The Easter period is steeped in religious traditions and on this Good Friday we are indeed attending church…the church of British thrash metal. Awaiting us is a triple sermon at The Ferret. Nestled in the centre of Preston, it provides an intimate atmosphere for the musical maelstrom about to be unleashed by Acid Reign, 36 years after their last show in this city. 

Alongside Onslaught, Sabbat and Xentrix, they were considered to be one of the ‘big four’ of British Thrash Metal. Dormant since the early ninities, they ‘rebooted’ in 2015 and released their first album in three decades, “Age of Entitlement”, in 2019. Tonight promises to be a thrashtastic event or in the words of one of the congregation here… ‘we got some good old skool British heavy metal’.

The proceedings kick off with, Wrath of Man, a 4 piece Preston metal band made up of degenerates from local bands. They are greeted enthusiastically by the audience, as you’d expect from a local band and launch straight into ‘Necrosis’, the first of seven songs that comprise their 30 minute set, mostly from their debut album “The Abstract Grotesque”. 

‘Mental Devastation’ and ‘Autophagia’ follow in quick succession before Michael Skeech, an imposing and commanding frontman, announces that next up is their new single called ‘Blood Lust’. The band are a straight up thrash metal outfit, solid and tight, guitarist Darren McGillivey with his dreads flailing about fires off some serious head-banging riffs, while the rhythm section of Tony Saunders and Darius Koterba pound out the pulsating beat on bass and drums respectively 

It’s great to see the venue is nearly full already and supporting all the bands on the bill, Michael then informs the mass that a new album is in coming soon. To give us a taste they give us one of the new tracks, ‘Human Vivisection’ and it proves the impending release is definitely worth a listen. ‘Death Surrounds Me’ rounds off their set with Michael joining the audience out front. As they leave the stage its clear they have made a few more fans tonight.

Next to grace the tiny stage are Solitary, a four piece, who formed locally to Preston back in 1994 with their promise to thrash forever whilst proudly hoisting the UK Thrash flag. I managed to catch Solitary last year playing at Call of the Wild festival and was impressed with their set, tonight they kick off with ‘I will Not Tolerate’, a definite firm favourite with the crowd who are singing along with the band. 

‘Architects of Shame’, a song written about certain 1970’s entertainers, ‘you know who you are’ declares vocalist/guitarist Richard Sherrington gets an airing in their 40 minute set. Richard then announces that they have been in the studio recording a new album and this is currently being mixed, before launching into one of the new tracks…’Bury it Now’.

Solitary are a well-oiled machine, musically very tight and slick. Richard providing the rhythm to Andy Mellor’s blistering lead guitar, rock solid bass lines coming from Gareth Harrop all brought together and kept in check by Roy Miller’s driving drums.

It is Solitary’s 30th anniversary year and in celebration of this we are treated to ‘Hatred’, the first song they played live all those years ago. The final song, ‘Requiem’ brings the set to a close, suitably warmed up for the main event.

As Acid Reign take to a stage in Preston for the first time since the late eighties, the crowd are fired up for this and the atmosphere is electric in The Ferret. The opener, according to H (the only remaining original member), is the song they opened with 36 years ago when they last played in Preston, ‘Reflection of Truths’ from 1989’s “The Fear”.

Guitarist Cookie shouts out that he wants to see some movement, this is duly obliged by the already fired up and very lively crowd, triggering the first mosh pit of the night. Given that the majority of the crowd are on the plus side of fifty, it will take the three days of the bank holiday for most of us to recover! After a few songs it seems that the older ones have retreated to the back and have let the younger ones carry on the moshing mantle.

The bulk of the set is drawn from two albums, the aforementioned “The Fear” and “ The Age of Entitlement”, a cover of Blondie’s ‘Hanging on the Telephone’ is also thrown in for good measure. Singer H gives good banter with the crowd and he regularly leaves the stage to sing on the bar, up the stairs and even outside at one point, it is a tight squeeze on that stage for all five members at once! 

‘Blind Aggression’ closes the set, H suggests this one will really get the movement going, so it does as the mosh pit ramps up the intensity and aggression. There are bodies slamming together, crashing into the stage, knocking the stage monitors over, bodies on the floor, even the younger ones join in with this good old school moshing. H gets a lift on someone’s shoulders and enters the pit, moshing and singing from a precarious height!

H informs the rabid crowd that they don’t do encores, however they do have two songs left. The first of which is ‘Ripped Apart’, leaving them to finish the night on ninety minutes of glorious beautiful brutality, with the Norman Bates inspired number ‘Motherly Love’, at this point the crowd break into an almost riotous mosh pit.

And with this triumphant return the band wish us well hoping they have turned this Good Friday into a great Friday. We all head home full of bruises, spilt beer, aching joints and ears ringing (sound peaked at 112db) but happy in the knowledge that there is still room for brutal, bombastic old-school thrash metal in our lives. Judging by the reaction of the younger members of the audience it’s in safe hands for the future, just don’t leave it another 36 years to come back, as never mind Jesus, it will be most of us that will need resurrecting.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Acid Reign, Solitary, Wrath Of Man