#301: SUN KIL MOON - UNDER THE CANOPY

2016

Folk, Singer/Songwriter

Caldo Verde Records(?)

It's February 18th 2016 and I'm thinking it's been a long wait since the last Sun Kil Moon release, 12 years to be precise, since the iconic Hootie and the Blowfish covers album, "Ghosts of the Great Hootie", released back in 2004. I remember being mesmerized by the album receiving the rare 9.1415926535897 recurring rating from Pitchfork, but it looks like this latest one only received an 8.9, but hey that's okay too. Though it is only an EP running just shy of 15 minutes, I was happy just to hear Mark pick up his guitar again and sing us his beautiful songs. "Under the Canopy", which features a beautiful shot of a lake that he probably took on his I-phone and said "hey, that'll do", but it honesty it looks really pretty and suits it well. The EP opens with "I Watched the Movie The Revenent With Leo DiCaprio At the Midnight Movies When I Was a Child and it Mesmerized Me Even More Than the Time I Saw Godflesh Back In '92". I love the repetitive use of just two notes that sounded like DJ Premier had left his turntable on a loop and forgot to turn it off, but it's full of true emotion and beautiful melody. In particular the use of the vocal layering and overdubs reminded me of the time I went to Cotswold Wildlife Park back in the summer of 1998, where I wrongly dropped acid for the first time inside the bat cave and I was convinced I saw 100 tiny Draculas engulf my body and drain me of all my blood. I remember that time well as it was the first time I met Caroline, she had to scrape my drooling and vomiting body off the floor of the bat cave and she was a real gem because she helped me get all my clothes back on and drove me to the hospital. It's lovely to see that Mark managed to patch things up with The War On Drugs, who perform backing vocals on "Already Gone" and make some weird kind of slobbering sounds too... Once again it features guitar playing that isn't at all repetitive and totally beautiful, in fact it made my eyes weep. The album climaxes with the extraordinarily overwhelming acoustic masterpiece that is "Fields of Marigold", and after it was over I went back to my hotel room to start typing up this review, and I cried like a little girl. I can definitely see why it has been so long since the last Sun Kil Moon release 'cause it totally doesn't sound like this was knocked up in a day in his bedroom in San Francisco. I was just about to publish this review on my blog, but then I suddenly got a call from Caroline... Wait... What... What's a Jesu? It's a parade? What do you mean it's a parade? No you're pronouncing it wrong... Parody? You know I don't speak French. Anyway Caroline, I've got to go and post this review, it's not as if Mark Kozelek releases an album or two every year you know... Fuck!! 9.1415926535897 recurring/10

#300: LISSIE - LIVE AT HMV MANCHESTER

    

Lissie has just released her third full length album "My Wild West", which she explained was based on her experiences of moving to live on a farm in Iowa. To celebrate, Lissie has performed a string of live shows in the UK, including this very intimate performance on the audio floor at HMV Manchester, followed by an album signing and chit chat with the fans. Considering it was a Sunday, Valentine's Day, and Liverpool were beating Aston Villa 6-0 at the time, I think the 50+ crowd was better than the store had expected. And when Lissie asked how many fans had seen her last time she was in Manchester, a large majority put their hands up, proving she has a loyal fanbase here.

Lissie turned up with just an acoustic guitar and played stripped down versions of songs from the new album. Whilst the album has extra band members, strings and top notch production, I actually think I preferred hearing these raw and simplified versions. Lissie opened her set with a powerful rendition of "Hero", with soft strumming of the acoustic guitar. As the song built up her vocals got louder and soared across the whole shop. It was "Stay" that really saw her come alive, as she really went for it, singing until she was red in the face. There was a lot of passion there and you could tell that she was really feeling these songs. The fans really buzzed off her natural warmth and talent, and she even dedicated a song to a super die hard fan Ryan who was in attendance, who had once travelled to the states to meet her! It was obvious that Lissie has a special fanbase, and performing such an up close set and chatting to them must have truly been a once in a lifetime experience for these lucky fans. Perfect Sunday afternoon vibes!


February 14th 2016 @ HMV Manchester. Photos by Rich Smith for Digital Bath.

#299: RIFFS & RUM - LIVE AT REBELLION BAR, MANCHESTER

TEN FOOT WAVE

CLENSTCH

THE BENDAL INTERLUDE

FANTASIST

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TEN FOOT WAVE

Riffs & Rum was yet another incredible Metal show in Manchester that delivered exactly what it promised, with attendees getting free shots of rum on entry, and of course plenty of riffs! For just £5, this night drew a very large crowd by the end of the night, with lots of familiar faces who love to support their local Metal scene.

Opening the night was a bunch of funky pirates playing their (kind of) first ever show! Ten Foot Wave is a brand new surf rock version of Stoner Metal favourites Ten Foot Wizard, featuring the same band members doing 50s Surf Rock versions of their songs plus covers and new song entirely!

