Immortalus E.P. Launch, with Countless Skies, Satellites and Tacitus.

Lev 2 Esquires Bedford. Saturday 22nd August 2015.

Review One Tonight on the level 2 main stage Immortalus in partnership with Bedford Alternative Music (BAM) presented their eagerly anticipated E.P. Launch gig. It’s obviously a thrilling but challenging night for Jamie Fleming (vocals) Kriztian Foy (rhythm guitar) Charlie Ruddell (drums) Ross Davidson (guitar) and bassist Luke Michaelides, they have no doubt prepared long and hard for this show. I too have keenly looking forward to it. It’s been quite sometime since metal has been given premier status upstairs at Esquires. They do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder, either way it was good to see and hear some fine exponents of the heavy stuff. The very first thing I notice when entering the room is the truly tremendous array of merchandise on show and ready for purchase. To their huge credit, each band playing this evening has something to offer.

TACITUS are our opening band and have also travelled the furthest, all the way from north London. It’s an ‘away fixture’ for this four piece, so they immediately make friends by announcing “ The first act of the night, its good to see so many people here, this doesn’t happen often.” They begin in brutal fashion with End Of The World. Sensing they have the locals on board, frontman Markos asks for some crowd overhead hand claps. Through The Planchette tells of “Ouija board Escapades.” As the set develops, there are quite a number of metallic twists and turns, sometimes the sound is very European, at others it offers a classic slant, most sound is very European, at others it offers a classic slant, most typically on Thoughts Consume. Always is slower and melodic while Actus Rey is as the band tell us “Heavy as Fuck!” The Passing is apparently a Tacitus personnel favourite and is slightly SOAD flavoured. These cockney fellas certainly got in to the spirit of the evening and will also be remembered for their large ‘Decadently sized banner!’ together with the fact that Nathan their drummer thought everyone here attending “ looks lovely!” An impressive Esquires debut.

SATELLITES are in no mood for this audience to all stand at the back and just stroke their stubbly chins. Their command is direct and to the point. “Before we start everyone come to the front.” Once that is achieved, they then move on to the polite pleasantries of “How we Fucking doing?” (Well they are from Luton!) They belligerently enquire. This is a band who bring a dash of welcome hardcore to Bedford. Their musical pace rivals Lewis Hamilton for speed. This five piece are frustrated and downright angry, with much shouting, plenty of jumping up and down and some singing. I will choose to ignore the last bit.
Satellites really try and work the crowd but sadly tonight ‘the fish aint biting.’ They patrol the stage with more than a hint of intimidating aggression. A healthy bullish attitude offers further high marks. Face grinding guitars rule, bringing a fresh dynamic dimension to a set that overall metaphorically draws virgin blood with every sweeping thrust. The result is conclusively ferocious, feral and fired up. Poking fun at themselves. They admit that Luton has a lowly reputation before adding “It is lovely though, innit!”
Clarity is a new one, which they reveal has been “whored all over the internet.” With later songs describing the thrills of the “weekend” and “partying up,” Satellites make a heart felt request for people to purchase some of their merchandise, because all the money raised will be going to a friend of the band who has sadly got cancer.

With due respect to the other bands on display this evening, he bar is raised very high with the appearance of COUNTLESS SKIES . They are without doubt the class thoroughbred on show tonight. This gig comes just two weeks after they appeared at the prestigious Bloodstock Festival, this was their prize for winning the Bedfordshire heat of a Metal To The Masses. A fantastic competition, run so successfully at The Castle Tavern in Luton. It’s not surprising that the band thought the whole Catton Hall experience was “Fucking Amazing.” Offering up songs from their recently released E.P., their Intro is naturally both spellbinding and chilling, slow ambience is their accurate appraisal of it. All hell is let loose on Penance for these melodic death metal purveyors. Its drums based start sets the pulses racing, then there is an injection of sonic firepower. ‘Epic’ is of course a word that is never far away from describing a set from Countless Skies watching their performance, I will gauge it as cinematic death metal in ol skool wide screen, that’s how they look to me on the Esquires stage. They delight with a surgically precise sound, finely honed and precision drilled. The contrasting vocals adds further weight. Their first track of the aforementioned E.P. is entitled Etherial and it is breathtakingly performed tonight. It comes complete with some anthemic cries of “Hey Hey Hey.”
Solace is fist pumping and judders with forceful riffola. Reverence offers the sound and vision of an adrenalise aural landscape, musical pictures are deftly painted. That’s the beauty of Countless Skies, with an atmospheric finale of Outro this is truly a band for metal connoisseurs.

We are all here principally to support IMMORTALUS . These local lads are headlining on their special night. I have an enormous amount of time for this band. With the Bedford metal scene not in the best of health I.E., lack of crowd support and few bands. Immortalus are the oasis in this particular metal desert. They buck the trend and above all are enthusiastic enough to try and build a scene. They may or may not be the catalyst. There is no faux Iron Maiden T-shirt wearing posturing which is to be seen by many of their gig ignoring peers. They are to me spotted in Esquires bravely supporting the cause of a younger metalhead. Any success they might achieve will buck the trend of this town, it will be hard earned with the venue at a little over a third full. I feel that tonight, the best has been achieved. Immortalus bring to us the whole of the E.P. plus they split it with their song called Sin. Musically the set cannot be faulted. Jamie is maturing into an excellent front man but sometimes it perhaps lacks a little something, its not quite heavy enough, my musical bowels don’t quite quake enough, a minor criticism and one which considering the bands lack of gig playing experience will surely be sternly rectified. More live shows will give them the knowledge and nous. Picking one song from the E.P. I choose The Line, it’s “about achieving your dreams,” very apt for Immortalus I thought. This is classic metal done very well, it’s handled with confident aplomb. This song could remind some of when Metallica were a good band and is combined with elements of Judas Priest. One word that springs to mind while watching Immortalus is direction. It’s important to any fledgling band. The recording of the E.P. will help enormously and colossal confidence and tightness will have been gained. I for one hope these keen fellas can fly the metal flag for Bedford. Congratulations to them for putting on such a brilliant show to quote an old television quiz show of the eighties, it was super, smashing, great!

Review Two – Originally from the Facebook event page by Piotrek Hadała And added here with his kind permission

Ok so in few words... First of all its a pity I couldn't have stayed until the end yet I get what I was there for. 1. Tacitus- proper music, I doubt they can turn the tides but they sound good. They are something you want to hear when you're going to a gig. A band that actually plays music and leave their hearts on the stage. Just one thing guys, more eye contact with the audience. I found it quite disturbing when u were more interested in the drummer than the people in front of you. The rest is just as it has to be -- well made.

2. Satellites - I just wowed at the energy, my neck still hurts from headbanging. There was contact with the audience there was everything to make us focus on what’s on the stage. Did I mention headbanging? Loved the pacing of the songs, the vocals were just perfectly fitted within the songs' tempo. It just reminded me of first Frosttide album.

3. Countless Skies - When I first saw the name I was like "Wtf? Be'lakor?" After the show I'm more like "Yeah, Belakor has a younger bro, and the bro kicks the asses" Especially the second song, the intro somehow reminded me of 'Outlive the hand' yet it become more aggressive later on. I'm kind of surprised of what I heard... just not everyone takes Be'lakor as an example and attempts to be master the style. Yet CS not only attempted but also succeeded in that field. Now I can say this -- Countless Skiess are probably my best discovery since SCARLET SKIES. I dunno maybe its a kind of pattern to put skies in the name and sound epic.

Didn't have the luck to stay for Immortalus yet I can say this was 5quid well spent.

Immortalus Video Vid