Gig review: Band Quest Kent Metal Semi 2 @ Red Lion - 23/04/10
The Band Quest pressure is certainly on, now that the metal semi-finals have come to the Red Lion. It's been a while since the first band of the night has played to a full room, but tonight was a good night for Training Icarus (9/10), unleashing their exotic sounding set upon the crowd. The singer returned to the venue with more confidence, bantering with the crowd: ‘I think we're going to win'. But she still clung to her microphone stand, which kept back some of the onstage energy. Luckily other players more than made up for this: the guitarist unleashed some beefy riffs and searing solos, while the bass and drums brought some stomping rhythms that had the crowd clapping along and raising their horned fists up at the stage. Pre-recorded keyboards and backing vocals added a hidden layer to Training Icarus' performance.
Next on were local metal titans Cursed As Angels (7), smashing apart what would be a night of melodic metal with their own take on the metal genre. This band take a no nonsense approach to music, ripping out some deceptively simple riffs while the vocals tie everything together. The singer switched with ease between deep Devildriven roaring and soaring chorus singing, leaning out into the crowd and bantering plenty. Cursed As Angels really made the most of the stage tonight, the singer, bassist and lead guitarist all right at the front, playing down into the crowd. Though not the most sophisticated band on tonight, they were probably the most fun.
Closing the night were the operatic quintet Splintered Soul (9). The crunchy bass played it's own part in the melody and rhythm of each song, while the guitars duelled and overlapped with a refined clarity. The vocals also show some incredible skill, covering a broad register with some amazing high notes bringing each song up to a climax. Their closing song really summarises what this band is about: being original intricate and dynamic, each instrument contributing it's own piece of the puzzle and while the men watched their instruments the front-woman owned the stage, commanding the crowd and swinging her arms almost as though conducting the band. While Training Icarus clearly gave Splintered Soul a run for their money, the latter has shown us the reason why their gigs are always well attended.
Review by Adam Evans