Live Review : Red Fang, The Corporation, Sheffield, UK, March 17th 2014

I only got to see 10 to 15 minutes of opening act – Lord Dying – as I was busy interviewing the main band. I am huge fan of their music and what I did see, impressed the hell out of me. Thick and brutal Sludge Metal riffs that went down a storm with the crowd in attendance tonight. You can tell why Lord Dying are considered one of the best upcoming Sludge Metal Bands on the Relapse Record Label. I think they may have won a few fans from tonight’s performance alone.

Up next is Californian self proclaimed - Psychedelic Violence Rock and Roll Upstarts – The Shrine – who put in a blistering 35 minute performance showcasing tracks off their two records Primitive Blast and Bless Off to an audience which took time to warm to these hard as nails stoner-thrash rockers.  Initially, some people weren't really convinced at the start including my brother who I was in attendance with. But by the end The Shrine had converted a huge number of people into rocking out with their insane blast of hard-rocking riffs including my brother.  He even bought a T-Shirt from the band at the end.

The Shrine are a highly energetic band, backed up with a powerful whirlwind of thrash based Stoner Metal riffs that left the audience in a daze at times. They left the stage to great applause and they definitely got the audience warmed up for the main act – RED FANG!!!

Red Fang came blistering on stage and played a stunning hour set packed full of classics from their last 3 albums. Opening up with HANK IS DEAD. Red Fang got straight down to business of rocking the fuck out and showing the world why they are one of the hottest Stoner Metal bands around.

The dual vocals of Aaron and Bryan instantly tore a hole in the universe as they showed the audience who was in charge. The audience were loving this right from the start, including myself.  I was rocking out, to a whole range of Red Fang tracks that almost everyone sang along to.

Voices Of The Dead, DOEN, Throw Up and No Hope proving that Red Fang are a band not to be messed with, as they laid down some impressive riffs. John's drumming was fantastic throughout and he never missed a beat.

Red Fang showed they had a wicked sense of humour during the show, joking along with members of the drunken audience, with Bryan telling drunken hecklers who is the boss with some damn fine witty comebacks of his own.  The audience found it highly amusing.

The music is what we came to see and Red Fang delivered on all counts during the course of the show. The biggest cheers of the night came when Red Fang played tracks such as 15:16, Crows in Swine and Blood Like Cream before exiting the stage to a rapturous reception.

We only waited about a minute or so before Red Fang unleashed into a one-song encore with their classic track – Prehistoric Dog – which was worth the admission price alone.  The entire audience sang along to all of the lyrics while Red Fang played some epic riffs which only added to the wonderful atmosphere they had created for the past 65 mins or so.

They left the stage to a brilliant reception and proved once again why they are one of the worlds best Hard Rock/Stoner Metal bands currently out there today.

My fave gig of 2014 so far. I hope other gigs I see this year match the fun and excitement that Red Fang created tonight.

Written by Steve Howe

Live Review : Mastiff, Dripback, Crowbar, The Corporation, Sheffield, UK, 1st March 2014

Saturday, 1 March 2014, Crowbar bring the HEAvy to Sheffield., Corporation

With the news that Iron Witch were playing as support the previous night in Manchester, admittedly there was some disappointment from this Sludgelord, that they are not on the bill tonight, however Mastiff were more than a worthy replacement.  Hailing from Hull, East Yorkshire, UK this crazy bunch of miscreants imbued hate from the outset.  A sound in the key of malevolence, Mastiff were devastating, with their blend of sludgey hardcore metal. Hell, I’m a dog lover myself, but this four piece were more rabid that a rampaging packs of Rottweilers, an intimidating proposition indeed.  Is there a genre called sludge aggro-core? If indeed there was, this band of merry bastards would be the antithesis of that.  Their short set was just low end filth, the pace of hardcore, the crush of Crowbar and venom of Converge.  A nice mix and given that I was on a diet of crush tonight, this is just the start to the evening I needed.  These guys were a worthy replacement for Iron Witch, their power and performance was vicious and given the bassist was punching himself in the head, just a little bit unhinged too.  As their bio suggest they sound like, Crowbar, Battalions, Hatebreed, Terror, 100 Demons.  A heavy mix indeed and once this Mastiff embedded its teeth, there was no mercy shown. To paraphrase Jello Biafra, ‘A dog should not bite, it’s supposed to beg’, however the only people begging was the audience, for this particular onslaught to be over, and so they could nurse their wounds, before the next band took to the stage. 

