— Leave a Comment

[LIVE REVIEW] Slipknot w/ Behemoth @ Motorpoint Arena – 22.01.2020

A crowded Motorpoint Arena this past Thursday is so far, highlight of the month. With the released set list to Slipknot’s show packed with Iowa-era tracks, it was a crowd of hyped fans spanning a variety of ages. With the crowd filling up, plastic cups of some kind of overpriced larger and cans of red bull, it’s hard to tell whether the excited chatter and chanting is from the amount of sugar, liquor or just sheer anticipation.

Behemoth opens the show, and it’s a sure kick off. Heavy riffs and deep bass reverberate from the walls, sending waves of movement throughout the crowd. Devil horns in the air, shouting and screaming from those who have come well equipped of the knowledge of the polish satanists, the crowd were clearly pumped for the headlining act. I didn’t get many photos, mostly because I was part of that crowd fangirling over the exquisite microphone stands and spitting pyrotechnics. The fog machine sets off a layer, opening Bartzabel up for a sea of voices to sing back. Download being the first time I caught Behemoth live, they definitely do not let indoor arenas burden their live performances. Kudos, Behemoth, the Wolfpack are certainly proud.

Pointing out the obvious here as what seemed to be the only sober one in the crowd of now swarming fans drenched in tour merch, but the wait for Slipknot was painful. Putting together a different stage set, loading up the Slipknot curtain and putting up percussion drums dangling in the air took a total of 45 minutes of, well, pretty horrible DJing. With everyone trying to push their way to the front, our center staging was at risk of being lost, but we managed to hold our ground and watched the curtain rise into the air, anticipating the opening of the headliners.

The 3 minute something AC/DC song, “For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)” felt like another eternity, but alas, the opening for ‘Unsainted’ soon kicked in and so did the crowd energy. It was a full two songs near enough for the crowd to somewhat calm down. Mosh pits trying to take life but forcing the crowd forward and back like some kind of horrific, forceful pressure surge. Barely being able to stand on two feet, it took a total of three songs before two pits finally opened and the crowd around them starting to settle. It was time for the material we had been waiting for. Causing mayhem with Eeyore and Nero Forte, Before I Forget opened up total destruction, and from here on out, I was completely annihilated in mosh pits.

Now, I’m not going to review mosh pits because what can I say? People get thrown around, fall over, picked up and injuries do happen. What I am going to say though, is the entire center crowd was engulfed in them. With two pits only separated by a tiny snake of 4 or 5 people, once you were in the pit it was hard to get out. Slipknot’s crowd did not waiver on their promise to cause mayhem – and the headliners kept giving us the tracks we had been craving. And, as a 25 year old with knees of an 80 something, I’m happy to announce that they did not ask us to get down to the floor to jump up. My knees were saved the aching pain, although the rest of my body suffered. Due to the excitement, the raucousness of the crowd and so on, photos were pretty much unobtainable. Those reasons and the fact that I definitely was not about to pull my phone out from where I was standing after seeing at least 3 of them spread across the pit floor with smashed screens.

The downfall? Slipknot could not get their sound right. With the percussion and drums obviously taking the spotlight, Taylor was nearly obsolete. Maybe I suffered a head injury, but even when the band had stopped playing, there was no way I could even make out what he was saying. His microphone was far too low, and other than following cues from his body language, there was no way for us in the middle of the Motorpoint Arena to actually know when we should be cheering. I’m pretty sure we just started doing it at random intervals. The singalongs were totally following the instruments, which makes me wonder, why did Behemoth get it so right, and Slipknot get it so wrong?

metal
— Leave a Comment

[REVIEW] Thy Art Is Murder – Human Target

Released today, Australian notorious death core band Thy Art Is Murder unleashes their latest installment Human Target into the world. It features a new look at a band that has been a staple in the death metal music scene, introducing detailed views and a focused sense of expedition as they reach bigger audiences worldwide. With ‘Human Target’ and ‘Make America Hate Again’ being released prior to the album’s release, Thy Art Is Murder has brought a bigger, more combative sound than their predessecors. Holding on to their combative nature that has brought the band their notoriety over the years, Thy Art pushes forth in their political warfare with calculating their second release ‘Make America Hate Again’ on July 4th. Aware of the current state of the world, Human Target is an attempt to shed light on the one-way ticket to the world’s destruction.

