Tonight’s show was part of the ‘Age of the Joker’ tour, in support of the new album of the same name. New song ‘Nobody’s Hero’ kicked off the set in ferocious fashion, and was one of four new songs played. ‘Age of the Joker’ is a major improvement on the mediocre previous effort ‘Tinnitus Sanctus’, so it was good to hear the new material giving the set a good freshening up.

The highlight of the night was the new epic masterpiece ‘Robin Hood’. Yes, the song’s breakdown, and build up to the finale, is a real IRON MAIDEN rip off, but who cares? Frontman Tobias Sammet obviously doesn’t, as he even threw in a ‘scream for me Brimingham’ before ripping into an awesome ‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’-esque scream. Also, later in the set, the band burst into a quick rendition of ‘The Trooper’, much to the delight of the crowd.

The rest of the set was populated with the big EDGUY singles from previous albums, plus older power metal classics like ‘Babylon’ and ‘Vain Glory Opera’. Although I would have prefered to hear some of the more serious numbers, along the lines of ‘Navigator’ and ‘The Asylum’, the enjoyable, light-hearted crack of ‘Lavatory Love Machine’ and ‘Superheroes’ were great fun as usual.

EDGUY are a great band, and seem more than happy with their image as a bit of a parody metal band. Parody or not though, EDGUY can write scintillating metal songs, have talented musicians, and have a singer with one of the best voices in metal. Perhaps their humour is not for everyone, but for those who enjoy their metal classic and catchy, EDGUY are well worth a try.

In a show almost identical to the previous year, Lizzy ripped through a whole host of classics, with big hitters like ‘Jailbreak’, ‘Emerald’ and ‘The Boys are Back in Town’ lapped up by the mixed audience of aging rockers, and younger fans perhaps getting their first taste of THIN LIZZY live action.

The only disappointment was the fact that the setlist was hardly changed from the previous year’s show. With great songs like ‘Cold Sweat’, ‘Do Anything You Want To’, ‘Chinatown’ and many more missing in action, it wouldn’t have been too difficult to freshen things up a little.

The main difference from the previous year’s show was the introduction of ALICE COOPER guitarist Damon Johnson. His name may not be as well known as that of Viv Campbell (DEF LEPPARD’s guitarist who played with Lizzy last year), but Johnson’s confident playing seemed to fit better with the THIN LIZZY sound, with a definite resemblence to legendary Lizzy guitarist Brian Robertson.

There may still be doubters who ask whether this band should going round calling themselves THIN LIZZY. Well, regardless of their name, I say that they are a great band who play great tribute to the magnificent music of the late great Phil Lynott. So, if calling the band THIN LIZZY means more people come along and create a better atmosphere, then I’m all for it!

The majestic ‘Black Rose’ wrapped up a generous 105 minute set. This was yet another great show by THIN LIZZY. If you’re into Lizzy and fancy a great night out, then I fully recommend that you go out and watch this latest version of the band. I guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Review by James Allman

So I jumped at the opportunity to review their debut album, ‘The Forgotten King’. Describing themselves as Blood Metal, they mix a few various sub genres of metal in the form of death, black and thrash to create a unique sound that has been fused together extremely well to create an album full of cracking numbers that keep the listener engrossed from start to finish.

Opening number ‘Impaled’ starts off with a nice build up from the drums before the machine like riffage opens fire. The first thoughts of the impressive vocals, courtesy of Scott Anderson, is man, he sounds a bit like Max Cavalera, before he changes it up to something more akin to black metal screeches showing that Scott has some variety to his vocals not only here, but throughout this album with the use of death metal growls and death and black metal screams.

The guitarwork is outstanding, and brilliant as they mix usage of styles found in thrash, death and black metal to their advantage and pull off some killer, destructive riffs and some awesome solos with aplomb, with an early example being ‘The Way of The Twilight Or The Aura of Flies’. Try remembering that after a few beers! ‘Bastards On The Gallows Or Bastards On The Rack’ is a great pacy number that is also quite upbeat and catchy as hell. You can’t help but headbang to it and throw some fists during the choral section.

Picking out a few favourites from the album is not easy. In fact, the whole album is so well constructed its damn right impossible, however, seen as I am black metal fan, it would be rude of me not to mention ‘Darkest Day’ which uses some excellent black metal style guitarwork and was a real treat, but the likes of ‘Manuel’s Mile’ and ‘Fury of The Northmen’ are also worthy of mentions for their extremely catchy yet still brutallic nature.

The fast paced and crushing ‘Pestilence’ is a fitting way to wrap up the album, and to say its good is an understatement. This is not only solid throughout, but a brilliant listen from start to finish that shows off the best of what ACHREN has to offer, full blooded, uncompromising and brutal, yet shows great song structure and writing too! The production is great too, with everything sounding pretty much at the right levels in the mix, yet not so polished that it loses that tiny bit of roughness around the edges that gives it that bit of atmosphere and aura you need with releases in the extreme metal genre. To sum up the album in one word, Superb!

