Metal 2 The Masses (Quarter Final) - Obzerter, Kemakil, Seed of Detest, Mask of Judas & Parasitic Earth - Nambucca - 15th May 2011

Sunday night and it was time for another round of Metal 2 the Masses at Nambucca. I don't go to all the heats, only to see bands that I know and offer my support. This time it was to see Seed of Detest, currently in my top five. I was meeting my mate Will who isn't a big fan of Sunday gigs but I managed to tempt into this evening of heavy metal goodness. So we arrived at around the same time but without flyers. If you are attending Metal 2 the Masses don't forget the flyer. Apparently they don't want to let you in without it for some reason... So boys and girls, the moral of the story is... Don't forget those flyers. There was a pretty good turn out, but I suppose that's par for the course it being the quarter finals and all, and we were a bit worried that it was full, but we did make it in though, so that was cool.

Parasitic Earth

It appeared that most of the audience were there to see the first band, Parasitic Earth. These guys are an energetic bunch and pretty tight too. I dug their set of deathcore which is how I guess is best to describe it. The singer was wearing a weird kind of wrestling mask during the set. I get where they're going with it but basically, every time I see people doing that it makes me think of Slipknot, and I hate Slipknot. Last week at the Gama Bomb show we saw guys in Way of Purity wearing balaclavas and they looked like dicks. I think the only guys who can get away with it are Basement Torture Killings because of all the extra theatrics that they inject into their shows. Having said that, this is a minor niggle as basically Parasitic Earth are an excellent band who more than deserve to be in this competition. I enjoyed the set and very much look forward to seeing them again.

Mask of Judas

Second to grace the stage was Mask of Judas. This band surprised me. At first I saw this very young, skinny girl shuffle on to the stage to front the band and thought negatively straight away. She had a surly way about her which was slightly off putting to start with. They blitzed through the first couple of tracks and I wasn't convinced, however, her voice was remarkable. I really don't know where the sounds come from. She seems too small and fragile to be able to make noise like that. By the end of the set my mind was changed. They gave a solid live performance and over the few songs that they played I was slowly converted. Definitely one to see live because the stuff they have recorded certainly doesn't do them justice. Check this band out just to hear Jo's vocals, extraordinary.

Seed of Detest

Third up, Seed of Detest, and the reason why I was there. I don't know what to say, apart from unbelievable. Their bassist Chris was back (even though he'd just come out of hospital and his jaw is sealed shut) and it certainly made a positive difference to their set. This is the best I have seen them play so far (no mean feat I can assure you). I still can't get over their age and the short amount of time they have been together. They seem like such a well established band. I'm so glad I trekked up here to see them again. They are genuinely good blokes that deserve good things to happen to them. CHECK OUT THEIR STUFF. Earache need to sign them pronto.

Kemakil

Fourth on stage were Kemakil. I had already heard about this band from my friend Steve. They are an absorbing thrash band from Ipswich. Clearly the oldest here but with no less energy than the young ones. They played a sturdy thrash set that takes you back, in a good way. You can tell these guys have been at this game for a while, they're very comfortable on stage and engage the audience with ease. They don't take things too seriously and are basically old school cool. Definitely worth checking out. They go through to the semi finals on a wild card, so if you get the chance try and catch that show, again at Nambucca on 5th June.

Obzerter

Finally Obzerter, the last on stage and the winners of this leg of the competition. Like Mask of Judas it took a few songs to get into this band, they're quite experimental, lots of weird noises and disjointed songs. This is obviously the point and what makes this band fairly original. I enjoyed it to a degree but definitely preferred some of the other bands. If you are interested in checking them out their music on facebook is pretty much representative of their live show. Strange music but not bad. I'm not sure that they deserved to win but I don't begrudge them. They were a good finish to another excellent night at Nambucca.

I personally think that Seed of Detest should have won, but I know that you reckon I'm being biased. However, for any of you that have seen them you'll know exactly what I mean. Overall a truly entertaining evening, enhanced by Will and again worth missing the last train home for.


Check out thegreyman youtube page where I got these vids from. Nice!

Seed of Detest, Eyes of Mutiny & F.S.I. - The Scream Lounge, Croydon - 5th May 2011

Goddamn! I've been really busy so it's taken me a while to get to this review. Sorry. This time I was joined by Lady Toes and we bumbled off to Croydon to watch Seed of Detest (I reviewed them the first time from the Metal 2 the Masses Heat 10 gig). We live in Wimbledon so it was the first time we got to use the Croydon Tram link, which was cool because it felt like we were on holiday. It took about fifteen minutes to get there and a short walk through sunny Croydon to arrive at The Scream Lounge. When you first walk in to this place it makes you feel as if they've just had a Christmas party and forgotten to take the decorations down. We ordered a couple of pints that were really cheap by London standards, served up by some jovial bar staff.

F.S.I.

