Dark Angel & Schizophrenia - Club Academy, Manchester (9/6/25)

Belgian death-thrashers Schizophrenia open the show with a pounding double bass drum driven thrash attack which is really good. The generic death parts aren't quite as successful but these moments are pretty brief. When they are focused and fast, they are pretty ripping. 'Schizophrenia' is punchy thrash in the vein of 'Beneath The Remains' era Sepultura. The crowd reaction is muted, to say the least, which is a shame. They have only two speeds: fast and faster, but they manage to maintain interest throughout with their terrific use of melodic leads to balance the savagery. They play a rampaging cover of Slayer's 'Necrophiliac' which goes down well with the crowd. They even manage to squeeze in a further cover of Morbid Angel's 'Maze Of Torment' to close out the set. Good stuff.

The first time I heard the name Dark Angel was reading an advert in Kerrang! in 1991 publicising their new album 'Time Does Not Heal'. The advert read 'nine songs, 67 minutes and a skull scrambling 246 riffs'. I was relatively new to thrash but I had already discovered The Big Four as well as Suicidal Tendencies, Overkill, Testament and Annihilator. I was always looking for new music to inspire me (not much has changed in that regard). That description captured my imagination (as well as the rave review the album was receiving). 246 riffs sounded insane! Sadly, funds and not finding the album in any of my local record shops meant that it was a number of years later until I actually acquired the album. Still, that advert has always stuck with me.

Dark Angel are playing their 1986 debut 'Darkness Descends' in full in tribute to their guitarist Jim Durkin who passed away in 2023. They opt to play a general set to start off with followed by the album tracks. They open with a blistering 'Time Does Not Heal'. The crushing yet complex 'Never To Rise Again is equally intense. New track 'Extinction-Level Event' adds a touch of Pantera style groove to their fast technical thrash. Gene Hoglan looks cool as fuck behind his kit whilst his powerhouse drumming drives tracks like 'No One Answers' along at a phenomenal pace. 'Darkness Descends' takes the intensity to another level. It is devastating. An incredible 'The Burning Of Sodom' illustrates how they were really the only band who could rival Slayer in terms of speed in 1986. The cool bass intro to 'Merciless Death' provides some light relief before the thrashing starts again. It is fucking relentless. 'Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)' is stunning. I honestly did not expect them to be as tight as they are and the intensity they play with is unbelievable. A fitting tribute.

Dark Angel *****

Schizophrenia ****

The Get Up Kids & Lakes - New Century Hall, Manchester (7/6/25)

Tonight sees The Get Up Kids celebrating their seminal 'Something To Write Home About' album by playing it in full. I never got to see them when they toured the album originally. As soon as I enter the venue tonight I meet some old friends and the conversation turns to when they played the Roadhouse in support of that album. 'Do you remember them at the Roadhouse?' No, I don't. I remember buying a ticket. I also remember having a crippling migraine on the day of the concert which meant that I had to give it a miss and the FOMO has haunted me ever since. I saw them before they released this album and I've seen them since but there are a number of these songs which I haven't seen live so I am pretty excited for tonight.

'Something To Write Home About' is in the discussion for the greatest album of all time as far as I am concerned. It's a hill I'd die upon but this hasn't always been the case. A trainer in a previous job once asked me what my favourite album was. When I told him it was 'Something To Write Home About' by The Get Up Kids I was met with a blank look. I hastily tried to explain what type of music it was (emo, which probably has a different meaning to him than it does to me) and then when he was being critical, I changed my mind to 'Appetite For Destruction' (which is also a contender). These days I'd double down and own that opinion. It is a masterpiece.

Watford band Lakes open up the show tonight. They play emo-tinged pop rock. It seems decent enough musically to start off with and the vocals elevate it somewhat. The lead singer's voice has a nice soulful edge whilst the backing vocals interplay nicely with him. The third track has a nice bounce to it. It's all relatively straight forward though and I wonder if they really need three guitarists. Musically, there is maybe a Modest Mouse feel. Inoffensive is probably the best way to describe them. When the the female vocals lead, it seems less successful and is more in the vein of Letters To Cleo. They also tease a brief snippet of The Goo Goo Dolls' 'Iris'. Not bad but not exactly good either.

The Get Up Kids open with the anthemic pop punk of 'Holiday' and it's as good as ever. I'd heard that they cancelled last night's show in Dublin because Matt Pryor had lost his voice and he does seem to be straining a bit. 'Action & Action' is equally catchy. In fact, every song has a solid gold chorus. 'Valentine' is the first time we get a change of pace and the set doesn't lose any momentum although Matt is clearly struggling. 'Red Letter Day' is an absolute juggernaut. The crowd singing along to 'Out Of Reach' is magical'. 'Ten Minutes' is pretty rocking whilst 'My Apologies' is played with more spite than the studio version although the chorus is as sweet as ever. 'I'm A Loner Dottie, A Rebel' is immense and is probably closer to the more dynamic version on the Braid split. The roar of the crowd for the opening line of 'Come tomorrow, I'll  be on my way back home' is incredible. The sound is a bit muffled during parts of 'Close To Home' which affects the dynamics a little. A spine tingling 'I'll Catch You' closes the album set in fine style and Matt probably sounds the best that he has all night. 'Walking On A Wire' is slinky and seductive whilst 'Shorty' is a rocking slice of emo punk. 'Overdue' adds a country/americana influence to their emo rock. All the non-album tracks still have the same energy and anthemic quality. They close with a ripping 'Don't Hate Me'. Tonight has been a lovely journey back down memory lane, both musically and bumping into old friends who I haven't seen in a long time.

