^ One Final Stitch had both guitarists warring over whose axe is better looking Location: Southend, Essex
Venue: Chinnerys Bands: One Final Stitch (England) Date: Friday 12th April 2013 For any band starting out on the gig circuit, it is somewhat a daunting experience, how will the show go? How many will turn up? Will supporting bands drop out? So many questions and yet one answer always appears apparent, simply put, the deliverance of a kick ass show. Enter One Final Stitch, a charismatic and fresh quartet from the depths of the streets of Ockendon, of whom have more talent up their sleeves than your average pub covers band, but that does not take much to say, however from what this band showed last night, it was evidently clear that they know what path they want to take and at all costs will get strive to get there. Sure the songs varied from soft rock to full out face-melting ballsy rock, but that's the teen spirit eh? What was a major strike in last nights performance was the solidarity of professionalism coursing through each bandmasters playing style and stage presence, what with Beth truthfully trying to avoid the cliche usage of 'lets quieten things down' to Josh emphatically maneuvering the drum sticks through his hands as if they were icicles, sliding through his hand to land every beat in perfect time to the savage riffs and angelic vocals of which were bestowed upon the onlooking crowd. In one sentence, One Final Stitch are a tight unit - in composure, effectiveness on stage and in musicianship coordination, the latter being of vital importance as it becomes evident when bands don't consistently glance at their other members to get an idea on what note is coming next. No, One Final Stitch are sure to make waves in the coming year, sure it is early days, but it doesn't take the magic of artists like Susan Boyle to come out of the woodwork and achieve wonders does it? So why should this band be any different? Praise all around, they proved their mettle, showed they can break the ice in their live persona's and most importantly demonstrated a winning formula that will inevitably guide them to a successful future, simply and utterly breathtaking. https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Final-Stitch/420261308005900 [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON
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Bloodstock 2012, it was one of those summer metal festivals that was brimming brightly with a juicy line-up, covering an extensive array of various metal genres: Black Metal, Thrash Metal, Death Metal, Classic Rock / Metal, you name it, it's likely it was there, was meaning the genre represented. Thursday Four bands were on the day of official opening and the four that were scheduled to play were Marionette, Viking Skull, Bloodshot Dawn and Saturnian. Sadly Maronette were delayed until Friday due to broken down vehicles in Denmark, so the lovely people at Bloodstock had no problems in allocating the Swedish band a slot on the Jagermeister Stage. So it was time to go to sleep. As soon as the sun set over Bloodstock, Thursday was over and Friday was calling. Friday Given the benefit of the doubt, Marionette are to be reviewed first because of the reality situation they were placed in. Courageously the band took their skills with them and performed to perfection, regardless of all the troubles they had faced, it had seemed as if the band stuck the middle finger up and gave them a boost to up their game. Much to the fan's delight, the band then were able to meet their fans and natter to them, that was of course if they could stand up after the insane performance they delivered, Linus the keyboardist evidently showing he was good at balance as he stood on the lower part of his keyboard, whilst the rest of the band members, specifically the guitarists Mikael, Aron and Anton did the splits timed to the ballistic Melodic Death Metal they up-heaved from the baked grounds of the Bloodstock grounds [8]. < Linus was surprised to see his house in Sweden all the way from England In fact below is an interview conducted with some of the band-members. Now if i play that note, aha I can hear something > Later on the first act on the Ronnie James Dio stage was about to tee off the main stage festivities, Reading's Malefice charged the crowd down like a load of bulls doped on testosterone and on a stampede, mauling everything in the band's path. Besides the bass-drops being heard on the other side of the field, the band used everything in their arsenal to give a lifetime performance a chance to expose itself to the mob that moshed away like daisies on miracle grow, coincidentally as the songs powered out, the numbers grew, was this a metal music mating call, or simply the time for Malefice to shut up shop and give the crowd one last face-melter? [8.5] Later on GMA caught up with Malefice and had a few words: Later on GMA managed to get some time with Fallen Fate: < When the dreads come out you know the musician means business. Fans around the stage where Sepultura were playing did acknowledge they miss the old Sepultura, the one that put Brazil on the Metal music map, on the other hand other fans prefer the latter line-up. What ever side of the fence fans were on, it did not deter from the fact that Sepultura could have played a little better than many would have expected them to, sure the timing and atmosphere was on fire but the drumming at times seemed a little slack, as if the batteries ran out of the Duracell bunny drummer. Regardless the riffs that escaped the sound system and ended up