LIVE REVIEW: Second Sem-Final of Metal2TheMasses amps the quality to 11

THE standard of the bands in both semi-finals were a tribute to the quality and diverse nature of Northern Ireland's metal acts, and Friday's (May 5th) second and last semi-final was no different in a (cue the cliché) hotly contested evening of top notch sounds.

Like the meme going round this was Revenge of the Fifth as Belfast's Voodoo reverberated with riffs.

As always the running order was drawn at random, leaving Oracle to open proceedings with a ferocious, aggressive groove metal attack. Jason manically moved around the stage when not clutching the mic as if his life depended on it.

The inter-play between the guitars was balanced, allowing sufficient breath for the rhythms to come to the fore. While they were good in the heats they elevated their performance to great in a set that showcased why many are excited ahead of their forthcoming début album.

Although shorn of their normal corpse paint there was no sense that Neamhni were going to lessen their performance levels. As soon as the intro tape ended they unleashed a mighty melodic blackened maelstrom of metal. At times the sound was a little patchy and muddy, but they soldiered on through.

And that sense of overcoming anything thrown at them was clear as Alessandro towered over and dominated the ranks of headbangers down the front. They are a band on the rise, without pretensions or poses - just laying down death for all in their path.

They may bill themselves as sludge/doom but that underestimates the dynamic of Elder Druid. They have the sensibility not to be monochromatic in the pace of their set, with fluidity not so much a functional thing but an essential part of what they do within songs and the arrangement of the tracks themselves.

As they reach out to shows outside Northern Ireland they are reaching a maturity in their music and stagecraft with some mighty playing.

Muscular music is what Beyond the Beneath do, so muscular that Badger broke the bass drum...it was a technical glitch that threw the band off their stride, and compared to their magnificent show in the heats they seemed a little off their pace.

However, what was clear is that Beyond the Beneath have heft and heaviness that is apparent through all of their songs. They tread the treacherous borderlands between heavy rock and metal with sure-footed ease, creating songs that will develop into full-flown erosion of the senses.

Bakken's thrash metal leanings are proudly displayed in all their recorded and live material, harkening back to the days when the 'Big Four' dominated the pages and airwaves. With Celtic twists to the sound they complete the mélange of their sounds with ease.

The new(ish) line-up gives the Voodoo some of the best tracks they have in their allotted 30 minutes, with a few dashes of power metal thrown in by Simon et al to complete an evening of metal excellence.

As the quantity of beer imbibed and anxious bands and fans awaiting the result Mr Loveday once again resorted to his trusted abacus and solar powered calculator.

Going through to the final on Friday May 12th are: Neamhni, Oracle and Elder Druid.

And it's at this point the local Judges hang-up their lawgivers as Chief Judge and dispenser of final justice Mr Simon Hall will adjudicate. Given he will be also running a raffle for a weekend camping at Bloodstock it's the perfect opportunity to go see top notch metal! The winner will be accorded the honour of playing the New Blood Stage at Bloodstock...

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Pictures by Darren McVeigh

EP REVIEW: Neamhni nail their blackened sound down on Vermin

FROM the depth of Dante's hell - well the general Belfast area - Neamhni have been resurrected and are providing a storm of intense extreme blackened death on stages over the past several months. Can they translate this to a recording?

Given their development in the live arena harnessing that on to a three-track EP was a considerable challenge, given that this is a self-released production, and their chosen style.

However, it is a collection of tracks that packs a considerable punch, and stays away from the clichés that often devil the outré areas of extreme metal.

Across all the tracks there is a melding of black metal and death metal, but with a sensibility of that which went before the Norwegian and Floridian roots.

Opener 'Carmun' is a swift kick in face with a persistent riffing that tips a hat towards the likes of Immortal but is distinctly Neamnhi's own sound. There is enough within the track to show that there is nothing slavish about how the band are carving out a sound all of their own.

'Life Abandoned' has something nastily melodic within its attack: and that melody doesn't overpower or diminish the wall of sound within.

Indeed it is this balance that makes all the tracks on Vermin stand out. They are very aware that any release in the 'extreme' category can't be predictable; it must have the character of the band shining through.

