PG.Lost & Astronoid - Factory 251, Manchester (21/4/23)

Astronoid's mix of 90s indie, shoegaze, post rock and black metal is absolutely captivating. They are heavy yet melodic and they display amazing musicianship. 'I Dream In Lines' is glorious, its ethereal melodies propelled into the stratosphere by blasting drums. Unlike most post rock bands, they rely on differing speeds to provide the dynamics rather than volume. Vocalist Brett's vocals are gorgeous live and are reminiscent of Sigur Rós' Jónsi. Some of the guitar work verges on stadium rock. It is incredible how they have so many accessible elements yet sound so progressive and forward thinking. The final track 'Up And Atom' starts off as black metal but when the vocals kick in it takes on a more late 90s/early noughties emo feel similar to a ballsier Elliott meeting Mogwai, all capped off with a blazing 'Rust In Peace' style guitar solo. Incredible.

PG.Lost are a much more atmospheric proposition. Every song sounds like it could be a soundtrack to a film and evokes images of desolate landscapes. When they make use of electronic elements, they are similar to Zombi and are equally rhythmic. They even have a desert rock feel at times. The effects they use on the vocals (and I use the description very loosely) gives them a feel akin to a much heavier Sigur Rós. The vocals are essentially used as an extra instrument and it is very interesting. Captivating.

PG.Lost ****

Astronoid *****

Voivod, Cryptic Shift & Damnation's Hammer - Rebellion, Manchester (20/4/23)

Damnation's Hammer are sludgy metal similar to Crowbar. Musically it's ok but rather uninspired, and the vocals just sound like tuneless yelling. Some tracks sound like the more uptempo Candlemass tracks whilst 'Entrance To The Final Chamber' is tired thrash. The playing is workmanlike at best and the vocals kill anything good. I didn't enjoy this at all.

If there's one thing Cryptic Shift aren't, it's uninspired. They play technical, progressive death metal with so many twists and turns, it makes you dizzy. Atheist and early Cynic are probably the key reference points. Their fingers are an absolute blur as they blaze their trail across the fretboards. This is extremely clever stuff which I'm not sure that everyone in attendance gets but I think is excellent.

Voivod don't get off to the best of starts tonight. They sound absolutely terrible with my earplugs in, all drums and nothing else distinguishable, so I make the decision to take them out, which I am normally reluctant to do but it does sound better and I can at least hear the other instruments. They always were a unique proposition with their progressive spacey thrash and although it isn't for everyone, they draw a decent crowd tonight. Singer Snake gives it his all and is a real presence. He pulls a multitude of gloriously stupid faces but this all adds to his charm. It's hard not to enjoy yourself when he and the band are enjoying themselves so much. 'Synchro Anarchy's off kilter riffs are played with a punkish energy whilst 'Rebel Robot's mechanical riffs provide a satisfying groove. 'Sleeves Off' has a pretty clunky verse but a great pacy chorus. Although the material is an avant-garde take on metal, the band play tonight with an energy and directness which is impressive. 'Killing Technology' is just electric. The band have enormous fun during encore 'Voivod' which sees all the members (besides drummer Away) stomping around the stage with big goofy grins. Great fun.

Voivod ****

Cryptic Shift ****

Damnation's Hammer **

The Last Internationale & Taipei Houston - Deaf Institute, Manchester (15/4/23)

Taipei Houston are a two piece bass and drum combo made up of Lars Ulrich's sons, Myles and Layne. They don't sound like Metallica though, and they certainly interest me more than current Metallica. They sound more like a mix of The White Stripes and Big Business. Layne has some Jack White style yelps but his fuzzed out bass tone and volume is very Big Business. 'The Middle' sounds like Big Business covering Hendrix's 'Fire'. Intriguing.

The Last Internationale play politicised heavy blues rock which sounds like The Damn Truth or a female fronted Rival Sons. Singer Delila, resplendent in a metallic jumpsuit, is a real presence with a strong bluesy voice reminiscent of Beth Hart. '1984' has Rage Against The Machine dynamics, especially on the chorus whilst guitarist Edgey delivers some neat Tom Morello style guitar work. They also have an MC5 edge but this might be down to their political leanings rather than anything else. Uptempo rocker 'Hero' raises the energy levels, whilst the vocals verge on operatic during the song's climax. Delila plays keys on the slower numbers, 'Soul On Fire' and 'Running For A Dream'. The placement of the microphone doesn't pick her voice up properly and this, along with the drop in tempo, derails the momentum a little. Delila has an annoying habit of not always singing into the mic which is a shame when you consider how good her voice is. 'Wanted Man' is more commercial rock in the vein of Tyler Bryant. 'Hard Times' is played quicker than the studio version which gives it an 'Icky Thump' meets 'Black Betty' feel. Good stuff. Delilah covers every inch of the venue, singing in the crowd on the floor, on the bar and in the seats at  the back of the venue. It is clear that The Last Internationale are a very good band but they don't always hold my attention and they aren't as captivating as they could or should be.

