Youth Code, King Yosef & Street Sects - Gorilla, Manchester (20/1/26)

Tonight is part of the Industrial Worship European tour featuring three like-minded electronic outfits. Although the general genres may be industrial/EBM (Electronic Body Music), there are big streaks of punk and hardcore running through all of the acts involved in the tour.

The stage is dark and is pumped full of dry ice as slabs of industrial noise pulse through the venue, heralding the start of Street Sects' set. The beat is then pitched up and the vocals come in, adding a poppy, accessible edge. It's a steady start but then the stage lights dazzle and the set explodes into life with some Nine Inch Nails style industrial metal which combines the synthy style of 'Pretty Hate Machine' with the difficult noise of 'The Downward Spiral'. The vocals take a spikier turn too. The contrast between the first two tracks is striking. The driving electro-punk of 'Spitting Images' is stunning despite its brevity. The beats are heavy and hard but when combined with the glitchy electronics and confrontational vocals, there is a challenging, uncomfortable edge to them. These are not the industrial tinged rock classics you get at the local rock club on a Friday night. This is much more visceral, like being punched with broken glass. 'And I Grew Into Ribbons' has a rampaging 'Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste' era Ministry feel. The final track sees the singer leap onto the floor, screaming in people's faces and slamming round. Excellent.

The place is steadily filling by the time King Yosef takes to the stage. The name may give off the impression of a dub artist who's collaborated with the likes of Lee 'Scratch' Perry, King Tubby and Yabby You but that's about as far removed from the reality as can be. The band come across as hardcore kids who have discovered electronics, and that shows in the music which is industrialised heavy hardcore. Yosef's vocals are intense whilst, musically, there are plenty of breakdowns. The live drumming powers the faster parts but is still punishing on the breakdown sections. The drums are thinner sounding than the electronic beats of the other acts but it does give it a more organic feel. 'The Dull Blade' has a powerful groove, like hip hop influenced hardcore with all the settings firmly in the red. 'Mist Of Pain' is slamming hardcore with a harsh industrial edge. Imagine if Stampin' Ground and Author & Punisher were combined into a single act. It may sound like an odd mix but it works because of the intensity with which it's played. 'Shame's Mirror' is more atmospheric but still has passionate, ragged vocals. The punchy 'Doomtown' hits hard. If this was played conventionally on bass and guitars instead of the electronics, I'd probably be less interested but the marriage of the two styles is thrilling. The groove laden 'Power' is like Downset if they were on Wax Trax. King Yosef is an energetic presence and an intense focal point. The closing 'Spire Of Fear' has an ominous spoken word introduction before crushing with probably their heaviest track yet. Unexpectedly brilliant.

Youth Code come on stage to Orff's 'O Fortuna' which is always epic but it's then straight into the dancefloor heavy industrial rhythms of 'Transitions'. Musically, they're firmly in early Nine Inch Nails territory and it's pretty infectious. Sara Taylor is a formidable presence upfront whilst Ryan George bounces away behind his bank of electronics like the old hardcore kid he is. The deep electronica of 'For I Am Cursed' provides a dirty, fetish club vibe, and the dual vocals are really cool. Being a fan of Ryan's old straightedge band, Carry On, I must admit that it's a thrill seeing him grab the mic and throw some classic old school hardcore shapes. Sara is a force of nature that is in constant motion. She performs one track upside down, clinging to the support girder, and then gets stuck, which she later describes as 'fucking dumb' although she thought it would be the 'coolest shit ever'. They have a number of stomping, driving electronic anthems which are absolute bangers. They still have a glitchy edge though, whilst the vocals still add a spiky punk influence. They're still probably the most straight forward band of the night though. Ryan seems to be having some problems with his hardware but it doesn't seem to affect the sound or performance too much. The beats are so heavy and relentless, that you feel you barely have space to breathe. It's as loud as hell and the pounding beat is intense. Towards the end, it looks like Sara has cut her forehead open, presumably from smashing the mic against it repeatedly. King Yosef joins them onstage for a preposterously heavy 'Head Underwater' which sounds like dälek. A cracking night all round.

Youth Code ****

King Yosef ****

Street Sects ****

Clutch, 1000mods & Bokassa = Academy, Manchester (19/12/25)

When this show was first announced almost a year ago, it promised Clutch's self titled album being played in full. After a number of months, it was then changed to a regular show with no explanation. Speculation was rife that the shows weren't selling particularly well. I've no idea how true this was but it isn't borne out judging by the turnout tonight which ends up being extremely healthy.

