Of Metal’s many traits, the one I adore the most is its ability to continually evolve. Most other musical genres have a fixed shelf life. As soon as they surface in the mainstream, they are made instantly obsolete by whatever scene is bubbling up in the underground behind them. Metal’s secret for survival has been simple, but highly effective. Namely, it assimilates what is set up to replace it and absorbs that into its own collected being.
Read MoreIt’s an early Sunday evening start for a very heavy night at Rebellion, and New Jersey progressive metalcore crew Sentinels are first up. They prowl the dark stage in sinister fashion with a mysterious electronic backing-track before exploding into an exciting, high energy set. The best way to describe them is a tech-metal Malevolence, but they cover way more bases than that suggests.
Read MoreGood Friday? More like unexpectedly muggy Friday, as my CC cream has slid off my face somewhere between Runcorn East and Grand Central. I want to be Queen of the Night but I am afraid I am more Rosy Cheeked Dickhead right now. I can't even blame my usual rushing from work, as I've not even been there today. I literally had all fucking day to get ready and still I messed up and forgot my glowsticks.
Glowsticks which I suspect I could have made good use of tonight.
Read MoreIt seems during the dramatic full stop that was lockdown, we seem to have reassessed our relationship with live music and we have realised that we potentially took it for granted. Three years ago, in those heady pre-covid times, I saw Decapitated in a barely quarter full Academy 3 (the smallest of the Academy venues). Tonight, the Bread Shed, a venue around the same size, is sold out, as have been most of the other shows on their elongated trip around the UK. It is if that hiatus has made us realise what is important, which is to actually get out there and support the bands we profess to love. Touring is the only way that acts make money in this new all-streaming no-purchase world and tonight’s capacity crowd shows that the message of see them or lose them is getting through.
Read MoreWell apparently all that stuff and nonsense is over with and we are back in business with a capital ACK. How do I know that, I hear you cry? Well last night I did not one, but two shows almost simultaneously, both were big name bands (in our small world), both were packed to the rafters, and both tingled with the charge of expectation and emotion. But two shows, I hear you again cry, how and more importantly why? Well, the why was caused by staff sickness here at ROCKFLESH towers and our tenacious commitment to cover every tour that trundles through the north west. the how is a simple one of staggered start times and my trusty stead (i.e. me push bike).
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