flooding the masses in front of the stage prompted a massive mosh-pit and sensational crowd-surfing, even some of the girls got into it; but there was a little fight that broke out as rumor has it one girl was inappropriately groped, Sepultura's answer to that was playing their iconic number 'Roots Bloody Roots', such a classic tribal metal track. [7] GMA managed to get an interview with bassist Paulo, how interesting this one was. In addition to that GMA also spoke to Winterfylleth Eastern Front looking very dapper > Later on Ipswich's very own Black Metal enthusiasts Eastern Front stormed the SOPHIE LANCASTER stage with full might and military panache, mixing a darkened bleak atmosphere via the usage of search lights, sign posts and barbed wire, mixed with the band's army like stage uniform and the insane music accompanying them. War torn Black Metal besieged the stage of which was dedicated to the late goth girl of the same name who was murdered a few years back, how fitting it was then for Eastern Front to pay their respects to the girl's family. More so was it spectacular that the band kept going and going, which is nothing that could be said for the Nazi German army on the steps of Stalingrad. Full on and brutalizing every living thing within a 80 meter radius, Eastern Front proved that Ipswich does not belong to Cradle of Filth and that there is a new and powerful band on the block. [9] Later on GMA got close and personal with the men in black (this is a video interview so sound came out a little naff, turn up to hear properly). < And today's weather forecast consists of brutal drums, meteoric riffs and fiery vocals No sooner had the new blood stage, Sophie Lancaster stage and Jagermeister stage shut down for the evening, Behemoth emerged from the darkness on the Ronnie James Dio stage, immersed in their evangelical propaganda with religious icons, symbols and pyrotechnics lighting up the stage whilst keeping the band warm and toasty. For all what Nergal had been through the past year, in specific his battle against Leukemia, the musical metal troupe from Poland took their merit and Blackened Death persona to new extremes and left the attending crowd trembling; as if the gargoyles poised on a cathedral screeched and breathed fire, setting alight various mosh-pits and the sought after, hallowed wall of death. Tonight, Behemoth had proven their worth as Polish metal gods and are sure to dominate the scene for many years to come. [10] Saturday Freddy Lim brought a taste of Taiwan with him in the form of the er-hu > One of the other global bands that made their welcomed return to the UK was Taiwan's Oriental Symphonic Black Metal army ChthoniC, armed with their recognizable Chinese violin, the er-hu and perhaps one of the cutest Asian bassists around - Doris Yeh, the crowd exploded into sensational chaotic over-drive and various fans even took moshing to the newer levels, some putting karate moves in with the bog standard mosh-pit cropping up here and there. As ChthoniC coursed through the set-list, the overall atmosphere was one of national transition, in that the oriental influences dragged up by this band offered fans a unique perspective on Asian culture and thus some fans even dubbing ChthoniC as delivering 'calming, chilling music', rather than brutal and slaughtering. The truth is that ChthoniC are one of a kind and trendsetters in their own rights. [9] < One of Essex's strongest ever metal bands Merciless Fail (now known as Forged In Black) Returning back to the new blood stage, one of the finest metal bands that Essex has seen in years slayed the attending fans like no tomorrow, weaving together a solid backdrop of Heavy Metal with the fast, pacey Thrash Metal, Merciless Fail had justly proven why they were worthy of a slot on the new blood stage. Performing classics such as 'Master In Me' and 'Reins of Sorrow', this is the new breed of bands of tomorrow performing in modern times. Besides the fact that the bassist Kieron Rochester is in fact the drummer's (Kevin Rochester) son, this is a tight metal unit that never fail to impress whenever they clamber on any stage or in any venue, simply put true Essex Heavy Thrash Metal. We may yet see them at Bloodstock once again, that time round they will be known as Forged In Black, named after their debut album. [8] GMA pulled them over using the reins of sorrow to get a few words. It was evident that Luke trapped his thumb in the bass guitar > Wretched Soul may as well be the best band of the festival for having long hair, watching it whirl around was enough to make anyone feel dizzy, instead however what occurred when these Kent chaps took to the new blood stage was simply sensational, a mini-wall of death (given due the stage is enclosed). As the band battled the songs out of the speakers in mind-blowing fashion, it was unmistakably noticeable that the crowd had grown and grown with each passing song and as the set neared towards its end there was a sheer pause for sorrow, it would seem that this band really got into the pulses of everyone's heartbeats and that their playing had come to an end on a sad note [8]. They had enough energy left though to say a few things: < Sight of Emptiness showed off their synchronized headbanging skills Coming back to play once again at Bloodstock, Costa Rica's finest metal export Sight of Emptiness opened up their set-list with perhaps the most brutal and fastest song they have, which accompanies a rather melodic technical solo, that song is 'Predictable Tragedy'. The band first played here a few years ago and won through a