As the venue starts to fill up and the alcohol begins to flow, I can only make reference to myself here (I was enjoying myself, J).  Dripback take to the stage.  With their sophomore release but a few weeks old, Dripback’s opening gambit is one comparable to early NY Hardcore and is perhaps my immediate reference point, but more nihilistic, punctuated by grindings guitars.  The tone and refrain is angst, think Ray Winstone in a Borstal with an iron bar twatting you in the face.  Where’s your tool, now eh?  The pace is one of intensity, kinda Shane Embury doing hardcore, seriously these guys are unrelenting.  Pinched harmonic and the odd galloped riff and beat down are the only source of respite throughout the duration of this avalanche of discordant dirt.  This set is the sound of grinding noise and as the band state, “Keep your mouth shut and your head down”.  Hell, I feel like kicking my own arse, so these bastards will go easy on me.  30 mins of assault and battery, these guys are a knuckle duster to the face.  Dripback were arguably an incongruent choice for the bill, however what they delivered was blistering, and who can argue with that?  

Having kicked off this heavy metal day, watching The Lego Movie with my 2 ½ yr old son.  Frankly, you don’t get more metal than that, do you?  It was time to dust myself down and prepare for a night with ‘The Riff Lord’ himself, Mr Windstein.  That can only mean one thing, Crowbar are in town.  With the refrain of ‘Everything is awesome’ from the aforementioned movie, playing repeatedly in my head, it is quite fitting given that my face is due to be melted under the weight of sludge this evening.  Who doesn’t think that’s awesome??  Raise your hands. 

Owing somewhat of a favour to Phil Anselmo and two misunderstood TV metal heads, I have followed this band for 20 years.  The simple common denominator for this dedication is ‘riffs’, sheer unadulterated weight.  For me their first 5 records are solid gold, with Odd Fellows Rest perhaps just edging Broken Glass in terms of their definitive record.  But let’s not kid ourselves, nothing is average about these guys, Equilibrium, Sonic Excess, Lifesblood and more recently Sever the Wicked Hand are still class records.  The lasting appeal of Crowbar is Lord Windstein, his tenacity and dedication to his art of producing crushing riffs is unparallel, coining the phrase ‘None Heavier’.  Indeed, Windstein himself said in a recent interview, the biggest compliment you give, is that of ‘Riff Lord’. 

Recently stating that your current line up is the strongest in 25 years is a measure of their confidence, new album in the bank, no side projects, new bass payer.  This renewed vigour within the band is clear to see tonight.  The altar for this ‘Lord’ is the stage and tonight Crowbar destroys.  ‘Conquering’ is just the best start you could ask for, Windstein’s white explorer brings massive power, the crowd bellowing ‘Conquering, In time I’m Conquering’.  In the live arena, the song is heavier than I remember on record.  ‘High Rate Extinction’ was the first Crowbar I ever heard and is next up, chugging riffs, you known the one, with that trademark low end bend every 3 or four notes.  The Lasting Dose is stunningly crushing, audibly this is seismic.  Windstein sporting his Michael Schenker t shirt is clearly enjoying himself and reminding us that it was 10 years since he graced this very stage.  Words like weight, crush and crunch are the perfect adjectives to sum up this evening.  This band bring the kind of dense power that asphyxiates, causing your eyes to glace over, I’m talking petechial haemorrhaging.  The sheer volume tonight stifles your every breathe and ability to take in oxygen.  We are treated to ‘Burn Your World’, ‘Self Inflicted’ ‘Sever The Wicked Hand’ ‘New Dawn’ , saving ‘All I had (I Gave)’ to the latter part of the set.  For me, ‘Planets Collide’ is always a highlight and is easily one of the best songs Windstein has written.  Tonight is no exception and overall their performance was a balanced diet of bludgeoning riffs.  My 5 a day was slow low end heaviness and I went home overwhelming satisfied that Crowbar are more powerful than ever and undeniably there is indeed ‘None Heavier’.  Now watch the ‘Planets Collide.’    

