Live Review : Dvne + Pijn + Deathbloom @ Soup, Manchester on April 16th 2023

There is something particularly joyous about watching a fledgling band take their first faltering steps into this world that we call rock 'n' roll. Deathbloom are both ridiculously young and also hedonistically cavalier in their attitude to metal’s tight templates. They take an irreverent approach, purloining the trappings they desire but also abandoning with disdain those cultural touchstones that they have no truck with. What we are left with is a raw and raucous amalgamation of influences from across the genre and out into both punk and Goth.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas18 April 2023SoupDvne, Pijn, Deathbloom, Manchester, 2023, Live Review, Stewart Lucas, Johann WierzbickiComment

Live Review : Enter Shikari + Higher Power + Tokky Horror @ New Century Hall, Manchester on April 14th 2023

Opening tonight's proceedings were Birkenhead's own Tokky Horror. Tokky Horror combine Punk with dance influences ranging from Hardcore, Techno, Drum and Bass and even what sounded like a little bit of Gabber to boot. Initially I struggled to pick apart the nuances of their sound as a result of the bass really taking over the mix, however this was quickly rectified and when deciphered, I could understand more about what Tokky Horror were about, and that was pure energy and connection with their audience through their music.

Live Review : Fury + Crowley + Luke Appleton @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on Friday 14 April 2023

Kicking tonight’s proceedings off in fine style, is last minute substitute Luke Appleton drafted in at the eleventh hour when illness forced Promethium to withdraw from tonight’s show. No stranger to the UK scene, tonight Luke was in much more reflective form than we are accustomed to seeing from him in his other bands, taking to the stage alone with just an acoustic guitar for company. With Luke’s latest release “Forever Viking” only being released on the day of the gig, half of the set comprised, unsurprisingly of tracks from this EP.

Live Review : Sabaton + BABYMETAL + Lordi @ First Direct Arena, Leeds on April 14th 2023

As Bon Scott did declare, "It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock 'n' roll". Sabaton’s meteoric journey to the top of the metal’s pyre has been a marathon as opposed to a sprint. When I first spied them in 2006 (on the very tour that Par nostalgically refers to towards the end of their set) they were an identikit Scandinavian mid-table power metal act, virtually indistinguishable from the other identikit Scandinavian mid-table power metal acts that prowled around half empty club shows and early afternoon sets at Bloodstock.

Live Review : Wednesday 13 + South Of Salem + Sick N' Beautiful + Tarah Who? @ Club Academy, Manchester on April 12th 2023

We start tonight with Tarah Who? They are punky, indie kids with female vocals and a bass player with lovely hair. There's lots of movement and energy but not a huge amount of power in her voice and I find them a little bit uninspiring. I'm not really seeing anything new here and nothing really grips me - they weren't bad but they weren't brilliant either.

Live Review : Siamese + Resolve + Senna + Odd Palace @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 13th 2023

We get along to the venue early and get to interview bassist Robin Mariat from one of tonight’s co-headliners Resolve. It’s a brilliant start to the night and you can catch the full video interview HERE. It’s not long until the first band of the night take to the stage. Odd Palace might be first on but, let me tell you, these Danish prog metallers are the real deal. They're like Tiberius, in every way - fun, joking, very technical, heavy when they want to and more commercially catchy if they fancy it. Just listen to ‘Chemical Solution’ and tell me otherwise!

Live Review : Swallow The Sun + Draconian + Shores Of Null @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 8th 2023

I look back at my posts from the Pandemic and I really was Mr. Pessimistic about the future of live shows. I worried that they would be a residual disinterest and anxiety about attending concerts once they resumed. Actually, the opposite has been true. Even though we are in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis and the vast majority of us are struggling financially, I have never seen the live music scene this healthy. It's almost as if we have exited lockdown with a different ideology and temperament.

Live Review : Finntroll + Skálmöld @ Academy 3, Manchester on April 6th 2023

Extreme metal is in the main viewed as being Poe-faced and guilty of taking itself far too seriously. However, this evening is very much the antidote for those assumptions. Skálmöld and Finntroll make perfect touring partners because they both lean into a sense of euphoric abandonment, a quintessential sense of fun and frivolity. They also share a deep connection with their respective countries’ musical heritage. Yes, this is metal but is metal honed by the indigenous music of Iceland and Finland.

Live Review : M2TM Merseyside Heat 1 @ Zanzibar, Liverpool on March 31st 2023

For years now Metal To The Masses has been an annual celebration of up and coming British Metal. Each year, up and down the country, hundreds of bands battle it out for a chance to prove themselves at the iconic Bloodstock Festival. There is probably no region that an event like this is more important than in Liverpool. For years, there has been an ongoing idea that Liverpool has no metal scene. Despite being the birthplace of some of the most iconic bands the world has ever seen, the amount of Metal Bands who have broken through into the public consciousness could probably be counted on two hands.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Alex Stuart7 April 2023ZanzibarMetal 2 The Masses, Black KettleComment

Live Review : Blackberry Smoke + Read Southall Band @ Academy, Manchester on April 2nd 2023

It’s been a while since I have been to a Sunday night sold out show at the Academy and the queue for the men’s toilets on arrival is a giveaway as to the make-up of the already packed venue. Read Southall Band are on stage and indulge us with a nine track setlist with songs from their 2021 album “For the Birds” and a few from 2017 album “Borrowed Time”. They are straight into the latest album’s title track and immediately I can see why these guys are on tour with Blackberry Smoke. They sound exactly as you would expect their support act to sound.