Ten Foot Wave certainly warmed up an otherwise typically wet and cold night in Manchester! They were dressed the part with their shades, shorts and Hawaiian shirts on. It was obvious from the first tune that these guys have a genuine passion for surf rock, giving it that real guitar twang and whammy. They covered Wizard favourites such as "Railwave Shuffle" and "Covered In Surf", and whilst they were recognisable if you know the originals, it was cool how they managed to surf them up. They ended their set with an obligatory cover of surf anthem "Wipeout" which got all the ladies in the front dancing.

This was very entertaining for a first(ish) performance, and where it could have came off as novelty, it actually showed that Ten Foot Wizard have both a broadened sense of music taste and sense of humour! This performance was much more restrained physically than your average Ten Foot Wizard show (sorry, no megaphones and Theremin solos this time), but you could tell the crowd really dug it and boogied on down. The performance was entirely instrumental, which worked fine, but I would love to see some Beach Boys-esque harmonies added into the mix in the future! 8/10.

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CLENSTCH

Our second act of the night had travelled from Leeds and are a 2 piece heavy Math Rock band. The drummer set up a kit right at the front of the stage. From the very first moment, this duo were H.E.A.V.Y!!! I didn't expect two guys to make such a noisy racket! Drummer Steve absolutely smacked the shit out of the kit, and he and the bassist would hit you in the face with dual roaring and growling vocals. I noticed the bassist had a large pedal board that allowed him to add very noisy textures into the mix. Clenstch's songs are built from constantly shifting Math Rock riffs that often change up time signatures without warning. The bassist had a great mix of riffs, from funky twanging bass to full on crushing Sludge riffs and noisy rawkus outbursts. Even though it was heavy and noisy as all hell, they would even occasionally find some melodic hooks, making it a sound that was so unpredictable. The last song they performed was a lengthy proggy joint that threw in so many styles and changes, it was just glorious. They brought acts such as Shellac and Lightning Bolt to mind, without really sounding like either.

The biggest impression that Clenstch left me with, other than their awesome rhythm busting songs, was how insanely energetic and passionate the two were. The drummer especially would be doing really complex drum parts whilst screaming 'til he was red in the face. It's one thing for this two piece to play this incredibly tight and fast music, but they made it look so easy and fun. By the end of their set they looked like they were drenched in sweat and out of breath. These two put everything into their performance and it was a joy from start to finish! 9/10.

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THE BENDAL INTERLUDE

Tonight was a special evening for Liverpool based Doom Metal quartet The Bendal Interlude, as they were celebrating their 13th birthday as a band! After a spoken word sampled intro, they kicked into a monumentally slow Doom riff that got the large Rebellion crowd headbanging instantly. The songs that followed were slightly faster tempo numbers that often showed a Southern NOLA influenced guitar sound and groove based killer riffs. This four piece had a very punchy sound that was laced with the raw, demented screams of frontman Nat. The band had a lot of energy and a super pissed off mentality in all their songs.

One thing that makes The Bendal Interlude unique is their use of sampling, which their vocalist performs live on a tiny keyboard/sampler. Similar to acts like Fear Factory, Most of their songs would include spoken word samples, probably taken from films. Though if I am honest I found it quite hard to make out the samples as they were a little buried in the mix tonight, but I like the idea of adding it into their live sound using triggers.

The Bendal Interlude may have been hit by the free bottles of rum, as they seemed a little unhinged at times. In a bizarre move, their bassist even stopped to piss into a cup between songs! But the crowd seemed really into their performance and they had enough meaty riffs to keep us headbanging the whole way through! 8/10.

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FANTASIST

The Fantasist trio came out dressed up in 1930s Mobster attire to perform their first gig of the year. Fantasist are always a very fun and energetic band, bringing back influences of Funk and Nu-Metal without sounding especially dated. When you see them play you instantly notice how incredibly talented each band member is. All of them (even the drummer) trade off vocal parts, with guitarist Oli working his way around the fretboard and bassist Rob doing some seriously skilled slap bass and even tapping solos! The Fantasist boys really upped the high energy already set by the opening bands, and the packed out Rebellion crowd were going crazy dancing and headbanging to their insane songs. Like Clenstch before them, Fantasist always have an air of unpredictability in their songs, bringing to mind early SOAD and Incubus at times, but they have also now when to bring the intensity down with a killer melodic chorus.

Fantasist played a new song which had a Faith No More kind of vibe to it, and one of the big stand outs for me was "Holes In the Ground" that had a mad Tom Waits circus stomp to it! After a storming set of original songs, Fantasist let their hair down a little and really got the party going with 4 awesome cover songs. The first of these was a funky rendition of Michael Jackson's "Black or White", which even saw Rob pulling off the rap section! Then followed an awesome Valentine's Day weekend appropriate cover of Phil Collins' "Easy Lover", which they really made their own. We were then surprised to an ultra cheese heavy version of power ballad "I Want It All" by Queen, before finally closing us with a Rap Rock rendition of Beastie Boys classic "Fight For Your Right". The crowd went crazy for these songs, proving that throwing in a well known cover version is always a good crowd pleaser. This closed off an incredibly confident, warm and energetic gig from a band who always deliver a high quality show! 9/10.