Words by : Aaron Pickford



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Live Review : Thy Art Is Murder, Heart of a Coward, Aversions Crown, Aegaeon, The Corporation, Sheffield, UK, 2/2/2014

As is the case with everything, genres get diluted with mediocrity with every emerging scene, and yet there are those bands, which set the benchmark and are a cut above the rest. Since the emergence of the deathcore movement, whether you like it or not, the death metal scene is perhaps thriving more than it ever has in years.  Indeed, the fact that tonight’s show is packed out, is testament to that. 

Invariably, music will always polarise people and purests of the death metal scene, may not accept the association with deathcore.  Indeed tonight’s bill perhaps cannot be categorised as deathcore or death metal per se, but invariably those on the bill tonight, have taken the blueprint of those genres married them together and given the scene a 21^st century makeover.  One thing is for certain they are undeniably HEAVY! 

Arriving fashionably late to tonight’s proceedings, a Sunday evening I might add and a day which is ominous given the resultant commencement of another week at work, Aegaeon Pronounced (ih-jee-uhn)  are perhaps 10 or 15 mins into their set.  An assured performance from what I am exposed too, indeed it is what we have come to expect from the death metal genre, tight beat downs, solid guitar work , double bass rumbles and growling vocals are all in abundance and made to measure for the death march ahead.

Next up is Aversions Crown, a six piece outfit from Adelaide, Australia.  What these guys present is more in the vein of deathcore.  A 3 guitar attack, laying down cacophonous  surges of riffs, with the Man / Bear vocalist as imposing a frontman you’re likely to be abused by, with his array of growled/screamed assaults.   Certainly they exude a certain decorum of confidence and they deal in clinical, technically dexterous guitar work, beatdowns and bucketloads of hate.  A guitar attack, seering the guitar neck, with made to order shred attack.  A shredders delight, for the Rings of Saturn generation.

My recollection of Heart of a Coward, stems from a free CD giveaway a few years back and I can honestly say, that I wasn’t particularly enamoured by it.  Tonight, with the front man, Jamie Graham adorning a Deicide shirt, I was fearful of perhaps more style over substance and yet, HOAC with their own brand of HEAVY was certainly a highlight, brushing aside their peers under them, with the creativity and variety of songs.  What made this evening a good night for HOAC, is having a front man, possessing confidence and enough belief in their own ability to come out fighting. 

HOAC are not necessarily that different from their peers tonight in terms of technicality, they just have better songs and immediately the crowd are on their side.  HOAC have taken the branding of the American blueprint and beat them at their own game.  For me, their music is not necessarily to my own taste, but what they do, they do really fucking well.  By no means are they reinventing the wheel, but they are doing it with more ferocity, integrity and vigour. 

There’s certainly a certain degree of foreboding before the headliners, Thy Art Is Murder hit the stage, and then we’re immediately inflicted with a hateful dose of venom, summoned forth like a vehement diatribe, from TAIM front man CJ McMahon.   Adorning a Hannibal Lector shirt, this dude looks deranged and seems intent on eating more than your goddam liver, maybe your spleen too.  This is devil’s music people and you’d better repent, because this art is most definitely, Murder!    Musical evisceration is perhaps more apt and Ladies and Gentlemen, this is as violent as music gets.  Despite their obvious brutality, the performance of TAIM is also absorbing and the crowd are just plain bonkers, fools flipping off the stage, with a trip to the chiropractor a certainty for Monday morning.  Last song, Reign of Darkness brings down the curtain on a torturous evening.  The best way to sum up tonight’s live show would be a mechanised, precise, technical and flawless performance and to coin a phrase from Fear Factory, it could be aptly titled the ‘Machines of Hate’. 

Words by : Aaron Pickford

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