The Pharcyde, Jeru The Damaja & Souls Of Mischief - Ritz, Manchester (18/10/25)

This is the first hip hop show I've been to in a long time. I used to go to quite a lot of hip hop shows but almost twenty years ago I had tickets for a Canibus gig and when I turned up there was a bunch of guys kicking off with the door staff which really put me off. I didn't go in and I've not been to a hip hop show since. However, if there's something which is going to tempt me back to a hip hop show then it's the prospect of The Pharcyde and Souls Of Mischief promising to honour two of the '90s finest hip hop albums, 'Lacabincalifornia' and ''92 'Til Infinity'.

There is a bit of a surprise before Souls Of Mischief appear as Jeru The Damaja arrives onstage to hype up the crowd. I didn't even realise he was in town but apparently he's appearing at an afterparty across town later on.

The DJ is the first to appear and he does a little showcase of his scratching skills before the MCs hit the stage with 'That's When Ya Lost'. It's already hot and smoky, and the excitement and expectation only adds to the atmosphere. Each member keeps mainly to their quarter of the stage, stepping forward when it's their verse. The group chorus of 'Let 'Em Know' is really effective. All the group have a great flow and demonstrate really good chemistry with each other, but that's to be expected when you consider that they've been rhyming together for 30 plus years. 'Live And Let Live' is laid back and funky whilst smoky beats and elastic rhyming combine on the excellent 'Never No More'. Tajai is probably the most impressive lyrically but all of the rappers pull their weight. 'Tour Stories' is excellent, and is reminiscent of the style of hip hop which Jurassic 5 made popular in the late nineties. The DJ section is heavy on James Brown but keeps the crowd cooking. The closing '93 'Til Infinity' predictably sends the crowd wild but it is still one of the classic West Coast hip hop tracks.

A short set from Jeru The Damaja is an unexpected treat. 'Da Bichez' sees everyone chanting the chorus back at him whilst 'Come Clean' is also great.

Keeping track of The Pharcyde over the years hasn't been easy due to various splits, and there are currently two versions of the group, one helmed by Booty Brown (who I think still owns the rights to the name) and the other featuring the other three members. Waiting for the band to appear, I'm still not sure which version will appear.

The Pharcyde open with a bass heavy '4 Better Or 4 Worse' which sounds amazing. The stalking verse is changed 'to stop them from being cancelled' which actually works much better. The chorus of 'Drop' is great whilst 'I'm That Type Of N****' sounds colossal. 'Oh Shit' sounds as good as it did in '93 and the crowd holler away on the chorus. 'Ya Mama' is still a massive crowd pleaser with its 'ya mama's so fat, how fat is she?' refrain. Imani is so energetic, pulling out a number of impressive dance moves when he isn't rapping. No wonder he is sweating so profusely. The dubby, jazzy bass for 'Pack The Pipe' is earthshaking. Tonight is billed as a celebration of the 30th anniversary of 'Lacabincalifornia' but it doesn't feel like it as they are playing much more 'Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde' material, which is fine by me. 'Passin' Me By' is red hot, and Fatlip's verse is fantastic. The funky and jazzy 'Otha Fish' still blows my mind, and Slmkid's acapella verse is amazing. Although they are playing all these 'Bizarre Ride' and 'Lacab' classics, the crowd appear to be a bit jaded after Souls Of Mischief and the band have to work to keep the energy up. New track 'Timeless' sounds very contemporary with some booty shaking bass. A DJ mix in honour of J Dilla loses momentum a little. This goes straight into the smooth jazzy melodies of 'Runnin' with its gargantuan chorus, and this closes the show. It may not have been exactly what was advertised but it was still everything I hoped it would be.