The Get Up Kids ****

Lakes ***

Midas Fall, Overhead, The Albatross & Civil Service - 33 Oldham St, Manchester (2/6/25)

Civil Service's opening number is twinkling post-rock. The guitar lines and electronic drumkit suggest a New Order influence although it is also still very much in Nordic Giants territory too. 'David Lynch Mob' starts off with more of an industrial feel before turning into punchy, uptempo post rock in the vein of Mogwai. The visuals give it a Nordic Giants feel too. The closing track features recorded vocals from Hidden Mothers which adds an extra dimension to their otherwise instrumental post-rock.

Overhead, The Albatross cram an awful lot into their sound; cut up samples, electronic noise, calypso guitar lines and mournful strings are all utilised as they craft beautifully compelling post-rock, and that's just the first song. 'At Sea' is like Mogwai on a bender in Ibiza and is fucking stunning. They remind me of Radiohead at their most experimental, and it's wildly exciting. The Hiroshima/Enola Gay footage hits like a hammer blow too. This is incredibly forward thinking, like Mogwai meets Burial. 'This Is Like Love' is dancefloor bhangra with crushing guitars reminiscent of Killing Joke added on top. The closing track 'Paul Lynch' has a heavy New Order or 808 State feel, and the final singalong with all the crowd joining in is stunning. I feel like I could pick 50 cds from my record collection and Overhead, The Albatross will still sound like a combination of all them. I honestly don't think I have the words to do them justice. Absolutely dazzling.

Midas Fall play heavy shoegaze. Elisabeth Heaton's voice is great, and it is strong enough to cut through the noise on the loud parts but is less audible when she sings much more quietly. The second track is tribal post rock with a cinematic Nordic Giants feel. The third track is pretty thrilling, with frantic, rhythmic drumming driving the track along at a terrific pace. 'Salt' has some nice guitar work whilst Elisabeth's voice echoes Bjork in certain moments. It's pretty hypnotic. Each song has it's own accompanying visuals and they are fantastic. One has oil refinery mechs which is pretty cool. The trippy, animated film which has the humans hooked up to TV screens who turn into animals and back again is ace. Elisabeth's voice has a nice rasp when she really opens up which is reminiscent of Pat Benatar. The tribal climax to the set is excellent. Overall, an excellent night of bands.

Midas Fall ****

Overhead, The Albatross *****

Civil Service ****

Elephant Sessions & The East Pointers - Band On The Wall, Manchester (29/5/25)

Canada's East Pointers open with a typical slice of celtic folk. The vocal phrasing is a little simplistic and there are too many 'diddle-aye diddle-um' style lyrics for my liking but it is pretty rousing. The second track sees a change of instruments to piano and guitar and is in the vein of Bruce Hornsby or a smoother Bruce Springsteen. The crowd are pretty into it, joining in with all the 'woah oh' singalong parts. The third track is very interesting, as it sees the combination of violin and piano, and is like a mixture of John Legend style soul and the folk of tonight's headliners. A traditional folk hoedown is never too far away though. One track features a tin whistle and sounds like a more organic Avicii. 'Anniversary' has an emo troubador feel like Dave Hause or the more stripped back moments of The Get Up Kids, and the crowd participation is magical. They finish with a jaunty, uptempo celtic reel which is another crowd pleaser. Terrific.

Elephant Sessions' set starts with a funky bass line and beat, before the fiddle and mandolin start their duelling. The drums seem a bit too loud, drowning out the other instruments but that could be because I'm stood right next to the drumkit. The sound improves a little for an excellent 'What Makes You'. One track starts with a bass riff which isn't dissimilar to Eminem's 'Lose Yourself' before the fiddle takes over and the bass takes it into Chic disco funk territory. 'We Out Here Now' sees them continue in a disco folk style and is excellent. It's all very accessible and danceable and most of all fun. The bassist Calum provides a solid Nile Rodgers style presence whilst Euan on fiddle and Alasdair on mandolin are fantastic, and it is their interaction which provides the basis of both their sound and appeal. The mournful 'Riverview, Pt.1' adds an extra dimension but normal partyfolk service is resumed when they get to 'Pt.2'. Encore 'Bloom' follows a similar pattern to 'What Makes You' but is much funkier. The final track has a different vibe, being almost techno folk but the crowd parties on in exactly the same manner regardless of the harder edge.

Elephant Sessions ****

The East Pointers ****