Academy 3 for the third time in just over a month?! Yes but is this the last time for a while… Sigh...? I arrive fashionably late, as usual, and am greeted by lots of familiar faces, but the room is quieter than expected and I sense that some people are obviously keeping away, some are lurking at the back and there are lots more masks to be seen. 

Pulverise are already on stage and I wonder if I’ve taken a wrong turn into The Ritz nightclub on a Monday night in 1998. This five-piece band from Leeds have been performing for four years and cite their influences as (hed)pe, Sumo Cyco, Biohazard, Skindred, Stuck Mojo, Madball, Rage Against The Machine, Beastie Boys, White Zombie and Limp Bizkit. They are definitely nu metal and seem to have a few hardened supporters down the front. 

I’m sensing a Cypress Hill influence too, which is apt as they launch into their interpretation of some of their songs. To be honest my nu metal tastes were always much milder – Linkin Park, Disturbed, Papa Roach, so while I like the “party core vibes” of the band they are not really my thing and they seem a bit of a mismatch to the rest of the bill.

Next up is Bournemouth-based, 80s inspired hard rock quintet South of Salem. Recently spotted at Primordial Radio’s AGM in September, I came across the band by hearing a number of their songs on Primordial and immediately loved their catchy lyrics and heavy riffs. They have been together since 2018 and released their debut album last year. Obviously I’m too young to remember the 80s (ha!) but with influences including Guns N’ Roses, Metallica and Alice In Chains, this band takes those influences and delivers something for the here and now. And they do it very well, looking every bit the part.  

They power through a seven-track playlist including singles ‘Let Us Prey’ and ‘Demons are Forever’ a tribute to those lost to suicide, for which they reference their own friends they have lost. They end their set with the slightly controversial ‘Cold Day In Hell’ a song about control and emotional abuse in relationships, and the crowd sing along to every word. Every song is an absolute banger. There is clearly a lot of fans here who have come specifically to see them. But no doubt they have gained a few more tonight too. If you like the sound of South of Salem, I suggest you try to see them soon as they are definitely destined for much, much bigger shows. 

A short intermission and some stage dressing and then we are onto our headline act, Ward XVI and their long-awaited album launch for “Metamorphosis”. And just in the nick of time it seems based on current news reports and possible impending restrictions… Again I was introduced to the band through Primordial so I know a few songs. I have been following them on socials, seen that they played on Halloween with Cradle of Filth, but really do not know what to expect of the live experience (though they did reply to a tweet to say they were bringing their “A game” and I am happy to finally be here as a fellow inmate). 

The band’s website bio promises the album (actually released last year when this event should have taken place) to be… “Manic, tragic, theatrical and at times orchestral, “Metamorphosis” is a carefully constructed musical carousel.” The band take us on a journey. With obvious influences in their props from Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie (both of whom I have had the pleasure of seeing live – Zombie three times including a very drunken meeting in the annals of time or more accurately December 1998 not a million miles from where I am stood tonight) this is a dramatic performance featuring crying babies, scary giant figures, lots of black and white stripes and face paint, teddy bears, a strait jacket and a slightly disturbing electric chair (I won’t include any Venom movie spoilers here).

For a band that are here as musicians and delivering an intricate show, there is little direct interaction with the audience as they run through the album from start to finish. And yet the sheer joy of performing is evident even in all the seriousness of the performance as the narrative plays out. “Metamorphosis” is the prequel to 2017’s “The Art of Manipulation”. It tells the story of how lead character Psychoberrie came to be in the Whittingham Asylum and poses the question is evil born or made?

As Ward XVI’s website describes:

“A mother’s love, formed in a haze of dolls and daisies, is blackened by merciless addiction. A little girl seeks protection from the broken and abandoned, anything to quell the monster that comes at night. Corrupted by unspeakable cruelty, pious innocence undergoes a malevolent transformation. Experience the elation of a first kill and the debauchery that ensues, culminating in a desperate run from the law.”

And it’s not long into the set when I’m wishing I didn’t work in mental health… but this is sheer entertainment and entertain is what this group of super talented musicians and supporting crew delivers. The photography pit is crammed and the crowd is much bigger now. They are ecstatic at the sight of inflatable chainsaws and especially when the test tube shots are handed around. I am unfamiliar with the first few songs but the story is enthralling (and I’m actually glad I didn’t do my research in advance as I get to discover it for the first time), the music is a unique mix of pounding drums, glorious riffs and lots of accordion. I’m captivated to see what comes next… 

MURDER! Cold-blooded murder that’s next. Not at all unexpected but watching from the side of the stage I can see a corpse wrapped in plastic awaiting its delivery to the stage and am delighted when they break into ‘Burn the Witch”. A truly epic song that I’ve loved listening to this year but sadly there are only another few songs before the album play-through comes to its finale. The last album song, ‘Shadows’ is possibly my favourite and tonight I get to hear it in all its darkness and glory. Now I can fully appreciate its context as the terrifying climax to the album. 

Quick change of pace as they go into their older stuff and a very disturbing Boris Johnson lookalike arrives on stage with a bottle of wine and some cheese… Psychoberrie is soon back to her old tricks and brandishing a chainsaw to chop off his head. A sentiment the whole crowd seem to agree with. 

Their penultimate song is the epic ‘Toy Box’ when bring out a cast of characters including two members of Pulverise to fill the stage with human toys. Then they form a huge “circus pit” in the crowd and everyone is can-canning around the place. The audience love it and band are relishing every moment. One final song and Psychoberrie is strapped into the electric chair but escapes, and as the band play on it’s all over as she launches herself into the crowd.

There is an after-show party down the road but it’s time for me to wander home. It’s been a great night at the end of a long week, and with so much uncertainty ahead, as my last gig of 2021 we’ve certainly gone out on a high. I really look forward to seeing Ward XVI again in April at the Primordial General Mayhem. I highly recommend you try to catch them when you can as their talents and unique sound is surely going to take them far.