The Pharcyde ****

Jeru The Damaja ****

Souls Of Mischief ****

Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs & SLAG - New Century Hall, Manchester (11/10/25)

Sometimes you walk into a gig and feel totally out of place. For me, it's usually either feeling too old or not being cool enough. Tonight I get that feeling as soon as I join the queue outside. The rest of the crowd seem much younger than myself and from hearing the conversations around me and looking at the shirts and backpacks seem to have a love of Anime and Japanese culture.

Brighton's SLAG are the opening act tonight. They start off with a latin style guitar lick and some sultry, smoky vocals before the rest of the band join in. It then switches to a French flavoured indie pop section which reminds me of Stereolab before they reach a heavy, grunge punk chorus. The second song is a similar mix of styles but the transitions between the various parts are a bit clumsy. The singer, Amelie, has quite a laidback presence but there is something alluring about her vocals. The third track is standard indie rock but is much more consistent and has a good sense of dynamics. The fifth track is the best yet: moody indie pop which starts off with a delicate guitar line and some excellent vocals reminiscent of PJ Harvey. I find myself imagining The Pretenders if they were a  noughties indie band. The crowd reaction grows the longer the set goes on. The final track 'Legs' has some nice mathy guitar work, and the note that Amelie hits and maintains at the end is seriously impressive. Overall, fairly promising.

The intro tape for Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs sounds like Boris with its wall of fuzzy, psych guitars. The opening track 'Kakuiumono' has a pounding tribal drumbeat, an insistent guitar lick and some neat dual vocals and is pretty rousing. 'She Is Inside, He Is Outside' elicits a roar of recognition from the opening notes. The driving nature of the instrumental mid section also brings Boris to mind. Alt rock/grunge pop seems to be the main order of the day though and it's pretty good with a decent energy but all the songs are received ecstatically by the crowd. 'New Order' has a solid bassline driving it forward but is combined with melodic guitars and sweet vocals and these give it a great deal of appeal. There is such a sweetness about much of what they play. One track is sunny indie pop but the excellent guitar work adds extra dimensions, and it is at times like these that I'm reminded of some of Cornelius' lo fi indie moments. '1960' is expansive post-punk with a bassline The Cure would have been proud of in their early days and some more excellent guitar playing from Naoya Ogura. It's much more my style so it is hardly surprising that I think it's the best track they've played so far. In fact, it's spectacular. A new track is yet more upbeat indie pop but it does have a driving rhythm and possesses a bit of power. Natsuko Miyamoto has a pretty good voice but they sound best when she and Naoya combine their voices. 'Endroll' is largely instrumental post rock and when the distortion kicks in it is great but it is a lengthy track and some moments are a bit boring. The band speak mainly in Japanese but a fair portion of the audience seem to have some understanding of what they are saying. 'World Is Yours' sounds like a pop punk Boris yet shows their ability to generate some sonic power regadless of genre. The room seems pretty busy from the front but as I leave during the encore I realise that it is only half full. Like many bands who mix styles as much as Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs do, not everything they play tonight hits the mark.

Mass Of The Fermenting Dregs ****

SLAG ***

Testament, Obituary & Destruction - Academy, Manchester (10/10/25)

Tonight sees the Thrash Of The Titans tour roll into Manchester. Due to working late, I miss the Brazilian thrashers Nervosa, which is a common problem I have with these multi band bills. They may look great on paper but life just means I often end up missing the first band.

The first song I catch of Destruction's set is 'Nailed To The Cross' which is fast and industrious but seems to be more perspiration rather inspiration. 'Scumbag Human Race' is much more like it with its mid-paced stomp. The twin guitar solo during 'Mad Butcher' is fun but the primitive proto-thrash is decent but nothing more. I know that will be sacrilege to some as this is one of their standards. The fist punching, heads down thrash of new track 'No Kings - No Masters' is good. The newer tracks fare better than the older songs as they are more powerful. The rampaging 'Thrash Till Death' is great. Destruction are about as old school metal as you get. Schmier's vocals are rough and ready but they suit the music perfectly well and he still has some power in his lungs. The hooky vocal lines and meodic guitar lines of 'Destruction' is a great way to close the set. As you can probably tell, I was never the biggest fan of Teutonic thrash, preferring the American and British scenes, and Destruction haven't really changed my mind about them but they are decent enough fun nonetheless. They get a good reaction from the crowd but I suspect they were mainly preaching to the converted anyway.