Rating: 4.5/5.0

Review By Adam Fredericks

Unfortunately, their set was ruined by terrible sound, and on plenty of occasions, there was major feedback issues coming from the guitars and vocals, that was extremely unpleasant on the ears, whilst when vocalist Loic Rossetti was joined on stage by an ex member for a dual vocal, it was hard to differentiate the two, when they sang together, and everything seemed to get lost into oblivion. I hope to catch these guys again sometime, when the sound will be better, because from I could make out, their music was intriguing and a bit different, and worth another look to say the very least.

TEXTURES took to the stage, and the atmosphere was there right from the word go, with instrumental ‘Surreal State of Enlightenment’ really helping to build it up, before they kicked into ‘Regenesis’ and ‘Storm Warning’ which was eaten up by the crowd, as everybody including the band headbanged in sync, all throughout the gig.

The sound was miles better for TEXTURES, and a killer display of ‘Stream of Consciousness’ got the real first action in the pit for the set. One thing I did remember about this venue, only after it happened was the situation of the strobe lights here is lower than most venues and more directly in your face, meaning any major usage of these can really deter the enjoyment of the show. Fortunately, it was used only when necessary and in relevant parts of the material too.

New vocalist Daniel de Jongh, taking over from Eric Kalsbeek last year, delivered a very good performance, and even made the earlier material his own, as well as delivering on the new tracks on show tonight from latest album ‘Dualism’ in the form of ‘Sanguine Draws The Oath’ and ‘Consonant Hemispheres’, with a real highlight being ‘Singularity’, performed in the encore. Some crowd participation was included in the form of the impressive ‘Awake’ where plenty of fans sang their hearts out, before a blistering rendition of ‘Swandive’ closed the set, and got the crowd going once more.

The way TEXTURES mix experimental and more aggressive elements with melody is superb, with them reminding me of a cross between MESHUGGAH and SOILWORK. The gradual build up style of ‘Messengers’ opened the encore, before the aforementioned ‘Singularity’ got an airing. An awe inspiring performance of ‘Laments of An Icarus’ closed the proceedings, as the band received rapturous applause and horns from the crowd, and deservedly so. Their hour set flew by, and although not really having heard much of their music before, they have left a definite impression on me after this show, one I will follow up and listen to more of their material.

Ratings:

Having said that, I did take notice of a few numbers which stood out musically, with the catchy style of ‘What You Do To Me’ and the ferocious ‘Conversion’ impressing in particular, whilst Brown‘s break neck speed headbanging during the latter could have smashed a brick wall if needed.

Having toured the UK a number of times over each of the past few years, the fans came out in force yet again for one of the best professional and live bands around in the metal scene. And it’s no wonder really. LACUNA COIL, now on their Darkness Rising tour, for me have always been one of those bands that are better to see live than on record. Don’t get me wrong, I can listen to them on record easily, but when you see them live, they are a different beast altogether.

The darker and more gothic elements and riffs become a lot more prominent, and create a really sublime atmosphere, with opening numbers ‘Our Truth’ and ‘To The Edge’ being prime examples of how this transforms from record to live. The vocal problems that plagued STRAIGHT LINE STITCH‘s performance didn’t transfer to the headliners and the dual vocals of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro sounded excellent, with the only minor gripe with the sound being that the bass was a bit too high and overpowered the guitars at times throughout the first half of the set.

The majority of the set was made up from their last two efforts, ‘Shallow Life’ and ‘Karmacode’, with the likes of ‘Fragile’, ‘Fragments of Faith’, ‘I Won’t Tell You’ and a great rendition of the melancholic ‘Wide Awake’, while it was great to hear classics in the form of ‘Heaven’s A Lie’, ‘Daylight Dancer’ and ‘Swamped’. With a new album out early next year, entitled ‘Dark Adrenaline’, it was nice to hear a taste of what is to come from it. ‘Kill The Light’ and ‘Trip The Darkness’ were on offer tonight and sounded extremely good. They had those familiar LACUNA COIL traits stamped all over them and if the rest of the album is in a similar vein, it will be one to look forward to.

Their cover of DEPECHE MODE‘s ‘Enjoy The Silence’ closed the main set, which was the cue for some audience participation on the chorus, and to say they were loud is probably an understatement. LACUNA COIL came back on as the intro to ‘Survive’ played and delivered a killer version of it, whilst the rest of the encore was made up of the aforementioned ‘Trip The Darkness’ before the superb ‘Spellbound’ closed proceedings for the evening. LACUNA COIL could have easily delivered an extra 15 minutes on top of the 75 we got tonight. They certainly have the material to warrant it, but I don’t think that was on anyone’s mind as they headed for the exit. LACUNA COIL are always going to be one of my favourite live bands, and I bet we won’t have to wait too long for another chance to see them in the new year, especially with a new album just around the corner too.