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After four quality bands and countless shots of rum, the craziness continued well into the early hours with a Metal disco featuring all the classics from Metallica to Sabbath, and Marilyn Manson to Slipknot. There was so much positive energy in the air and everyone was dancing, moshing and having an awesome time. Inflatable guitars were even handed out amongst the crowd so people could air guitar along! Another fantastic night proving the North West Metal scene has reached an unstoppable momentum!

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February 13th 2016 @ Rebellion Bar, Manchester. Photos by Rich Smith for Digital Bath.

#298: PECCATUM - STRANGLING FROM WITHIN

1999.
Symphonic Black Metal, Progressive Metal.

Candlelight Records.

Peccatum is an interesting curio that Emperor fans will be interested in. This side project by Emperor frontman Ihsahn and his wife Ihriel sounds very similar to Emperor on paper, Symphonic Black Metal with elements of Prog and Avant-Garde. But in reality, there are numerous differences in the sound and especially the writing approach.

This debut album was notably released the same year as Emperor's "IX Equilibrium" album. You can instantly hear that third track "The Change" has a very similar sound to Emperor! The dense tremolo riffs, blastbeats and use of keyboards and the chaotic arrangement could almost make this a long lost Emperor track and it is my favourite on the album. Of course not every track is so similar to Emperor. In fact "Speak of the Devil" is much slower and leans towards Progressive Metal territory. Ihsahn uses much more technical guitar playing on this album, such as pinch harmonics and shredding riffs and solos, and the song arrangements are much more erratic and complex.

"Strangling From Within" is also noticeable for its use of Neo Classical symphonic parts and Ihsahn shows his love for Classical music even more than in Emperor. If you have ever heard the soundtrack to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night it sounds very similar (especially the album intro). But if you haven't, there are basically a lot more parts on the album similar to Emperor's "The Oath" intro track to their "Anthems..." album.

As a whole it is a mixed big. There are some really awesome parts, with a strong gothic vibe, and there are parts that Emperor fans will love. But as a whole I found there are also some really cheesy parts. The use of 3 vocalists doesn't always feel justified, and some of the song arrangements are just too erratic and messy. But if you love Emperor and haven't heard Peccatum before, I would definitely check them out. 6/10.

#297: MANCHESTER METAL COLLECTIVE WEEKENDER @ REBELLION BAR, MANCHESTER

The MMC Weekender featured 39 bands over 2 days at Rebellion Bar, in the heart of Manchester city centre. Expertly organised by Eytan and his crew, the weekend successfully united some of the greatest bands from the local Metal underground, as well as a few outsiders. And at £15 for a festival ticket, this was an absolute bargain, held at a great live music venue. 

SATURDAY - MAIN STAGE

AFTER THE ABDUCTION kicked off the main stage at Rebellion bar. Fortunately there was a strong crowd right from the start. This 5 piece Deathcore band had a brutal and dense sound with pounding riffs and guttural pig grunting vocals. Whilst at first I enjoyed them, I found that as their set went on the intensity wore off. Their songs rang with a messy structure and riffs that just sounded too similar to each other. One song towards the end had a pretty sweet Doom riff that broke the monotony, but I have to say I was bored by the end. Their songs lacked a coherent narrative and were too tonally similar. After the Abduction need to throw in more surprises and mix things up a little more. 5/10.

ALL CONSUMED brought their old school 90s Death Metal vibes straight from Preston to the main stage. A brutal Death Metal sound with thrashy parts thrown in. They played super fast with the kick drum constantly pounding away. They were lead by a charismatic frontman who climaxed the set by starting a mini mosh pit. Not especially original, but lots of fun and a solid, energetic performance. 8/10,

MOWER are a 3 piece band from Wigan who were celebrating the physical CD release of their debut EP "Meathead". Interestingly, Mower have no need for a bass guitarist, and yet they still managed to be one of the heaviest bands of the weekend. This is due to guitarist Asp's supremely slow and crushing riffs and excellent use of pedals to create a full bodied, meaty guitar tone. Their vocalist Jared could easily be mistaken for a Yeti, with his grizzly and powerful vocals making him one of the most memorable vocalists of the entire festival. In a very physical performance, he manages to conjure every ounce of venom and spite from inside him and spew it across the Rebellion stage. If you have a solid appreciation of the male form in all it's glory, you'll be pleased to know all of the LawnMower men ended the set topless, as well as pitch invader Collier! "Big Doris" is a real belter, make sure you pick up their EP! 9/10.

BLIND HAZE travelled from Leeds to play here today and frontman Conan successfully made the first Anselmo bashing joke of the weekend! Blind Haze sound like a cross between Motorhead and Load era Metallica (the better tracks anyway), adding a pinch of punky, bluesy, stoner grooves into the mix. In particular, frontman Conan had a warm and friendly vibe with a good sense of humour. Positive vibes and storming riffs! 8/10.

