Attica Rage at The Hydrant, 24 May 2012

Attica Rage certainly put on a show not to be missed. Unfortunately, many people did miss this gig, leaving even The Hydrant looking spacious. Not that this was going to stop Attica showering every person that walked in with ballsy, no holds barred, metal that forces the breathe out of you like a punch to the gut. Travelling all the way from Scotland to bring us their own breed of old school but powerful metal, the night begins hard, with their track 36 Insane pummelling you with solid beats, chuggy riffs and gruff, testosterone filled vocals. Throw a shredtastic solo into the mix, and you have the perfect Attica opener, setting you up for a 13 song set list of unrelenting clout. Throughout the night, even with a minimalistic crowd, the band still gave it their all, with confidence and a clear pride in every one of their songs and managing to engross the ‘intimate’ crowd into every song, be it through relentless hair thrashing or clapping to the beat through the more mellow songs. Attica proved themselves to be a diverse band capable of many things, not least putting across a few softer, anthemic ballad type tracks, whilst still able to put across the raw power and emotion, as demonstrated beautifully, half way through the set, with Ashamed, off of their latest album Road Dog. By the end of the night, the set was back up to full tempo, and the band delivers us one of their heaviest songs of the night, Back to the Old School, to send us on our way. Perhaps the perfect ending to the night, reinforcing the way they came on stage and reminding the audience of everything Attica are about – forceful vocals, wailing, emotive guitar solo’s and nothing but unreserved power. Not to mention an absolutely killer breakdown midway through, which, had everyone’s hair scraping the floor!
The chances are that you missed these guys and the great acts on before them (who B-Metal will be reporting on soon) and you really should be kicking yourselves, as you missed out on a great night. The sparse crowd did not deter these guys, who delivered a phenomenal and professional length set as if they were playing Wembley Arena. If these guys grace us with their presence again, I urge you to check them out. But don’t be surprised if they’re playing a bigger and more expensive venue, as these guys are already well on their way up the ladder of success. If the venue they next play in Brighton is more expensive, don’t even think twice. You will not be disappointed.
Be sure to check out their website for all of their links and merch, as well as two killer albums. 

http://atticaragemerch.com/

https://www.facebook.com/brightonmetal

EP Review of 'Bleed' by Sin to Survive

Sin to Survive is definitely a band to keep your eye on over the next year. With regular gigs and an EP already out, they seem set to storm the metal scene with their own breed of melodic, thrash type metal. Sin to Survive is one of those bands that are hard to put into any one genre, which is very evident when you listen to their EP ‘Bleed’. One thing is for sure is that they are definitely metal!

Just from the twenty second intro track, you can already sense a huge sounding band is about to bellow from your speakers. And this sure follows through with the next track, which happens to be the title track of the EP. The first thing you will notice is just how incredibly tight this band sounds. The intro tracks big sound definitely helps set you up for the metal onslaught that the track Bleed throws at you. The track encompasses pretty much everything you want to hear from a title track with no messing about. Vocally, you’ll experience crushing low screams and screeching highs from Jake, perfectly complimenting the clean vocals of Joshua, which portray a real sense of un-ease, tension and intensity that really works.

Musically, this band is not only tight, but able to produce very catchy riffs and beautiful melodies, especially prevalent in The Fear You See Through Blackened Eyes. To top all of the above off, Jacob will send shivers down your spine with breathe taking guitar solos.

The final track on the EP, Save Me From Myself, carries on the theme of high levels of technical proficiency. Not only does Alex maintain a steady and tight hold on the rhythm throughout the whole EP, but he also compliments the rest of the band perfectly, not just using the drums as a tool to keep the rest of the band in time, but also showing how the drums can also be used in a more musical sense to help portray the emotion of the rest of the band.

It’s almost hard to believe this is the first release from this band. If this EP is anything to go buy, then we here at B-Metal will be expecting high things from them when we catch them live supporting the mighty Attica Rage at the Hydrant on the 24^th of May – Most certainly one for your calendar!