Norwegians Bokassa open up proceedings tonight. They play riff heavy biker rock which has Queens Of The Stone Age stoner rock riffs played with the drive and energy of Mõtõrhead along with a punk rock attitude similar to compatriots The Good, The Bad And The Zugly. Both the singer and drummer are wearing Liverpool football shirts which never goes down well in these parts but the singer owns it with an 'I don't care' attitude. 'Garden Of Heathen' has a fair amount of melody in the chorus. 'Everyone Fails In The End' is a driving and hard rocking blast of punk rock. Singer Jørn Kaarstad has a fair bit of personality and he claims that he can't understand what the hecklers are shouting before cheekily adding that he would just ignore them anyway. Slower song 'Wrath Is Love' has a nice meaty riff with yobbish vocals on the verse and some lovely vocal interplay on the anthemic chorus. They stick to the stoner punk blueprint as they have an arsenal of big riffs which are all played with a punk energy. Jørn's vocals are rough hewn but well suited to the music, and he does show some versatility with some lovely melodic touches. They come across like a more riff heavy Turbonegro. They exit to 'You'll Never Walk Alone' but despite this, they get a pretty decent reception from the half full Academy.

1000mods open with 'Electric Carve' which is a kicking slice of heavy boogie rock. It's a super, high energy start. 'Road To Burn' is slower stoner rock reminiscent of Kyuss which has an extremely powerful, hypnotic groove. The lead guitar is a bit overpowering on the verse but this is a minor quibble. 'Götzen Hammer' is gnarly metal in the vein of Mastodon and is much more visceral. The switch of styles works well and every track makes an impression. The fuzz driven stoner punk of 'Speedhead' is full of energy and attitude. Dani G. on vocals and bass is a fairly laid back presence but provides a solid foundation. Both guitarists are excellent, particularly Giorgos T. who unleashes a number of wild and barely controlled solos. 'Low' takes us back into Kyuss territory which, after a gentle start, sounds like one of 'Sky Valley's uptempo numbers and is muscular and undeniable. Every track packs a real punch. The drummer Labros G. is great, hard hitting yet quite instinctive in his playing style too. 'Overthrown' is punchy, dynamic doom like vintage Sabbath. The end section sounds uncannily like 'Children Of The Grave' but it is played with such gusto that it hardly matters. Who cares about originality when they rock this hard? The show is momentarily paused due to an incident in the crowd but I can't tell what is happening. The closing track, 'Vidage' is a little half hearted, sounding like Fu Manchu or Karma To Burn style desert rock. It is probably too laid back for a set closer and is a bit anti-climatic but overall, they are a revelation, especially considering that I've never been that impressed when listening to their studio output.

It's pretty full by the time Clutch take to the stage. The riffs of the first couple of tracks are heavy enough but there seems to be a bit of a disconnect and they're not really doing it for me. I seem to be in the minority though. Neil Fallon seems in fine form with his usual rock and roll preacher shtick. The slow and dirty blues of 'Slaughter Beach' and the funky 'Worm Drink' are both enjoyable. Tim Sult and Dan Maines are understated presences, keeping their heads down as they lay down their grooves. Tim also has a pretty neat shirt on, although I am a sucker for a nice checked shirt! Everything they play at this stage is good but rarely thrilling. The band seem content to play tracks which please themselves rather than the audience, although plenty of the crowd are enjoying tracks such as 'Escape From The Prison Planet'. It is a rather understated first half, being rather light on out and out bangers. 'Spacegrass' is similar but its Monster Magnet style trippy space rock is powerful and compelling. The bass line is rather fine, and the crowd absolutely love it. The uptempo, driving rock of 'The Mob Goes Wild' definitely raises the energy levels. As I look around, I can see the level of devotion felt by much of the audience. The bluesy '(In The Wake Of) The Swollen Goat' stunts the momentum before the rock solid riffing of the stellar 'X-Ray Visions' raises the excitement levels again. The rousing 'Firebirds' is great too. The show is really getting going now but this definitely raises questions about the pacing of the show. A new song sounds impressive with its hard, driving rhythm. Neil dons a guitar for the slow burning southern blues of 'The Regulator'. The dense and dynamic hellfire blues of 'Burning Beard' is excellent and Neil is in his element with his rock and roll sermonising.

There are a few minutes wait before the band reappear for an encore as Neil explains that the backstage bathroom is really far away. The shitkicking ZZ boogie of 'Electric Worry' is a killer encore. A charged cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Fortunate Son' closes the show. Clutch are clearly a great band but questionable song choices and pacing issues make this a good show with moments of greatness rather than great.