BISONHAMMER haven't played a gig in about 3 years before tonight, but I never would have guessed it considering how tight they performed. Their lovely vocalist Gary was suffering from an arm injury that left him in a sling, but whilst some might make that a reason to cancel, Gary bravely pulled through and delivered a belting vocal performance. You may also recognise him as the frontman of Ten Foot Wizard, but he tries out a much more extreme vocal style with Bisonhammer, with his brutal death growls. Bisonhammer were heavy as balls, just like you'd expect from such a band name. Their crushing riffs attacked you with a thick wall of sound, opening into slow Sludgy breakdowns. A consistent and absolutely flattening performance, with "Cannibal Orgy" being the standout. 8/10. 

CONJURER were a real force to be reckoned with. Absolutely colossal riffs that were mostly slow and Sludgy, but occasionally burst into wild Thrash and Grind sections with tight precision. Conjurer were super aggressive and unforgiving. In particular the use of two vocalists, one with a deep growl, the other with high pitched shrieks, worked really nicely, delivering a rich array of sonic extremes. They even threw in a pinch of Black Metal into one of their songs, proving they can mix the slow and the fast seamlessly. For fans of Neurosis and Celeste. 9/10.  

DERISION are a four piece Groove Metal band whose sound took me back to around 10 years ago. I could hear hints of bands like American Head Charge and Dry Kill Logic, the kind of bands I loved as a teenager. Though this isn't to say they sounded dated, just reminiscent. Derision's vocalist Tony had an exquisite tone to his screams. The Thrashy drums and shredding solos were really something to behold. A truly heavy and very passionate performance! 8/10,

VOODOO BLOOD were ushered onto the bill at the zero hour after Stoner titans Boss Keloid were sadly forced to pull out. This was very big shoes for Voodoo Blood to fill, especially considering they aren't a Metal band per se, but they certainly stepped up to the challenge rather well. This 4 piece were lead by the incredible powerhouse vocals of Kim, whose sensual wails reminded me a bit of Janis Joplin. Voodoo Blood unashamedly brought the Blues sound to the evening, but their Hard Zeppelin-esque riffs were certainly welcomed by the metalhead audience. They had a real swagger to them and would definitely appeal to fans of Blues Pills. Their set ended with a fantastic and sexy cover of I Just Wanna Make Love to You. Eytan and the team made a fine decision taking a chance on this band at the last minute, and Voodoo Blood didn't buckle under the pressure, they put on a great show and mixed up the evening rather nicely! 8/10.

PIST are really blowing up now, after the release of their favourably received debut album "Rhythm & Booze". As you would expect, these guys fuelled their performance with the finest alcohol selection on tap. Their southern NOLA inspired riffs were well tasty and even when hammered, guitarist John Nicholson delivers insanely catchy riffs with a truly on point and delicious guitar tone. Wort bassist Mike Collins put in the first of two shifts this weekend, and vocalist Dave Rowlands really knows how to raise the energy of a packed out crowd. Their set was full of stage invaders, including our friend Collier baring the words Pist on his ass cheeks! By the end of the set there were so many people on stage that it almost effected their bands playing. Whether invited or not, Pist maybe need to keep a little more control of their performances to ensure the spectacle doesn't become more memorable than the actual music. 8/10.

DEIFIED were voted in by fans and MMC members and won the poll by a landslide. These Merseyside Metalheads closed the first day. Even though it was late, and a lot of people were drunk and tired by now, Deified showed no lack of energy. Their fast and furious Thrash sound kept the energy on a high level and managed to get a pit going. Perhaps it wasn't quite as insane a performance as Pist before them, but it was a more controlled set. The pummelling groovy riffs and thick guitars sounded great on the main stage and their vocalist was very animated. A great way to send off the first day of the weekender! 8/10.

SATURDAY - SMALL STAGE

WINTERFIRE were the very first band to kick off the MMC Weekender! This Bolton 5 piece had an Operatic Metal sound with an obvious Iron Maiden influence. Vocalist Will reached for the heights of Bruce Dickinson with his power vocals. They had some excellent chugging riffs and melodic lead parts. Unfortunately though after a couple of songs the microphone cut out completely in one of the rare times that the sound fucked up over the weekend. Winterfire made good fun of the situation though, with the band members carrying on instrumental, and Will getting the crowd to cheer them on. Not the most original sound, but certainly a talented bunch. 7/10.

