Harken to the sound of real music...

SATAN was slinking out of the Louisiana swamps, a half empty bottle of Jack Daniels dangling from his taloned hand, and a throbbing need for real, down and dirty rock 'n' fuckin' roll is tugging at his black heart. He knew there was a reason he chose to leave the sterility of heaven - it was to find a place on this forsaken earth where the melancholy melodies could plunge him to the depths and at the same time raise his fists in unadulterated joy.

His goat feet took him on a journey, a long and lonely journey, strumming his guitar, strung with the guts of scenesters, pseuds and the unenlightened ignoramouses who watch TV's pathetic 'music' talent shows.

His journey was to a land becoming all too familiar to this lord of light, a land where be bathed in the fire, fury and angst of A Little Bitter, where he partied with Trucker Diablo, and had his corrupt soul tortured with the southern groove of Double Wide. It was a land where he had watched the fires of youth rebellion ignited by Stiff Little Fingers and laughed with the sick humour of Therapy? It was a land where he had danced around the fires lit by The Answer; it was a land with the dark beating heart of rock and roll, where he could bathe in the hardcore battering of By Any Means and feed Hunger's Mother and refresh himself in Swanee River.

It was to the land known as Northern Ireland.

But what was rousing the Dark Lord from his slumber? What was that low-end rumbling that called him with mournful tunes and soaring guitars? What was that Baleful Creed that he felt the need to pledge a rocking soul to? Was it the sound of heaven? If so it was a heavenly blast even he could get down too!

Baleful Creed have been calling to the faithful and the faithless with their two 2011 eps, Killing Time and Buried Beneath. It is a calling summed up in the opening blast, their crie de guerre and eponymous naming of their band and their intent. Buried Beneath opener Baleful Creed revs up the riffs and makes sure you are in no doubt that this is a band with intent - an intent to rock.

Killing Time features two tracks that will have you panting in agony that the mix is a little off; but the sheer majesty of Fortune Seeker and Throne of Thorns will have a heavenly host coming down to this patch of earth and joining Satan and his minions in a party blur of Jack Daniels; heads-a-nodding, arms interlinked and getting down to the low end.

And, it is the low end that rumbles through all of Baleful Creed's two eps to date; sometimes overwhelming on Killing Time, but perfected on Buried Beneath; an ep which would have Geezer Butler grinning and Tony Iommi reaching from his sick bed for his trusty SG.

Make no mistake - these are not 'metal' eps. Nor are they strictly hard rock tales of excess, instead tales that are tempered with the memories of consequences. This is a melding of styles, southern groove, metal, rock - all delivered with aplomb. Crazy Man has lyrics to challenge and a groove that has the gators in the swamplands wondering if they are outclassed. Hex - well, it's gonna put a hex on ya! And as for the lead guitar throughout? Well there are tones here that just show why there are times when an axe just has to be wielded.

Vocally, there is a sneer to the melacholy: as we've said before in the heart of a cynic beats the murmur of romantic hope. It also knows there are times when  you must stand up and rock...

Nodding his approval Satan hooked his arms around the heavenly host, his former brothers; maybe, just maybe they could work this disagreement out. As another bottle of Jack emptied to the strains of Baleful Creed's Suffer in Silence all seems better. This place Northern Ireland, they reckoned they could settle down in it nicely; the Tayto Cheese and Onion crisps, the Ulster Fry and this font of rock 'n' roll? Why not stick around for a bit in the only place where someone would say: "Oi Satan! It's your round!"

Baleful Creed - when melancholy melodies, groove, and low-end can solve the metaphysical puzzles of the universe.

An interview for older readers...and new ones interested in NWOBHM

As mentioned here previously Sweet Savage are returning to Belfast on October 3rd, with a homecoming gig at the Spring and Airbrake.

On other forums there hae been a few philistines who seem to know nothing about the mighty Savage (did they think Garage Inc was all original 'Tallica tracks!).

Quick resumé - back in the days when bombs and gunshots still echoed across Belfast's overcast skies punk paved a musical path (all hail SLF and their ilk), with renegades such as Terri Hooley instilling a DIY attitude. From thence a small metal scene grew.

Over the water a new breed of metal band, led by Maiden, Saxon, Leppard, Diamond Head et al rose clenched fists, and a movement was dubbed the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.

Here a few misfits gathered together, and from those denim clad few grew a gathering of like minds. Among these Sweet Savage grew to prominence, and yes, a veritable metal legend - hell even James Hetfield has been known to come on stage and singalong with SS!

A wee while back Sweet Savage reformed, and on a combined wave of nostalgia and a hunger from younger fans for something other than jaded re-runs from American obsessed newbies Savage have come back fighting...it's a Belfast thing!

‘We have been playing in London, Sweden & Germany lately and have been getting fantastic responses to the shows, we had no idea we were so popular and were quite surprised to hear the people singing out songs back to us," Sweet Savage guitarist Ian 'Speedo' Wilson told Belfastmetalheadsreunited.

"We all can’t wait to get back to Belfast, we are just so looking forward to playing in our hometown and the the Spring & Airbrake is a brilliant venue to really show the band off to maximum effect.

"We have learned so much over the past year playing Wacken & Headbangers festivals in Germany , Sweden Rocks and by guesting with Metallica."

As to the current 'scene' Speedo is no doubt where we are in our hard rocking world.

"Metal is bigger now than it ever was. We were among the pioneers and we came onto the scene at the same time as Iron Maiden so it is great to be part of all again, great to be involved in the new wave of Metal out there, and we know that it is getting bigger all the time.

"The popularity and social acceptance of Metal has been surely proven by Metallica, at their show there was a huge divergence of fans, from 8 to 80, all in their black t shirts, it was awesome to see."

In the early and mid 80s when Sweet Savage were regulars supporting touring acts and headlining the few medium sized venues here (I hazily remember one gig at the QUB Speakeasy and a few more clearly at the Ulster Hall).

There was a swagger many bands struggled to match. But the swagger came difficulties and line-up changes that led to a hiatius - oh and Vivian Campbell pissing off to join Dio (and then Whitesnake..and then Leppard, where he denies his metal roots much like a Christian trying to convince all he was never a Satanist) didn't help at all.

But after all these years could Sweet Savage still draw a fanbase...

"At all the Metal shows we were unsure where, or if, we would fit in, but we played our thing and have returned home feeling very much a part of that Metal community, and we are ecstatic about it."

Playing 'our thing' epitomised the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. The diversity of the acts (search yer Wikipedia for Blitzkreig, Raven, White Spirit, Venom and combined with Maiden, Leppard etc and you'll see how diverse it really was!).

Sweet Savage deserved the recognition afforded by Metallica covering Killing Time, but more than that they can really be cited as an influence, an original. And yet more than that, they continue being original. There's no need to be unsure.

And being original they know the value of mentioning who they will be playing with. Speedo again:

"Our old friends ‘Worldsend’ (Formerly known as ANNEX) will be guesting on the night & they are sounding red hot at the minute, so it should be a great package for everyone to witness, I’m looking forward to seeing the lads play.

"Also, we like to encourage up and coming acts & we have ‘Jane Doe’ doing support. They are a great bunch of guys & I think they will do very well.”

Tickets are £10 for the 3rd October gig.