competition, the band justified their second appearance with a very convincing performance with one fan exclaiming "This is the best unsigned band I've seen here so far"! That coupled with the massive crowd inside the tent housing the Sophie Lancaster stage, gave sufficient evidence for them to be acknowledged as one of the greatest performers on the lower end of the stages. [9] Machine Head kept the front row warm > Time flies by when everyone is having so much fun, soon it was time to head back to the main stage for Saturdays main band, Machine Head. Producing a performance that was scintillating every step of the way, it made the average Saturday night feel like as if it was a New Years party, everybody who was around had a can or two of beer in their hand and as Machine Head reeled through their back catalogue of classics, the party grew harder and heavier. For some this was the best band of the day, for others the festival. It was a tough call to make but given their performance, Behemoth were still in the lead as the festival's best band. But credit given to Machine Head who could not have given a better show than they had done. [9] Sunday < Cyprus' Blynd were very focused on their playing style Coming all the way from Cyprus, Blynd performed a rather sensational set, but what made it one of the best of the day was the fact that the vocalist / bassist Andreas was playing with his arm strapped up, obviously some sort of injury, but that's metal and that is why Blynd are GMA's best unsigned band from the whole festival. Playing like that for a good solid half an hour was epic to watch, in fact the crowd were so astonished by their playing, they were gratefully accepting free demo's being handed out by the band's manager. Slashing through the hot morning out on the fields of Bloodstock in Catton Hall, Derbyshire, Blynd made light work of taking a slot to play in to making it their performance of a lifetime. [8.5] Kobra thought she spot fellow Canadian Devin Townsend in the crowd > One of Heavy Metal's freshest modern bands later on that day appeared on the Ronnie James Dio stage, hailing from Canada, Kobra & The Lotus delivered a ballsy performance of pure Heavy Metal, right from the first note the crowd went crazy whilst Kobra, the vocalist, delivered her signature high pitch screaming and it oddly enough had a little bit of a punk rock slanting sound to the notes. As the set went on and on, more and more people cracked open some beers and toasted to the modern female variant of Iron Maiden, it was evident that they meant business as the sheer force of musical creativity that exploded from the speakers was immense enough to vibrate the security bars at the front of the crowd. Kobra & The Lotus had the crowd convinced that they are on the path to become one of Canada's greatest modern metal bands and as the last song rang out across the field, the crowd amassed one more time to mosh like hell, as if the apocalypse was coming tomorrow. [10] < Nile had the crowd doing the pharaoh walk in sync. Bloodstock 2012 could not be complete without American Death Metal maestros Nile, fueling the relentless crowd with their brandish style of extreme music and unique lyrics circulating the Egyptology theme, Nile were accruing more and more people as they played throughout their set and as passers by glanced at the stage, they were stopping to watch as if Nile had one huge magnet poised on stage and was attracting them in, or it could be from the sheer magnitude of force coming from the double bass drums. Whatever it was Nile cemented themselves well as a more-than-welcomed performing band and left the attending crowd gasping (literally) for more. However 2013 beckons and Nile's Egyptian cousins Scarab will take the Egyptology reins [9] Later on GMA translated English questions into hieroglyphics: Sahil was sporting his new hairstyle > After an unsuccessful attempt to come to play Sonisphere a few years ago because of visa complications, India's Demonic Resurrection made their voice and music heard when they kicked off later on the Sophie Lancaster stage. The Candlelight Records band made no compromise as they delivered the almighty onslaught in a variety of ways, through the use of killer riffs, a historical journey back in time to songs such as 'Apocalyptic Dawn', (of which is featured on the Global Metal documentary soundtrack) and back to the band's latest songs. All of which centered around the bands innate perfection of blasting out Melodic Black / Death Metal via the elaborated keyboard sounds that delivered an eerie feeling under the tent roof. The band from Mumbai done themselves proud and like Sight of Emptiness, may have well won themselves a new crowd of fans. [9] Later that day GMA pulled over Sahil and spoke about Bollywood: < Alice Cooper, king of rock closed the festival down The festival was over, but not before Alice Cooper gave his breathtaking performance, playing old classics such as 'Schools out' and the infamous 'Poison', Alice and his shock rock musicians who supported him (including Orianthi), gave a five star performance and finished the four day festival, from which has been a sensational event organized by sensational people. As Alice drew the darkness of the night closer and closer into the main stage, the feeling of wanting more was already on everyone's faces, they knew the festival was ticking away and as soon as the fireworks began sparkling and shooting up into the cold night sky, Bloodstock had witnessed one of rock's greatest musicians tear down the Derbyshire countryside in style, and not by