Bullet For My Valentine + While She Sleeps (O2 Academy, Bournemouth – 01/10/15) ★★★★★

Whilst Bullet For My Valentine were born to play the arenas, While She Sleeps are definitely the sort of band I believe thrive on the smaller scale dingy sweat boxes with near non-existent stages. It’s not that they don’t deserve it, or they look lost on the bigger stage tonight, it’s clear that they make the most of having all that space to run around in! I don’t know, I guess it’s just the mood the music sets…they still pull off an incredible set though. Barely letting up the whole time, it’s fast and it’s heavy, broken up briefly with a mini speech on unity within the rock scene, very nice. It’s not long though before front man Lawrence is once again roaring, crowd surfing….and coughing up blood? Brutal! Ace work from these heavy as fook northern lads!

Tension builds in the darkness before Bullet For My Valentine emerge from a great wall of white light like some sort of metal messiah’s second coming, diving straight in to their trademark riffs, screams and duel guitar attacks. It’s fitting in a way, seeing as a lot of those who had been fans in their early years had most likely lost track of them until they heard they were making their debut appearance in Bournemouth…I know I had! They make up for this lost time though for sure, treating us to the oldies that made us fall in love with them in the first place; Four Words To Choke Upon, Suffocating Under Words Of Sorrow and Tears Don’t Fall all make the cut, and to a riotous response. Bournemouth has been waiting for this.

I have to admit, at one point it did occur to me that their performance seemed a bit too rehearsed, a bit clinical, something which I guess comes from over 15 years on the road. So it was a nice reminder that it hasn’t got to that point when after acknowledging that a trip to Bournemouth has been a long time coming, maybe the crowd should decide which classic track from debut album The Poison the band should play next. It was a close vote from where I was standing!

I think it’s safe to say that Bournemouth went ape shit crazy for these guys’ first trip here, so hopefully it’s been enough to encourage them to return. It seems that more and more well established artists are heading this way, so fingers crossed we get another chance to see the mighty Bullet For My Valentine….it’s been loud.

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Beartooth + The Color Morale + Dead Harts (Anvil, Bournemouth – 19/05/15) ★★★★★

Generally you expect the quality of a gig to rise as you make your way through the line up, culminating in the moment everyone has been waiting for, the headliners. Tonight though, we reach that high point of this sold out show very early on, but rather than go downhill, somehow this level of awesomeness is sustained from start to finish.

First up are Dead Harts, hailing from Sheffield, they are the only band tonight from these fair shores. Riding in on a wave of F-Bombs, lead heavy guitars and a sea of heads (quite literally, complete with body board making regular trips around the ceiling beneath one ecstatic member of the crowd or another). By the first song they have already incited a circle pit. By the second song, vocalist Bax is getting more closely acquainted with the ceiling atop a sea of hands. In a venue this size it’s crazy to see this sort of response to the opening band! But it’s well deserved, Dead Harts deliver a weighty, almost apocalyptic brand of hardcore through one of the most exciting live performances I think I’ve ever witnessed, leaving the unmistakable aroma of sweat lingering in the air as the dust settles. The goosebumps remain.

Representing the US, The Color Morale bring some melody to proceedings. Some clean vocals to accompany the guttural screams. They are also shockingly polite by comparison to what came before them. None of that Sheffield expletive laden charm. The Color Morale love you all very much and they demand you know about it. They may break out all the Americanisms here, dedicating songs to emotions, declarations of love and appreciation, but that’s not to say the music they play tonight is any less designed to get bodies flailing and heads banging. There’s riffs here that were made for moshing, and the crowd duly delivers.

Beartooth however, need no introductions to this crowd and minimal need for between song banter. It becomes abundantly clear by the sudden swelling of the crowd, stretching to half way up the stairs, who they’re here to see. The band don’t leave them hanging either, kicking straight in to their frantic mix of raw screaming, catchy choruses and towering instrumentals.

The body board is back.

It’s safe to say that everyone here is going bat shit crazy for these guys. At one point the crowd starts bouncing so high I worry heads are going to go through the ceiling. But in terms of crowd madness, the icing on the cake is still to come. The icing being their guitarist Kam, the cake being the crowd, as he rides their hands on his back whilst continuing to play flawlessly. The whole band play with a tightness that can only come from relentless gigging, these guys are working hard and it’s paying off!