REIGN OF SIRIUS are a 6 piece Symphonic Metal group from Macclesfield. The first thing I noticed about this band is how differently dressed they all were. In particular the lead vocalist looked like Oliver Twist, with a top hat and Victorian attire, yet the drummer was wearing a sports jersey... Perhaps he missed the meeting about the uniforms? But anyway, onto what they actually sounded like. Reign of Sirius had Progressive tinged songs that evolved in terms of dynamics, often going from very heavy to very soft. In particular, lead vocalist Alex would be doing death growls and clean vocals within the same song. The contrast didn't always work and sometimes the softer parts came off as a bit cheesy. The keyboards were also hit and miss, sometimes he had a really cool 80s Terminator style synth sound, but at other times it went into gothic cheesiness. The highlight of their set was their newest song, the most proggy of the lot. There are interesting sounds within this band, but the way they are presented doesn't always gel. Though the new song being the standout hopefully proves that they are getting better at their craft. 6/10.

WOLFBASTARD featured 2/3rds of the lineup of Blackened Death Metal band Burial (who also played later on). This 4 piece kept the Blackened sound of their brother band, but combined it with a hard Crust Punk style. Wolfbastard were as raw and unforgiving as their name suggests. Brutal from the first note with an extremely pissed off vocal delivery from frontman Joe. Their set was full of solid blastbeats, lots of energy and sweat, and some delicious punky riffs thrown in. They reminded me a little of cult French Black Metallers Belketre! Noisy, ice cold and unforgiving! 9/10.

EVEN WHEN DEAD are a 4 piece Metalcore band from down the road. They had some slamming riffs with a slight technical edge and a drummer that also performed backing vocals. There was a LOT of screaming and yelling in their songs. Even When Dead had a strong energy, but seemed to be trying a little too hard to win over the crowd. Their frontman seemed too insistent on trying to get the crowd to move or cheer, and it may have ended up putting them off in the end. 6/10.

NOT ABOVE EVIL have only recently had one of their guitarists leave the band and have decided to soldier on as a 3 piece. This didn't seem to hinder their sound too much, although this was my first time seeing them. Not Above Evil have quite an eclectic mix of Metal styles, with elements of Sludge, Death, Thrash and technical playing all present. They had some very evil sounding riffs and sinister chords, with unpredictable transitions in their songs. They made me think of early 90s Tech Death bands like Atheist or Death. I'd like to hear more of this band as they had something about them I couldn't quite put my finger on. Good stuff! 7/10.

UNDER are a band I am always excited to see, as whatever bill you put them on they will stand out as one of the most memorable and unique acts. This 3 piece love to think outside the box and play with the boundaries of technical riffs, with erratic tempo changes that play around with odd time signatures. But Under never seem to get overly technical and are always very fun to listen to. They have mastered this odd creepy circus kind of sound that no matter how many adjectives I can come up with, just needs to be heard or preferably seen live to really understand! All 3 band members perform synchronised demented vocals, and sonically they draw from the Sludge of Melvins, the technicality of Primus and the creepy insanity of Khanate. Under have this brilliant knack of letting a heavy riff just ring out, creating at times, an almost unbearable intensity. This is chills down your spine kind of music! Listen to them now!!! Lords of the gnome riff!!! 10/10.

SLAB have ventured all the way from Birmingham to play here tonight. This 3 piece were super aggressive and heavy, and as their name suggests, their riffs are likes slabs of rock falling down a mountain and burying their audience alive! The band mix up Slow Sludge riffs that transition into faster Thrash parts. Their drummer was solid as a rock, adding tribal grooves into their sound. Slab had a diverse sound that even saw touches of Hardcore thrown in. Heavy shit! 8/10.

BARBARIAN HERMIT have really hit their stride lately and just seem to get better and better every time I see them. And judging by the huge crowd that were fighting for a glimpse of them on the small stage, I am not the only one who thinks so! The Hermits deliver monumentally heavy riffs that are not only crushing but so catchy they will get stuck in your head for days. Sure you can compare them to obvious bands like Sleep and Down, but when you are standing in front of them, they feel completely fresh. Each band member gives it their all, with lead vocalist Si having this powerful, gravelly tone. This band will rock you so hard you wanna break your neck and then carry on going! "Burn the Fire" and "Widowmaker" have the power to slay dragons! Somebody get Nuclear Blast on the phone quick, because it feels like the Metal Underground can no longer contain this band! 10/10.

BURIAL set out to be the nastiest and most evil sounding band of any bill they are performing on. In a time where Black Metal seems to be evolving and expanding, Burial are here to remind you where the genre first came from. Their ultra raw and primitive sound harks back to the earlier sounds in Black Metal, taking the best parts of Mayhem, Darkthrone and Immortal. Their sound is as as cold as ice with dark and sorrowful chords that will transport you into a winter forest. Their drummer is a maniac, full of energy with his relentless blastbeats, and bassist/vocalist Derek is a pure loon with a sick sense of humour. Burial are Black Metal in its purest and most evil form, only without the church burnings and casual racism! 9/10.

