ALBUM REVIEW: Scimitar produce a curate's egg on début release Where Darkness Dwells

AS a young thrash band it can be a hard path to carve in a crowded marketplace, but so far Scimitar have earned their stripes and come out strong. However, on their début release 'Where Darkness Dwells' they have may missed an opportunity.

Don't get us wrong - there are (leaving aside the brief intro 'Sands of Sorrow) six very strong original tracks that reflect their ethos and talent.

But, an unnecessary cover of 'Ace of Spades' and a live version of the titular 'Scimitar' means that what could have been a more complete album. Two more originals could have avoided the album fading out on a whimper compared to the blast of the rest of the 'Where Darkness Dwells'

But, enough of the negative. There are some outstanding tracks on it. 'Behead The Beast' is as much a stormer on here as it is on stage.

Keeping true to their mélange of US, Teutonic and good old UK and Irish thrash there is pace and power on 'Behead The Beast', as there is on 'Unholy Forger'.

At times the mix doesn't come out strong, but it is a minor niggle, with the likes of 'Cursed City' and 'Back to War' rollicking along at a good tempo.

As an experienced live act Scimitar have managed to capture the energy of their performances, and as always their musicianship is exemplary. Jonny tears up the rule-book with his passionate singing, while John riffs as if his life depends on it, added to solos that are not only impressive, but match the sentiment of each track.

The rhythm section of Chriz and Ryan are probably one of the best on the scene, not only keeping songs rolling along, but using their instruments to punctuate and lift the sensibility of the album.

The cover of 'Ace of Spades' is unnecessary and would have best been reserved for live outings...

Closer, a liver version of 'Scimitar' from the Thrashersaurus show in Norwich is well executed, but whether it adds to a début album is open to debate.

What the band have achieved on 'Where Darkness Dwells' is some excellent tracks, let down by not adding more material.

That said, this bodes well for Scimitar's progress up the thrash ranks.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Where Darkness Dwells is out now on CD and as a digital download.

LIVE REVIEW: LIne-up woes doesn't stop Necrofest delivering

As anyone either in a band or putting on a gig will tell you, it's never fucking easy. Between unforeseen circumstances leading to Rabid Bitch Of The North having to pull out, an incident with the drummer from Horrenda being hospitalised in Dublin (get well soon!) and Cursed Sun having arguably the worst luck ever, any promoter wouldn't be blamed for pulling their hair out.

Onwards we march. The dubious honor of opening what remains a stacked bill falls on Indominus, a relatively new death metal band risen from the ashes of Forchristsake. Much tighter and better delivered than their previous outfit, Indominus fill the room with thick, fat slamming death metal that often goes from a Skinless-esque stomp to breakneck blast beats at the drop of a hat.

New track "Antagonist" has some very tasteful clean work thrown in and overall they put on a good show, however they lost significant momentum between songs by taking a bit too long to set up and some uncomfortable stage patter. Enjoyable nonetheless.

Speaking of dubious honours, Scimitar stepped up to replace the Rabid lads and were up next. When you've seen a band play a number of the same songs over the years it's always great to see them evolve.

It's obvious that Scimitar have taken care to elevate their older material to the standard they now play at, be it from new drum lines, extra lead work and a commanding addition of more backing vocals. They play classics and some cuts from the forthcoming album, however as always the pinnacle of the set is the absolutely crushing Innocent X. Scimitar proved once again that they are the premier thrash metal band in Northern Ireland, period.

Quick smoke break and a top up on the old double rum and coke, we go back into the breach for Jenova. You could try to pigeon hole them into any number of subgenres or niches but it's a waste of time as they play what I can only describe as modern extreme metal with cues taken from the likes of At The Gates, Conan and absolutely everywhere in between.

The crowd laps it up and are practically eating from their hands when it's exclaimed that they play "SATANIC FUCKING DEATH METAL" and they eventually close with a blink and you'll miss it cover of a certain grind classic.

Definitely ones to watch out for, and I have it on good authority we'll be seeing them in Belfast again before the year is out.