means of playing golf it must be noted. However as the lost song began to sound out of the speakers, the feeling in the crowd was one of sadness and anticipation, sadness in the knowledge that Bloodstock Open Air 2012 had come to a close, anticipation in that Bloodstock Open Air 2013 was only a year away, let the countdown begin. [10] During the four day festival, GMA also had a number of other interviews being done, below you will find them in alphabetical order: Anaal Nathrakh, Cosmic Vortex, Derision, Ensiferum, Gone Til Winter, Korpiklaani, Krepuskul, Watain and a special interview done with one of the fans, Mr. Gabriel Teykal who came all the way from Brazil to watch the festival and also watch the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany. < There was some war going on between two musicians of The Dirty Youth Location: Camden, London Venue: Electric Ballroom Bands: The Dirty Youth (Wales), The Rasmus (Finland) Date: Friday 14th December 2012 Wales has already been a known producer of some of the finest rock and metal acts to grace the music venue circuit, the likes of Lostprophets, Skindred and Bullet For My Valentine are more than likely to have played a Camden venue at some point, now it was the turn of female-fronted rockers The Dirty Youth. Stepping out into the breach and performing prior to the Finnish legend rockers The Rasmus, it was down to the quintet to set the tone for this evenings rock music extravaganza, they did it in sensational fashion. Danni set the room alight clad in leather and her hot pink hair stood out from the stage so much fans at the back of the room did not need to second glance or use binoculars to recognize who she was. Performing some of their best songs, the five-piece did the job in setting the tone for the evening, it was inevitable that the vast majority of fans in this gig were here to see The Rasmus, but on the other hand The Dirty Youth will have won a whole new load of fans. Blasting out their twisted style of Hard Rock and soft rock together, produced a sound that would have made the likes of AC/DC and The Beatles very impressed, sure it was a little bit of a strange sound but that is what makes The Dirty Youth themselves and as they flicked from song to song fans could tell the band were enjoying themselves, however as time was ticking and the clocks were turning, the set was nearly over but not before Danni shouted out 'Who is looking forward to The Rasmus?', might as well be honest she was definitely looking forward to seeing their set! And so it was time, as the Welsh rockers left the stage with a feeling of achievement, the interlude gave fans a chance to get psyched up for the grand masters of Finnish rock who were waiting in the wings to ascend to the stage. [8.5] Lauri had only just noticed that Mr. Sauli Niinistƶ, the Finnish president was in the crowd > The Finnish rock legends signalled their stage arrival in dramatic fashion as the stage lights dimmed down into darkness, what came next was a real shock to the attending fans, the band went straight into playing new material off of their latest self-released album, throughout the night what was heard was selected songs from modern to past times, running past through classics such as 'In The Shadows', 'First Day of My Life', 'Ghost of Love', 'Shot', 'Sail Away' and 'Someone Else' amongst other well and truly known songs, the band of which was marking 18 years of existance did not disapooint anyone and although they performed to their utmost best, it was a saddening experience for some as one fan had said that they had grown up listening to The Rasmus right from their early days releasing demos and that she and her boyfriend had flown all the way from Rovaniemi in Finland to see this momentous occasion, despite also them visiting the relatives; it added a rather personnel connection to the whole concert and it would seem the band felt it as every-time the crowd reacted beyond expectations Lauri was ecstatic in remarking how lively the crowd was and that he loves London (and London loves him and The Rasmus!). Using elaborate projections on the band whilst playing, the music resonated through the spacious area of the Electric Ballroom and probably seeped through into the underground network as the Finnish rock band came out of the shadows to deliver what would may be their best performance in London for years. After all the concert was now in their ball park, fans were jumping up and down as if they were on springs, some even waving frantically Finnish flags; which may as well be a goodwill gesture from the UK to Finland, but even more so it felt as if it was held in Helsinki because the atmosphere was cold but also loaded with emotional rock ballads and powerful songs that course through every fan watching their band perform a show that can only be described as sensational. Sadly all good things must come to and end and well The Rasmus did not just turn it down, they did it with an almighty bang, playing some acoustic songs in the process and Eero Heinonen (bassist) donning some rather exuberant glasses which had the Finnish flags on them (whilst also slapping on his bassist something he had bought in Camden Market, a heart that as soon as noise was detected had the same effect as soundbars going up and down) and Lauri Ylƶnen's infamous black crow feathers in his hair bouncing away (many fans actually mentioned how much they've missed that image), but as like most bands The Rasmus had proven why they are Finnish rock legends as this show proved it, furthermore it is evident fans will see more of them