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NILE/Grave/Belphegor/Omnium Gatherum – WULFRUN HALL, WOLVERHAMPTON 22nd September, 2008 Another terrific multi-band bill – I wasn’t going to say no to 12 pounds for four death metal bands. Sadly, as usual, the early start caught me out and I missed the first part of Omnium Gatherum’s fine melodic death metal set. The Finns’ half-hour slot featured plenty of songs from their excellent new CD ‘The Redshift’. 8/10 Austria’s Belphegor joined us at 8:00, but I was very disappointed with their thirty five minutes of blackened death metal. I find that style tries to be all things to all men, and I don’t enjoy listening to growling about Lucifer I’m afraid! They finished with ‘Bondage Goat Zombie’ which was performed in a gimp mask, so I guess there is some ultra-dry humour at work. 4/10 When you mention Swedish Death Metal, two bands usually crop up – obviously At the Gates, and their pals from Visby, Grave. Ola Lindgren was superb on vocals as Grave took us through their catalogue, featuring plenty of songs from Dominion VIII (their 11th album!) and reaching right back to the classic Into the Grave. I particularly enjoyed ‘Turning Black’. 7/10 Grave’s 45 minutes finished at 9:35, and the crowd quietened to a subdued hush as we awaited the arrival of the finest death metal band that plays songs about ancient Egypt. Nile’s hour began at 9:55 with the crescendo of noise that heralds the new CD. As we all know it is essential to have a strong singer to perform death metal well – Nile have three, and Wade, Sanders and Lollis took turns to dazzle us with their unearthly growls. Nile - 9:55 – 11:00 What May Safely Be Written/Sacrifice Unto Sebek/The Blessed Dead/Papyrus Containing The Spell To Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In The Water/Cast Down the Heretic/Ithyphallic/Excreation Text/The Black Flame/The Essential Salts/Annihilation of the Wicked/Black Seeds of Vengeance/Unas Slayer of the Gods. Although Nile played a shorter set than on their recent US tour to adhere to an 11:00 close, we got an hour of brutal frenzy that probably revived several mummies in Wolverhampton Museum. I particularly tapped my feet to ‘Papyrus Containing The Spell To Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In The Water’, ‘Annihilation of the Wicked’ and a stunning ‘Black Seeds of Vengeance’ that left several casualties on the floor of the ballroom. 9/10 By Roy Evans |
Nine Inch Nails/Ladytron - Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, 30/08/07 Set Time ~ 9:05 – 10:50 Set List ~ HYPERPOWER!/The Beginning of the End/Heresy/Terrible Lie/ March of the Pigs/Closer/Survivalism/Burn/Gave Up/Me, I’m Not/The Great Destroyer/Eraser/Only/Wish/The Good Soldier/The Frail/Into the Void/You Know What You Are/The Day The World Went Away/Down In It/The Hand That Feeds/Head Like A Hole/Hurt Birmingham got a marathon set from Trent on Tuesday, to make up for the cancelled show in March. He treated us to 23 songs too, and we got to see the giant TV screen that he used at Reading (it wouldn’t fit through the Academy doors!) Plus he finished with ‘Hurt’, which was apparently omitted from the Birmingham set.
As usual the tatter town crowd was quixotic – t-shirts pledging allegiance to Slipknot, Slayer and the Ramones were in evidence, along with some band called ‘NIN’. Smokers were not allowed pass outs, which made the multitude of oiks clutching multiple plastic cups of lager even more irksome. Nobody ever went home and beat their wife and kids after smoking 20 Rothmans, but hey ho. The venue was hot as a greenhouse at 7:15, which made me feel sorry for the Spiral members crushed down the front. Ladytron came on at 7:55 and played a stirring 35 minute set – they are the best band named after a Roxy Music song that I have seen this year. Highlights of their Gary Numan/Kathy Kirby inspired set were ‘He Took Her To A Movie’ and ‘Seventeen’. The crowd liked them a lot. Fresh from what their website suggests was a rather traumatic two day stay in Birmingham, Nine Inch Nails bounded on at 9:05, and played a wonderful set. Making the most of their last theatre show for a while (Trent commented on how ‘happy’ he will be playing European festivals for the next month), the band treated us to an excellent selection of material from their extensive catalogue. The TV screen that so impressed me in the daylight at Reading on Sunday was absolutely stunning in the dark – I have rarely seen more imaginative use of light and dark to compliment a live show. Trent was also in a generous mood, hurling tambourines and even microphones into the crowd. It may have gone a bit far when guitarist Aaron North flung himself into the front row during ‘Down in It’, but he does tend to leap from the stage on any good night. Highlights included ‘Heresy’, ‘Closer’, all five songs played with the screen, and inevitably ‘Hurt’. 10/10 By Roy Evans |
| NUCLEAR ASSAULT - 'Bonded By Metal Tour', Sheffield Corporation Wednesday, October 8 2003 Time for something a tad different amongst the various other acts representing the eighties metal revival in the UK of late. New York thrash veterans Nuclear Assault are co-headlining this all-dayer with San Fran scene rivals Exodus and almost found themselves blown offstage by fellow US ol-timers Agent Steel, plus genre newcomers, Callendish circle, God Dethroned and Mortician. Tearing into an intense 50-minute set the audience make it crystal clear straight away who they're here to see, as one of the most violent moshpits I've ever observed gets under full swing in synchrony. John "I ate a few too many pies while I was away" Conelly enjoys the evening in equal measures and shares in the delight of belting out such old killers as 'Critical Mass', 'Betrayal', 'Fight To Be Free', 'New Song', 'New Song', 'Trail of Tears' and 'Game Over' once again, as well as his old customary crowd-surf-with-guitar routine, towards the end of the set. All but one of the original faces line the stage - messrs Lilker and Evans are in attendance, but a new man appears to fill Anthony Bramante's boots, however the crowd don't complain when they're just enjoying a generous serving of some of the most powerful metal on the planet. A glorious night of recalling my teen years - and musical habits of such time - I hope these lads are back on a full-scale basis. I would be very interested to see if they can still make albums like they used to after all this time. 10/10 By Dave Attrill Owing
to circumstances behind his control, Dave was forced to miss the Exodus
set. If you were there on that night, and were impressed by their perfomance,
perhaps you might like to send us your own write-up. Mail on www.metalliville.com,
with your name, address and if possible, a recent pic of yourself |
| NOVEMBRE - BRADFORD RIO, 5th December 2001 (see 'O' section - support to Opeth with Katatonia) |
