Pissed Jeans & Ahmed & The Romans - Gorilla, Manchester (16/8/25)

Ahmed & The Romans are a local based garage rock band. They have two guitars and no bass but the sound is pretty beefy with a satisfying amount of distortion and doesn't suffer from the lack of bass. One stomping number brings The White Stripes to mind maybe with a touch of Big Chief thrown in. Ahmed is a striking figure, with his shades and mop of curly hair. His stage presence is a bit more laid back than his style but he does have a certain amount of charisma. The band have a great feel for what the other members are playing, as demonstrated when they break it down and seemingly improvise whilst Ahmed just shakes his head in an unhinged manner. They're a band I've wanted to catch for a while and they are really good.

Pissed Jeans open with 'Killing All The Wrong People', its driving beat being supplemented by angular, chaotic guitars. The singer Matt Korvette yells into the mic whilst jerking his body violently. The sludgy Melvins-esque 'No Convenient Apocalypse' gets people nodding their heads and rocking back and forth in appreciation. 'Anti-Sapio' is fast and furious grungy punk. 'Ignorecam' gets the crowd moving even though it is seriously headache inducing (in a good way). This is music designed to make you uncomfortable. The bottom end of 'Cafeteria Food' is really loud and heavy and this makes the crawling noise rock particularly good. The anthemic 'The Bar Is Low' is really impressive. The chaotic, messy punk of 'Bathroom Laughter' is sheer madness. 'Cling To A Poisoned Dream' keeps the punk energy up. The guitarist Brad isn't feeling well and he is sweating profusely and doesn't look in a good way but he still gives it his all. Although it is only half full, everyone is packed fairly closely together and it is getting pretty hot and sweaty in here, and a pulsating '...Romanticize Me' doesn't make it any cooler. The visceral climax of 'Junktime' is incredible. The Fucked Up flavoured prog punk of 'Moving On' has a memorable yobbish chorus and is utterly amazing. The rabble rousing, messy punk of 'False Jesii Part 2' closes the set in an emphatic fashion. And that is it. No encore. No bullshit. Just pure fucking punk. Amazing.

Pissed Jeans ****

Ahmed & The Romans ****

Forbidden & Tortured Demon - Bread Shed, Manchester (13/8/25)

Tortured Demon are a youthful thrash band from Oldham. My very first thoughts are that the drums sounds thunderous. It is pretty ferocious and is played at a rapid pace, and reminds me of early Death Angel or Evile. They seem to have developed more of an identity since I last saw them. There is a lot less Pantera style groove this time around which I think improves them considerably, and what is left is much rawer and in your face. One track has a Machine Head build and chorus, and is pretty impressive. They are a band that seems to be constantly improving.

Forbidden are celebrating the 40th anniversary of 'Twisted Into Form' by playing the majority of the album. They open with 'Infinite' which thunders along competently enough but seems to be lacking something. The vocals and guitars don't seem loud enough but I'm not sure if that is the reason for it seeming a bit flat because the guitars seem louder for 'Out Of Body (Out Of Mind)' and they still seem to be going through the motions somewhat. The whipcracking thrash of 'March Into Fire' is definitely played with more intensity. The mid-paced groove of 'Twisted Into Form' sounds immense and Norman Skinner's vocals are much more audible. The opening groove of 'Forbidden Evil' sounds great but the sped up part threatens to fall flat before it picks up intensity again. A number of songs have some crushing moments followed by moments of mediocrity. I can't even explain why it is so up and down, I don't quite understand it myself. Even the mighty 'Step By Step' isn't immune as some muddy sounding guitar robs the first verse of its impact but the punchy chorus cannot be denied. I venture down towards the front to take a couple of photos and it sounds much clearer there, and as a result I enjoy 'RIP' much more. Norman sounds great on the more progressive 'Tossed Away'. However, tracks such as this and the following 'One Foot In Hell' are probably too complex for their own good as they lose momentum at certain points. By the time we reach 'Through Eyes Of Glass' we're back to large parts of it being laboured and uninspired. A pounding, thrashing 'Chalice Of Blood' closes the set on a positive note but I'm afraid it has been rather inconsistent overall.

Forbidden ***

Tortured Demon ****

3 Inches Of Blood, Hellbearer & Steel Forge - The Bread Shed, Manchester (11/8/25)

Steel Forge start off as rapid Maiden-esque power metal musically although this is topped with croaked vocals which sound like the PA is giving up, and it is the vocals which give them a distinct blackened edge. 'Order 66' is more firmly in the black metal camp although it does contain some neat melodic guitar leads. I like the singer's enthusiasm, he seems genuinely into what they are doing and this helps sell them to the audience. Apparently, the bassist is new but he does a great job, with some excellent bass runs. 'As Nightmares Descend' is yet more pounding, thrashing black metal. It's all competent enough and shows some promise.