Although 'Redneck Stomp' will always be the perfect Obituary opener, with its driving, crushing, full on mosh, tonight it almost acts as a palate cleanser for what is to come. John Tardy joins the band onstage for the savage 'Sentence Day'. The guitars are set to kill and the intensity is increased almost immediately. The rocking groove of 'A Lesson In Vengeance' follows and the band are already into their stride. The drums sound apocalyptic at the start of newbie 'The Wrong Time' which has a memorable chorus. As with much of the newer material, it has a NYHC feel, sounding like Madball or Merauder with deathly vocals. John is in superb voice, his throat shredding vocals dripping in vehemence and at odds with his amiable persona. The foreboding opening chords of 'Infected' herald a run of songs from the 'Cause Of Death' album. The slower sections are suffocating whilst the faster parts are a blur. The doomy and ominous 'Body Bag' is a headbanger's delight. It almost seems damning to describe them as dependable but they are. They are brilliant but you also know with absolute certainty that they'll never let you down. The devastating groove of 'Dying' is amazing. The crushing dirge at the beginning of 'Cause Of Death' is excellent and this gives way to punchy, groovy death metal. 'Circle Of The Tyrants' is probably as much their song as it is Celtic Frost's these day but it is as punishing as ever. The band are a tightly honed unit. You don't generate this much groove and pummel this hard if you're not completely together. The opening drumbeat of 'Chopped In Half' elicits a big cheer from the crowd. It possesses all the scything glory that the title suggests and is awesome. 'I'm In Pain' harnesses a killer NYHC groove and Alan Tardy's drum solo in the middle is pretty cool. Obituary's brand of death isn't death by a lightning fast strike or shotgun blast, it's crushing through sheer weight or suffocation, leaving you gasping for breath and it's an incredible musical experience. 'Slowly We Rot' eviscerates as it always does. The ovation at the is such that you would think they are the headliners but I suppose to many they are, and the crowd thins out somewhat for Testament.

'Fight For Your Right To Party' helps to get the crowd in the mood before Testament step onstage. It doesn't sound loud enough for the opener 'D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)'. Chuck Billy's vocals sound quiet too but from what I can hear, it sounds like he might be struggling a little as he is a bit croaky. Although 'WWIII' sounds louder, I 'm still not feeling it although Alex Skolnick's guitar solo is impressive. 'Practice What You Preach' has a denser sound than the record and the increase in intensity is a big improvement on the first two tracks. The start of 'Sins Of Omission', with the crowd bouncing along, sounds urgent as fuck and then the intensity just drops for some reason. The guitar work is the shining light in all these songs: Alex is a prodigious player and Eric Peterson is a capable lieutenant on the rhythm guitar. The twisted, spiralling groove of 'Native Blood' is excellent, and the combination of rapid fire drumming, melodic guitar leads and hooky vocals on the chorus make for a memorable centrepoint. 'Trail Of Tears' slows things down but is really good.

One thing that is often overlooked is how good Testament are at writing ballads. I think back to when I first heard Testament in 1989/90 on a late night metal show called The Power Hour (which subsequently changed it's name to Raw Power and then Noisy Mothers). The played the video for 'The Ballad' which blew me away with it's emotional verses and amazing solos before turning into a pacy gallop for the climax.