The Last Internationale ***

Taipei Houston ***

Acid Reign, Enquire Within & Helgrind - Rebellion, Manchester (14/4/23)

I'm not a stylish man. I don't really follow the latest fashions. I am influenced by others though. Usually people who I think are cool. And the people I usually think are cool are musicians. However, I'm acutely aware that not every style would suit me. I'd look ridiculous if I tried to look like L.A. Guns or The Quireboys or even The Exploited. I did steal some ideas from some band members though.

Kurt Cobain was influential. Nirvana changed everything musically when 'Nevermind' was released. He was super cool yet seemed normal. His scruffy style seemed achievable but also seemed like it would suit me. The images which burned into my consciousness were the ones where he was wearing cardigans. Cardigans suddenly became my thing. My school uniform was amended with me replacing the navy sweater with a baggy navy cardigan instead. None of the boys in my school were wearing anything similar. Some of the girls wore cardigans but they were more fitted. Mine was a kind of scruffy chic and I felt unique and for once in my life a little bit cool.

Some time later, I saw a picture in Kerrang! of Dark Angel. Their drummer Gene Hoglan was wearing tracksuit bottoms along with his metal shirt and again, this seemed like a look which I could rock. I had some Adidas trackie bottoms that suddenly became what I wore to gigs and rock clubs. This was a couple of years before the advent of Korn when Adidas tracksuit bottoms became really fashionable in the rock scene. They weren't paired with Nine Inch Nails t shirts, plaid shirts and Pepe deck shoes though which is how I used to wear them.

Plaid shirts were something I discovered a couple of years earlier. I know they're more readily associated with grunge but it was thrash that made embrace them. I saw a poster of Acid Reign in Kerrang! magazine and one of them (I think it was Kev) was wearing a plaid shirt. I knew my dad had some in his wardrobe and again they looked like something I could wear. If thrash musicians wore them then that made them cool in my eyes. I started wearing plaid shirts immediately and never stopped. I wear them practically every day and I wear them to every gig I go to. I'm wearing one this evening!

Helgrind are the first band I catch tonight. 'Forbidden Lust' is uninspired Slayer-esque thrash and their singer certainly has a Tom Araya style vocal delivery. The final track has some nifty Iron Maiden guitar melodies and the climax sounds like Motorhead's 'Overkill' but generally this is passable thrash, which is a real shame as they can really play.

Enquire Within initially sound impressive with technical modern metal in the vein of Machine Head. 'Remorse' has a  Jag Panzer or latter day Maiden touch whilst a new unreleased song is pretty pacy Slayer style thrash with a more thuggish breakdown chorus. As the set progresses, the cracks appear and they no longer seem as impressive. The vocals are too gruff and don't seem to match the music. The phrasing of the vocals seem a little off too. The band don't seem as tight as they could be and some of the drumming doesn't really suit the music either. They do finish with a reasonable cover of Power Trip's 'Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)' though.

Acid Reign open with 'The New Low' and they are very dynamic right from the start, sounding like 80s Anthrax. The drums sound thunderous and singer H has a Joey Belladonna edge to his otherwise Britpunk vocals. H is absolutely everywhere and he definitely brings the fun they were always known for. 'Humanoia' is really tightly played thrash which is much more powerful than the studio version and a decent portion of the crowd sings along. Everything is more powerful than the studio versions. 'Goddess' sounds like the prime piece of 80s thrash it always should have been, like Anthrax meets Metallica. The furious 'United Hates' also a strong 'Among The Living' influence. 'The Fear' lumbers along to start with but once it starts galloping along, it is pure gold. The guitarists even find some time to do some barndancing during the midsection. 'Life In Forms' is a great crossover stomper. I enjoyed novelty thrash covers when I was a teenager but not so much now. However, 'Hanging On The Telephone' is much more fun than I expected. The punk metal of another cover, Suzanne Vega's 'Blood Makes Noise' is great and has fantastic energy. Overall, an enormously fun return to my teenage years.

Acid Reign ****

Enquire Within **

Helgrind **

Swallow The Sun - Rebellion, Manchester (8/4/23)

I was running pretty late tonight and as a result I only caught a couple of minutes of Draconian's hour plus set.

