Long Knife, Heavy Sentence & FAxFO - Gullivers, Manchester (18/5.24)

I wasn't expecting FAxFO to play tonight as another band was billed on the poster so it's a nice surprise to see them open tonight as I'd seen them a couple of months earlier at a DIY hardcore show. They start off as blazing fast hardcore punk in the vein of Infest, Siege or Drop Dead but they gradually mix in sludgy parts. They have a nice level of intensity. The vocalist sings from the floor which is a nice throwback to 90s DIY shows. They seem tighter and more focused than when I saw them previously, and I thought they were great then anyway.

Heavy Sentence play an energetic style of trad metal which sounds like early Maiden or trad revivalists like Enforcer, if they were fronted by Lemmy. It's these rough vocals which stand them out as it means that their melodic side, either in the guitar leads or anthemic choruses, never comes across as wimpy. When this style is done right, it can be joyous and infectious, and tracks like 'Age Of Fire' are certainly that. They have much more energy than on the records. 'Warriors Of Madness' seems supercharged in comparison to the studio version. There's a punkish edge to them, particularly on 'Heavy Sentence', which is probably a combination of the vocals, the energy and the Di'Anno era Maiden vibes. The guitar player heroically carries on playing even with a broken string which then manages to tangle itself in his long hair during the final track. He had to cut it out after the set had ended which sums up their commitment to full on, unadulterated heavy metal.

Long Knife are a hardcore punk band from Portland, Oregon whose 'Curb Stomp Earth' album was probably my album of 2022. Portland and hardcore go together like fish and chips or bangers and mash, but one band stands out from the rest. Poison Idea are synonymous with Portland hardcore. I mention this because it is clear from the outset that they owe a huge debt to Poison Idea. They open with the blistering 'Modern Fatigue' and it is pure Poison Idea worship but they are fucking great at it. It is no mean feat being the closest thing to one of the best hardcore punk bands of all time. They are a bit rawer than the records, particularly the 'Curb Stomp Earth' material. It's been a hot day today and the room is a humid, sweaty mess. They play with so much intensity and it is a reminder of how vital punk and hardcore can be when done right. The slower 'Uncle Phil' sounds immense with its rocking main riff. Even without the squealing sax of the studio version, it sounds ace. 'The Curse's dirty biker riff during the chorus is excellent. The crowd are really into it and don't want the night to end so the band are forced to play a couple of encores, which isn't very punk but is well deserved. Absolutely amazing.

Long Knife *****

Heavy Sentence ****

FAxFO ****