Disposable made the trip over from Edinburgh and deliver a masterclass in balls out, riff heavy thrash. This weekend marked the first shows for new blood Oliver Wardell on guitar who plays as though he's been with the guys for years. Opener "Scar My Eyes" is a solid 4 minutes of mid paced fury and "Misery" delivers the goods with a vibe not fair off early material from The Haunted both in intensity and vocal delivery.

If you like your thrash heavy, deliberate and energetic then look no further because they deliver all of the above in spades.

Legion Of Wolves take to the stage with a hooded guitar player and vocalist clad in leather armour with a barbed wire wrapped pulpit so needless to say, shit's about to get real. They deliver an absolutely relentless set of heavy old school death metal with nods to Entombed and Bolt Thrower but sounds of Exodus and the like as well. It's a full bore aural assault that never lets up from start to finish and chatter from the crowd after their set would indicate that they'll be welcomed back to Belfast with open arms.

From blackened thrash to modern thrash, the only way to end the night is some straight up party thrash! First things first, Psykosis are here for a good time. Sporting the most energetic guitar player in existence they absolute rip through their set with reckless abandon, much to the pleasure of the now thoroughly inebriated Voodoo crowd.

As always, guitarist Tony Corcoran is like watching a ball of nervous energy and is almost infectious in his obvious enjoyment while the band play a fun but undeniably sharp set, showcasing just why promoters from all over the UK are keen to book them.

And there we have it. With last minute line-up changes this could have been a disaster but all in all was an absolute showcase in extreme music. Much respect to Jonny Gray for both putting on such an ambitious show and for making sure that the night ran without a hitch, let alone playing a set with Scimitar. It's not often you can expect 2 more bands and still get more than your money's worth which really speaks for the calibre of the booking.

Here's to Necrofest 3!

Review by Steve Martin

Pictures 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

LIVE REVIEW: Feeling 'The Force' with Onslaught, Beholder, Annihilated and Scimitar

When people talk about the so-called 'Big Four' of thrash metal, you'll often hear “but I think it should be Big Five, because (insert their favourite thrash band here) should be included”

Often, the band in question is just as talented as those in that top four are, they just inexplicably never hit the same lofty heights of fame.

All of which brings us neatly to Sunday night's Limelight gig, which saw thrash legends Onslaught hit Belfast again, this time to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of their classic album The Force, ably supported by a plethora of both local and national acts.

First up it was time for local thrashers Scimitar to strut their stuff, and they stepped up to the plate in confident and polished fashion. Beginning with the immediate and sizzlingly fast 'Behead the Beast', they fill their set with no-frills, balls out thrash, to the delight of the crowd. Tight and forceful, their hefty set leaves everyone warmed up and thirsty for more.

Speaking of thrash legends...next up it's Suffolk's own recently reformed Anihilated, whose return to the metal fold sees them filled with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.

Tight as their well-pounded snare drum, they fire out hit after hit with roaring thrashy power. “I heard you were a bunch of badass metal motherfuckers, and it seems they were right!” frontman Si Cob yells approvingly following the crowd's response to 'They Lie, We Die'. Definitely a band from the 'play as fast as you can' Slayer end of the thrash spectrum, they set heads banging all over the room; final track 'We Are Legion' is a particular highlight.

A band at the proggier end of metal is up next: it's Coventry's Beholder. Fronted by Bloodstock man Simon Hall, who bellows “good evening Belfast? Are you ready for this?!” prior to their opening number, they have always been a metal band with a strong social conscience, fundraising for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and writing issues close to their heart.

They also – if you'll pardon the pun – are a sight to behold onstage, pouring all their energy into their performance. Hall in particular wrings every last ounce of effort from himself as he roars, growls and hollers throughout their powerful 45 minute set.

Tonight, we hear songs both old and new, including 'Razorline (On the Edge of Insanity)' from their first album (“something faster for you thrashheads” grins Hall) and pacy and atmospheric newie 'My Revolution'.

It's always a pleasure to witness this charismatic and dynamic band.

A siren intro and classical music heralds the arrival of the band that everyone is here to see: as Onslaught file onstage they receive a rowdy heroes' welcome from the crowded room, which only gets louder as they launch into track one of The Force, 'Let There Be Death'.