Thy Art Is Murder has earned their place in the top 50 of current metal bands, alongside Slipknot, Metallica, and since the new arrival of drummer Jesse Beahler from Jungle Rot, Back Crown Initiate and Rings Of Saturn, Human Target is a statement of progression and experimentation within their sound. Formulating a texture of fury, grief and a cry of emotion into their death metal genre, Human Target sees unorthodox melodic structure parring full throttle drumming and weighted bass. With each track drawing attention to important messages in this day and age, Thy Art Is Murder has left no subject untouched, discussing issues such as unreported sexual violence, the contribution social media has on the current metal health epidemic, the youth against the system, organ harvesting and the tyrannical surveillance state and for-profit prisons. It’s a truly haunting album, with ‘Eternal Suffering’ perhaps being the darkest track in the history of Thy Art’s discography.

Human Target features some of the strongest songs to date, and it is the comeback of the year since their 2017 release of Dear Desolation. While contouring their sound and reaching a wider audience, the annihilation throughout Human Target is evidence that brutal death metal has heavy backing from the industry, seeing Thy Art sharing stages with bands such as Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive and Architects and placing high-tier festivals such as Download, Graspop and Hellfest under their belt. This year, Thy Art heads to Bloodstock next month, where this album is going to be received with huge excitement. McMahon’s ferocious gutturals are far more focused this time around, emphasising the urgency of uprise in tracks such as ‘New God’ and ‘Eye for an Eye.’

Human Target is available to stream now with the album being available to buy from the bands official website.

metal
— Leave a Comment

[REVIEW] Pioneers – Insecurities RELEASED TODAY

Released today, Pioneers have concluded their debut EP, Insecurities, with an established and solid sound that forcefully pushes them into the metal core scene as the ones to watch out for. Formed in 2016 in Southampton, Pioneers have garnered attention for their impressive display of energy on stage and weaved thematics reminiscent of Architects. Bordering upon industrial, Insecurities shows the passionate fury that the five-piece have come to master over the three years of conjunction, with instruments chemically fusing and boiling over in timed breakdowns, synchronisation and combative fluidity bound by creative talent. It’s an alchemic masterpiece for their debut release, and the momentum to rise in its stead will take Pioneers to undoubtedly deserved lengths. Album of the year? It’s a contender.

The 9 track album is one that builds an epic suspense, harbouring and releasing its acrimony in indefectible timing. It manufactures anticipation like a machine, using distortion and truculent styles of drumming techniques. Opening with an elongated intro, Insecurities builds upon atmosphere with the use of heavy drumming ricocheting from a weighted bass. Checkpoint brings a gnarly breakdown worthy of a circle pit, but ultimately has a balanced alignment of instruments that pulls throughout. What Pioneers have managed to achieve throughout Insecurities is equitable stabilisation that displays talent of each vital note that comes together to create this overall ominous ambience surrounding their combative technique. The mixture of pugnacious and clean vocals give Insecurities a narrative, generating pertinent bridges that ties it together in solid structure. A favourite taken from Insecurities is Shadow Link, pushing forth the use of guitar to open the track and slow down the tempo for an infectious intro.

The album varies in tone, experiments and pushes boundaries within their chosen direction. Insecurities feels like the love child of Fear Factory’s The Industrialist and Architects Holy Hell, layering nostalgic hints towards nu-metal like sprinkles on a cake. It could easily be considered an essential feature in any metal playlist, bringing a combination of fundamental components that metal fans have become accustomed to over the years. Taking a hybrid-style approach, Insecurities is a must listen, and the creativity that Pioneers have displayed is nothing short of astonishing.

metal
— Leave a Comment

BURY THE TRAITOR release new video for A.S.I.F

Metal core quintet, Bury The Traior has released their first track along with a video for ‘A.S.I.F’ taken from their upcoming EP Ascend To Clarity due for release February 14th.

For fans of Architects and Bury Tomorrow, the Derby quintet has packed combative and raucous instrumentals into their four minute long track, incorporating powerful melodies in a perspicuous chorus. The EP, standing at a six-track runtime, holds a promise of gnarly breakdowns and convoluted song writing. In addition to the clear and precise production seen in ‘A.S.I.F’ Bury The Traitor has put themselves in the right direction, booming in the current UK metal core scene.

