Darkher, Grift & Carcass Of Sighs - The Castle, Manchester (3/3/24)

Tonight is part of the Acoustic By Candleilight tour and sees a number of bands playing stripped back solo sets.

Carcass Of Sighs is one man, Simon Smith, who plays strummed acoustic guitar coupled with deep sonorous vocals like Mark Lanegan or Tom Waits. He manages to conjure a dark atmosphere which is no mean feat when you can still hear football chants coming from the main bar (it's been the Manchester derby today). With different vocals, it could probably be seen as folk but the vocals take it into darker territory. At one point, he slows it down a little for a more intense feel. Imagine the Mark Lanegan & Isobel Campbell material without the female counterpoint and you're somewhere close. Towards the end of set closer 'Hung, Drawn And Quartered' Simon raises the volume and becomes more hoarse, sounding like Primordial's Alan Averill. A good start.

Vines are wrapped around the mic stand and incense is lit, signalling the start of Grift's ancient sounding pagan folk. There's a backing track of waves crashing and owls hooting which gives it the feel of Moonsorrow's cleaner parts. There's a norse feel to the material, which sounds like Wardruna meets Agalloch The music evokes a magick which has been unearthed deep within the forests. Erik's voice is typical Norse black metal clean singing and this add extra gravitas and makes each of the compositions seem 'epic', as exemplified by 'Den Stora Tystnaden'. Some tracks remind me of a Nordic Alcest ('Souvenirs D'Un Autre Monde' era). The closing track (which he translates as 'Mountain Of the Lunatic') sounds particularly epic.

Darkher have a completely different feel to Grift as Jane Maiven takes us from the forest to windswept moors and coastlines. She starts off with bowed guitar to create a dark atmosphere before the guitar is strummed with downbeat chords. The haunting, ethereal vocals give it the feel of Chelsea Wolfe or AA Williams, particularly their acoustic records. There's hints of the occult too which bring Messa to mind. These dark, ghostly ballads speak of loneliness and unrequited yearning, particularly the type found in Victorian novels such as 'Wuthering Heights'. Her falsetto, when she uses it, is amazing. The solo acoustic performance sufficiently conjures the doomy atmosphere of the records. It's laden with atmosphere rather than heaviness. It's all quite singularly paced and one dimensional though meaning that as good as it is, it's a struggle to remain fully engaged throughout. I think I have the same problem with the albums too. 

Darkher ****

Grift ****

Carcass Of Sighs ****

OMD & Walt Disco - Apollo, Manchester (2/3/24)

After I saw Walt Disco last year, I said that they would probably improve with familiarity but to be honest, I still haven't listened to them that much. They still play oddball 80s pop in the vein of Sparks although 'Gnomes' is very Talking Heads. A new song has a Nile Rodgers era Duran Duran disco feel and is pretty good. Singer James' power and range is impressive  and his Mael brothers style vocals still give them a unique edge. He also seems less flamboyant than last time. The slower 'Pearl' sees them enter Divine Comedy territory. The songs are all pretty short and sweet. Closing track 'Weightless' is goth rock in the vein of She Wants Revenge and it is the rockier moments which impress the most. Overall, I enjoyed them more than last time I saw them.