'Trail Of Tears' still contains enough crunch to satisfy the thrashers and has the crowd clapping along. A thunderously heavy 'Low' is absolutely crushing. 'More Than Meets The Eye' is galloping thrash and the crowd singing along to the eastern tinged guitar riff of the chorus is a thing of beauty. Chuck may be the frontman but Alex is the star man. He's the one who leads the crowd in singalongs and gets the crowd going as well as pulling off those dazzling solos. Chris Dovas' drum solo is a bit unnecessary but is thankfully brief. A pummeling 'First Strike Is Deadly' is savage as hell and grabs my interest back. The dual guitar solo is glorious too. The grindcore opening of new track 'Infanticide A.I.' is blistering and although it gives way to Testament's usual aggressive thrash style it doesn't let up in intensity and is utterly bloodthirsty. 'Return To Serenity' puts the power in power ballad and Chuck sounds great on it, having recovered from his shaky start. Again, the guitar solo is stellar. A driving 'Electric Crown' shows that no-one did melodic thrash like Testament although it helps when you've got arguably the best guitarist in thrash. Chuck abruptly stops the song when he thinks someone has hurt themselves in the pit, showing them as a band of the people. A furious 'Into The Pit' closes the show. There were a few uncertain moments but Testament were excellent overall.

Testament ****

Obituary *****

Destruction ***

Blood Incantation, Oranssi Pazuzu & Sijjin - Albert Hall, Manchester (8/10/25)

The loud rumble of ancient throaty chants from an intro tape fills the air before Sijjin launch into their brand of death metal. They are fairly direct in their approach but it is pretty satisfying. There is a big thrash influence too and they sit at the point in the late '80s/ early '90s where death and thrash converged and as such they remind me of late '80s Kreator or 'Arise' era Sepultura. 'Religious Insanity Denies Slavery' is a little more complex with a 'Beneath The Remains' feel. The ever growing crowd are appreciative, albeit politely. 'Five Plagues' starts off intricately with a mid paced chug before picking up the pace. It has a 'Master Of Puppets' era Metallica gone death metal feel. They are a tight unit but the drummer is particularly impressive, and they have a nice beefy sound for a power trio. Malte Gericke has a decent growl which is akin to 'Arise' era Max Cavalera. The relentless, aggessive heads down thrash of final track 'Condemned By Primal Contact' is probably their most impressive. They'll never win any awards for originality but Sijjin are decent, no nonsense fun. However, their set is the most straight forward of the evening as things are about to get progressive.

It is pretty packed by the time Oranssi Pazuzu take to the stage. A series of electronic bleeps heralds the start of 'Bioalkemsti' with its monstrously heavy swirl of industrial noise. With Jun-His' howls over the top of it all, it sounds like a blackened Killing Joke and is absolutely mesmerising. 'Muuntautuja's burbling electronics and steady beat are less aggressive than the opener but it builds in tension and is much more ominous. Swirling psychedelia mixes with heavy industrial rhythms and is topped with agonising screams to create a unique and heady concoction. It's played pretty aggressively and it is joyful to see the band members writhing around, punishing their instruments. 'Kuulen ääniä maan alta' is blackened cyber goth with a shit ton of groove, which evokes images of a horrific dystopian future (although we're not far off that now, to be honest). 'Maavaltimo' is heavy as hell prog rock and the vocals are akin to a ghoul running amok amongst your dad's copies of 'Dark Side Of the Moon' or 'Tales From Topographic Oceans'. There are shades of Godflesh in much of what they do and they have an amazing ability to harness the same feeling of dread. Absolutely astounding.