in years to come, they are not done, not by a long shot. [10] Finally after what was perhaps the most memorable night in the living memories of the dedicated fans of The Rasmus, GMA spoke to a crowd of fans outside the venue to gather their thoughts on the entire concert, there was appraise all round. The interview can be heard and downloaded below. Interviewees were: Alex Poulson, Cassi Gillett, James Petts and Becca Grose. Listen to it as the fans give really personal answers and how The Rasmus has impacted on their lives. Live footage from the concert, specifically the song 'In The Shadows', The Rasmus' most notable song was recorded, all rights reserved to GMA. https://www.facebook.com/thedirtyyouth?ref=ts&fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/therasmusofficial?fref=ts < Will began to realize how heavy his guitar war At one of Colchester's pubs The Hole In The Wall, which is ironically situated next a hole in the wall originally made by the Romans when Colchester was a fortified town, three bands from all over Essex made their mark on what was to be Thames Burial's penultimate gig before calling it a day. First up was Colchester / Witham / Chelmsford mob Arise who play a combo of electronic post-hardcore with straight edge Metalcore, sure it's not conventionally new but the lads know how to mix the two together, and they did it well this night, slaying into the fans watching on and picking off those who were scattered across the pub, whether up at the bar or sitting down. Arise had delivered a damn good show despite the small stage resulting in limited movement. As soon as they got on stage it was time to leave and let the next band take the plunge, up next was Colchesterian Thrashers Dismanibus featuring new drummer Josh Moreton (formally of Kaine). [7.5] But before that I spoke to the lads on what lurks behind the Arise persona and what plans they are seeking out: Will Price was horrified by the vocalist of Dismanibus drinking WKD Blue > On comes Dismanibus, what a funny set this was, from the amount of jokes and funny banter the musicians delivered to the hilarious faces pulled, Dismanibus must be a colloquial term for tongue-in-cheek humour as the band were totally on form tonight. The only disappointing thing about the band tonight was that they lacked a little panache in their performance and as a result left the crowd attending questioning and moreover puzzled. However despite the lack of atmosphere that was expected to be delivered by Dismanibus, they performed to conformity, their conformity and in doing so lashed together a performance that is as good as any other performance they have done over the years, it was just that lack of panache that let them ultimately down and as the final song finished, the time had come to crumble and crack wide upon, for the Deathcore machine Thames Burial was about to murder en masse. [6] Thames Burial (L-R): Seb Cowie (guitars) Stu Bridges (vocals) Gav Chinnery (drums) Dex Jezierski (guitars) Kris Sawnkins (bass) Kris left the band sometime ago but duly helped the lads out on what was a memorable night. On what was their penultimate gig (their last being in Ipswich a week later), Thames Burial did no more and performed the set of a lifetime, leaving their emphatic song 'Necromantic' right to the end, so whilst fans were drinking up, there was a definite load of throwing up going on and during the band's set there was a hefty load of throwing down, mosh-pits galore. There set would not be the same if it was not for their ex-bassist Kristian Sawkins stepping into the breach to give Colchester one final farewell and it may be noted that the band made no mistake in giving the fans one final magnificent performance, even if they carried on into the future, the major and salient fact is there will always be one Thames Burial. Drink up, Throw Up, Throw Down. Oh and Seb was sporting his favorite t-shirt, from which can be seen in the photo above.
[8] RHYS STEVENSON https://www.facebook.com/AriseUK?ref=ts&fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/Dismanibus?ref=ts&fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/thamesburial?ref=ts&fref=ts < Clinton playing guitar whilst dreaming standing up Terrorizer Grindhouse and the line-up from this evening featured two London bands and one Ipswich band, on this cold and bitter evening the warmth of The Hobgoblin (The Devonshire) kept all metalheads attending satisfied until a sound that came from the far corner of room filled the pub with the noise of riffs, drumbeats and sound-check, it was Black / Death Metal mob Nathicana warming up and as soon as they unleashed their first song from the depths of hell, the temperature in the room rose above 30C as the sweat began to drip from the band as they slaughtered all those caught up by the audio blast. Mauling each and every individual one by one and at the same time producing a performance that sufficed everyone's expectations, whilst the brainchild behind Terrorizer Grindhouse, the one and only Miranda Yardley looked on with a smile on her face, knowing that the lads had set out the path for the other bands to follow, a path full of explosive music and sheer satisfaction amongst the attendees, sadly as soon as the last song was prepared to be executed, it was time for them to make their exit and let the Suffolk crew take over, namely The Conflict Within. [7.5] Phil was already staring out the git that stole his pint of beer > Soon it was time for The Conflict Within to make their mark, minus one musician of whom could not make it due to personal issues. This