Swallow The Sun are a mixture of death doom, funeral doom and, when the clean vocals hit, progressive gothic rock. All of it is classy though. 'Falling World' is elegant funeral doom, slow yet with a strong sense of melody. 'Keep Your Heart Safe From Me' at least ups the tempo to mid paced at times during the impactful death doom. It has some great guitar work too. The blackened mid section of 'Firelights' is fantastic and about as heavy as it gets. 'Stone Wings' has a delicate 40 Watt Sun feel on the verse before giving way to My Dying Bride heft on the chorus. Closing number 'Swallow (Horror Pt 1)' has that classic funeral doom sound a la Funeral.

It is slow paced throughout yet there is enough variety and dynamics to stop it from ever getting boring. The band are fairly static except for synchronised headbanging on the heaviest parts but it at least provides some interesting visual moments. Excellent and compelling.

Swallow The Sun ****

Deja Vega, Midnight Rodeo & Cruush - Gorilla, Manchester (1/4/23)

I only manage to catch the last few songs of Cruush. They play gentle shoegazing indie but it is a bit unadventurous and plodding.

Midnight Rodeo are next. Half the band look really cool with a late 60s/early 70s aesthetic although one of the guitarists looks like he's on a works do in the 90s! They play 60s influenced guitar pop. Some of it is positively sultry with slinky basslines and seductive female vocals. Quite a few of their songs have a duality to them. For example, 'Mooncat Walk' is languid and fairly uneventful until it picks up for a decent chorus whilst 'Gentle Stones' (not 100% certain on these song titles) has a ballad verse which then transforms into a psychedelic wig out. The final song is the most psychedelic song, like King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard with a motorik pulse yet more laid back. It is probably their strongest track too. Not everything hits the mark but some of it is pretty good.

Deja Vega open with a steady rhythm, and punk chords reminiscent of The Skids. This is then speeded up and stretched out until it becomes a psych jam. Although essentially a psychedelic band, there are a number of other elements to their sound. They are very punky live, not unlike the prog punk of Fucked Up, only without the visceral vocals. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are a more obvious influence too. They are an extremely tight unit, especially the rhythm section. Some of the basslines have a Peter Hook quality to them which also gives a post punk edge to their sound. Everything is played with a real energy and they are utterly thrilling.

Deja Vega ****

Midnight Rodeo ***

Cruush **

IST IST, Bandit & Dr Dr - Ritz, Manchester (31/3/23)

Tonight's show is kind of a big deal. Hometown show. Start of a national tour. And record release show, with IST IST's new album 'Protagonists' out today.

Three piece Dr Dr open the show with riff heavy alternative rock. The singer looks like he should be in a sleaze rock band like Buckcherry or L.A. Guns but he sounds more like Miles Kane or Alex Turner, and this gives an Arctic Monkeys influence to a lot of their material. Musically, they are heavier though with heavy guitar riffs and their Royal Blood meets Arctic Monkeys rock goes down pretty well. Decent.

The Arctic Monkeys also have an influence on the following band, Bandit, again because of the vocals. Musically they are a much different proposition though. They explode onto the stage with a huge amount of energy, sounding like Arctic Monkeys gone psychobilly with surf guitars. Totally unexpected. 'I'd Try Anything Twice' is a little slower, indie pop like The View but with intricate exotic guitar work similar to Vampire Weekend. 'The Good Times Are Killing Me' is a bit of a blur whilst 'Mean Streak' has a bouncy feel. They are very dynamic throughout and every song has bursts of punkish energy. Very good.

IST IST come on stage to swathes of atmospheric synths and lights so bright they burn my eyes. They open with new song 'Stamp You Out'. It's heavy bass and soaring guitars combine to give a post rock edge to their post punk. 'Emily' also has an expansive post rock influence too. 'Jennifer's Lips' is excellent, moody yet uptempo and memorable. The spectre of Ian Curtis is always going to loom over them due to the similarity of singer Adam's vocals but new song 'Something Has To Give' is great Joy Division worship whilst 'You're Mine' is brilliant catchy post punk like Joy Division at their most commercial. The deep vocals are captivating throughout as demonstrated on new song 'All Downhill'. The new material definitely has a strong 80s influence. 'Mary In The Black And White Room' has an 80s gloomy pop feel similar to The Psychedelic Furs or maybe The Cure whilst 'Nothing More Nothing Less' sounds like it could have been in the soundtrack to a John Hughes movie. They have a really powerful sound and the bass is especially loud on an excellent 'Discipline'. The band are fairly static throughout but they just let the intensity of the music and lighting do the talking. Compelling.

IST IST ****

Bandit ****

Dr Dr ***