Gig review: Band Quest Kent Metal Heat 10 @ Red Lion - 02/04/10
This week saw the return of the Tech-Metal Sextet Subversi0n (9/10), who's last venture to the venue showed their instruments blurred together into an inaudible sludge. Tonight their sound is much improved and while it isn't perfect the guitars have now found their space in the mix. Chaz and Spencer draw the crowd right up to the stage, before unleashing their relentless set upon them.The new material delves into an even more progressive sound, the brief punctuating stops allow the band to show off their incredibly tight playing. While initially the audience seem to have their faces blasted clean off, they soon find them, put them back on and get into the bands energy.
Second up tonight are the thrashy three-piece, Your Conspiracy (6). Their simple, yet catchy basslines are reminiscent of Steve Harris' style, while the lead guitar screams out some decent 80's thrash metal licks. The rough vocals are grunted out, but some harmonising brings out an interesting, almost Deicide-like sound. The drums thump out a fist-punching rhythm and, although the audience aren't too drawn in their music is quite catchy. The guitarist manages to strikes some poses, albeit quite awkwardly, but the bassist barely moves, his head hunched down over the microphone. Your Conspiracy need to work on their stage prescence, then they would surely make their gigs more memorable.
Shatterpoint (7) step up to close the evening with some crunchy blues metal. The singer languidly lumbers about, giving his groaning vocals a strong southern USA twang. The instruments all groove together, precise and catchy, solos chiming in at just the right time. However, this all just seems very familiar. It's as if these young men have all had a joint out-of-body experience and returned with the musical knowledge of Down. Make no mistake, their song-writing is very professional and Shatterpoint have certainly proved they can make infectious blues songs to match the best. Once they have carved their own niche in the genre, this band will be a force to be reckoned with.
Review by Adam Evans