You can buy the bands EP from here http://sintosurvive.bigcartel.com/

But it would be a lot better to pick up a physical copy from the band themselves at one of their live shows. That way you’ll get to see what will more than likely be a great live show as well as come away with an absolutely brilliant EP.

Sin to Survive will be doing a mini tour in July and a tour in October as well, so make sure you keep checking their Facebook page for more details.

https://www.facebook.com/sintosurvive

https://www.facebook.com/brightonmetal

Desolator at The Green Door Store, 30th April 2012.

If it’s pure, raw, unadulterated thrash you’re after, look no further than Desolator. With fast hitting, angry, thrash pounders pumping through the PA from this power trio, your ears and neck will be begging for mercy by the end of their set. With breakneck speeds coming from the skank beating Sam on drums and chuggy, punchy riffs being thrown at you from the screaming Jamie on guitar and vocals, you’ll find it difficult to not windmill your way through their whole set. Just to add insult to your injuries, throw Felix’s crisp bass lines into the mix and you’ll be experiencing pure alcoholic thrash at its finest. If you’ve had a stressful day at work and are about ready to explode, then you definitely need to check this band out live!

Be sure to check out their merch page at http://www.desolator.bigcartel.com/
But equally, if not more importantly, be sure to catch them live at any of these dates -

01/06/12 Sepuku, Old Blue Last, London

21/06/12 Sacred Reich @ The Underworld, Camden

27/06/12 W/ Death Head, Fat Fox, Portsmouth

28/06/12 Belushi's, Brighton

07/07/12 Talking Heads, Southampton

27/07/12 D.R.I @ Boston Arms, London

17/08/12 Gosport Punk Fest 2012https://www.facebook.com/Desolatorthrash
https://www.facebook.com/brightonmetal

Mask of Judas at The Green Door Store, 16th April 2012.

Hailing from Chichester, but stalwarts of the Brighton metal scene, Mask of Judas has come a long way since their earlier days. Having seen this band live several times over the past few years, nothing could have prepared me for how powerful this band’s sound and presence has become!

Before the band had even produced one heavy, drop tuned note, the crowd had already surrounded the stage, without any enticement from the band, and filled the room almost completely to the back.
With no introduction necessary, the powerful onslaught commenced, starting with Axis, a track soon to be featuring on the bands new music video which will be accompanying the upcoming EP release. Right from that first crushingly low scream, the crowd was under Mask of Judas’ command.

With confidence seeming to be an issue in past performances, this is certainly no longer the case. With an intensity and stage presence to rival that of Alissa White-Gluz of The Agonist, Jo’s incredible vocal talents had the crowd blown away. Couple that with Jo’s beautifully enchanting clean vocals and a stage persona to back it all up, you have the ingredients for the perfect front woman.

By track three, a song called Zirtek, a working title to be released on the new EP, there was not a single head in the crowd that wasn’t moving. Particularly during the brutalizing breakdown which was shortly followed by an incredibly emotive guitar solo, produced from the axe of the bands technical guitar wizard, Sam.

To end the gig, the band played C.R, another epic working title off of their upcoming EP. And as abruptly as the set had begun, it ended, with a huge and well deserved cheer from the entire crowd. Throughout the whole night, the undeniable force of Mask of Judas’ rhythm section did not go unnoticed. With George’s rhythmically perfect bass grooves being felt through your stomach and Jof’s killer beats kicking you in the chest with every hit, the crowd had no choice but to move with every solid beat.

Mask of Judas has always been a good band, but over the years, they’ve morphed into something far more incredible. Be sure to check out their Facebook page and keep an eye out for their new EP. If this show was anything to go by, the new EP should melt your mind with raw power, emotion and technical proficiency beyond your wildest imagination.

www.facebook.com/pages/Mask-of-Judas/81784658617

https://www.facebook.com/brightonmetal