sadly meant that their live sound suffered a blow and although they gave a spectacular and mesmerizing performance, the sharpness was cut down in size and so therefore they lost the cutting edge playing style they usually mount on top of the stage. But none the less the band from Suffolk done their duties and played a show that would make the missing musician all so proud, again this was not the band at their best but they made attempts to keep their integrity and elaborate musicianship intact, soon time passed and it was their turn to leave the stage for the headline act L Sol Tace, but the likelihood is that next time The Conflict Within play this venue or indeed live again, they will be bigger, better, badder and harder. [7] < Anton Swan practicing his trick for Halloween 2013 This is the first time seeing L Sol Tace line-up without their ex-guitarist Johnny D'mage (who now plays for Arjento), at first it seemed as if it was going to be a generic Metalcore sound that the band was going to produce, taking into account the visual look and instruments utilized, however the resulting performance was on par with the same sound experienced by Lamb of God, that elegant mix of Groove Metal with Metalcore. L Sol Tace (which means 'the sun is silent' and comes from Dante Alighieri's 14th-century epic poem Divine Comedy) had proven they are more than capable of silencing the tipsy individuals in the pub by this time of night and capitalized on that by delivering a face-smacking punchline that consisted of riffs, blast-beats and gnarly vocals. All in all this was a decent performance and is sure to act as a foundation for the band to improve upon when playing live.
[8] RHYS STEVENSON https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nathicana-uk/290213890997820?ref=ts&fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/Theconflictwithin?fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/LSOLTACE?ref=ts&fref=ts < Performing the splits is always a painful experience A six band metal fest sounding like a mammoth marathon when staring at who is lined up for this evenings extravaganza, the mass of fans queuing outside gave a slight indication that this night was going to be huge, they weren't wrong. Clambering up on stage first was Australia's rebels Make the Suffer of whose Symphonic Death Metal ailment soon cured the frozen fans who stood outside patiently, waiting to get into the warmth of Camden's Underworld venue. Emblazoned with an image that smacked faces across the room, Make Them Suffer made light work of getting a mosh pit initiated, it was as if they clicked their fingers and just like robots the crowd started moving; although the apt pun of them playing Industrial Metal would have sufficed the former quip. What Make Them Suffer does that most bands don't seem to of late is lean into the crowd, on occasions the guitarists would lean into the crowd as if to offer them a slight touch of the fret or as one fan did, rape the guitarists leg with his hands, quite literally massaged him. For what seemed like a long set, in fact the band had blitzed through their set, only to find that the next band was warming up in the wings and that band being France's As They Burn (a Nu Modern Metal machine), whilst elsewhere an interview was in line of sight. [8] Whilst As They Burn were tearing down the venue, the interview with Job For A Cowboy's drummer Jon Rice was conducted and can be heard below. Gorod weren't happy when they learned French wine was not available at the bar > Gorod are a tricky band to pin down, emanating from what was heard to be the mathematical sounds of Technical / Progressive Death Metal, as if it was a ticking time bomb, with each second producing a sound-wave that shook the very foundations of Camden. This French lot certainly expressed and preached their metal to the masses and in doing so may just have earned themselves the right to be recognized as another great French export alongside legends Gojira. As Julien explained later, the French Metal scene is not all happy dappy. Still the quintet never gave into the relenting surge that swarmed in front of them as they played, caressing the various moshpits and occasional stage dive that surmounted the evening as perhaps the most well received band, although later on that all changed. What amazed the crowd about this French lot, was that for every song played, Julien the vocalist spoke to them in general conversation, commenting on how they love playing in the UK and how privileged they are being here tonight. Song after song, comment after comment and the bar was constantly flowing beer, perhaps signalling a call for Gorod to shut up shop and down a pint or two, for War From A Harlot's Mouth were already wielding their axes to go into battle and deliver their own slaying. Meanwhile another interview was about to take place, this time inside a coach (first was in a nearby bar) [8] Whilst War From A Harlot's Mouth were tearing down the venue, the interview with Gorod's vocalist Julien Deyres was conducted and can be heard below. < Patrice Hamelin did not realize he could drum with his eyes closed Hailing all the way from the French province of Quebec in Canada, Beneath The Massacre delivered a knock-out punch performance that would make Frank Bruno look like John Inman in 'Are You Being Served?' It was that powerful, trickling out their own style of Death Metal the QuƩbƩcoise musicians made no mistake in keeping the torrential outburst of extreme metal flowing this evening, right from the first note the entire room once again started moshing, even