Clutch ***

1000mods ****

Bokassa ****

Katatonia, Evergrey & Klogr - Academy 2, Manchester (7/12/25)

It is almost exactly a year since Evergrey and Klogr were last in Manchester. However, this time around they are here as support to Swedish gloom veterans Katatonia, who have recently released their new album 'Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State'. The venue and crowd is much larger than it was a year ago, such is the draw of Katatonia. Encouragingly, a decent proportion have turned up early meaning both support acts benefit from a pretty healthy crowd.

Klogr have a nice weighty sound but the vocals are a little bit lost in the mix. They have satisfyingly heavy riffs which are married to a Queensrÿche-esque progressiveness. Like all the bands tonight, they're veterans and it shows, as they are tight and professional. Gabriele Rustichelli has a good voice, slightly reminiscent of Geoff Tate, which is where some of the Queensrÿche comparisons come from. The band seem a bit confined by the headliner's equipment on stage and as a result they are rather static. However, the custom stage lighting is extremely effective in drawing all eyes on them. 'White Eyes' marries a doomy yet memorable chorus with a more progressive verse. Klogr have a knack of writing insistent choruses yet backing them up with chunky riffs which sit somewhere between traditional and progressive metal. A nice way to warm up the audience.

If Klogr were a tasty appetiser, we have swiftly moved on to the main course for me with Evergrey, such is my love for the band. 'A Silent Arc' opens with some frantic blasting which settles into some dense riffing before culminating in an arm waving chorus. There are some terrific melodic leads too, making it a fantastic start. 'King Of Errors' is stomping, fist pumping fun and has another solid gold chorus. It helps when you have Tom S Englund singing though as he could sing tax legislation and make it sound moving and and emotional. The stop-start riffs of 'Distance' are thunderously heavy and Tom's delivery of the chorus is *chef's kiss*. The slower, doomier 'Cold Dreams' still has a fair amount of power, although disappointingly, Jonas Renkse doesn't appear to provide the guest vocals, with them relying upon a recorded track and video screens instead. 'Falling From The Sun' boasts another killer chorus, and the double time drumming during the climax is awesome. Closing with new track 'Oxygen', they certainly make a lot of new friends tonight.

'Thrice' is a bold choice of opener for Katatonia. It is dense and weighty but it is also pretty complex with multiple twists and turns. 'Soil's Song' is much more accessible with its heavy, undeniable rhythms and anthemic, memorable chorus. New track 'The Liquid Eye' is probably more dynamic than the studio version and the chorus manages to finally imbed itself in my brain. 'Austerity' has a driving chorus, and the riffs that bookend the chorus are rock solid. 'Rein' is probably too progressive with a few quieter, introspective moments where my attention wanes a little although the climax is nice and hefty. The buoyant 'Leaders' gets a decent response from the crowd and more than a few heads are nodding. 'Dead Letters' has a satisfying heavy rhythm. In fact, I'd forgotten how heavy Katatonia actually are and the heft of the riffs comes as a shock. The doomy 'Nephilim' is crushing, and that slithering bassline is delicious. The choral elements help to make 'Wind Of No Change' sound epic, and the earth levelling groove is monstrous. The electronic elements of 'The Longest Year' help to provide a different sonic texture. It is still powerful though. As a listener, you have to work as hard as the band. These aren't the easiest songs to get a hold of, with their myriad twists and turns, and it requires a great deal of concentration to submit to them. It is richly rewarding when you do though as they are sublime and commanding. Jonas often remains hidden behind his mass of hair and although he isn't especially chatty, he is cordial when he does engage the crowd. None of this matters though as he is in good voice throughout, and his melancholic tones always provide a counterpoint to the elephantine grooves. 'July' is really dynamic and the headbanging circle of the band during the middle section is great. 'Lethean' is the perfect marriage of heaviness and gloomy melody, and the guitar solo is excellent. The band are an extremely tight unit, headbanging like troopers whilst still managing to remain in control of these complex beasts. 'No Beacon To Illuminate Our Fall' unfortunately meanders a little in places. However, 'In The Event Of', which closes the regular set, is elegant and epic whilst the punishing yet progressive 'Forsaker' is a fitting encore.

Katatonia ****

Evergrey *****

Klogr ****

Gogo Penguin & Daudi Matsiko - Albert Hall, Manchester (2/12/25)

Local jazz ensemble Gogo Penguin are back in town playing a hometown show, having released their latest album, Necessary Fictions', during the summer.