But the choruses. Oh, the choruses! When I first heard single In Between, I couldn’t help but imagine the song along moments that chorus could lead. I was so right. The whole crowd singing in unison with the band, it’s a beautiful moment and one I can’t help but envy seeing happen through the band’s eyes. To have something you’ve created sang back at you with such passion has to be the best feeling in the world.

Beartooth give everything they have tonight. Literally. They actually run out of songs to play, re-christening their parting gift Body Bag as the encore so as to not cheat all the friends they’ve made tonight. The energy hasn’t let up once since Dead Harts hit go, everyone leaves with a huge great smile on their face and I can’t help but feel like I’ve just been a part of something special. Bournemouth has been spoilt here…maybe our live music scene isn’t dying Let’s do it again some time.

★★★★★

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Griever – Rebirthing ★★★★☆

Once you get past the cheesy horror flick sounds that introduce this EP, Griever have actually created a solid collection of satisfyingly chunky Metalcore. It would have been nice had the intro actually built up in to the first proper track…but instead it just ends. Bit of an anti-climax to be honest.

The real songs here though are very well put together, if a bit short on individual ideas. They sound great, with some real head banging riffs and relentless screaming, bringing to mind genre heavyweights Parkway Drive and Killswitch Engage.

These tracks are built to get people moving and sweaty, I can’t help but nod away just listening on my own. The urge to jump around in a live setting would be hard to resist, Griever certainly know their way around a decent breakdown! There are moments of respite to be found, most notably as Smoke & Mirrors takes a moment to chill before leading in to final track My Captain, My King. In fact, this calm before the storm is actually one of the highlights for me. As I mentioned, there does seem to be a shortage of ideas here, with several sections sounding more and more familiar as you make your way through the 5 songs on display (not including the intro). Too many times I heard the same blast beat lead verse and the same extended scream intro. So it was refreshing to hear something that hadn’t yet made it in to one of the other tracks. Special mention should also go to the almost haunting solo at the end of My Captain, My King. A very pleasant surprise amidst the endless brutality.

It always feels like a bit of a cop out to me, having the chorus repeat until the song fades out as seen at the end of this EP. But none the less, Griever have mastered the Metalcore formula and I’m definitely excited to see what they follow this up with! It may have been done before, but these boys do it as good as any of them. So if their aforementioned peers float your boat, I highly recommend you check out Rebirthing and keep an eye out for the big G. You can find them on Facebook HERE!

★★★★☆

FYI: This review was written by me for www.bourne2goout.co.uk. Head over there for more news, reviews and interviews!

Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor ★★★★★

So, Marilyn Manson has shed his band members, some as iconic as the man himself (Twiggy Ramirez anyone? John 5?). Is this as scary as it sounds? Actually, no.

As a HUGE long time Marilyn Manson fan, I was ecstatic when I heard Twiggy was returning for The High End Of Low. But let’s be honest, his reappearance didn’t really have the impact everyone thought it would. In the three albums since The Golden Age Of Grotesque there’s been something lacking in the Manson sound. It’s not that they were bad albums as such, just not the quality we’d come to expect. Some very good songs and a lot of filler. Almost as if the band were just going through the motions and not really feeling what they were doing anymore.

Now Marilyn Manson has returned, with just himself and producer/composer Tyler Bates, a name that hasn’t previously featured in the band’s line up. But you know what, thank fuck for Tyler Bates. Whether Manson has just finally found his groove again, or Master Bates (sorry) has truly reignited the flame, something wonderful has happened. This is the first album since 2003(!) where I can honestly say there is not one track worth skipping. This album has soul. No plodding along, just making music so people don’t forget about him, this is Marilyn Manson doing what Marilyn Manson does.

To fans it should come as no surprise that he’s changed direction yet again, but that’s when he’s at his best. You could argue that the three albums before this one could easily have made one decent release by just cutting out the filler and putting the best tracks together, they were that similar. In his prime, Manson was releasing album after album of new directions, experiments and mind fucks. Finally, he’s back to doing the unexpected.