Blood Incantation are flanked by two large obelisks, which has hints of 'Stonehenge' but they are far from a joke. They are about as credible and serious as you can get. When everyone was raving about 'Absolute Elsewhere' last year, I didn't quite understand why everyone was raving that much about it. It certainly is a very good album but it wasn't anywhere near my top 10 of the year whilst it was topping virtually everyone else's lists. However, tonight I totally get it. Opting to open the show with the album in full, they are dazzling right from the start. Brilliant technical death metal akin to Nile or Gorguts mixed with early Opeth but it's when the lighter progressive passages are introduced that their genius becomes apparent. It feels bold and, dare I say, provocative. When the ferocity is reintroduced, the contrast just makes it much more impactful. Constantly switching between the heavy and the lighter, more progressive passages, they are constantly challenging the audience but there are enough skin peeling, intense bursts of speed and aggression to satisfy the gnarliest headbanger. The technicality of their playing often brings prime Atheist to mind yet this is a thoroughly modern, forward thinking take on death metal. It is staggering that a band this adventurous are so popular. The cleanly sung prog rock passage in 'The Message' which gradually speeds up until it explodes in a tsunami of brutality is exquisite. The '70s prog rock touches are beautiful, and there are hints of acid folk too. This is metal widescreen in vision with full Dolby sound too (although if there are hints of Spinal Tap in their stage design, should it be Dobly?). The climax of 'The Message' is rousing, with everyone punching their fist in the air. 'The Giza Power Plant' is no less technical. If anything, it is even heavier and the eastern sounding mid-section brings Nile to mind. 'The Vth Tablet (Of Enûma Eliš)' is savage, heavy and sounds gigantic. Encore 'Obliquity Of The Ecliptic' is a crushing finale. The crowd have been respectful, almost reverential, up until now but they erupt when this special band take their final bow.

Blood Incantation *****

Oranssi Pazuzu *****

Sijjin ***

W.A.S.P. & Armored Saint - Victoria Warehouse, Manchester (27/9/25)

Because I go to a lot of concerts, I have a system for deciding which gigs I spend my hard earned cash on. I scour the local venue listings and ticket agents every week. Bands I like or acts which interest me are entered into a book to form a long list. I listen to every band on the list to make a short list. Bands I've already seen and loved will automatically be on my short list too. Some bands that I've seen and not enjoyed live may still end up on the long list and subsequent short list because of the quality of their recorded output. What this means is that I end up seeing some bands multiple times who aren't very good live. It's something of a cycle: go watch band, be disappointed by band, forget about band until five or ten years later when you see them in the gig listings and decide to give them another opportunity, and based on them having some good records you decide to give them another chance. This system means that I can watch a band a number of times even though I don't think they are particularly good live. One such band is W.A.S.P.

Before them though are LA's power metal (in the original sense of the term) veterans Armored Saint. They open with 'March Of The Saint' which is a perfectly fine piece of heavy metal. However, the drums seem to drown out the rest of the instruments which are nowhere near loud enough. This also includes the vocals although John Bush does appear to be in fine voice. 'End Of The Attention Span' sounds much better (and louder), with the driving, powerful riffing sounding much more urgent. 'Last Train Home' has an insistent, throbbing verse which gives way to an anthemic chorus. With his shaven head, John cuts a youthful presence and probably looks younger than he did in the '90s. A heavy 'Left Hook From Right Field' is really good but the chorus sounds more melancholic than the recorded version. 'Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants' showcases their strengths: muscular metal with powerful riffs and memorable choruses expertly sang by one of the best in the game, John Bush. 'Win Hands Down' has another killer chorus and the twin guitar solo spot with Phil Sandoval and Jeff Duncan is ace. A rock solid 'Can U Deliver' is built on sheet metal riffing although there are a couple of moments where the guitar sound is a bit weird and quiet. A dynamic 'Reign Of Fire' is a fine way to end a great set.

W.A.S.P. are playing their first album in full tonight. It's a good album but there is a bit of filler on it so we'll see how that fares. It isn't as consistent as 'The Headless Children' which is by far my favourite album of theirs.