Daudi Matsiko, who collaborated with the headliners on a track on the new album, is opening the show tonight. He begins with the fragile 'Tiger's Dream', which he explains is about a dream a friend of his had where they were together and a bird flew in through the window and died . It's very sparse but his delicate voice is beautiful and affecting. It is in a typical singer-songwriter fashion but his style of guitar picking is quite hypnotic and his voice adds a damaged, brittle quality to all that he plays. He comes across as quite affable even as he tells us about his struggles with bipolar disorder. 'How Can I Love?' is too slow, with plenty of negative space between the notes but the chorus is gorgeous. The organ on the closing 'Hymn' adds an extra dimension but is no less captivating. Daudi Matsiko makes a large impression in a short space of time.

Gogo Penguin's opening track 'Umbra' is built upon a simple, repetitive, funky double bass line. 'Fallowfield Loops' sees Nick Blacka pick up the bass guitar for some dexterous bass playing whilst the piano overlaps with a playful melody over the top. All of the musicians are phenomenal but the drummer Jon Scott is the x factor here. His instinctive playing elevates them from traditional jazz to something modern and exciting. I've never heard his kit sound louder either, giving the impression of Elvin Jones (drummer on some of John Coltrane's best albums) if he was let loose on Dave Lombardo's kit. 'The Turn Within' sees delicate, glacial piano mixed with skittering rhythms and the climax is glorious. Nick's nimble fingers are dazzling on 'Break' and the crowd erupts at the end of it. The systhesised bass on 'Living Bricks In Dead Mortar' adds a Massive Attack trip hop feel whilst the distorted double bass on 'What We Are And What We Are Meant To Be' adds a glitchy techno edge. The bass on 'Naga Ghost' has a Miami Bass feel whilst the piano darts playfully in and out like a babbling brook in a forest. The new tracks really come alive in the live setting. The drumming during 'Smarra' is ridiculous, like a rock drum solo played within an actual song and making sense rather than being an exercise for the drummer to show off. 'Ascent' allies classical playing with rhythms which wouldn't be out of place on a Roni Size record. Rakhi Singh's mournful violin and angelic voice gives 'Luminous Giants' a cinematic quality. 'Murmuration's post-drum 'n' bass chillout is as fantastic as ever. 'Hopopono's keys are as light and airy as a spring morning whilst the stuttering rhythms add much more complexity. An elegant 'Parasite' closes the regular set.

Daudi Matsiko joins the band onstage for encore 'Forgive The Damages' and his fragile vocals add something different, a emotional fragility that they've never had before. It's also the first time they've ever performed it live, which is astounding. 'Protest's insistent double bass sounds extremely urgent and the epic, progressive nature gives it the feel of a jazz 'Kashmir'. It's an excellent way to end a fine show.

Gogo Penguin ****

Daudi Matsiko ****

LLNN, Pupil Slicer & WORN OUT - Rebellion, Manchester (27/11/25)

LLNN's performance at Damnation last year was in my top three live performances of the year, so when this tour was announced I was desperate to get a ticket. Unfortunately, when I checked the dates I realised that I would be away for it. However, a change in circumstances meant that I was able to make it after all and thankfully there were still some tickets available.

Ireland's WORN OUT kick things off tonight. Their brand of hardcore has plenty of heavy breakdowns but they aren't averse to a dissonance more associated with bands such as Dillinger Escape Plan or Converge. They have a lovely guitar tone which sounds like a swarm of killer bees in their more deranged moments. Botch are brought to mind more than once as they balance their sound between beatdown friendly hardcore and something more complex and chaotic. Frontman Xander is a focal point, mixing his intense screams with an energetic hardcore presence. The jagged riffs and undulating rhythms of the closing 'Collapse' bring Deadguy to mind. The bassist Brian spends the last few minutes of the set playing in the crowd. Excellent stuff.

Pupil Slicer have received plenty of acclaim for their latest album, 'Fleshwork', which was released a few weeks ago. Their chaotic math metal is complex but sometimes it is too complicated as it becomes a bit messy in some of the transitions. The drumming doesn't always seem to match what the rest of the band are playing and as a consequence, it isn't as tight as it could be. It is heavy and powerful though, and Kate's screams add a blackened edge too. Kate has lost their voice tonight so there are no clean vocals at all although it doesn't stop them from screaming their lungs out. They misjudge where the mic stand is at one point and inadvertently send it flying, matching the haywire nature of the music. Some of the older material fares much better as the discordant style suits them much more. The barreling rhythms of the closing 'Wounds Upon My Skin' provokes a decent reaction in the pit.

