Live Review : Slipknot + Bleed From Within @ Co-op Live Arena, Manchester on December 17th 2024

Every band reaches a tipping point, where their rapid ascendancy slows, and they enter that “selective appeal" phase. It is the law of diminishing returns, the moment where the number of fans losing interest due to age, indifference and evolution of musical tastes outweigh the accumulation of new devotees. It is the point where stadium-sized bands recede to arenas, where those bothering Apollo's shift to Academies and festival headliners become special guests or even worse inhabit the dreaded "Legends" slot, an abomination designed to preserve the egos of artists yet to fully comprehend their decline. What is astonishing about Slipknot is that 25 years in they are still accelerating. They have a momentum that continues to gather both pace and followers to this very day. For some inexplicable reason, this group of mask-wearing grandad's well into their fifties are still able to speak to the freaks, geeks and disenfranchised of the generations below them.

Live Review : Trivium + Bleed From Within + Orbit Culture @ O2 Academy, Liverpool on August 29th 2023

After touring their latest album, “In The Court Of The Dragon” for the best part of two years, metal icons, Trivium, have took it upon themselves to wind down with a rather lengthy tour of the UK, dubbed the Goblins and Wizards tour. Taking place across 13 dates and covering cities and venues they likely haven’t played in years, this can be considered quite the intimate tour for a band who more often than not find themselves towards the top end of every festival poster they end up on.

Live Review : Bleed From Within + Ingested @ Rebellion, Manchester on November 25th 2021

I’m dashing to get to the venue for the earlier start time, only to read online that Kill The Lights have pulled out of tonight’s show due to illness. As it turns out, they’re fine to play the next night, so who knows what the illness was. Anyway, I cross my fingers that it means longer sets from the remaining two excellent bands, and as it turns out we get good lengthy sets from them both.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Matt Fraser26 November 2021RebellionBleed From Within, Ingested, Rebellion, Manchester, 2021, Matt Fraser, Ryan HicksonComment

Live Review : Bullet For My Valentine + TesseracT + Bleed From Within @ O2 Warehouse, Manchester on November 4th 2021

It’s my first time reviewing at Victoria Warehouse, although I’ve seen plenty of stuff here as a punter, and as I join the long queue there’s plenty of anticipation for the great night of varied metal ahead. I catch our photographer Ryan before he’s able to use his photo pass to duck the queue (damn him!), but actually everyone is chatty and in high spirits for the night ahead despite having to stand around in the cold with COVID passports at the ready.

Live Review : Download Pilot @ Donington Park on June 18-20th 2021

Ok lets cut to the chase, last weekend’s Download Pilot (or Diddy Download as every bugger and their aunt are calling it) was probably the most pleasant experience I have had in the eighteen years I have been making an annual pilgrimage to Donington Park. Let’s put all the emotion aside of this being the first one back and concentrate on what worked, which frankly was its size.