Live Review : Ted Poley + Rob Wylde + Kim Jennett Band @ The Tivoli, Buckley on March 31st 2023

The crowd is a bit thin when Warrington lass Kim Jennett hits the stage, but she doesn’t let that bother her. Despite her tiny stature she can really belt out a tune. Not only that, she uses her body to illustrate the songs as well, making her point with full movement that verges on being theatre at times. She’s supported tonight by guitarist Tyler Kent who is set to be a member of the new Kim Jennett Band that she has just put together. Tyler is quieter, sitting calmly on his chair, smiling at Kim’s antics and letting his fingers do the talking on his fretboard.

Live Review : Devin Townsend + Klone + Fixation @ Academy, Manchester on March 31st 2023

Tonight proves that if you got charisma, personality, and just the right pinch of self-deprecation you don't need any other trappings to put on a show. You see last time the self-denounced Hevy Devy was in this very venue he brought a stunning undercard in the shape of Tesseract and Leprous, an imposing video wall, and thousands of pulsating lights. This evening is a much more modest affair with supports that their mothers would struggle to pick out of an identity parade and a scaled-back production.

Live Review : The Ghost Inside + Senses Fail + Dragged Under @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on March 30th 2023

The venue is still very much waiting to fill up as Dragged Under take to the stage. They were special guests for comeback Brixton show, and that impressive showing sees them taken on this full tour. The energy on the barrier is immediately electric despite the small crowd, and as they launch into opener ‘Instability’ and the early attendees erupt into a frenzy of head nodding and pumping fists. Frontman Tony Cappocchi stalks the stage like a caged animal, his voice soaring above the crunching guitars and thundering drums.

Live Review : Bloodywood + Lake Malice @ Academy 2, Manchester on March 28th 2023

There’s just the one support band tonight, but oh my what a band. It’s no secret that I’ve been championing Brighton’s Lake Malice ever since I saw them support Hacktivist last May. They blend a variety of influences and styles in a fresh, enthusiastic, characterful way both musically and visually. Once again I’m eager to catch them live and tonight they don’t disappoint.

Live Review : Haken + Between The Buried And Me + Cryptodira @ Academy 2, Manchester on March 24th 2023

Well, it's all happening this evening at the student’s union. In the main Academy, the regions punk pensioners are on day release from their respective nursing homes in order to witness the umpteenth miraculous resurrection of Stiff Little Fingers. Upstairs in the pokey Academy Three, Indie upstarts The Rolling People are repackaging Britpop for the next generation and downstairs in the club Academy…. Well to be honest I'm not sure what the fuck is happening downstairs, but it has attracted a gaggle of younglings young enough to be my grandkids, in various states of undress and off their tits on Ketamine. It's a rare beast when the metal crowd is the normal bunch, but those of us winding our way up to the old debating hall for a Haken and Between the Buried and Me double-header seem positively conservative in our attire compared to some of the revellers cavorting around the building.

Live Review : I Prevail + Trash Boat + Blind Channel @ O2 Academy, Liverpool on March 23rd 2023

I’m not sure how or why this keeps happening but here I am again. ROCKFLESH’s glam queen is dipping another toe into the world of metalcore – grammy nominated metalcore no less tonight! Three bands with a similar sound but quite a different approach to it tonight, should be interesting.

First up, much to my surprise (and a little disappointment) were Finland’s Blind Channel, Eurovision hopefuls and boyband on steroids. They have all the energy and bounce of a basket of wriggly puppies, and I love the dual vocals that meld both harmonies and growling.

Live Review : Blaze Bayley + Absolva @ Eleven, Stoke-on-Trent on March 19th 2023

It’s not often that you get to see two amazing bands doing a free meet and greet before and after a show. This unique combination of down to earth humbleness and sophisticated musicianship is precisely what we got at Eleven.

Absolva were the first group to hit the stage and they have a fascinating sound to them. NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) brought back to life but modernised in a way that you can still hear its roots without it being spoiled.

Live Review : Cherie Curie + Blue Ruin + The Razors @ The Tivoli, Buckley on March 17th 2023

We open proceedings tonight with The Razor, a competent local covers band who rip through some rock classics and warm the place up nicely.

Next up are a group no doubt inspired by tonight’s headliner. Blue Ruin are a female quartet who play up-tempo, bouncy pop punk. They introduce themselves and as 2 of them are from New Zealand, one from Italy and one from Bristol I can’t help wondering how the hell they rehearse? Anyhow that’s bye-the-bye.

Live Review : W.A.S.P. + South Of Salem @ Academy, Manchester on March 17th 2023

It transpires that the Great British Classic Rock revival has found a fresh stream of inspiration to draw from. The dense 70’s blues rock of Free and vintage Quo, has been abandoned in favour of pillaging the fertile vineyards of eighties hair metal. For South of Salem, it provides a veritable smorgasbord of stimulation and they are meticulous in their level of imitation. Their second track in is so shrouded in familiarity, that if you close your eyes, its’s 1982, you’re in the whiskey a go-go and Mötley Crüe are treading the boards in their moment of ascendancy.