Straight out of the gate Hellbearer unleash some blistering thrash metal. It's lightning fast and very professional. The first three Metallica albums would appear to be an obvious influence along with some newer bands like High Command. The sound is thick and heavy whilst the guitars are razor sharp. 'Counting Seconds' carries on the Metallica worship, falling somewhere between 'Whiplash' and 'Disposable Heroes'. The savage 'A Darker Fate' has a touch of Dark Angel about it, although one of the guitar solos sounds a bit off key. The closing 'Thrash Without Boundaries' is yet more Metallica meets Dark Angel style thrash. Although their influences are pretty clear, don't make the mistake of thinking they're derivative as they are very, very good at what they do.

3 Inches Of Blood blast straight into the rapid metal attack of 'Fear On The Bridge: Upon The Boiling Sea I'. Cam Pipes' distinctive voice sounds great and contrasts well with the guitarist's screamed vocals, and it is this dual vocal attack is their unique selling point. 'Wykydtron's anthemic chorus is great. The galloping 'Destroy The Orcs' is excellent too. Tracks such as 'Axes Of Evil' are pure heavy metal. Guitarist Justin Hagberg is excellent, hurling out razor sharp riffs and screaming his lungs out without missing a beat. The speed metal of 'Night Marauders' is white hot, and Cam's top notes obviously bring the metal god Rob Halford to mind. The band are extremely tight but this style of metal would not work if it wasn't. 'Battles And Brotherhood' is everything that makes them great in one song: fast, high energy, razor sharp speed metal with an anthemic chorus, topped off with Cam's high pitched pipes (sorry). 'Deadly Sinners' is incredible whilst there's a sizable circle pit for the urgent thrash of 'The Goatriders Horde' which closes the show. It's been a long time since I last saw 3 Inches Of Blood but this was a welcome return.

3 Inches Of Blood ****

Hellbearer ****

Steel Forge ***

Battlesnake, Body Water & Pageant Mum - Rebellion, Manchester (9/8/25)

The first couple of numbers I catch of Pageant Mum are youthful and confident hard rock in the vein of Halestorm only with more of a punk influence. The singer doesn't have the same type of voice as Lzzy Hale as she sings in more of a punk style. Her voice is still pretty strong though. They're pretty good although the stagecraft isn't quite there yet. They play a cover which I recognise but can't quite place, although it does seem quite faithful from what I can recall of the original. 'It Burns' is more of a slow burn post-hardcore number but is still decent. The final track has a Rage Against The Machine meets post-hardcore feel.

Body Water's opening track 'Taste' has a pretty generic pop rock verse but the chorus has a bit more substance to it and the high notes at least make it interesting. The second track 'Fright Night' has an uptempo yet messy verse but the chorus is interesting again, coming across like a rock Kate Bush. 'Spit' follows a similar template. All of their good ideas seem to be contained within the choruses. I'm not sure I wanted or needed a cover of 'The Time Warp' but at least it is consistent throughout. 'Will You Be My Frankenstein?' is pretty good and reminds me of EEVAH. The last couple of tracks are actually decent and manage to rescue the set somewhat.

Battlesnake's singer Sam Frank sets the scene, reading from his bible the spoken word track 'Dawn Of The Exultants' by way of an introduction before the rest of the band join him onstage to unleash an awesome 'I Am The Vomit'. The room seems to have suddenly filled up to capacity and the crowd are absolutely loving it. 'The Fathers Of Iron Flesh' is much more of a driving force live than it is on record. 'Beelzebug II' is pure Judas Priest worship and is fantastic. 'Murder Machine' showcases the excellent twin guitar attack of Ben Frank and Daniel Willington whilst the thrashing, yobbish chorus is incredible. The doomy, theatrical chorus of 'Sanctum Robotos' is great too. The whole band are great and play their part in the show but Sam is the focal point. He is one part demented preacher, one part circus ringmaster and one part metal god. 'Motorsteeple' is a theatrical rager whilst the chorus of Pangea Breaker' is just made for punching your fist in the air. The crowd is much wilder than last time (which was at the much smaller Gullivers) and every song receives a raucous reception, With their sense of fun, image and ridiculous fantasy themes, it would be easy to write Battlesnake off as a novelty band but they are a seriously good metal band as demonstrated by the thundering riff of 'The Battlesnake'. The thrash section of 'The Key Of Solomon' sees a circle pit open up in the crowd. 'Nightmare King' is glorious and the way the crowd sing the pre-chorus guitar line is joyous. Sam sheds his robes to perform a wild cover of AC/DC's 'Let There Be Rock' in his underpants. One of the guitarists produces a ladder from backstage and plays atop of it in the middle of the crowd whilst the bassist and singer are paraded around him on top of people's shoulders. It's a pretty insane finish to an amazing show. One of the best live acts around and I fully expect them to be playing an even bigger venue the next time they play Manchester.

