Just as people were arriving, New England grindcore/hardcore punk band Escuela Grind took to the stage and immediately gave the audience a flavour of what the evening was to be. It was loud and fast with clean and tight blast beats as well as a nice guitar tone with lots of bite. They had relentless energy and from the first song, a decent sized pit was forming with singer Katerina jumping and bouncing around the stage like a hyperactive kid who had drank a ton of energy drinks
Read MoreWell, this is something I thought I would never see. A full production Volbeat arena show here on these very shores. You see, over on the continent the Danish Bluegrass metallers occupy the premium slot in the market. They slay stadiums and perch atop of festival bills. However, their accent here in the UK has been much more gradual and palatial. Over the years they have slowly but surely moved from academies to Apollo's and now their persistence has led them to the gates of this country's arenas.
Read MoreNapalm Death are a national institution, maybe a national treasure. How many other grindcore bands does yer gran not only know the name of but can make a fair stab at describing what they sound like (‘the nice man goes “groahhhhhhhhh” and the songs sound like someone pushing over a trashcan’). Over forty-one years they have built a reputation through hard graft and a no compromise attitude. Their mammoth European trek that was going to keep them occupied for most of the first half of this year was pulled by a promoter unsure how to navigate the different covid regulations still in place across the continent. Instead of being downhearted they declared bugger that for a game of soldiers, asked Raging Speedhorn if they fancied coming out to play and booked a UK tour.
Read More
