'One For The Underground Presents:'.
SHELLSHOCK, with HELMINTHIAN,
ISOLATION, ELEMENTS OF REFUSAL and CARNAL.
Bedford Esquires Lev 2.
Saturday 12th August 2006.
Reviews by Anthony Skeane and Geoff
Evans. www.bedfordmetal.co.uk
Carnal start with singing so low it makes you think
the sound is down until it gradually builds up, sorry did I say singing? -
Sponsored dog strangling more like and still it seems melodic, he also plays
lead guitar like a battle horror with no remorse to tempt me to the toten
regiment grave - (see what I did there? - No?. There all Carnal songs!) The
drummer looks well concentrated while sounding as if he has the experience of
playing longer than the age he looks. Did I detect a few German lyric songs in
there also? Death metal - now thats quite rare in these parts.
Elements Of Refusal Performers or what? No slacking
on stage ants in ya pants band with loads of movement and jumping off stage in
to the crowd in unison between guitarist and bassist was a theatrical spectacle.
I saw them do this at their gig at the Ath. and was still surprised when they
did this again, followed by squirming around on their backs on the floor like
dying flies. I don't think they have the greatest material to play with which
somewhat lets them down, they need the epic the crowd cant wait to hear - the
memorable classic but instead they just have standard fare but performed with
brilliant execution.
Isolation I Cant remember if I have seen these in
my hometown Luton or not? May be a first, but to begin with I thought this band
were just pretentious, dressed in their boiler suits and demon eye lenses and
then after a while, like a bolt out of the blue I suddenly felt warmed to them.
The music just seemed thought provoking and intelligent while sounding heavy and
moshable at the same time. A song attributed to a much-missed friend made me
appreciate their respect, which was a nice touch. Like a biker gang - party
animals but cool dudes. Hey didn't these guys kip in their tour truck outside
the venue after? - That's rock n roll! I think the next band Helminthian, were
moved up the bill in order to keep the Bedford crowd to
stay.(www.isolated-records.com)
(Review by Anthony Skeane)
Helminthian followed to hit the rather crowded
stage holding the five piece and a mass of speakers and amps. Vocalist Tom
Whatley setting off the crowd with his notable presence, interacting with those
at the front, splitting them apart only to send the two sides crashing into each
other. This man is Mr. Charisma, himself, at times reminding me of Phil
Anselmo's performance with Down at Download this year. A Hatebreed cover was
followed by what was my favourite song of their set that night incorporating
merciless guitar riffs supported by intricate bass drum work and topped off with
an atmospheric guitar solo unleashed by Fionnbharr. These guys are sure to live
up to Matt's expectations (from HeKz who you will find down at most gigs
supporting the local scene) who was heard to say, "if these guys don't get
into the battle of the bands final, I'm going to be really pissed off!" In
that voice of his that we all so love.
Drum and bass metal was all I'd heard of the headline act, an unusual blend of
styles. Shell Shock's music fitted nicely to the
description and sounded just as good. There was the uncommon sight of an
electric drum kit, which seemed suitable considering the genre. The drumming was
frantic throughout the night with the insignificant exception of when waiting
for short pre-recorded drum and bass tracks to finish, preceding an onslaught of
metal. There seemed to be a few technical difficulties with the sound as it was
considerably quieter than the previous bands and despite demands from the band
to turn it up the volume stayed the same, though it was still plenty loud enough
to be heard at the front. The music provoked a variety of responses with a few
guys close to fighting at the bar across the front of the stage and a throng of
people dancing away just behind them. The end of the gig came suddenly and
rather abruptly with the band walking straight off the stage after the final
song leaving slight confusion and concluding the night with a somewhat
anti-climax.
(Review by Geoff Evans)
REVIEW THREE BY Christine Miller.
After last week?s mixed-bag of Punk-based rock and metal, Saturday 12th August sees a return to full on metal mayhem and (from the headliners Shellshock) a taster of the messed-up mix of metal-meets-drum n bass that?s beginning to turn heads on the current metal scene?
Followers are out in force for Death Metal trio CARNAL, consisting of The Dillenquents front man Rich Taylor, ex-Blackout drummer Geoffrey Evans and Esquires? own George. Songs with titles like ?Grave? and ?Battle Horror? are probably enough to suggest what you should expect from this gruesome trio? expectations that are confirmed as they unleash a rabid mix of razor sharp guitar and sludgy, slithering bass, over which the indistinguishable vocals are barely audible. Whilst the drums rattle around your head the gurgling bass notes pierce you to the core. It?s been a while since ?One For The Underground? was treated to this kind of metal and (in its own brutal way) it makes a pleasant change.
Next up are the Luton quartet ELEMENTS OF REFUSAL (who last graced the Esquires? stage in support of Devil Sold His Soul in April this year) returning with their characteristically schizophrenic sound as screaming electric guitars, brutal drumming and shrill, ear-bleeding noise are melded with soaring sung choruses and smashing cymbals; lovely melodies and picked guitars are interlaced with screams and deep drumming that rolls like thunder - one minute they?re screaming like banshees, the next they?re laying into a catchy chorus. The performance finishes with the guitarist and bass player climbing the speakers and leaping off simultaneously onto the floor in front of a surprised crowd, who watch open-mouthed as the two musicians go completely mental before returning to the stage to only collapse completely. Elements of Refusal?s growth as a band is evident since their last performance, yet the complex nature of their sound perhaps needs more attentive listening than a half-hour set at Esquires really allows, before you to truly be able to appreciate their complexity.
Travelling all the way from Cheltenham and having impressed with their performance in Danny?s Bar a promotion to Level Two is in order. And watching their show, it?s little surprise; ISOLATION really do know how to put on a performance. Coming on stage in matching orange boiler suits and looking like they had just escaped from a prison block, the band lay into their first number as the singer marches on stage in a straight jacket and hockey mask before breaking out to reveal his heavily tattooed arms and a shock of black and blue dreads. Citing Motley Crue as an influence, Isolation certainly make use of dirty rock ?n? roll hooks, whilst mixing them with pummelling drums, pinched harmonics, squealing guitars and screaming vocals that leave the crowd reeling.
With the audience still buzzing from Isolation, HELMINTHIAN take to the stage, highly anticipated, and attracting an impressive crowd. Helminthian play full-on metal and (in their own words) ?nothing more and nothing less?, which perfectly sums up their bone-crushing riffs and powerful guitar work led by ?Big Finny C? and Rich Taylor (making his second appearance of the evening). Meanwhile, lead singer Whatley head bangs violently, before they lose themselves in a moment of frenzied madness as Hatebreed cover sends them all spinning in various directions.
Earlier this year the Esquires audience was introduced to ?trance-core? by Hertfordshire quartet Enter Shikari, and it seems that that SHELLSHOCK are the next forward thinking band to mix radically different genres and challenge the stereotypical metal mould. Tonight Shellshock?s sound certainly messes with your mind as they fuse 90s metal influences with dark drum n bass beats. At times the vocals are harsh metal screams, sometimes fast-spoken rapped lyrics over catchy sung choruses, while ticking, hissing drums and dark twisted drum n bass tracks is neatly woven in alongside. The anti-chav anthem ?Kev? emphasises their love of brutal metal, yet as you find yourself head banging violently, the exhilarating drum n bass sends your heart racing. Already attracting attention from many sectors of the music press listening to Shellshock tonight you can?t help but feel that as time goes by their sound will only get better as they tweak and perfect this self-consciously boundary-breaking concept.