extending to the point where numerous crowd-surfing moments was taking place, whilst this was happening subsequent stage diving also take place and at first it seemed as if the fans were doing it in sync with the musical beat, but then it was apparent to be more ad hoc than systematic, but what was systematic was the band's live performance, for each song had a unique structure that made poetry seem to flow more easier over the music itself, for the lyrics were not generic lyrics but lyrics with a poetry feel to them. The continual pummeling of the ground was beginning to get even louder and louder until there was a break in the musical massacre, a deafening silence had dawned as if the battle line had been drawn, this was the sign of something elephantine, something brutal, something that needed help with, this was a Job For A Cowboy acknowledging their arrival. [8.5] Nick Schendzielos had to resort to turning his bass lights on after the stage lights blew up > So it came down to the headlining act Job For A Cowboy to deliver the final obliterating blow to end what has been a total apocalyptic explosion over the borough of Camden. Fuelled by the enraged crowd from earlier brutalities encountered, it was clear the audience was up for more and more they got as the American armada set sail on the river Riff, down to the drumming delta and used the vocals as a springboard to unleash what only be called as pure hell. During the course of the set there was more and more moshpits, crowdsurfing and stage diving as each song got heavier and heavier until cracks appeared in the ceiling, resulting in the band setting the stage alight and burning bright with a stage presence that would make Cannibal Corpse stop and stare. Nearing towards the very end of the set the sound reached its peak and the bassist did no more, he switched on a rather ingenious piece of technology, LED's embedded in his bass guitar's neck, giving an eery green color and leaving the crowd gasping in sheer amazement, one fan shouted out "Every f**king metal band should have a guitar like that, f**king guitar companies don't know s**t!" To be fair he was right, this is the sort of thing that should appear in the vast majority of band's guitar arsenal, on the other hand there is only one Job For A Cowboy and so that image belongs to them. [8.5] RHYS STEVENSON As the music began to die down, the atmosphere was still ringing from riff shrapnel throughout the night and on the way out, one final interview was made, this time it was with a fan called Francisco 'Frankie' CaƱardo who came all the way from Argentina to see his favorite bands play! And they say fan dedication is dying? < Mark was offered a beer for successfully retuning his guitar Tonight was going to be a special night, just by looking at the line-up it was evident that Chinnerys would once again fall to the power of Essex rock music. First up was the remnants of All At Sea, now known as Killing Jimmy, armed with a virtuoso in every department musically possible, the three guys and one girl punctured the bleak night that glided through and made everyone seem to appear like zombies on a binge drink, that was soon altered when Killing Jimmy let open fire with a barrage of Pop Punk tunes that instantaneously kicked the crowd into touch and soon were dancing like the lads and ladies in ABBA's 'Dancing Queen', ok maybe not as 70's style of dancing as it would seem, but in no doubt was the crowd putting this on, they loved every second of this band's performance. Unlike some pop punk bands, Killing Jimmy are not following the Paramore 'yellow-brick-red' and are branding their own twist on the already saturated music genre, this was not just shown through the agility of Mark lunging his guitar into the unknown, but more by the breadth of which placed the band in the light and at the same time on the path to local recognition. As soon as they killed Jimmy, Evarane was left dealing with the corpses from which the music had killed them by. [8] NB An interview with Killing Jimmy was conducted and can be listened to, downloaded and shared below. Evarane were good at giving orders to the crowd in an effective way > Second up was a favourite amongst Southend folk, the Pop Rock armada known as Evarane of whom drummer Kris Konnelly is coincidentally drummer for the last act of the night Crash Mansion. Infusing their synth-laden pop rock sound once again, Evarane made no mistake in collecting the human debris left in the wake of Killing Jimmy assailing every living thing in sight (no wonder there are no fish in the Thames). Evarane again were at their very best, performing at a level expected by a band that has the potential to land a management or record label deal in the near future. Crisp clean riffs were just the start of this mammoth performance laid on by the sextet, this was beyond a mere jaunt, but more on par with a festival appearance performance. Song after song, the atmosphere grew and grew until the lights started to dim slightly, indicating their set was drawing to a sharp close and signalling the dark knights of Southend were coming, Evarane meanwhile were planning to Crash Mansion, after mansion, after mansion with their synth pop rock. [8.5] < Chris had inadvertently realized he could amplify farts by placing the mic behind his back side. Fresh from their recent management signing to Transcend Music, Southend's Hard Rockers Crash Mansion made no mistake in proving why and how they deserved that so sought after deal. Menacing the minions sprawled out before them, the sonic boom that emitted from the