There is an eyecatching intro, as 'Evolution Of Species' plays whilst the big screen is filled with images of cells. It is very futuristic and speaks of a band looking forward rather than backwards. OMD then open with the Pet Shop Boys-esque 'Anthropocene'. Andy McCluskey is stationed at the front of the stage with his bass guitar whilst the other members of the band are stationed behind banks of keyboards or the drumkit. They look more like Orbital rather than OMD. The stage show is centred around a huge, crystal clear video wall and computer generated graphics, and it is amazing. The sparse electronica of 'Messages' is joyous when the crowd sings along to the synth riff. 'Tesla Girls' is urgent, and the crowd clap in unison along to the intro. Andy is in fine voice and sounds great throughout. The excellent new track 'Kleptocracy' sounds like Duran Duran covering 'Enola Gay'. They play a number of tracks off the new album but none of them sound out of place here as it is an excellent album. The peerless pop of 'If You Leave' is accompanied by images of my teen crush, Molly Ringwald. The retro-futurism (both in sound and imagery) of 'Bauhaus Staircase' is great. The icy electronic balladry of 'Souvenir' is superb and the 'Architecture And Morality' 1,2,3 of this and the two 'Joan Of Arc's are real crowd pleasers. The Yazoo style new track 'Don't Go' (not that one) gets a great reaction whilst the classy pop of 'Dreaming' is excellent. Everything sounds superb, even the tracks I don't really like on record. 'Locomotion' in particular, is way more fun than I remember. 'Sailing On The Seven Seas' is much heavier live, probably as a result of the electronic bass track, and the crowd is sooo loud during the chorus. An incredible 'Enola Gay' closes the regular set. First encore 'Look At You Now' is uplifting whilst the classic minimalist electronic post-punk of Electricity' closes the show in an exhilarating fashion. Absolutely phenomenal.

OMD *****

Walt Disco ***

Slowdive & Whitelands - Academy, Manchester (27/2/24)

Whitelands have solid basslines, dreamy jangly guitars and vocals not dissimilar to Tim Burgess. This sits at the dreamier end of shoegaze, think tonight's headliners, The Sundays or the Cocteau Twins rather than Swervedriver or Loop. 'Setting Sun' has some lovely Johnny Marr style guitar work whilst 'Cheer' has a hypnotic chorus. The guitars are more discordant on the closing track 'Now Here's The Weather', which gives it a slight My Bloody Valentine edge. It is still dreamlike but the increase in intensity is a nice variation. Bands like this are probably better judged on the overall effect rather than individual songs and theirs is a sound you can happily lose yourself in for half an hour.

One thing that really strikes me before the headliners appear is how young the crowd is. I expected lots of people my age and there are quite a few but there's just as many (if not more) teenagers here. Maybe I've missed something (probably Tik Tok or a TV show).

Slowdive enter the stage to a couple of moments of throbbing, pulsing electronics before they launch into the New Order influenced opener 'shanty' with its Hooky style bassline. 'Star Roving' is swirling indie rock which reminds me of The Charlatans' 'Sproston Green' and the soaring guitars really lift it. Old track 'Catch The Breeze' sees their signature swirling shoegaze make an appearance but it seems quicker than the studio version which also gives it more of a Charlatans feel as the sped up bassline is reminiscent of 'Then'. The bass also makes it seem heavier than the recorded version but the ethereal vocals and chiming guitars still give it a dreamlike quality, just one that is heavily sedated. Their sound has been updated to incorporate more modern electronic elements but even the thirty year old songs sound fresh. One of the sound engineers messaged me midway through the set to say how fantastic it is and that's really a complement considering it's not really his thing. Encore 'Dagger' sees the vocalists singing a downbeat torch song just accompanied by gentle guitars and it has real emotional impact. Final track 'Golden Hair' builds to a crescendo of My Bloody Valentine style feedback whilst a leering Sid James stares down at us from the big screen. Excellent.

Slowdive ****

Whitelands ****

Cvltfest Resurrected - Rebellion, Manchester (24/2/24)

I opted stupidly to go to the football (which was terrible) rather than come for the whole day, meaning that I've missed Goblinsmoker, Sugar Horse and Wallowing among others by the time I get here.

I arrive at the venue whilst Blanket are playing. The first song I catch is post-rock which sounds like a heavy Radiohead. It is simultaneously weighty and beautiful, and the vocals are lovely. A new track starts off with swirling guitars and drum fills before veering off into post-hardcore territory which sounds like Quicksand meets Biffy Clyro. Deftones are probably an influence too. The remainder of the set is more pitched in the post-hardcore direction which is less interesting than the first song I heard. The final track is pretty hypnotic though.