It becomes immediately clear that, despite the passing of time, there has been no dimming of their enthusiasm – they're like excited young pups onstage – or of frontman Sy Keeler's vocals, which show an astonishing strength and range. “It's a fucking pleasure and honour to bring The Force to this wonderful city!”, he enthuses. Briefly mentioning their legendary Mandela Hall gig, they continue on with a frantically energetic 'Fight the Beast', followed by an even faster 'Demoniac'.

With little pause between tracks, they fire through the album like a rocket launcher. And by the gods does it sound good: epic, majestic and rowdy, it's as fresh and exciting as if it had been recorded this week. The thunderous and atmospheric 'Flame of the Antichrist', the masterful 'Contract In Blood',
the blistering 'Thrash Til the Death'...all simply outstanding.

The album completed, they spend the remainder of their set treating the crowd to a mini tour through the rest of their back catalogue. 'Killing Peace' gets an airing, as does a ferocious 'The Sound of Violence', a furious 'Destroyer of Worlds' and of course '66Fucking 6', which sends the room into paroxysms of delight.

They finish up with the 'one-two punch' of 'Power from Hell' and 'Thermonuclear Devastation', before Keeler announces “thank you Belfast, you've been fucking awesome!” and they all depart the darkened stage.

But of course, it's not over yet...to roars of approval, and because Belfast is so fucking awesome (and despite the house lights already being on) we are treated to one last song: a rabid 'Angels of Death'. Perfect.

'The Big Four', 'The Big Five', 'The Big However Many' – the debate will no doubt continue to rage as to who are the best thrash bands in the world. Based on tonight's damn near flawless  performance, Onslaught are definitely up there with the big boys. Keep on thrashing, lads!

Review by Melanie Brehaut
Pics by Darren McVeigh
Reproduction by written permission only

LIVE REVIEW: Scimitar, Donum Dei and Midnight Force bring metal to the Eglantine

IN a shift of venue The Distortion Project upped sticks from its normal Limelight residency and brought a tonne of heaviness to the Eglantine Bar on Belfast's Botanic and the locals may now understand the metal - or be totally confused by it.

It was a night of sheer excellence from three bands, in relatively civilised surroundings - at least civilised until the music came raining down.

Openers Scimitar are evolving with every show. Their hyper speed thrash is a wall of noise, with Jonny growing with each show as front man, capable and using all of the small stage.

Ryan and Chris are a titan sized rhythm section, a thunderous noise that at times threatens to overpower John's lead work, but when he kicked in for solos there was no doubt about who was leading the charge.

All the shout outs from Bloodstock were there for the night but the humour never threatened to overshadow songs such as 'Behead The Beast' and the always awesome 'Act of War'.

Donum Dei were rerturning to live shows, this time with new bass player, Neil Toal. Having taken some time off gigging to get the new line-up settled.

Their core songs and attitude remain unchanged, and even though the set was a bit ragged in places the presence of Thomas manages to help carry them through - even  mounting the fixtures and fittings of the room á la Joel O'Keefe.

Neil and Stuart have stepped forward more in the backing vocals role than seen previously and Alastair seems more comfortable behind the kit.

The usual songs are on display and the likes of 'Justice Fails' has the crowd energised and baying in front of the stage - evidence of the faith that their fans have kept in the band.

Midnight Force travelled to Belfast from their hometown of Glasgow for a couple of dates on this fair isle and instantly they had those in attendance on their side with a smooth, well executed classic metal assault.

Vocalist John roamed stage and throughout the venue, cajoling the crowd, prowling ready to strike at any not willing to join in.

As well as the classic metal sound there is sufficient elements of power metal to make sure the sound is up-to-date and fresh. Ansgar and Brenden are tight, with enough to vary the pace when needed.

Pete is a more than solid drummer, adding backing vocals to strengthen the sound.

Midnight Force were unknown to the audience, but took little time to win over all. Speedy return please guys.

Review by Jonny
Pictures by Dave Kerr
Reproduction only by explicit written consent.