This is evident on the stunning closer 'Entities Unknown'. Fury swung like a scythe and cutting like a scalpel. With a musical reference to traditional metal and enough snarl to frighten off the casual listener this is a track that encapsulates the ambition of Neamhni.

Sure, there are minor issues with the EP. The mix, occasionally, doesn't bring the best out from the sound. The lyrics are a little bit at times too steeped in others reference frames. However these are very minor quibbles.

What Vermin proves is that Neamhni are continuously emerging as a force to be reckoned with, a band screaming with potential, promise and worthy of taking this EP as a launching pad towards an album and more live excellence.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

LIVE REVIEW: Close call between four acts in Heat two of Metal2TheMasses

THE court was in session - judges ready to preside, the public gallery ready with their voting slips and Ormeau Avenue's Limelight2 was about to rumble with the sound of competition to win through to the semi-finals of Metal2TheMasses and a shot at securing a slot at Bloodstock 2017.

Lining up were four bands who had the grit and determination to earn their slot in this event, laid on by The Distortion Project.

First into the ring were Neamhni - down a man, but ready for the fray. The blackened death metal crew mounted the stage with attitude and barely restrained anger.

Behind the corpse paint smouldered a band that have obviously been putting in the hours as they prepped for their 'Vermin' EP launch in March.

Noticeably this was a better balanced set in terms of the pacing of the songs across their allotted time. Even short of a guitarist they managed to lay down a set filled with aural dynamics.

The room bled into doom as sludge filled So Much For The Sun slayed the sunlight and added fuzz and to the darkened venue. The three-piece played a set filled with resounding celebration of the darker side.

With two varying vocal styles and an impressive set of fx from the guitar all tracks held the interest, however at times the energy levels dropped a little. That did not diminish from what was an impressive set of songs.

Once more doom-infested the room when Elder Druid drew forth sounds from the other side, with much of the second set from the recently released 'Magicka' ep.

The two guitars were particularly well linked on the riffs with solos placed well in each song. The five piece have presence on the stage and provide a black treat with no trickery.

What is noticeable is that Elder Druid's recent run of dates has placed them well for their upcoming English dates next month.

Without a drummer Disconnect have nevertheless programmed it not to sound too robotic. But that also puts them under pressure to keep their playing tight.

Verging from extreme to industrial sounds the two-piece are visually engaging as well as precise with almost every note.

While getting the right drummer can be a challenge for any band perhaps it is time to hunt for a sticks man that may allow the excellent playing to a little more fluidity to the otherwise solid performance.

After the dust settled this was in the words of organiser, James Loveday, it was a close call between the four acts.

Neamhni and Elder Druid were voted through to the semi-finals

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Photographs by Darren McVeigh

LIVE REVIEW: A day of triumphs for many reasons - Cursed Sun, Rival Sons, Neamhni, Drakonis and Scimitar

SUCCESS and triumph comes in many shapes and forms in hard rock and metal - be it the size of the crowd, releasing recorded material, or simply mounting the stage.

In an evening of contrasts the, at times, inevitable clash of bands was once again at the fore as the Cursed Sun official launch of 'The Amygdala' EP in Limelight2 was almost in direct opposition to Rival Sons first appearance on Saturday, January 21st.

Thus, two different sets of audiences assembled, with only limited commonality, but with a similar alienation from the mainstream of what passes for popular music and culture: proponents of that would gather in the same venues later when the rockers and metalheads dissipated into the Belfast night.

Whether any of those who packed out Limelight1 for Rival Sons would have under other circumstances have been to The Distortion Project show is debatable - maybe another five or six.

As it was a healthy number for early Saturday evening were there when the double black metal introductory acts for the night were on stage.

Neamhni's stuttering start a few months back has solidified and tightened with the work of Martin and Gilliland much more in synch. Rosso is a commanding presence, if at times needing to develop some more stagecraft than just headbanging.

With just a few loose ends to knock off Neamhni's bleak visions are becoming more and more solidified.

Alike in genre only, Drakonis come replete, like Neamhni, in corpse paint. They also adorn the LL2 stage with various mic stands of demonic imagery. But that doesn't detract from these Lisburn blackened metallers.