Much like the bassist and guitarist's Black Flag and Assuck's shirts suggest, Slabdragger's approach to sludge has a punk edge much like Eyehategod, although they are a bit tighter than that band. Some of the grooves they lock into are monstrous. There's some big Sabbath vibes at times too. Although the riffs are slow, they are played with a certain amount of savagery which actually makes them quite dynamic. The guitar tone is very 'Earth 2' which is always satisfying. The set ends with all three members stage diving and crowd surfing above the audience to cap a successful show.

The first couple minutes of Boss Keloid's set starts with some horrible Red Hot Chilli Peppers' style funk before normal service is resumed and they launch into their doom with progressive and post-metal touches. 'Gentle Clovis' possesses a crushing groove. They are quite unique sounding with guitar work which sounds like a much heavier Tom Morello. They end up starting the more hardcore/noise rock influenced 'Skipper's Pipes' again as they aren't happy with something (I'm not sure what) but it still impresses with it's intense Helmet vibe. There's some Eastern style touches and even a slight Led Zeppelin influence at one point. When singer Alex opens up, he has a pretty good voice which reminds me of Eddie Vedder in the cleaner bits. The Pearl Jam infuence doesn't end there as the closing number 'Smiling Thrush' sounds like if Pearl Jam tried to play super heavy doom. This may not sound that good but like everything else it is excellent.

Conan create an undeniable rumble which incites mass headbanging from start to finish, and a constant stream of stagedivers from the second or third song onwards It's pure volume but it is irresistible. It's hard to describe individual parts because it's more of an experience of noise and intensity which you take as a wholesale barrage similar to a Sunn0))) show, only with tunes. There's fast bits and super slow parts but there's enough variety that it doesn't get boring. They play a terrific 'Volt Thrower' but individual songs don't really matter, it's more how it feeds into the whole experience. A driving, pounding 'Invinciblade' closes.

Conan ****

Boss Keloid ****

Slabdragger ****

Blanket ***

O. & Pedro Pedro Pedro - YES Pink Room, Manchester (22/2/24)

O. played Manchester Psych Fest two years ago. Prior to the festival, I tried checking them out on Spotify. I found what I thought was them, some weird sounding Italian pop which I thought sounded interesting, I went to watch them and I didn't get that band but what I got instead was so much better, blistering alt jazz which just blew me away. Fast forward eighteen months and O. now have some releases to their name and they aren't such an unknown entity, which has just increased my anticipation for tonight's show (their first ever sold out headline show so they inform us later).

Pedro Pedro Pedro open up. They start off with an odd mix of African funk and early Madness ska topped with shouty post-punk vocals. It's all a bit too eclectic for me and is rather headache inducing too. The second track is funky jazz which brings Acoustic Ladyland to mind. The spoken vocals don't really fit with the music and this takes me out of the experience. However, it hardly matters as the way all the styles are mixed is so scattershot anyway. 'Sunny Ordinary' sees the keyboard player take lead vocals, and with the addition of violin, it has more of an atmospheric dark folk feel and is much more successful, not least because it has a definite identity rather than trying to be multiple things all at the same time. The next track is in a more gentle bossa style with intriguing female vocals. I'm not sure I'd describe the vocals as good but they're certainly interesting. There are some nice touches here and there, such as some nice Ray Manzarek style keys, but it never quite comes together to make for a pleasant whole. The final track is fairly lengthy and is based around a leaden bassline and beat, although the climax where it speeds up is better.

O. start off with a simple beat and gentle sax which is then looped and topped with a much bassier sax sound which is awesome. You can't help but move your body. The awesome groove of 'OGO' follows. The dreamy dub of 'Moon' is reminiscent of Theon Cross and is extended to breaking point. It is amazing. New track 'Wheezy' has some crazy sci fi effects before the stabbing sax and stuttering drumbeat kick in. Acoustic Ladyland are a frequent reference point, particularly on the jazz thrashabout of 'ATM' and new single 'Green Shirt'. Sax player Joe manages to coax some incredible sounds out of his sax, from typical sax skronk to more of a deeper euphonium sound to something amazingly wonky. The jazz rave of 'Slice' is otherworldly and as it escalates it takes us into a higher state of consciousness (yes, that is a deliberate Josh Wink reference). The final track has a more Middle Eastern feel, just set to a thumping beat. Absolutely mindblowing.

