This is the second time I’ve been along to Jimmy’s in Liverpool for a gig, and I’ve got to say I’m fond of this place already. The Honeycomb Pale Ale alone is worth a visit! First up are Liverpool’s very own Atanamir. There’s a heavy doom, stoner, sludge vibe with these guys but mixed with enough groove and thrash Metal to keep it fresh and intriguing. In fact, they sound very reminiscent of Crowbar. The frontman’s vocals in particular remind me of Kirk Windstein. They’re very engaging and afford the crowd the chance to down beers along to the hypnotic chugging. There’s a particularly beautiful and full underlying rumble from the bass that is both comforting and invigorating. Some delicious Zakk Wylde style solos punctuate the almost doom version of Amon Amarth (another nod to the vocals here). Is there such a thing as sludge-vikings? They also all look the part, with a liberal display of long hair, combat trousers and black band tees. I’m also very jealous of their lovely guitars and bass…but that’s another story!

Next come Manchester’s alternative rockers Deadwing. They drop in immediately with a very funky technical bass riff, then layered with some Stone Temple Pilots style guitar work. There’s actually a real STP vibe to the song writing and melodies too. The singer’s vocals are good but lack a velvety warmth and power, and you just feel like you want her to just let go and really deliver them with all her might. The drums have some great jazzy prog-rock elements, and just like the opening band they look great with a cohesive vibe. There are plenty of nods to some of my prog-metal faves Karnivool, albeit with soulful female vocals, and there is a prog vibe throughout for sure. I have to mention the delicious guitar tone as well, with just the right amount of reverb and delay. Their current Spotify track has a fantastically haunting start and PJ Harvey style drifting into Wheel style prog, and there are some elements here that work really well, which with time and confidence I think they can hone into something unique.

Local headliners Beneath The Ruin have an air of excitement about them as they launch into their set. This is a launch party for single Uprising off their forthcoming debut album, and you can see the family and friends packing the room. Expansive post-rock soundscapes and melodic djenty riffs are the order of the day, with plenty of nods to TesseracT and Haken. Unfortunately, bass player Rory tested positive for COVID-19 just days before the gig, so they’re forced to perform without him. It does leave the sound a little thin tonight. I was hoping the kick drum or keyboards might fill-out the sound on the bass-end, but it is lacking still especially when the splash and overheads kick-in from the drums. Despite this the guys put on a passionate and talented performance. Dan’s clean vocals are excellent, especially with limited monitor capabilities, and the guitar work from JJ is catchy and technical without being unnecessarily overindulgent. Actually, they come across more like Daniel Tompkins’ solo project than TesseracT and that just means it’s all more accessible with clear song structures and dynamics. The feel with the guitar tone and keyboards is very futuristic and processed, which is no bad thing, but the heavier elements (especially the shouted vocals) probably need fine-tuning as they develop and evolve. The crowd love it and a full moshpit eventually joins the single crazed dancer (who also commandeers a barrel to dance with at one point) and a cat-eared fan. Keep an eye on these guys and whatch their star rise, as they have talent and promise in abundance.