The Pale Emperor is a toned down, bluesy affair, but with the dark undertones that keep Manson fans coming back for more. There’s subtle moments that take me back to Holy Wood, Mechanical Animals or even Antichrist Superstar. And this is a very good thing, without trying to recreate those albums. In fact, don’t get me wrong, this sounds absolutely nothing like those albums…but the same genius is intact.

I’m so glad that this is the review I’m writing. When I first heard Third Day Of A Seven Day Binge, I was in awe. Then Deep Six was revealed, and although the video was a bit pants, I had hope. This hope was not misplaced, I’m happy to say that this is the Marilyn Manson album I’ve been waiting for.

Hail to the king, baby!

★★★★★

Cult Of Luna – Vertikal ★★★★★

Cult Of Luna, what can I say? Mindblowing.

From the off, this album is a masterpiece! Opening with The One is a stroke of genius, coming across like the epic soundtrack to the greatest sci-fi film ever made. Haunting and out there….Just beautiful, in an apocalyptic sort of way. But just as you think this is going to be a sort of chill out release from the 14 legged post-rock beast, in come the roars. They’re here.

This album is heavy in a whole new way….This isn’t just guitars and throat shredding noise. This has atmosphere that could crush and kill a man. Even when it’s quiet, you get the impression that something very bad is about to happen, that something very very big is lurking in the dark behind you. Getting closer as the drums build, the guitars sneaking in as this monster’s breath raises the hairs on the back of your neck. Then boom! You’re being ripped apart by the flesh eating beast, arms torn from your body. Head crushed like a grape beneath it’s colossal feet. This album is more than just music, it takes you somewhere and gets that big ol’ brain working.

Somehow, Cult Of Luna have yet again proven that post-rock has plenty more tricks up it’s sleeve. Even taking in hints of dubstep with the throbbing bass on Vicarious Redemption, showing there is always room for experimentation. But don’t let that put you off, this foray in to new sounds does nothing to lessen the integrity of this band. They’re not going Skrillex on you, it’s subtle and necessary to fully cement the dark scene they’re setting here. Believe me, it works.

If you want an album to listen to, to really listen to, to completely lose yourself in….not just background music, Vertikal is the best thing you can buy right now. I honestly can not praise this album enough.

It is incredible.

★★★★★

http://cultofluna.com/

Pandora – The Consequence ★☆☆☆☆

Well….That was awful.

You know when bands decide to use a Game Boy as a serious instrument? Turns out, some people didn’t get the memo. That memo being that it’s a really crap idea. I mean, it can be done in a way that’s fairly listenable, occasionally even done well. The thing is, when bands do it well, they tend to be of the poppier variety. Seriously now, who in their right mind would put these ridiculously shitty noises over anything resembling metal. Granted, Pandora do deal in the “prettier” mix of deathcore, but no heavy music should be subjected to this nonsense.

The Consequence EP actually starts off OK on Dr Egg Man Is A Wanker (I Don’t Care If It’s Sega)….Some atmospheric synths, chugging breakdown, angry man. Nothing groundbreaking, but interestingly dark. In fact, even the beeps at the end almost seem to tie in with this moody sound, such is the melody used. But I’m sorry, tracks like There’s No Such Thing As Axe-Idental are just unforgivable. Hellogoodbye goes metal anyone? I’ve never heard such horrendous use of auto-tune in my life! Lil Wayne would be horrified. Somewhere, this band have an auto-tune knob with 2 settings; off and obscene. It would be disgustingly cheesy in a pop act. When you try and use it with “metal”, it’s just plain wrong.

It’s a shame, because as I said before, this EP starts with a nicely dark tone suited to some pretty gothic influenced deathcore. There’s even a pretty good melody played out on the Game Boy for Insert Coin To Resume Playing that would make an excellent trance track! Unfortunately though, it’s buried beneath a load of hyperactive bleeps that kill anything resembling a song. Basically, if Pandora could decide what they wanted to be, there’s hints that they could put together a song. Two songs at a push. There’s just too many mis-matched sounds going on here. Now, I’m all for genre blending, but there are genres that go and there are genres that don’t. Usually someone finds a way to do it….So maybe for this spectacular failure, Pandora should be credited with finding a way to make it go horribly wrong.