O. *****

Pedro Pedro Pedro **

Reaper All Dayer - Rebellion, Manchester (17/2/24)

Today is a special and ambitious day. An all dayer exclusively featuring UK black metal bands, with most playing exclusive album sets, some for albums not yet released. It has already sold out in advance but getting there just in time for the doors, I am greeted by a decent sized queue already.

Belfast's Imperial Demonic are already blasting away with their tremolo heavy black metal attack when I enter the venue. The first full song I see seems to incorporate some folky elements but is still brutal and relentless. 'Dawn Of The Infernal Age' continues the assault but there is enough variety and dynamics to stop it from being one dimensional. The little tribal atmospheric interlude in the song's mid section is especially interesting. A thrilling start to the day.

Andracca present the first of the day's full album sets for their new full length release 'To Bare The Weight Of Death'. The title track opens doomily before blasting into a blackened assault. It's furious enough but it sounds a little weak in comparison to Imperial Demonic and I have trouble distinguishing the instruments from each other, There are changes of pace and different dynamics but I just find it hard to get invested in the majority of it, it's just there and it feels like I'm being sonically battered but not in a good way. 'Lamentation Of Dignity' slows the pace with a neat guitar intro and a more nuanced style and is all the better for it. I retreat to the back of the venue for the final number and funnily enough, it sounds much better from there.

The Sun's Journey Through The Night are a much more progressive proposition, mixing their blackened blasting with slower post-metal riffs, making for an interesting concoction which never becomes boring. Think Enslaved meets Amenra. Vocalist No-One is an enigmatic, magnetic presence. His face covered by a hood and horned skull headcap, he is difficult to take your eyes off. The slow riff at the end of 'Worldless' is crushing. At the end of this track, the band exit the stage, leaving No-One with his back to the audience, shrouded in red light whilst the ambient intro to 'Voidwalker' plays. Amenra are an apt reference as they are similar in how they build in intensity live  and it feels more like a ritual. Even hidden by the mask, you can tell how much No-One puts into his performance. His cathartic screaming without a mic during the closing 'Orion' caps a triumphant performance.

Abduction look more like a hardcore punk band and the singer has a similar look to Midnight's Athenar but they actually sound more like latter day Mayhem. When the vocalist sings cleaner, he certainly has an Attila Csihar edge. Their particular brand of esoteric warfare is hypnotic. Abduction probably have the toughest job here today, being sandwiched between two crowdpleasing acts in The Sun's Journey and Devastator and playing songs no-one has heard before but they incite the biggest response in the pit so far and they manage to get everyone spontaneously pumping their fists and chanting without any prompting from the band. One of the new tracks sounds like a hardcore band mixed with Immortal and is excellent. There's so many other influences synthesized within their black metal including a really cool heavy post-punk riff at the climax of one of the songs. In fact, there's more than a couple of nods to Killing Joke which is always a good thing. Everyone present realises that they're witnessing something very special and the album, when it drops, will be a classic.

Devastator are less sophisticated and subtle. They play blackened thrash which is full on. Early Slayer are an obvious influence in their riffs, only played faster, whilst the leads are like a hyperspeed Murray, Gers and Smith. 'Black Witchery' sounds like a sped up 'Whiplash'. At various points, it seems you can pick a classic metal band such as Slayer, Metallica, Priest or Motorhead and speed it up and there, in a nutshell, is Devastator. It's the same approach used by the 80s South American bands so it isn't a surprise when that scene gets a shout out.. 'Bestial Rites' certainly has an early Sepultura influence. 'Necromantic Lust' is a glorious blur. 'Deathspell Defloration' features an appearance from Abduction's vocalist and is more straight forward black metal like early Darkthrone's slower numbers. Closing number 'Rabid Morbid Death' causes absolute mayhem. Incredible fun.