'I Wanna Be Somebody' is a great way to start; a head shaking, fist pumping anthem. They sound pretty good and Blackie Lawless sounds decent too (although given their well publicised use of backing tracks, whether it's actually him or not is another matter). 'L.O.V.E. Machine' is equally good. Although the opening tracks are, hands down, the two best songs on the album, an energetic 'The Flame' keeps up the positive momentum. The kick drum sounds pretty thunderous during 'B.A.D.' and 'School Daze' but the tracks themselves are only passable. However, they are probably the weakest tracks on the album. A driving 'Hellion' gets things back on track. The slow burning 'Sleeping (In The Fire)' is surprisingly powerful. Blackie looks more like someone's aunt than a dangerous rock star these days but fair play to him because this is better than I expected. A rousing, blood pumping 'On Your Knees' shows why it is traditionally the show opener. 'Tormentor' is a bit plodding but 'The Torture Never Stops' doesn't let up at all, and this ends the album set.

They return with a medley which includes an energetic, anthemic 'Inside The Electric Circus' and laboured versions of 'I Don't Need No Doctor' (check out The Sonics' version to see how this song should be covered) and 'Scream Until You Like It'. Their cover of The Who's 'The Real Me' has real substance and is excellent. The bass lines are excellent but, then again they should be as John Entwistle wrote them. However, the bass is overpowering during the power ballad 'Forever Free' which lessens the impact. We get a shortened version of the progressive 'The Headless Children' but it is still great. A solo verse of 'Wild Child' is magical and this makes the track more impactful when the full band plays it. It's pretty phenomenal. Unfortunately, Blackie starts talking politics before the closing 'Blind In Texas'. He says he is concerned with where the UK is heading and talks about censorship. Unfortunately, it seems to be the same ideas that JD Vance and Elon Musk has about the UK rather than the reality. He also says that someone was recently shot in America for speaking the truth (no guesses as to who he's talking about). I already knew about Blackie's politics so I'm not surprised but I am disappointed how many people are cheering him. This rather sours it for me and I decide that I've had enough. It was still better than I expected though.

W.A.S.P. ***

Armored Saint ****

Phantom Spell, Aggressive Perfector & Ascalon - Peer Hat, Manchester (26/9/25)

Local boys Ascalon are heavily indebted to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. They are decent enough musically and roll along with an Iron Maiden/Angel Witch style groove and energy. The singer's voice is just about good enough to service this style of music although his attempts at a high pitched scream are ill advised as he hasn't really got the range to get there. The anthemic 'Ascalon' slows the pace down a little and comes across like a slower 'Wrathchild'. They make a decent fist of covering Judas Priest's 'All Guns Blazing' although again the high notes are ill judged. The galloping final track is great fun.

Aggressive Perfector (or Aggie P as most here know them) play classic metal with a blackened edge.The overall effect is like Mötörhead mixed with Venom. The musicianship is top notch and there's tons of melody in the guitars. Tracks such as 'Denied By The Reaper' are just heads down heavy metal fury. Vengeful One' is more aggressive and is much more in the realms of blackened thrash. Everything they play is head banging, fist punching, adrenaline pumping excellence. A rip roaring 'Harlots Spell' closes the set in a fine fashion.

Phantom Spell takes us away from the '80s and travels further back to the '70s. Much more progressive and laden with keyboards, they hark back to the golden days of Uriah Heap. There are plenty of uptempo, driving classic metal sections to keep tonight's mainly trad crowd satisfied though. The terrific 'Evil Hand' is uptempo NWOBHM worship with some excellent twin guitar melodies and some great keyboard parts. The keys on the complex 'Seven Sided Mirror' hark back to the Deep Purple Mark III line up. The Jon Lord-esque keyboards are my favourite part of their sound and they are incredible on the soaring 'Palantiri'. The singer/guitarist Kyle McNeill has a great voice and the vocal harmonies with the keyboard player are excellent. One of the tracks has a Thin Lizzy feel and is great. Some of the songs are pretty lengthy but they still manage to retain my interest. All of the songs are progressive in nature but the light and breezy 'Siren Song' is where they go full on '70s prog rock. The last few songs are definitely proggier and the energy and momentum dips ever so slightly. Still a very good showing though.

Phantom Spell ****

Aggressive Perfector ****

Ascalon ***