FORBIDDEN, AFTER ALL & ELIMINATION
LONDON UNDERWORLD – 01/06/09
Well despite this being a Monday night gig the Underworld is fairly bustling tonight although figures don’t quite reflect that this is one of the most anticipated thrash gigs of the year. By the time Elimination hit the stage I’d already supped my way through some eight cans of beer and having misplaced my pen within minutes, I could see it was going to be one of those nights! The usual “support-band” sound I’ve grown to expect at the Underworld made it somewhat difficult to fully enjoy the opening bands set although you can get the general gist of what these drainpipe jeans and Bobby Blitz permed kids are all about. Their Bay Area sound is delivered in a tight manner and with a less plagiaristic approach than their name would lend you to believe; with crunchy riffs and vocals that have a Teutonic edge. Tracks like ‘Straight To Hell’ have a nice memorable rhythm to them that has me headbanging my way straight to the offy for more beer and ink.
After All, so I had been warned, were about to lay a big fat metalcore turd in the midst of a fine evening of thrash, which I’m not sure would be better or worse than my previous understanding of them being a flower metal band. After all of the speculations they delivered a set that really exceeded my expectations. There’s a modern feel to their sound although the thrashing guitars make them seem perfectly at home on the bill. By this point I’m a little worse for wear (ever heard of going to a thrash gig and staying sober? Nah, me neither!) and to be quite frank this lot didn’t leave much of an impression and have blended into my subconscious along with various other repressed memories from the night although listening to the likes of ‘Blackest Moon’ and ‘Devastation Done’ now has me wishing I had been more clued up on their repertoire as I rather get the feeling they are the sort of band you need to know to appreciate. I’m a little confused as I hear the sounds of ‘Holy Diver’ while in the bar room, thinking they had ended and that Killswitch cover was playing over the stereo, although as I walk back down to the stage area I discover they are doing their own take on the Dio classic. All in all, not a bad set though hardly a band I’ll be rushing out to see again.
By now I’m beginning to get rather impatient; as if it wasn’t frustrating enough that Forbidden has cancelled last years’ reunion show in London but after getting held up at customs it seems we are being tormented with a sound check of infinite proportions. As I try to keep myself awake, naturally, by throwing beer down my neck, through the ‘one, two’s and the bang, bangs all I can think is “Get on with it!” which is a damned site more polite than the crowd hollers of “Stick your sound check up your arse!” It’s 19 years since these Bay Area thrashers hit our shores and being *sigh* of that age where I still have to carry my ID to buy booze (yep, really not my day!) I can safely say I wasn’t lucky enough to have caught them ‘first time round.’
Now, my excitement for tonight’s performance was a little more reserved than I would have honestly liked to admit, having heard reports of them being disappointing at shows on their 2008 tour although I was surprised by how much on form they were tonight. Having heard rumours of the band playing the excellent ‘Twisted Into Form’ album in its entirety, I was thrilled when the opening notes of ‘Parting Of The Ways’ finally sounded out before taking us ‘Step By Step’ through what is, with little argument, their best work. There is one seriously heavy beast here tonight, and I’m not just on about Russ either; but this made it, while predictable, incredibly special and definitely worth the wait. Russ Anderson may be older and more rotund than their last visit, and isn’t the most charismatic of frontmen, but he can still deliver the high notes with confidence.
It didn’t end there either as they proceeded to work through most of their Forbidden Evil debut, with Craig Locicero and Steve Smyth locking solos and trading riffs to the likes of ‘Off The Edge’ and ‘Eyes Of Glass’ while I eventually gave up photographing Mark Hernandez at the back as his wild, curly hair was constantly blocking my view! The Green and Distortion albums were fully neglected tonight, though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing especially as they had been promising to concentrate on their first two records. Making for the exit before the crowd are all herded out, I wonder who nabbed off with my last beer while thinking what a great set Forbidden played. To you wimps who didn’t come out ‘cause you had to get up for work next morning, shame on you! You missed a jolly good show!
Luci Herbert
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