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Photography By Alex Shaw (click here for Lacuna Coil gallery)

The set was primarily made up of superb new album ‘Takasago Army’ and the previous album, ‘Mirror of Retribution’, and was lapped up by the crowd, duly obliging with fist pumping, throwing the devil horns and headbanging all thrown in for good measure. The 40 minute set flew by, and new material like ‘Broken Jade’, ‘Southern Cross’, ‘Oceanquake’ and ‘Takao’ sounded excellent live as they created an excellent atmosphere with their powerful and destructive nature.

One thing you can always expect from a TURISAS show is to have a bloody good time, and it was no surprise that the party was in full flow as soon as they hit the stage. With the crowd constantly shouting ‘Battle Metal’ not only before they came on, but near enough after each song had reached it conclusion, you could tell the fans were right up for it tonight.

With new album, ‘Stand Up And Fight’, and a new image too, yes, the furry outfits are all but gone apart from a bit here and there, in favour of a denim and leather approach, but don’t worry, the new image doesn’t stretch as far as the war paint, that is still fully intact, with a few members of the audience also deciding to adorn themselves with the customary red and black too!

Opening number, ‘The March of The Varangian Guard’, was the first of a handful of material played tonight from the new album, and really got the ball rolling before pints were raised aloft for a cracking rendition of ‘One More’, which got both the festivities and singing in good stead for the rest of the show. As usual, frontman Mathias ‘Warlord’ Nygard had requested some local ale, although the closest he got was from Kent. Still, he appreciated it more than the foreign lager he was served on other the UK dates so far according to him.

The energetic set kept on going with the likes of ‘To Holmgard And Beyond’, and the upbeat ‘Sahti-Waari’. The new material was going down an absolute storm with the likes of ‘The Great Escape’, ‘Take The Day!’ and eventual set closer ‘Stand Up And Fight’ particularly impressing live.

As TURISAS came back for the encore, everybody’s favourite cover really set the place alight. ‘Rasputin’ was greeted by the ever hungry hordes, with everyone shouting Ra-Ra-Rasputin and literally blowing the roof of the venue. The time had come for those fans who were requesting this from the start of the show. A rousing rendition of ‘Battle Metal’ closed the proceedings, and brought a close to a fun filled folk metal gig. TURISAS are really masters of their craft when it comes to catchy tunes that you can’t help but dance, headbang and throw the horns to. Until next time you crazy folksters!

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Photography By Alex Shaw (Turisas gallery click here)

Although WHITE WIZZARD have some good tunes, I have often found their live shows somewhat lackluster. I wish I could say something different from that based on tonight’s performance, but unfortunately I can’t. They seemed to lack an on stage presence, and albeit, the stage isn’t the biggest in this venue, their use of it was non-existent to say the least and very static. The likes of ‘Over The Top’, ’40 Deuces’ and ‘Iron Goddess of Vengeance’ got a rousing reception from the fans, and they were performed very well, but they were just lacking that certain something that would make me go and see them on their own headline tour.

With the sublime new album, ‘Dystopia’ in tow and new vocalist Stu Block at the helm, ICED EARTH took to the stage and delivered an excellent set that absolutely flew by, and definitely left the crowd wanting more. There was no surprise that the new album featured heavily throughout the set, with the likes of opening number and title track ‘Dystopia’ getting things rolling nicely, whilst ‘V’ (complete with Guy Fawkes mask getting a showing courtesy of an audience member), ‘Dark City’, ‘Anthem’ and ‘Tragedy And Triumph’ all sounded fantastic live.

It was apparent very early on that you could tell what Jon Schaffer was on about when he mentioned that Stu had that look in his eye. His on stage presence is excellent, whether it being his antics, banter with the crowd, or conducting the fist pumps or singing, and you can’t help but keep your eyes on him. Stu has fitted straight into ICED EARTH with so much ease, and really delivered also on the Barlow and Ripper era material too in the form of ‘Stand Alone’, ‘Slave To The Dark’ and ‘Declaration Day’, which were on offer tonight.

One highlight of the set was seeing the duo of ‘Angels Holocaust’ and ‘When The Night Falls’ getting a dusting off and being played on this tour. These have definitely not aged with time and went down a storm with the crowd, whilst the extremely atmospheric and evil ‘Damien’ got a great reception too. It was the song that everyone in attendance was waiting to hear tonight, and as Stu introduced it with ‘Let’s take a trip to Hell’, the epic ‘Dante’s Inferno’ was upon us and was delivered in all its glory to note perfection by every member of the band, who were all on outstanding form tonight.

