FULL THRASH ASSAULT 07
This was the second year of FTA and my first. The venue was quite small, but had a very good sound system and good stage layout. Each band gained a proper soundcheck and not just a line-check.
This leads me onto today’s opening band “EMPATHY”. The singer/guitarist looking like a young James Hetfield played some good tunes. However, the bass-heavy sound mix showed flaws in playing thrash with finger bass instead of using a pick. Often sloppy and missed notes came across loud in the mix. The other players sounded good, but as this was the opening band we have to forgive nerves taking over. The final song of the afternoon was “end of the show”, a nice mix of Motorhead and “Feel the fire” era Overkill.
After a long changeover, up next were “CHEWIN DRUIDS”, a local band, and it showed in the number of fans watching. However, their take on the DRI/Municipal Waste sound was a little rough around the edges, but a better live sound mix was present which showcased such tunes as “Assassins – Masters of Death”. Ok at what they did, but not to my taste, you decide!
a href="http://www.myspace.com/piggypolices" target="_blank">www.myspace.com/piggypolices
Next up were a renamed band from Edinburgh “INSANITA” (ex-Agankast). Thank god for these guys, who for me was the first proper band of the day. An excellent stage presence and a unique shredding lead. You could have mistaken some of Allan Scott’s vocals for Millie of Kreator, even though he was wearing a kilt! “Heathen” is a cracking tune, whilst “Eight Days of Darkness” and “I Love to Hate” further the journey to thrash perfection. A crowd-pleasing cover of Slayer’s “angel of death” was well received and saw a proper pit forming for the first time today. One the whole an excellent performance and a band to keep a close eye on in the future.
www.myspace.com/insanitamusic
“LET ‘EM BURN” were up next - one of the band’s I was travelling to see. Today’s gig marks the release of their new 3-Track EP “Second Wave”. They opened with their new track “Toxic Shaft”. They just wanted to thrash and that is what we got here with a vocalist who runs around like a man possessed on stage. Next came “Let ‘Em Burn”, always a favourite. These guys are always professional in their performance without the arrogance. Humour and good fun with high-fives for all (courtesy of Seregon’s James)! The track “It’s Mine” produces the second proper mosh-pit of the day. The closing track “Trenchfoot Terrace” showcases another new track. An excellent performance once again. Things look good as they go onto their support slot with Sabbat later in December.
www.myspace.com/letemburn666
“SEKHMET” are up next after a long drive from Exeter. They showcase some good guitar work, heavily reminiscent of Slayer and some early Sepultura. “Into The Breach” from their debut album is a good tune. This band have just released their debut on Casket Records. These guys played with extreme precision and were very focused in their approach with some proper headbanging. Suffice to say I bought all of their cd’s and the quality of the bands were definitely getting more professional as the day progressed.
After the BREAK and a thoroughly disgusting pizza…
Up next were “SEREGON”. These are another band I have been looking forward to seeing having recently caught them live in London with Irony of Christ. They open with their title track from their EP “Kingdom of the Blind”. A furious, tight stage presence and much-improved. “Band of Brothers” shows some serious brutality, it seems for the thrash band they have the intensity of listening to brutal death metal, with latter day Chuck Billy vocals. Singer James Moore engaged in some orchestration of a mosh-pit and quite rightly joined in himself on more than one occasion. This just fuelled the venue into a larger frenzy. Following on was my personal favourite “Cancer Race” and it can honestly be said that these guys were the band of the day thus far.
A 45-minute set was well deserved, and with baited breath we await to see them live again soon.
www.seregon.co.uk (PM)
It’s a tough job but someone has to do it! Yes, Seregon would have blown lesser bands off the stage, and after a tentative start Gama Bomb prove to be more than up to the challenge of following them. It would seem that Gama Bomb are one of the bands you either love or hate although it is hard to fault their performance tonight as they hammer out such fun filled thrashers as “Time Cop”, “Sentenced to thrash” and “Zombi Brew” which gets everybody banging their heads. The band has a raw energy which just cannot be captured on CD and it is clear watching them that these guys know how to party and they know how to thrash!
The day is brought to an end by the mighty thrash metal force that is Evile, and far from tired out by the days events the crowd is still full of vigour with pits breaking out continually and stage divers taking regular visits up to the railings. There is little that remains to be said about Evile that hasn’t been said numerous times before on this website although tonight the band seem to be on top form, blasting through a set of thrashing madness with “Killer From The Deep”, “Armoured Assault”, “Burned Alive” and “Thrasher” all being played and returning with an encore of “Schizophrenia”. Fantastic! (LH)
Paul Maddison and Luci Herbert
WAKEFIELD SNOOTY FOX 08/12/07