EYSAW following Pist may be a risky move as they have quite a similar style, but it seemed to work pretty well. Pist owned the main stage, putting on a real showcase, whilst Eysaw kept it raw on the small stage. Eysaw have that southern, NOLA sound going on with Gravelly vocals and Bluesy Sludge riffs. Eysaw are perhaps a little slower and a little more technical than Pist. If Pist sound a bit like Pantera, then I guess Eysaw sound a bit like Down. One thing I love about seeing Eysaw live is the extreme passion they put into their performance, especially vocalist Nicholas who has so much strain and expression on his face. You can tell they are playing from the heart and writing from the soul. They played a new song that blew my balls off too! Awesome band! 8/10.

SUNDAY - MAIN STAGE

PEDANT brought something a little different to open the main stage on Sunday. Their heavy and aggressive blend of Noise Rock played around with angular riffs, that often broke into off kilter tempos. This 3 piece were also hard as nails, in particular their frontman and vocalist had passion pouring off his face, with his Tom Waits-esque growls. Their winding and jagged songs had a Punk ethos and brought to mind acts like Shellac and Future of the Left. This was a fantastic performance full of sweat and grit that woke up the tired and the hungover. 8/10.

GOREHEAD are a bunch of younguns who are tuned in to the sweet sound of 90s Death Metal. Whilst there have been other bands on the weekender channelling a similar nostalgia, Gorehead approached it in a more jovial and fun way that made them really stand out for me. In a similar way to Foetal Juice (who played later on), these guys find the fun and the humour in Death Metal, and run with it. When it comes to performing though, Gorehead go all out with lightning fast drums, brutal death grunts and lots of energy and charisma. This band play tight and are very entertaining live, even throwing in a few dance moves in the climax of their set! 8/10.

AFTERMATH ETERNAL are a Hardcore 5 piece that definitely have a twang of mid 2000s Metal. In fact they had an air of Hatebreed in their sound. They put on a strong performance that included a lot of screaming vocals that even saw the drummer joining in. They were certainly heavy and moved all over the stage, but I think this afternoon's setlist needed a little bit more variation, as at times the performance was more enjoyable than the songs themselves. 7/10.

BETRAEUS were really something! This Post Sludge Metal 4 piece had a massive sound full of depth, textured lead guitar and so dense! They performed a blistering set with complex drum parts and interesting transitions in their songs. They threw in some discordant moments and even had a pinch of Meshuggah creep into their sound. Isis (no not that Isis!) would be an obvious comparison to make, but they also reminded me of now defunct local Metallers Boddickers. "The Drought" was a huge standout in their set. Betraeus delivered a very slick and controlled performance with plenty of belting riffs. 8/10.

PROGNOSIS had at least two band members who reminded me of Dave Mustaine, so for some reason I had Megadeth on the brain during their performance. In truth, they had a more technical approach to their playing. As their band name suggests, they lean towards a Prog influence in their songs, but they didn't take it to the extreme lengths of Dream Theater! These gents were seriously talented though and I saw some cracking tapping solos from the lead guitarist. Their performance was very passionate, authentic and with some top notch virtuoso playing. I think a band the musicians in the audience will enjoy the most. 8/10.

EVISORAX followed directly after another Grindcore band, the flabbergasting Forged In the Furnace of the Sun, but Evisorax had a different appraoch. With just a guitarist, vocalist and drummer, it's safe to say they are definitely fans of Pig Destroyer as they had a very similar sound and setup. If I had to pick, I think Evisorax would win the award for angriest band of the weekend. I mean wow, not only did their frontman pour everything into his performance, even breaking a microphone midway through, but their guitarist had a face on him like someone had just insulted his mother! This super pissed off energy translated into their songs and heightened the intensity of their attack on the Rebellion crowd. Their sweeping, discordant guitar riffs were something to behold and all 3 band members poured 110% into this gig. Pure and utter hatred personified.But perhaps reminded me a bit too much of Pig Destroyer. Forged had something a bit more memorable in their music, but I can't fault this performance and their dedication to their craft! 8/10.

COLLIBUS play a mixture of Thrash and Groove Metal and are lead by the powerhouse vocals of Gemma Fox. She lead the bands performance with lots of enthusiasm, raising the energy of the crowd and inviting them to get involved. Her operatic vocals reminded me of a female James LaBrie, trying out an array of styles from growls to high pitched wails. Occassionally some of her notes were a bit out of reach, but it was mostly a solid and powerful performance. The rest of the band had some chops too with a keen focus on melodic lead parts and they could amp up the heaviness when they needed to. Perhaps going into their set, I knew this wasn't quite my kind of Metal, but by the end I felt their performance had certainly won me over. 7/10.

TEN FOOT WIZARD saw frontman Gary taking on his second shift of the weekend after the Bisonhammer reunion, and lest we forget the man was sporting a serious arm injury. He managed to fight through the strain and play guitar well to the point where you wouldn't realise. In case you didn't know, Ten Foot Wizard are the kings of party hard Metal and have perfected the Desert Rock sound. They have a great mixture of slow, crushing songs, and fast headbangers. I love how they are able to throw in a hill-billy stomp into their sound. When it comes to performing, Ten Foot Wizard are one of the most feel good, fun and carefree bands in the entire UK Metal scene. They never fail to put a big grin on my face. They performed a brand new song which sounded great, alongside classics such as "Custard Dick" and the almighty anthem "Covered In Tits", which not only sees Gary whipping out a Megaphone, but it also has a badass theramin solo! It seems the bigger the audience there is at a Ten Foot Wizard show, the better they play, and this was one of their finest moments yet! 9/10.