All that was left to cap of an awesome set was, as usual, the self titled ‘Iced Earth’ which sent the crowd into headbanging frenzy one last time for the night. It rounded off an awe-inspiring display from ICED EARTH, with everybody showing their appreciation with horns raised and applause aplenty. Overall, I can’t fault the set at all as it was great to hear some of the early material, especially ‘Dante’s Inferno’. This is one November 5th I’m sure everyone in attendance will remember!

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Review By Adam Fredericks

Although ‘Rat King’ is that bit more refined and mature too sound wise from their debut, it still delivers that knockout punch in the intense ferocious pace, brutality and vociferousness of their material here as on their debut did a couple of years ago. There also has been some work gone into the structural aspects too, for example where tracks take a little breather before continuing their path of destruction.

Opening number ‘Conqueror’ lays down the groundwork for the rest of the album as it obliterates anything that would dare stand in its way. The blistering pace of the drums, along with the crunching riffs really do hit you straight from the off, none of this pussyfooting around with intro’s or whatnot.

The album is apparently themed from folklore from Germany about, surprise, surprise, Rat Kings. Something where rats became entangled together through various means, and were often associated with plagues and bad omens. If you had the lyrics at hand, you could probably check this, however trying to make out what vocalist Henrik Blomqvist is singing would prove near on impossible in itself as his unrelenting guttural style really knows no bounds.

‘You Should Be Paranoid’ has a more technical feel to it, with its almost machine like riffage, which could literally shred you to pieces if it were attached to anything remotely axe-like! While ‘Rabid Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing’ crucifies anything with its utter raw power that will most likely tear your face off.

‘The Coming’ is a melodic interlude which primarily cuts the album into two parts. At just shy of two minutes, it seems a bit long seen as it doesn’t really build into the next track at all. Still, what immediately follows this is nothing short of sublime. ‘The Nothing’, is one hell of a number, and probably one of the standout tracks on the album. Ferocious guitarwork and pummeling drums are the foundation here to a track that just has that devastating nature to it.

Overall, AS YOU DROWN have produced a solid modern death metal album (and one that makes a great platform to build from), which really delivers an intense 40 minutes of crushing power and obliteration. It’s unrelenting brutality from track to track, whether it comes from battering the hell out of those drums, those monstrous and bone crunching riffs, the raucousness of those vocals, or a combination of all of them really does give it a bit of extra oomph, that gives the listener a feeling of satisfaction throughout, despite probable bleeding from the ears afterwards!

Rating: 4.2/5.0

Review By Adam Fredericks

Straight from the off, you can tell that this a far more polished and cleaner sound than their previous efforts, and it certainly helps bring the best out of the material on offer. Ferocious opener and title track, ‘Five Serpent’s Teeth’ has those classic 80′s style thrash riffs so much associated with EVILE while it also unleashes a ripper of a solo. It also shows they have matured even more, with work done on the structural side of each song too.

Matt Drake‘s vocals sound better than ever, and while they may not be has harsh in your face as like on ‘Enter The Grave’, they are certainly a step up and more refined from those on ‘Infected Nations’. ‘In Dreams of Terror’ shows the first real sign of another style being incorporated into their music with some interesting progressive style guitar work working exceptionally well to give the album another dimension.

‘Cult’ is a prime example of EVILE‘s influences blended together so subtly and easily to create a thrash classic. It hits you here, there and everywhere, that it could belong to a multitude of artists from the 80′s thrash scene. ‘Xaraya’ in certain sections sounds like something from an early METALLICA album, whilst the breakneck speed of ‘Origin of Oblivion’ is a full out assault of riffage and battery, and it’s absolutely sublime.

‘In Memoriam’ pays tribute to their late, but not forgotten bassist Mike Alexander. Joel Graham has filled his place, and the bass starts things off slowly creating an almost dark atmosphere, before the melodic style guitars come in. The whole song is one of the highlights of the album, and EVILE‘s first real attempt at producing a song of this more melancholic nature, and it really delivers. It shows that EVILE can mix it up, and are not afraid to show their ‘softer’ side as it be.

‘Long Live New Flesh’ is a strong number to close the album with, and one that will leave a lasting impression for the album as a whole to the listener, an extremely good impression. This is a superb thrash album from start to finish, with no filler at all. It’s got the riffs, the solos, the battery, the vocals and some modern twists to it too. In essence, EVILE have hit the nail right on the head here and delivered what was promised from ‘Enter The Grave’. While they may be classed in the thrash revival movement, there’s no question that these guys would certainly have graced the 80′s thrash scene at the time. This is thrash to the very core!

Rating: 4.6/5.0

Review By Adam Fredericks