Boys, if you must insist on having that sugar coated clean singing in between breakdowns and growls, please for the love of God stay away from auto-tune. I found myself clenching my teeth whenever it happened. Oh, and fire that kid in the corner with the Game Boy.

If you wear skinny jeans and over sized sleeveless tops sporting the logos of deathcore type bands, couldn’t live without your hair straighteners (boys included) and have a Tumblr account, then you may actually like this band. Fuck knows why. For everyone with fully functioning ears, you may want to avoid www.facebook.com/PandoraUK.

★☆☆☆☆

Steel Panther (Southampton Guildhall – 14/11/12) ★★★★★

I’m not gonna lie, I was late and missed the opening band. But, it’s not my fault! Whoever designed Southampton’s roads was a sadist.

When I did finally arrive though, Falling Red (the band I didn’t get to see) are ringing out their final note and thanking everyone for watching. You’re welcome. The crowd is a sea of black leather and denim, with dashes of bright spandex and big wigs, this isn’t just a gig, this is a heavy metal party.

In true Steel Panther style, the band couldn’t merely walk on stage and begin playing….a short film introduces the band, claiming to be a live feed from their backstage area. The perfect way to showcase the various personalities you are about to witness perform. Bassist Lexxi Foxx being the most brilliantly acted airhead ever. In fact, Lexxi is so stupid to the point I have to imagine that in real life, he’s probably some kind of genius. Everyone by now should know that these are characters played by some very funny guys with a brilliant idea, and they have these roles down to an art. Anyway, the film goes on, the band walk the corridor to the stage, Lexxi follows shortly after as he works out whether he won the game of Battleships and finally, they emerge on stage.

It no longer feels like the year is 2012. In fact, I believe just for tonight, the Southampton Guildhall has become trapped in some kind of time warp. Transporting everyone within back to the hey day of bands such as Motley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses and the like. Steel Panther are that convincing! Ok, the lyrics may be (slightly) ruder, cruder and not remotely subtle in any way (Girl From Oklahoma – “So come on pretty baby, suck my balls all night”), but these guys can really play! They probably do this better than the bands they are here to parody….

It isn’t just the music that has influenced Steel Panther either, as we see their version of Tommy Lee’s Tit-E Cam, imaginatively named the Boobie Cam, scanning the crowd as frontman Michael Starr encourages the clearly very shy ladies in the audience to flash their tits. He succeeds. Several times. Fun is had by all. There is an unfortunate moment where a fairly hairy man is raised on his friends shoulders to treat us to his man nipples…..It doesn’t have quite the same effect.

There’s a drum solo, there’s 50 billion guitar solos, there’s riffs to die for and a real good time atmosphere. There’s no filler, just killer. Congratulations to whoever is in charge of what’s shown on the giant screen behind the band, as we see balls, Japanese porn, badly photoshopped pictures of pop stars and of course, live streams of the band from the cameras in front of the stage. Most importantly though, these songs are just really, REALLY good!

Basically, if you’re too young to have been able to see Motley Crüe in their prime, it’s not too late. I would say this is the next best thing, but to be honest, this is quite possibly even better. This isn’t just for the new breed of metal fans though, fans of the classic hair metal bands will, and do love these guys! They have complete mastery of their instruments, Michael Starr is an incredible singer. I would say he was wasted on a joke band if this joke wasn’t so hilariously accurate. They play their caricature metallers with a pureness that can only come from having genuine love for the era of music they pay homage to. The jokes are constant through the between song banter, if it’s scripted, it certainly doesn’t feel it. I honestly think they just get so in to the characters they play, it all just comes out naturally. Ripping it out of One Direction, I’m suddenly reminded what year I’m in, but apart from that, this is a true old school heavy metal show that everyone needs to see. Your face will ache from smiling for too long, you’ll be singing their songs on the way home, you may even feel a little horny. Don’t worry, it’s natural, they’re an attractive group of guys who’ve just involved you in the most extravagant session of foreplay imaginable. Absolute winner! All praise Steel Panther.

★★★★★