After an atmospheric intro, LLNN rip into 'Imperial' which absolutely crushes. It is sooo heavy with its devastating bass rumble and grinding guitars. A pulverising 'Desecrator' follows, with WORN OUT's Xander joining them onstage.Their brand of noise may be heavier than the mind can comprehend but it is so expressive too. The electronic elements do a fine job in world building, creating images of cities full of impressive buildings but the destructive nature of the music also gives the impression that those structures could come crashing down at any moment, such is the earth levelling, planet smashing power they generate. The verse of 'Obsidian' is relatively restrained but this gives way to an earth shattering chorus. 'Scion' is apocalyptic even though there aren't any guitars, just bass, keyboards and drums. The band exit the stage for a few minutes, leaving Christian Bonneson alone to bark along to the industrial rumble of 'The Horror'. 'Tethers' has a groovy opening with a repetitive bass note and racing cymbals before they unleash something much more intense. Each band member keeps largely to their own section of the stage, hunched over their instruments, battering away at them in an ultra aggressive fashion. The deliberate attack of the closing track is relentless in its intent to crush all that lies before it whilst the atmospheric keys provide a light at the end of the tunnel. LLNN's set leaves the audience gasping for air, such is their intensity. A staggering band.

LLNN *****

Pupil Slicer ***

WORN OUT ****

Thrashchester - Rebellion, Manchester (15/11/25)

I was originally due to go on holiday later in the week but family circumstances meant we made a last minute decision to bring it forward a few days. All of this resulted in me being scheduled to fly to Lanzarote tomorrow morning, meaning that I could only really come for a couple of hours of this years Thrashchester rather than the full day. Sadly, this meant missing Lawnmower Deth and Devastator but I would still hopefully catch a few bands.

Youthful Welsh thrashers Exaust are the first band I catch. The fast parts are rapid speed metal which reminds me of the faster tracks on Annihilator's 'King Of The Kill', only less technical. This is mixed with slower parts which are much more hardcore sounding, and the rough vocals add a hardcore feel too. The singer Dewi looks like he could be queuing up for a Marilyn Manson concert rather than fronting an up and coming thrash act but he carries himself like a veteran hardcore frontman, and he and the band do an excellent job of getting the crowd moving. The slower parts are less successful but thankfully, there are more faster parts which are excellent. The drumming is the key element driving them along, and this largely non-stop pace is what makes them so exciting.

Crusaders open with 'Spartacus' which is a mixture of '80s Metallica with a more aggressive style reminiscent of Slayer or Dark Angel. The vocals are a bit lacklustre but the musicianship is great. 'V' is pretty powerful with a memorable chorus. The guitars are loud and sound pretty incisive. The dazzling melodic leads which introduce 'Terminate' give it a late '80s Testament feel. They are pretty tight musically and their set absolutely flies by, which is a large compliment. The closing track has some classic metal touches too and is excellent.

The intro and chorus to Mörti Viventi's opening track 'The Day The Dead Returned' has a doomy My Dying Bride influence but the rest of the track is a thrash/trad metal hybrid (I suppose it's what would have been termed power metal in the late '80s). The singer Aidy has a really good voice with an expressive higher range. 'Whorehouse Of The Undead' is a similar combination of styles but is more clumsily done. 'The Day After' is much stronger. They have a very British feel, sounding like those '80s bands who straddled both the traditional and thrash camps, such as Toranaga. 'Hell On Earth' is where they go all out thrash and it has an Exodus feel musically whilst 'Thrash Or Die' ups the speed and intensity with its Slayer-esque attack.

Crusaders' Jamie Paterson is pulling double duty today as he also plays guitar for Catalysis. The singer, Andrew Downie, has a great voice which is somewhere between death metal and the heavier side of hardcore. Musically, their deathrash seems a bit more rudimentary and less inspired than any of the other bands I've watched today. They're certainly heavy enough but they're just not connecting with me so I retire to the back for a short break.

Struck A Nerve open with the ripping 'Nocturnal Terror', a slice of thrash which is more crossover influenced than much of what we've been served today and it has a big Municipal Waste influence. There is a real energy which courses through everything they play. Aarran Tucker's higher pitched voice is great and really suits the music. His voice is reminiscent of Tony Foresta which only adds to the Municipal Waste comparison. They are very tight musically which always helps with this style of music. Struck A Nerve are seriously good. Unfortunately I promised my wife that I'd be home by 7 so I reluctantly have to cut their set short.

What I caught of Thrashchester this year was good fun. I already have my ticket for the next event (which will see it expand to two days) so hopefully I'll be able to catch the full event next year.

Struck A Nerve ****

Catalysis ***

Mörti Viventi ****

Crusaders ****

Exaust ****