Live Review

Quicksand - Camden Electric Ballroom, London (12/6/14)
Tonight has brought all the old faces from the hardcore scene out, some of whom I haven't seen in over ten years. After the initial excited hellos and smalltalk, you run out of things to say because you realise that you've moved on and the years apart mean that you don't have that much in common anymore.

The relationship with Quicksand is similar although the problem is more down to the band rather than the audience. The old songs still have the same ability to excite and inspire but it is clear that the band themselves have moved on and they aren't the same band anymore.

The band open with Omission. The band seem fairly tight but the sound balance is odd. The bass is dense but the guitars sound oddly hollow and tinny, and the vocals seem far too relaxed. Walter's vocals are often languid and off key (his singing is closer to the style he used in Rival Schools) which derails numbers such as Freezing Process, sapping them of energy. The building is a lot bigger than expected which doesn't help either as the sound struggles to fill it.

It isn't all bad however. Head To Wall is more powerful and Walter's vocals are more aggressive which makes a difference although Sergio's backing vocals on the chorus are hideous. Fazer creeps malevolently before exploding into a bulldozing chorus. An excellent Unfulfilled is driving and powerful. This is closer to the Quicksand I remember.

Surprisingly, the Manic Compression material fares much better than the earlier material. It's solid, dense and heavy as showcased on the brooding chugging of Delusional or the heavy and anthemic Thorn In My Side.

I think I have been spoilt by seeing the band a couple of times in their nineties heyday. I know lots of people who enjoyed the show, but I found myself comparing it to those old shows and, unfortunately, tonights show doesn't come close to capturing the magic that I know this band can conjure.