It’s been that long since I jumped in the Johann’s Crimson, German death wagon that I have changed career paths, got past a serious medical scare (not mine) and watched Johann jet-set about Europe.  Going to a unvisited venue is always exciting.  Aside form the new things too write about each venue has its own character.  Satan’s Hollow is off the beaten track a little, situated in the back roads between Oxford road and Piccadilly it sits askew to its corporate surroundings.  A large, dark, heavy gate greets the visitor, a portent of things inside?  We traverse the usual entry problems, god help us if Johann forgets his phone.  Once inside we can see an unusual layout.  It’s a small venue, 500 people would see this uncomfortable. The stage is a small penned garden of metal right in the centre of the oddly shaped room. Shining have wrapped a large banner around one side of the pen creating a temporary backdrop to the normally circular stage.  The room is intimate but has space for two separate bars.  

We have missed the first band The Sentinel Bones. The opening times listed by the venue against what actually happens are more often than not separated by a forty-five mins. The handful of people that got here early had only good things too say about the opening act but I can only reserve judgement for another time.  So we start proceedings with Saurr, A Wigan based alt metal band who’s listed influences bear little resemblance to their own music.  As I stroll to the bar the guitarist Chris Farron has similar moves to Omar Rodriguez Lopez, his guitar sounds full and heavy and fully compliments the bass sound.  There where no flashy solos however a great dollop of live bravery saw Saurr play long instrumental, rhythmic sections that really got the crowd moving. Very heavy, simple riffs, mixed with a good solid sound.  About three songs in I can hear the singer varies between effortless growling vocals to not so powerful melodic parts.  The main influence I can hear is Faith No More and that is largely due to the singer’s style of flipping between shouty and melodic.  Johann strolls over shouts in my ear “These sound a little like Faith No More.“.  Saurr are a very tight very heavy band with some solid songs. If you visit Saurr page here, you can hear for yourself that these are a very good rock band with very little to hold them back.  With small victories like these, the night has already been worthwhile.  But on we march, well, stand at the bar.  £3.50 a pint, so hats off to Satan’s Hollow, and don’t forget the apostrophe or you’re intimating Satan has no depth. 

Countless Skies are up, I was taken by surprise a little.  The lads that get up on stage had been milling about the venue and I had assumed they where from a local marketing/PR company.  Short hair, shirts & a mobile pop up at the front of the stage you might see at a jobs fair or traveling pyramid scheme.  Well someone in the band is handy at Photoshop.  A five piece from Hertfordshire, two guitars and two singers, I’m hoping for a polished full performance.  They are heavily influenced by the wave of Scandinavian melodic Death Metal.  With a dark brooding sound they are very heavy on the melody with James Pratt’s tapping riffs doing a lot of the work.   This kind of music needs a better room and PA, the smallness of the room swallows the vocals a little and can make music this heavy a touch muddy.  They are clearly a very tight, technically gifted band, but I can’t make out the vocal melodies enough to give a good judgement.  Having listened to their EP’s they have a very similar sound to Opeth and a very similar approach to the construction of their songs. Let’s be clear putting together five minute Death Metal songs with so much going is nothing to scoff at and hats should be doffed.  Pulling this off live is also quite a thing. The second singer sings a high pitched almost operatic style that stands slightly obtuse to the rest of the band but jars my attention back. The wall of sound is cinematic and can lead you away from the venue and down your own personal paths. Countless Skies are an extremely polished band, anyone who is already a fan should go and see them live.  If you are going to watch the Shining this epic-metal band won’t disappoint. 

At £3.50 a pint I’m doubling up. It’s at this point I let myself down as badly as It gets and buy a packet of cigarettes. Might take water to the next gig! 

Alithia are the penultimate act. A six member band from down under, Alithia are by far the most energetic live band I have seen. The whole band pulse and bounce as one, as individuals.  They are a percussive, rhythm heavy band, the guitar barely cuts through.  Yet somehow the dark power still emanates from the band. With group choruses and wild tribal beats, Alithia bring out a primal need to dance. Lead singer John Rousvanis looked occasionally a little lost in the throng, slightly insecure before finding the front of the stage once again. The music was slightly underwhelming but this was offset by the mesmerising live performance.  With lots of space between vocals the performance starts to take you on a journey, with flourishes of psychedelia and hypnotising pulsating swathes of sound, I drift through the set, transfixed by the bands south American/Australian Keyboard player who is by far the stellar live performer.  Alithia will be traversing Europe with Shining right through to 2019. 

Shining are a Norwegian Prog Metal band, who have somehow managed to be classified as Jazz Metal.  This label bears little resemblance to the music that blitzes through Satan’s Hollow over the next hour or so.  Shining have had a few line-up changes over the years and I expect with how long they have been around are not expecting world wide stardom anytime soon. This has allowed them to become something a little bit special, a hard rock/metal act with flourishes of many different styles.  Most notably is Munkeby’s Saxophone interludes, which are not simply gimmicky, edgelord territory ego displays but are in fact integral to the sound lending the metal a depth and ominous almost lunatic personality. It makes their live performance seem as though it has been choreographed by David lynch. The band are a lively and energetic group in that controlled, climb on the stage theatre kind of way that’s not too dangerous but gives the air of abandon. There are strong punk elements with simple driving rhythms played ably by guitarist and George McFly (playing a Parker Fly) lookalike, Antti Karhu.  With standout songs ‘Everything Dies’ blistering punk, headbanger, screamed for full effect, Shining get people moshing along.   There are also some industrial Rammstein style sounds but mixed with a wild freedom given by the razor tinged vocals of Jørgen Munkeby.  Shining power through a set of epic in scale pop prog rock. These are a fantastic live band with some outstanding songs.               

The Venue and bands deserved a larger audience, it’s Sunday in a rain bother Manchester.  There are much worse ways to spend a Sunday night. If you are reading this from continental Europe, and these guys are coming your way, go! I urge you to go and mosh and dance. Driving back, obligatory Maccies in tow, Saurr where the most surprising act, hopefully we will get to see them again. Shining where a fantastic antidote to the plethora of technical proggy hard metal acts that seem to be everywhere at the minute.  Til next time, stay safe, stay metal and stay tuned to ROCKFLESH!