In addition to the details regarding their upcoming EP, Bury The Traitor have a select few dates scheduled for February:

13th – O’Riley’s, Hill
14th – Star & Garter, Manchester
15th – Mulberry Bar & Venue, Sheffield
16th – The Angel, Nottingham
17th – Waterfront Studios, Norwich

Keep updated with Bury The Traitor via Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

metal
— Leave a Comment

BLACK WATER CHEMISTRY release new track RETURN TO ASHES ahead of August EP

South Wales metal band, Black Water Chemistry are about to break into the scene as they launch into their new EP, Return To Ashes coming this August. The Newport quintet were founded in by brothers Matt and Chris Saunders along with friends, Murph, Gizz and Dan in 2014 and have brought an industrial sound to the table with their title track ‘Return To Ashes’ available to stream now here. Already being compared to the likes of Soundgarden and Parkway Drive, Black Water Chemistry are coalesced a variety of elements to create an all round original sound that’s no doubt set to thrive in the metal community.

Taking a DIY approach on their upcoming album, Black Water Chemistry describe their new music as being ‘updated’ since their first release. With the band Periphery holding heavy influence over their upcoming material, released track ‘Return To Ashes’ combines modern metal techniques in combative drums and hefty riffs, making it massively ambitious delivering a level of anticipation for the upcoming EP. One of the main appeals is the vintage pugnacity of the track, combining combative features in an industrial style nature.

Set for release on August 31st, Black Water Chemistry is available on Facebook and Twitter for more updates.

metal music
— Leave a Comment

The Five Hundred – Smoke And Mirrors (Single Review)

‘The Five Hundred’ is definitely one band that everyone needs to get behind, and it seems that they just continue getting better and better! Smoke and Mirrors; their most recent single, is possibly the best song of their’s that I have had the pleasure of hearing from them!

The Long Branch Records guys were very clever in choosing this band, because they have an extremely bright future ahead of them, and this single just solidifies it more; in preparation for their album to drop on August 17th.

If you’ve never heard of them, then why not? I promise you that you’re missing out on something special, especially if you’ve not had the chance to see them perform in a live environment. They have put a lot of atmosphere in this song, and the switch between clean and unclean vocals really sets them a tier above most bands of this genre. Catchy chords also add to make it something quite unique, to which I just can’t help but bang my head throughout the whole of this track!

I feel that this could be the start of a very bright future for them with the release of their album on August 17th, of which I am truly excited for; this song absolutely slays from start to finish.

Check out Smoke And Mirrors 

Like them on facebook

 

Score -8/10

 

 

 

metal Metalcore Uncategorized
— Leave a Comment

Shields – Life In Exile (Album Review)

If you haven’t heard of Shields before, then you’ve honestly been living under a rock! This band have been going from strength to strength, and having recently played to an incredible crowd at their album release; we are bringing you a review of their new album; of which I must say, is incredible!

They begin this album how they mean to go on. The first track; ”Intimacy” brings a bone crunching start to the album, which openly paves way for their incredibly well written and produced album. If this first track doesn’t compleately blow your face off; I can 100% guarantee, that by the end of this album, you will honestly be begging for more! They have seriously come out with one of those albums, of which I think could easily take AOTY for me already. Joe Edwards truly portrays his vocal range perfectly, while keeping in melody with this track.

I feel that we’ve waited for what feels like a lifetime for this new release, and I was worried that it wasn’t going to live up to all the hype, but I was so very wrong! I truly feel that this album, is actually better than what I could of ever hoped for.

My personal favourite from this album, is actually the first track; ‘Intimacy’, as it paves the way for some really incredible melodies, of which fit the album as a whole, and with continuing to keep the traditional sound of which Shields portray; also bringing forward a bite of new style in there.

They’ve also smashed it perfectly with the guest features; which I really feel also adds another dimension to the tracks; especially Joel Heywood (Silent Screams) when he comes in for his feature on the track; ‘Mother’, which is definitely something extremely special, and even more incredible live!

There is one thing I have got to say, and that is, you really must check out this release; a perfect mix of incredible soaring clean vocals, and with crushing unclean vocals; it will definitely leave you gasping for air.

Follow them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shieldsuk

Buy this album via Long Branch Records: https://longbranchrecords.bigcartel.com/product/shields-life-in-exile-cd

metal Metalcore Uncategorized