With their EP 'As They Rot' as a firm foundation there is a solid set of songs that have been allowed to evolve in the live environment with Cass as commanding as ever centre stage. McMichael and Hewitt have a telepathic understanding of when to hit off each other's lead work and with new releases being planned their growth is assured.

Thrash metal to the fore, blades held high (not literally this time!) Scimitar bang out a range of songs that are familiar but also delving back to their earlier material. Jonny's glint in the eye delivery has the thrash tropes down to a 't' in the same way that Chris and Ryan have the rhythm section nailed down.

Allowing Jonny free reign for ever more explosive solo runs the structures of each Scimitar track remains solid, with just enough fluidity to avoid rigidity.

Cursed Sun have always taken the traditional metal, thrash and contemporary edges of metal and melded them into a full-on assault that live combines with the charisma of Mr Cassidy to bring already excellent music to a vibrant pulsation of all that is good about metal.

But, with the Sun clashing with the start of Rival Sons the shuffling between venues began - take in the first couple of Cursed Sun, nip into Limelight11 for a few Rival Sons, then back to LL2 to catch another couple of Cursed Sun.

As was expected the metal might of Cursed Sun was in full flow, with seemingly renewed depth and confidence from the release of the impressive 'The Amygdala'. Whether the release has given them renewed vigour, or just that there is a real coherence to the sound is a moot point; from a sampling of their show further attention will come their way.

The contrast in audience sizes was immediate upon going into Limelight1. Rival Sons had the place packed and pulsating. There was even more present than when Meshuggah had the venue rammed the previous Tuesday.

There was an almost religious devotion to the crowd's response by the time the first few songs had been hammered out, something the band seemed knocked out by, especially at the end of 'Torture' when the audience kept on with the refrain long after the band were about to end the song.

Jay Buchanan seemed almost overwhelmed by the response, as the rest of the band had grins almost as wide as the stage.

Fresh from a night supporting Sabbath this felt as much like an impromptu jam as it did a headlining show. The band took on the challenge of the set as if it was just another night in Long Beach, but one doubts if they have ever had such a warm response in California.

While the momentum had been building throughout the set, by the time 'Belle Star' was aired there was a palpable sense of occasion building, which continued throughout, and by the time they closed with 'Hollow Bones pt2' and 'Keep on Swinging' they had accomplished what they had set out to do: warn up the full set for their headlining shows across Europe and have a good time while at it.

On such an evening of musical contrasts it is hard to draw any real conclusions. All five bands have tremendous sets of songs, albeit across a range of genres, and all have talented musicians.

The main difference, of course, is that Rival Sons have label backing and PR support that draws airplay and sales. However, there is one nagging thought. If the fans of metal who can ram venues for the likes of Meshuggah remain largely absent for the likes of the DP shows. Rightly many will not be able to travel, and are maybe only fans of some types, but if even a few per cent more would part with a fiver, then the opportunity to grow would be afforded to bands, along with those in attendance having something to do on a Saturday other than watch TV and play old songs again. Okay, that is something of a controversial thing to note after such a good evening of rock and metal, but...ponder on that and wonder "what if..." should you ever want to step out of a weekend evening and have some fun without expectations.

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Pictures by Darren McVeigh

COMIN' ATCHA: A busy weekend with Quo, Distortionfest, Ghoulstock, Saxon and Killing Joke on Monday too

WELL, this coming weekend you could doll yourself up in some nice fancy dress, go out and get half cut celebrating Samhain with a crowd of numpties, or you could get your head well and truly mangled with a four days of rock and metal mayhem.

It is a four days of gigs with spectacular bands and all-out frenzy - and if you want to get warmed up Lo Mejor, Sweet Taste (plus two others) are at The Empire tonight (Thursday, 27th October) and Lord Volture and Rabid Bitch of the North are down in Banbridge's O'Reilly's.

And then it all gets serious...

Friday sees Status Quo play Belfast's SSE Arena, with Uriah Heep on support duties. The same night is the first part of Ghoulstock in the Warzone Centre with Warpath, The Crawling, Zombified, Drakonis, Owlcrusher, Shrouded, Neamhni and Deathgrip.