speakers was so loud it woke up half of North Kent. The famous five as they will soon be known as tore down the venue as if they were employed to demolish the place, ripping into every orifice that gaped open at the sheer amazement of Sam's demonic guitar skills, shredding that equipment until there was dust on the floor from his boney fingers, this was Crash Mansion at their very best, delivering a round-after-round knockout punch that kept the audience awake for as long as they could withstand the ballistic sound that seemed to get them moshing like no tomorrow. Closing up the evening is always tough for the headlining act, but by delivering a performance that should earn them a spot at Download Festival either this year or next year, Crash Mansion are firmly progressing towards putting Southend on the rock map once again. [9] RHYS STEVENSON https://www.facebook.com/CrashMansionUK/info https://www.facebook.com/Evarane?ref=ts&fref=ts https://www.facebook.com/KillingJimmy?ref=ts&fref=ts Post show an interview was conducted, the interviewee was Andy Songhurst (Merciless Fail - now Forged in Black) and his girlfriend Darcy Guiras < Mike Smith of Greenleaf56 showed signs of an electrical back-feed when playing his guitar On a cold and dark evening on Easter Sunday, Southend Chinnerys was host to three exciting rock bands, first to grace the venues sought after stage was Greenleaf56 who have not been on the circuit for around a year. As the crowds began to grow and the music began to find its way from input to output, Greenleaf56 let rip on stage with what seemed a longer than expected set, but the stage was set for the rest of the evenings bands. Having not seen these guys before judgement was reserved and yet for a band who has not been playing live for around a year, they certainly proved they had not rusted up and fell away into the shadows. The use of a variation of song structures gave them a positive reception from the crowd and not only that but they did not look at each musician for indications of what note or piece should be played next. However, the bassist when delivering the harsh vocals was a little forced, but post-show the reason behind the poor vocals was learned and thus therefore acceptance was made. Furthermore the bassist seemed to lack movement unlike the guitarist who performed with such gusto, it would make Jimi Hendrix impressed, rocking away and melting faces along the way, just in time to make the exit and hand over the sauna-like-stage (apparently it was hot up there) to the second band of the evening, Basildon's Minerva Falls. [6.5] "You see? This is the note we're meant to be playing you know?" > It was tough for Minerva Falls to carry on the rock atmosphere now firmly instilled amongst the crowd and walls of this fabled venue alike, but with utmost oomph, pomp and circumstance the laddies done it with no sweat, ok maybe there was a little but it was intoxicated with rock minerals. As a result the Bas Vegas group sweltered out their unique twist on Hard Rock and experimental music as it was anyone's guess on what they were supposed to be playing, at times there was a female keyboardist on stage playing and so the sound was constantly changing, pretty much like the bar staff that night. But Minerva Falls delivered a sensational performance and once again was the first time witnessed so harsh criticisms were retained until next time, but the only negative occurrence all evening was the sound issues that caused a delay in the gig to start and a shortening of the last band's set, but before that Minerva Falls pummeled the ground so hard it sent ripples across the road and a tidal wave shot up the Thames estuary (surf's up dude). Overall the quintet passed over a performance that shall be resurfacing sometime soon one hopes, if not then the pincers will be utilized. Speaking of pincers, things were hotting up as the last band Trash Monroe eyed up the vacant spot and before the audience realized it, it was Southend on Southend! [7] < One fan showed his love for Trash Monroe by lining up to give Ken Mortimer a smooch on the lips. And so it came down to the headlining band for the evening, Southend's very own punk-cross-emo-cross-rock-cross-in_your_face-cross shot rock perfectionists Trash Monroe. Spurred on by the over-driven crowd from the two earlier acts, Trash Monroe made it a home run as they slaughtered their home town once again with their infectious, juicy and personalized style of rock music. Every time this band performs, they always seem to amaze and this time round was no exception, besides the fact there was a sudden influx of guys in the room as Melany Dantes wore a Gothic little number that got every tipsy guy in the room sharpening their lead pencil, even sharper than that was the band's incredible live sound, it was as if God gave them the key to bring back every legendary rocker back to life, the sound was greater than any band performing at Wembley Arena. The band meant it, guitarist Brad Hurr represented an emo / punk variation of Indian Jones as he clambered on the stage barrier, fiddled with ceiling lights and ultimately made Johnny Depp look less lush as Jack Sparrow. All in all Trash Monroe delivered a set that equated to the ticket price, even surpassing it. The only saddening thing was because of continuing sound issues they had to cut their set short, the crowd sympathized and as they filtered out, each band who played tonight proved why Essex has the strongest rock music going on a county level.
[8] RHYS STEVENSON |
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