The Infernal Sea are standard black metal fare. They're pretty decent and it's a decent show with the hooded band being surrounded by lanterns but I'll admit I'm starting to flag a bit at this point. They have some nice chunky riffing but my throbbing feet start to overrule my objectivity. When i concentrate, I realise that they're more dynamic than I initially thought. They have catchy, well defined riffs and some bits are really rocking. However, I have really reached my limit so I leave midway through their set, missing the headliners Ninkharsag.

Overall, as a picture of the UK black metal scene, today leaves me in no doubt that it is in rude health.

The Infernal Sea ***

Devastator *****

Abduction ****

The Sun's Journey Through The Night *****

Andracca **

Imperial Demonic ****

Girlschool, Raven, Alcatrazz & Airforce - Academy 3, Manchester (16/2/24)

Tonight sees the Heavy Metal Assault tour, featuring a trio of 80s classic metal bands plus support, hit Manchester.

Openers Airforce are full on Iron Maiden worship. That's never terrible. In fact, it can be bloody good when done well, because who doesn't love a bit of Maiden. Singer Flavio Lino does a very good Bruce Dickinson impression whilst the rest of the band are no slouches either. Tracks like 'Finest Hour' recall the 'Powerslave' glory days whilst the crowd sing the 'fight fire with fire' chorus enthusiastically. Closing track 'Sniper' is more mid-paced like a mix of 'Flight Of Icarus' and 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner'. Good stuff.

Alcatrazz open with the furious Rainbow-esque power metal of 'Little Viper'. However, something doesn't seem to be clicking, and the backing vocals don't seem quite right either. Guitarist Joe Stump can definitely play whilst vocalist Doogie White sounds decent enough. However, it all comes together as functional rather than inspirational. 'Turn Of The Wheel' has a great galloping tempo and the keys give it an air of mystery. This is the first time they really seem to click, and the backing vocals seem to have been remedied by this point too. 'Sword Of Deliverence' chugs along laboriously in a Rainbow/UFO style during the verse but the chorus is pretty dynamic. 'Battlelines' has a pretty good chorus too but again is probably just serviceable in the main. 'Don't Get Mad... Get Even' is a prime slice of Deep Purple with some great Jon Lord style keyboards from Jimmy Waldo. Closing track 'Bring On The Rawk' is a pummelling piece of heavy metal. Overall, I found this a little disappointing as I really like their recorded output.

Raven are pure unadulterated heavy metal. They look like they would bleed metal. Theirs is an energetic performance with each member giving it their all. The speed metal attack of 'Hell Patrol' is great. The energy and intensity never lets up and you can't help but be carried along by tracks like 'The Power'. It's very OTT but it is infectious as evidenced by the high octane 'Surf The Tsunami'. 'Rock Until You Drop' is driving and powerful Judas Priest style metal. 'Faster Than the Speed Of Light' isn't as fast as the title suggests but it is still pretty rapid. The band rip through one fist pumping anthem after another, 'Read All About It', 'On And On' and this culminates in the excellent 'Crash Bang Wallop'.

I wasn't expecting much from Girlschool as I hadn't heard great reports of how they were sounding. They open with a more rock and roll version of 'Demolition Boys' which has a fairly rudimentary beat but is still pretty decent. A fun 'C'Mon Let's Go' plays up to their Motorhead influences. 'Guilty As Sin's dirty biker rock is great They come across as a bit sloppy throughout but this isn't a problem with this type of good time rock and roll. It doesn't need to be tight and technical to be fun. Some tracks are a little too shambolic though. The driving Motorhead rock of 'Kick it Down' is really good though. Old tracks like 'Nothing To Lose' still have a vibrancy about them whilst newer tracks like 'It Is What It Is' follow the same formula as their 'hits' but still have some of the same magic. I'm not sure the drummer always manages to stay in time with the rest of the band which seems to be noticeable on 'Race With The Devil', although it is too good a tune to be denied. Motorhead's 'Bomber' is a crowd pleaser but again I'm not sure it's as tight as it could be, and that's the story of the night really.

Girlschool ***

Raven****

Alcatrazz ***

Airforce ****