LIVE REVIEW: Wednesday 13's all too brief excellence with the SLUTS

COME festival season bands want to fill up as many dates as they can around their shows. Already this week Airbourne and Devilskin played Belfast ahead of their Download slots, and next week Clutch and The Devin Townsend Project will follow their slots with shows.

With that in mind Wednesday 13 appeared on stage at Limelight2 the day before (9th June) appearing on the Dogtooth Stage at Download. And, despite the excellence on display it was very much tailored in length for a festival slot not a headline show. All too brief...

Belfast's own schlock horror act So Long Until The Séance (SLUTS) were on stage not long after doors, fresh from opening for Wednesday 13 the night before in Dublin.

That show and their run in the Metal2TheMasses showdowns has honed an already fine act into a solid, improving band. Unlike the fate of many a support across the world they were afforded excellent sound separation, and managed to perform in the cramped space in front of W13's shrouded drum kit.

Songs such as 'Bride of Frankenstein' and 'Burn the Witch' are already becoming favourites with elements of the Belfast audience. While there are superficial similarities with Wednesday 13 (make-up, and themes) they have their own take on the genre -although a few more Belfast references might darken the tone... Mike was in great form at the front, and despite sounding a little strained halfway through he recovered well and finished, like the whole band on a high.

Wednesday 13's reputation is firmly established. Joseph Poole has many guises and more side-projects and previous incarnations than most people could manage in three lives. He also has as many costume changes than Cher in the show.

But that does not diminish the quality he delivers - it is appropriate window dressing for the lyrical themes, a little like a Hammer Horror film writ large via metal.

Make, no mistake, while many reference works like 'I Walked With A Zombie' and Morgue Than Words' this was a metal show. Such almost pop punk were discarded.

Instead this was a more muscular outing with guitars buzzing, drums and bass pounding.

Despite the confines of the Limelight2 stage the band use it well, with risers put to good effect to project themselves out there. While such an obvious use works in a festival setting in a more confined environment it serves to make the show, and the band member, larger than life.

This tour for Wednesday 13 is on the back of the release a few short days ago of 'Condolences', the title track of which was one of the highlights of the show, Wednesday appearing, bible in hand, like a zombie preacher, top hat and dark glasses as he intoned "Sorry for your loss".

The macabre lyrics, pleas to "Kill Me" were matched by every iteration of the main man's stage attire. From butcher's smock to a face on the back of the head, through to devil's horns it proved that sometimes the effort more than adds to the music.

Amongst the many highlights 'Keep Watching The Skies' and 'Scream Baby Scream' stood out.

When they disappeared off stage briefly shortly after 9:10 there was an expectation that they would appear for a number of other encore tracks....

With single fingers in the air for 'I Love to say Fuck' there was a clear sense of disappointment amongst many. It was clear that was that. While Wednesday 13 did not, in any way, disappoint and was 'value-for-money' one or two added tracks would have sated a fan base that has waited for more than a decade for his return.

That aside - he is, with his band, providers of schlock horror excellence.

Review by Jonathan Traynor
Pictures by Darren McVeigh

LIVE REVIEW: Metal2TheMasses first semi final pumps out the jams in the Voodoo

WITH five bands vying for a slot in the final of Northern Ireland's Metal2TheMasses, and a chance to play at Bloodstock, Belfast's Voodoo was given a sound thrashing with acts, all with their eyes set on the prize.

Indeed the competition was fierce for the three places in the May final, with many bringing friends and family along to bolster their chances in the audience vote (votes are 50% judges, 50% audience).

First to grace the stage were A Little Bitter, who were among those to début a new track amidst their set. With familiar melodic metal punch, reminiscent of mid-80s heft, but taking on board contemporary vibes they maintained a punchy effort throughout.

Within a few tracks the floor filled up - partly with Seamy wandering around, bass in hand. Among their heavier tracks Genghis was inflammatory with its mix of attack and soft threatening words. vastly underrated this outing proves there is an appetite for more releases from A Little Bitter.

Rosco's Riot version of the heavier end of the rock spectrum had their fans to the fore as they rolled out their riffage.

Tim's towering presence gives the act much stage presence as the band performed a solid set, with only the curious presence of an albeit brief drum solo questionable. Overall a sound that tries to combine the 90s with earlier periods of rock.

When you experience a technical fault mid-set, and have your guitarist holding his head in his hands many an act would have thrown in the towel. Not so for So Long Until The Séance (SLUTS). They took it in their stride (including the bass line of Grease's Summer Loving to alleviate the silence).

The schlock horror metal, including dark pop, had a real edge of humour. Great tunes with a nod and a wink to the crowd about the absurdist nature of the lyrical content. Sure, some may compare them a little to the Murderdolls but there is something uniquely Northern Irish about their take on the murderous laughter within.

With energy in abundance Lock Horns brought complex rhythms, full on wall of sound and windmill headbanging that had their set list levitating.

There is a primal sense of metal within their progressive bent, with an awesome sense of power pounding throughout their set. That said they are not afraid to add in some softer vocal moments as part of their musical tapestry. Within the overall heft there are some deft touches.

The emergence of Shrouded over the last 18 months has been phenomenal in terms of stage craft and musical dexterity. Melodic death metal is not the easiest genre for anyone to pull off with the intertwined lead lines from Dani and Shane as Jordy and Scott lay down an aural volcano of rhythm.

While many struggle to lay down their deathly mark on this genre across Europe and beyond this iteration of Shrouded have moved from bantam weight contenders to heavyweight bruisers vying for the belt.

With the five acts giving their all James Loveday was tasked with the enviable task of totting up the votes on his trusty abacus...many an accountant would have struggled with the complexity of the scoring system that applies to Metal2TheMasses.

As the weary crowd wandered home along Fountain Street the final calculation was complete. And, the three making their way to the final now have to muster up their best in front of Bloodstock's Simon Hall in four weeks time.

Proceeding to the final are:
SLUTS, Lock Horns and Shrouded

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Pictures by Darren McVeigh