Battlesnake *****

Body Water ***

Pageant Mum ***

Extreme - Piece Hall, Halifax (7/8/25)

Another year, another Extreme concert. Every time they play over here, we tend to go to at least one show because my wife loves them. They open with the energetic 'It's A Monster'. Even at this stage, it is clear that Nuno is on fire with his guitar playing. A searing 'Decadence Dance' follows. '#REBEL' is pretty muscular. 'Rest In Peace' sees Nuno channelling his inner Hendrix to excellent effect. Gary sounds in good voice although it is his showmanship which is his main strength. An impressive 'THICKER THAN BLOOD' adds industrial textures and is pretty hefty. Most of the newer tracks are heavier than a lot of the older ones. 'Play With Me' is seriously rocking whilst a summery 'OTHER SIDE OF THE RAINBOW' is great fun. 'Hole Hearted' is glorious and Nuno shows that he can still blaze away on an acoustic guitar. His solo spot 'Midnight Express' is incredible too. All of the band are great but they always allow Nuno's playing to shine and Extreme are truly a guitar enthusiast's dream. The crowd sing along to the whole of 'More Than Words' and it is amazing. 'BANSHEE' rocks a heavy '80s Sunset Strip vibe. Nuno's 'Flight Of The Wounded Bumblebee' is as ridiculous as ever. A hard rocking 'RISE' serves as an encore and Nuno's solo is jaw dropping as always. Following Nuno's heroics at Back To The Beginning and Ozzy Osbourne's recent passing, the band play a cool Ozzy medley ('I Don't Know', 'Bark At The Moon' and 'Crazy Train') in tribute and it's highly emotional. Even my wife who isn't a major Ozzy or Sabbath fan is affected. It's a charged climax to another excellent show.

Extreme ****

I Am Morbid, Damim & Acid Vat - Rebellion, Manchester (6/8/25)

Acid Vat play old school death metal. They have some good riffs here and there but generally it comes across as generic and uninspired. The second song is pretty decent but overall it's a bunch of non-descript riffs punctuated by the odd good idea. They have zero stage presence too.

The last time I saw Damim was on another bill with Acid Vat. I thought Acid Vat were promising whilst Damim were uninspiring. This time the roles are reversed as Damim's brand of tech thrash/groove sounds much more powerful and in your face than the last time I saw them. The riffs seem a lot more incisive. It's the drummer's first gig with them and he does a good job. There are some deathly touches but the vocals are shouted rather than growled or grunted, and they remind me of Prong more than anything else. They lose my attention a little at a couple of points but this is a much better showing than last time.

I Am Morbid are basically Dave Vincent and Pete Sandoval's version of Morbid Angel. They open with a frantic 'Dominate' which goes straight into the much slower 'Where The Slime Live'. It's crawling riff is deliciously satisfying and the guitar solo is great too. You can also hear it clearly which wasn't the case for the opener. 'Dawn Of The Angry' is punishing whilst the martial fury of 'Blood On My Hands' maintains the onslaught. The guitar solo and doomy intro to 'Fall From Grace' provide some light relief before we're back to the high speed sonic assault. 'Immortal Rites' is crushing although the crowd joining in and singing along to the symphonic breaks is pretty funny. A sharp, whiplash inducing 'Maze Of Torment' completes the classic 'Altars Of Madness' one-two. The death and roll of 'Rapture' adds a bit of variation. The crowd singing along to the mid-section guitar riff in 'Chapel Of Ghouls' is magnificent. The healthy crowd clearly love Morbid Angel and what they're getting are very good versions of these classic tracks. The guitarist Bill Hudson is great. With his teased hair and pouting lips, he looks he should have been in LA Guns or Ratt. Trey Azagthoth he isn't but he plays terrifically well. 'God Of Empiness' is another crawling number with dense, complex riffs. This is an excellent homage to a classic band.

I Am Morbid ****

Damim ****

Acid Vat ****