But there's no way you'll be planning a quiet Saturday...You'll need to be up fresh and early (or get up for a 'cure') as Distortionfest's doors open at noon, for nine hours of wonderful chaos.

What is Distortionfest we hear you cry? Have you been asleep forever? This is The Distortion Project's annual birthday bash. The DP has been going for 16 years now, and never mind the cake because there are a clatter of bands playing that will have you baying...

Hold yer breath and read who is on stages in Katy's and Limelight2:
Warrior Soul, Stormzone, Sinocence, Lord Volture, Rabid Bitch of the North, Zlatanera, Bloodway, Valborg, Bloodthread, Erosion, Drakonis, War Iron and one more to be confirmed. All that for £10. Yes, £10 for nine hours of lovely chaos.
Saturday also sees day two of Ghoulfest with 1,000 Drunken Nights (Editor's Note: this is a band not a lifestyle choice), Grudge, Hollow Truth., Okus, Takers & Users, Deathbus, Acid Age, Lawfucker, and No Great Loss.

Should your liver and sanity still be in one piece come Saturday then its time to celebrate the denim and leather heyday of the NWOBHM as Saxon, Fastway and Girlschool come to town for a show in Limelight1.

Phew, that's the weekend, but y'all may as well round it off with a return trip to the Limelight1 for a wee listen to Killing Joke...

And, then the gig scene just gets busier.

LIVE REVIEW: Furious fivesome fundraiser mayehm delivers for Distortion Project

FOR the past 16 years The Distortion Project has brought stellar metal acts to Belfast and supported many, many local acts in getting on to the stage. Fans have flocked to the shows, but all that effort can be costly.

James Loveday last year took the enormous step of admitting that the money required was putting considerable strain on him. The metal community rallied round with donations and a fundraising gig.

One year later it was time to repeat the exercise to make sure James and The Distortion Project can still support local bands and bring acts like Sabaton and Steve Harris' British Lion to Belfast, as well as many more.

Bands gave of their time and kit, and punters came to Limelight2 on Saturday (17th September) to show their support - five acts and almost 100 supporters arrived to back the Project.

And, they bought raffle tickets too.

First up were Skypilot. With many people still enjoying the autumnal sunshine outside they were faced with a virtually empty venue. For any band it is hard to get into full gear in those circumstances, and it took a few songs before they hit top gear.

When they did their groove infused alt metal rolled and rocked with their usual intensity. Concentration etched across all the band's faces as they culminated their set in style.

Black metal band Neamhni returned to the stage with a re-invigorated line-up...and some dodgy corpse paint on some members.

However, there was nothing dodgy about the performance - full-on, fierce and fun. There were a few minor ragged places, but very few. On the whole it was an accomplished performance with much promise for the future.

The aural assault continued as Fuckhammer laid down their personal treatise and reflection on the ills of a society gone badly wrong. With an aggressiveness few can match their grind sludge edge hasn't been dulled over time. Stand-out tracks included 'Dead In The Gutter' and 'Abortion Addict'. Peerless at what they do.

Shrouded have been bubbling under for a short time, but the past few shows have seen them evolve their sound. Dani and Shane are locked in on their guitars and Jordy's bass playing acts as a counterfoil to them and remains tight to Scott's drumming.

What they do is clear, no nonsense melodic death metal and they are managing to put their own identity on what can be a tired genre. They are a band that are worth watching every time.

Completing the evening's merriment Bad Boat battered the remnants of the evening. The heaviness in the band has always been clear, but now the Boat is even more shipshape than ever.

It is with a certain sense of glee that Tom threatened us with a new release in the future, but at the present Bad Boat are a huge proposition to face live.

What is sure is that the band sound and look confident, with a groove combining with heft in their delivery. They are tight without ever sounding over-rehearsed.

But, we have to leave the last word on the fundraiser to Mr Loveday.

"Huge thanks to everyone who turned out, and to everyone who bought raffle tickets," he posted the day after. "I was genuinely moved to see such a great turn-out and I'm incredibly grateful for all your support.

"Thanks and special praise to all the bands who performed so excellently and who performed so excellently and who donated their time, gear and fantastic performances - absolute legends to a man!"

Review by Jonny
Pictures by Darren McVeigh