SAVAGE MESSIAH, CIRCLE OF TYRANTS, NEBUKADNEZZA, HALLOWED POINT AND CHEWIN DRUIDS
Many a good band has suffered at the hands of the dreaded Sunday night gig syndrome; the one where the majority of potential gig-goers opt against going out because they’ve “Got work tomorrow”. This makes it a pleasant surprise that tonight, the Snooty Fox had a fair old crowd paying to pass through the door and bang their heads to five of the current cream of the UK thrash crop, and it puts any of the aforementioned locals with their petty excuses to shame when a good portion of the crowd tonight had ventured down from Glasgow.
Kicking off early proceedings at approximately 6.15 were local outfit Chewin Druids who never fail to get the crowd going with their punk thrash stylings. This four piece may not have been the tightest unit of the evening, although they are proficient enough to make their tongue-in-cheek songs work. Their infectious chant of “Ner ner ner emo wankers” gets the crowd singing along, united in their dislike for the floppy haired cry babies, while the vigorously played riffing on Dominatrix is more likely to make you want to dance about than get in the pit, as their on stage vivaciousness spreads into the crowd. More recent tracks show some progress, and it must be noted that their MySpace recordings don’t do them justice. A lively start to the night.
It’s hardly been smooth sailing for Hallowed Point, with the drummer now the only remaining original band member. Things were looking pretty grim after guitarist/vocalist upped and left mid-tour back in July and tonight marked the bands first gig with new rhythm guitarist Stafford, who shows some promise. Aside from one or two obvious blunders, for the majority of the set he seemed to keep it fairly together with the rest of the band. New song Indestructible has an epic feel and demonstrates some dazzling drumwork, while Wrath Of Insanity is played faster and tighter than before. The real eye (or ear) opener tonight was frontman Mike, whose Forbidden-esque vocals really brings forth a new leash of life to tracks like Fight The Curse and Fatal Judgement, which up until now, have never been done the justice they deserve. Not only does Mike shriek out those high notes with ease, but he has the confidence on stage to take Hallowed Point to a new level.
Making their Yorkshire debut tonight were Londoners, Nebukadnezza (try saying that one when you’re drunk!) Tonight’s gig was all about thrash metal but the ‘Neb brought a bit of diversity to the table with their brutal edged assault of death-thrash. Despite only being a three piece they had a solid sound and delivered a tight set. Vocalist/guitarist Donny steps up to the mic in a confrontational manner as he exudes his hostile crossover styled vocals whilst sharp edged brutal riffs are simultaneously unleashed. The bassist throws out an equal dose of on stage energy as he bounces about the stage while driving the music along with a pummelling bass line. His sparse vocal contributions contrast the lead, and as he venomously spits into the mic he has the presence of a rotweiler about to leap into the crowd and tear somebody’s face off. Songs weren’t quite as memorable as some of the other bands of the evening although they definitely attained one of the best crowds, as the stage divers began leaping out into the pit.
Another band who had travelled a long way to play tonight was Scotland’s Circle of Tyrants. I received their demo earlier in the year when I dubbed these guys as being a promising band with a long way to go. It’s been a fair few months since the band recorded their demo, and their sound would seem to be progressing nicely. The lead guitar work came across in a more natural manner, seeming less sloppy than on the demo and overall their raw, unpolished and uncompromising brand of thrash added much to the bill. The vocalist really comes to life in the live environment as he pounces about the stage giving the various “epic” metal shapes while he displays his dirty vocal style that runs on a similar vein to Sodom. Circle Of Tyrants may not win any awards in the tightness stakes just yet although the potential is there and I look forward to seeing how they progress.
Without a doubt, Savage Messiah were the most professional act of the night, and with renowned perfectionist Dave Silver at the helm I was expecting nothing less. Dave may not be the liveliest front man on the planet, but he has charisma by the bucketload, and what’s more, it’s great to see that he has held onto the same line up for the past six months (which is like the normal equivalent of six years when you consider the bad luck this guy has had with keeping hold of band members). The band sail through a lengthy set like a well oiled thrash machine, as the two guitarists’ trade off riffs. Their bass heavy technical sound is filled with scintillating lead guitar harmonies and solos while the drums speed ahead at full throttle as tracks like “Spitting Venom” and “Servant To Your Death” are polished to perfection. Tonight proved that Savage Messiah is not just the Dave Silver project, as some people have suggested, but a group of four equally talented musicians who each bring something to the mix.
Luci Herbert
WAKEFIELD SNOOTY FOX - 11/11/07