Anyway, the gig was upstairs where they have a charming little stage. First band up was called F.S.I. They began with a weird keybord intro that evolved into a sort of sludgy, hardcore type of metal which is the best way I can describe it (think Mastadon). The guys in the band seem to have been doing this for a long time. They had a stage presence that made you believe that the unit had been together for ages. The guitarist, Dave, had me in stitches pretty much the whole way through their set with his onstage banter. I think the accord between bearded band members certainly endears you towards them. They put on an enjoyable show even though the music wasn't 100% my cup of tea. Entertaining for sure.

Eyes of Mutiny

Eyes of Mutiny are a metalcore band and they were second up. I am old school when it comes to my metal so I have the same niggle with this band as I do with almost every band like this. To me the whole fashion thing that goes along with this type of music seems odd to me, apart from the tattoos, the style seems to be akin to people on a beach holiday with clothes that don't fit very well. The band themselves seem pretty competent and comfortable on stage. For me it was only OK but that's probably because of my taste. The clear ability of these guys is not in question.

Boojay with Seed of Detest

Finally, the headliners, Seed of Detest. These guys are brilliant. Not only are they brilliant but they are also really good blokes. When Toes and I made our way up to the upstairs bar they made us feel very welcome. After chatting with them I was staggered at how young they were (19-20). They play like an extremely well accomplished assembly, both seriously tight and astonishingly engaging. The guys told us that their bassist Chris was out of action because he'd recently come out of hospital (our best wishes go out to him). This would be a problem for most bands, but not Seed of Detest. They played an excellent show and I'm very glad that Toes and I tripped over to see them. Roll on the next show, 15th May at Nambucca. I just can't ever see myself getting bored of this band.

Boojay

Malevolent Creation - The Underworld, Camden - 10th April 2011

Toes and I jumped on the tube, this time accompanied by the youngest in the Boojay clan - Jamie. We all headed to Camden to meet up with Sam and his lady Eliska to see the untouchable Malevolent Creation at The Underworld. I had been particularly looking forward to this gig because I have loved Malevolent Creation since the '80s but never had the good fortune to see them live. All that was about to change. We all met for some early beers at The Earl of Camden pub. The place has potential but the music was blaring (not a bad thing) stuff like AHA (bad thing) and didn't make it a very welcoming environment to those of a more metal persuasion. Whatever, it was a means to an end and it served its purpose adequately.

Neuroma

We made it just in time to see the last half of Neuroma's set. They seem like a pretty solid band. Their live show was gratifying, unfortunately, and it has always been the curse of the first band on stage, that the audience was sparse and motionless which must make it difficult to perform in front of. Not bad.

Second band to grace the boards was Polish band Diachronia. At first glance they kind of resemble Seed of Detest but then the lights get a bit brighter and they start playing and you know it isn't. Seed of Detest are way cooler. Not to say Diachronia were bad, on the contrary, they were acceptable. I'm not sure how far they'll go considering some of the amazing death metal coming out at the moment, again case at hand - Seed of Detest. I took some video so you can see for yourselves below.

Professor Kennith

Third up, Basement Torture Killings. Holy shitballs!! At first I didn't know what to make of them, they freaked the hell out of me. They look like the scariest bunch of serial killer nutters you have ever seen. Closest to me was a Doctor Crippen lookalike, known affectionately as Professor Kennith (bass) adorned in nerdy attire and a fetching red bow tie. However, the shaved head, round glasses and blank stare sent a chill down my spine. Standing next to him was the rather charming Bertrand (guitars, vocals) sporting a nifty and altogether appropriate Hannibal Lecter mask. Lastly Tarquin (guitar), I think he was the most terrifying. He played the entire set with a stocking over his head. To be honest I thought the whole thing was genius. Between each song there were sinister samples of sounds you would absolutely expect to hear ricocheting around a serial killer's basement. Regardless of the theatre that is this band, the music is crushing and brutal. I fucking loved it. Basement Torture Killings are massively on my radar and I can't wait to see them again. Not to mention the fact that "in real life" they are the complete opposite of their stage personas, or at least Bertrand is, who I met after the show... Although isn't that what they said about Jeffrey Dahmer?..

Gio Geraca (Malevolent Creation)

Finally, Malevolent Creation. I have waited so long to see these guys (over 20 years). To say they did not disappoint me is an understatement. They burst onstage like a Tsunami, destroying everything in its path. They played an ample amount from their new album "Invidious Dominion" which, in my opinion, is one of their finest albums to date, but still bombarded and delighted us with older classics. Overall an extremely exhilarating and accomplished set. It was my little brother's first death metal gig, and what a way to begin! You couldn't keep him off the stage, so the Boojay's were well represented that night. I don't know how but I managed to totally tear my jeans early on in the mosh or flying off the stage but that didn't stop me losing my mind to this band. Fucking ferocious. Fucking stunning.

Mosh ripped jeans

The crowd was an incredibly amiable bunch and added to a very special night. At most metal gigs you make a friend or two, but this night it felt as though everyone had been mates for years. So there's another fantastic gig to add to a damn good run so far this year.


Boojay