FOETAL JUICE had the pleasure of closing the main stage of this fine weekend festival after Camel of Doom unfortunately pulled out. Their sick and twisted  Napalm inspired Grindcore was relentless and unforgiving. They were one of the most lively and animated bands of the entire weekend. "Big Trouble In Little Vagina" made me moist, "Twisted Fister" was a real punch in the groin, and "Service Station Masturbation" drove me insane! Not for the easily offended, but most people in the crowd seemed to be gleaming with sinister smiles and laughs! 9/10.

SUNDAY - SMALL STAGE

SCARE TACTICS came second in the voters poll and earned themselves a Sunday opening slot. This Alternative Metal 4 piece from Liverpool brought a real Grunge influence to the Weekender, bringing to mind Alice In Chains in particular. They had some dark, crunchy riffs and melodic solos, but the use of harmonised vocals is what really did it for me. I Really enjoyed their set, but sadly the crowd hadn't quite picked up yet, probably due to bad hangovers from yesterday's action. They finished with their anthem "Drunk Fuck", and I'm sure there were plenty about this weekend! 8/10.

WODE may have had a drummer who looked like an unexploded member of Spinal Tap, but aside from that there was no silly business. This band completely floored me with a phenomenal set oozing with passion and raw anger. Their winterry Black Metal had an epic sound and textured atmosphere to it, yet was completely raw and stripped down. They mixed it up with some crusty and sludgy parts thrown in, but as a whole it was a very transcendental and hypnotic experience. "Spectral Sun" was one of the many standout tracks in their set. They reminded me somewhat of Wolves In the Throne Room crossed with cult Canadian Blackened Crust band Iskra. But standing before me, I heard something completely fresh and original, with a performance full of genuine urgency. Their vocalist had one of the angriest faces of the weekend with his eyes glaring psychotic with every ripping scream. Raging, atmospheric and yet almost spiritual at the same time. 10/10.

VOID are a 6 piece Hard Rock and Stoner Metal group who have a keyboardist amongst their ranks. Their lead vocalist had a voice very similar to John Garcia of Kyuss fame. If I'm honest Void were a real mixed bag. Sometimes the keys were inaudible, sometimes they were overpowering. When the riffs were good, and the vocals were on point, this band had a good interpretation of the Stoner/Desert sound going on, but there were also times where the riffs felt a little too generic, and the keyboards could get quite cheesy at times. Through their inconsistency, I began to wonder what the keys were adding to their sound, as they didn't sound like a band that needed 6 members, especially when you compare them to the likes of Mower and Under who had a tidier sound with less band members. I'd like to see the keyboards thicken up the sound and add psychedelic depth, but instead they sounded like they were battling with the guitars and added an unwanted level of cheese to the mix. I'm sad to say I've seen this band twice now and I can't quite figure out what direction their sound is heading in. 5/10.

RED EYE REVIVAL are a 4 piece Thrash/Speedcore band who have travelled from Leeds to get a party started! Their songs were super fast and concise, with not a lot of variation, but a strong Punky attitude and a lot of movement and feistyness... Oh and heaps of fun and good vibes! One of the guitarists was wearing a Municipal Waste shirt, and in all honesty, these guys sounded a LOT like them, almost a little too much. That said, the crowd loved them and really fed off their energy, plus their drummer was an absolute machine, so they didn't really set a foot wrong! One of their songs was called "Mindless Mayhem", and that sums up Red Eye Revival to a tee! 8/10.

AVENGE THEE + NAIME were once upon a time two seperate bands that fused together over 2 years ago. They have travelled all the way from Kent to tell us their Canterbury tales. The band declined to use the traditional stage space and set up their gear right in the middle of the crowd. Their drummer had a miniature kit with just a couple of cymbals but he sure did smack the shit out of them! Avenge Thee + Naime were perhaps my favourite surprises of the weekend. Constantly surprising, highly original and always thinking outside the box. In a similar way to Under who performed yesterday, Avenge Thee + Naime have a very loose and unhinged Sludge sound with slackened rhythms that feel like the songs are being unscrewed and left to roll across the floor. They were mindblowingly heavy and there were so many intense moments. The band moved all over the place and in particular had the nicest frontman I've ever seen, who was shaking the hands of the audience, saying lovely things about the other bands, sound crew and promoters, and took the time to befriend people after the show. Their crazy performance reminded me a little of OHHMS. Whilst they may come across as a bunch of loons whose songs were falling to pieces, I found this to be an incredibly forward thinking performance that was pure art, thinking outside the box, and outside the stage. 10/10.

FORGED IN THE FURNACE OF THE SUN are a brutal and unforgiving Sludgy Grindcore 4 piece who implement strong political agendas into their music and crowd banter. They delivered one of the angriest and hate fuelled sets of the weekend. But they also seem like lovely, sound gentlemen too! From the first moment they started playing they erupted into absolute chaos! Blasting drums, noisy shredding guitars, bowel raping bass and wallpaper tearing screams! There was so much power, density and utter madness in their sound that it was just beautiful. FITFOTS just smack you right in the face with every short song they perform. This isn't music you can just casually glance over at, this is a band that grabs you by the throat and throws you to the floor (not literally of course). And in that respect, they had one of the liveliest audiences, with moshing and even a wall of death! Big props to the sound crew as well because they just sounded monumental!!! Chaos personified! 10/10. 

NEKRODRAKO are another Metal band with a taste of the avant garde, thinking outside the box. Instead of using a live drummer they played to a drum machine, which was kind of hit and miss, but a good drummer can be hard to find. Whether they are inbetween drummers, or they have chosen to play without one, at least they got up there and did their thing, and it went pretty damn well. NekroDrako had a strong Industrial influence as you might expect from their setup, with a solid wall of guitars (including a Rasputin lookalike) producing a noisy and thick, brutal sound. Their vocalist was an absolute demon, offering insane death growls like a man possessed. Occasionally he would jump on the keyboards, but in honesty, I don't think he used them quite enough to justify carting them all the way here. I think if he had left them at home, it wouldn't have lessened the experience. Whilst I really dug their attitude and performance, my only complaint is that their songs could use more variety, as it felt like a solid slab of churning guitars almost the whole way through. There was definitely an Anaal Nathrakh influence here. A good discovery who I'm going to keep my eye out for! 7/10.

NOMAD are a raw Sludge quartet that specialise in pure riff abuse. Guitarist Lewis and bassist John pick out one or two riffs and drag them through the NOLA mud and concrete. Their songs are agonisingly slow and minimalist and in some ways capture the purest and rawest essence of what it means to be a Sludge Metal band. If you want wild variation and songs that evolve, this ain't the band for you, but you have to admire their dedication to the slow and slumberous riff! Punctuated by Drian's raw throat shredding bile and Hayley's lovely cowbell, Nomad take no prisoners and smash you in the face. They have worked out an incredibly heavy and delicious sound. They premiered a brand new song that definitely had some Sabbath worship infused into it. Nomad are a very passionate and charismatic bunch that always attract a big crowd and raise up their energy levels. Also, unless somebody slipped something into my orange juice, I could have sword I saw a pretty pink pony crowdsurfing!!! 8/10.

WORT are an aggressive Sludge trio who I haven't seen perform in a while now, so I was glad to see them back on stage. Fresh off a great split EP with Nomad who played before them, Wort deliver a similarly guttural and unforgiving Sludge behemoth with bassist Mike expressing some of the lowest and most evil death growls you'll ever hear. Tonight they were joined by Foetal Juice vocalist Sam on every single track, as if Mike even needed any help in the first place! Their staggering, lumberous songs will crush you to death, like shards of glass exploding into your eyes and ears! Wort played a new song too which had an earth shattering Grindcore outburst in the middle, reminding me of cult Sludge merchants Goatsblood. Wort are unbelievably heavy every time you see them! 9/10.

THE HYENA KILL had the pleasure of closing out the entire festival. Sadly a lot of the crowd had thinned out or stumbled home drunk by now, but it is a Sunday evening after all and everyone must have been exhausted. Except for this duo that is! In particular, their drummer Lorna was a ball of raw energy, smashing the shit out of her drumkit and doing mad fills and choppy grooves. Not strictly Metal, but hard and heavy enough for us not to care! The Hyena Kill sounded a bit like the White Stripes on acid, adding Mathcore erraticness to their Doomy, Garage Rock sound. Frontman Steven matched the energy set by drummer Lorna, smashing through some chaotic riffs with lightning precision. In fact they reminded me a little of Pedant, who played earlier this afternoon, but even faster! An insanely talented duo who concluded one hell of a Weekender!!! 8/10.

I would like to thank Eytan, the MMC crew, all the sound engineers and Rebellion staff for making this weekend such an incredible experience. It was so well organised, with an astonishing and diverse selection of bands covering the entire Metal spectrum. I had a blast and I know everyone else did too. I got to see some lovely familiar faces, proving that us Metal fans have a real sense of community. The bands that played this weekend weren't just there to represent themselves, but they support each other too. There was a packed out crowd for the majority of the weekend and I saw a lot of hugs and no fights! I really hope that Metal Hammer and Nuclear Blast were taking note, because there was so much talent and genius on display here, proving that the UK is still a vital place for the future of Metal.


Manchester Metal Collective Weekender January 30th/31st 2016 @ Rebellion Bar, Manchester.