Those Damn Crows - Plymouth Review

Despite being at home following what feels like a whole week on the road, last night I was out gigging again. This October, particularly the back end of it, has been especially busy - and in just the last few days alone I have been to Manchester, London, Bristol, and Wolverhampton. I am certainly very tired after all of that travelling, and I am starting to wonder if I am getting a bit too old for all of this silliness - but no doubt it will not be too long before I am booking another such trip away. There is no place like home, though, and last night I left home for the 40 or so minute walk down to the city centre and to the Plymouth Pavilions - a large venue in the city which is criminally underused, at least by rock bands. Plenty of comedians turn up, as do those non-performative celebrities who have decided to undertake speaking tours, but live music is a relatively rarity. Acts like Daniel O'Donnell and the really big, professional tribute bands turn up sometimes - but if I go to the venue once a year then I am doing well. In fact, prior to last night, my last trip there was back in November last year - when I saw Squeeze put on a strong set to a packed house. Bands of Squeeze's ilk also turn up on occasion - but it has been a while since I last saw a genuine hard rock or metal act in the venue. I was probably Slayer back in 2015 - but since then I have caught a few rock artists there, with Robert Plant, Roger Taylor, and Gary Numan all impressing. It is a shame, as when the venue opened in the early 1990s it was regularly played by all of the big touring names. Acts just do not tour the UK like they used to - and Plymouth is just not an especially attractive proposition these days with no airport or motorway connections. It is not on the way to anywhere, either, so it suffers as a gigging destination. I make the effort when I can to support things that do happen, though, and I have been to many memorable shows locally over the years - particularly at The Junction on Mutley Plain which is likely the city's premier small venue these days following both the White Rabbit and The Hub being demolished. My reason for a rare visit to the Pavilions this time, though, was the Welsh hard rock/post-grunge act Those Damn Crows. I have been aware of the band for many years, and in fact saw them back in 2018 opening for The Quireboys - but I never kept up with them. I do not remember being especially taken with the band back then, and at the time I was generally pretty against the US post-grunge sound which was starting to dominate the UK hard rock scene. I have grown to like many of those bands now, though, including The Fallen State and Stone Broken, so when I saw that Those Damn Crows were going to be playing in Plymouth I thought it was time to give them a proper go. I have to say, though, I was not expecting them to play the Pavilions. Their other previous South West shows took place at the Phoenix in Exeter, which is significantly smaller, meaning that the Pavilions was a big step up. I know that the band did recently sell out the arena in Cardiff - but this was a special hometown show which was likely attended by a lot of family and friends, and Cardiff's arena is around half the size of the smallest examples of such elsewhere. In fact, at full capacity, the Pavilions is not much smaller - so I was really interested to see what the turnout would be like. By the time the action started, I was pleasantly surprised to see a decent crowd. The balcony was closed, and the tiered seating seemed closer to the stage than usual - but there was probably around a thousand people there, and the layout made the place feel reasonably full.

Before Those Damn Crows' set, though, the growing crowd was treated to two contrasting support acts. Both had half an hour to play with, and up first was James Bruner and his band - and Bruner's flashy, bluesy hard rock was generally pretty enjoyable. Despite guitarist Zach Mears looking a bit like Gregg Allman, Bruner's take on bluesy hard rock was not especially retro. His music felt fresh and modern despite it clearly being rooted in classic rock - and there was certainly a strong modern alternative rock influence there, too. He reminded me a little of The Struts' frontman Luke Spiller in vibe and stage presence, albeit with a bluesier voice, and he played some guitar, too - occasionally thrashing out some chords whilst Mears soloed. In many ways, then, Bruner's music felt like a good mix of old and new. Mears took plenty of quite extended solos during the set, which was a throwback, but the arrangements otherwise and the choruses in particular had something of a modern pop vibe and aesthetic - with the vocal melodies feeling more cutting in that pop-esque manner rather than sprawling in a blues rock context. It helped, too, that Bruner was made for the stage. He was immediately covering every inch of it, pulling all of the key rockstar poses, and bantering well with the crowd. A clear sound mix helped, which allowed his vocals to shine, but he was just a captivating performer regardless - and his backing band was tight, even if it was only Mears which stood out. All of the songs played were very much of a type, and there was little variety to be found, but this was not necessarily a bad thing - especially during a 30 minute set. More variety will be needed in the long run, but I get the impression that Bruner is at the beginning of his career - with a debut album due out soon. I certainly did not mind having to sit through his set, and I even enjoyed much of it, so it will be interesting to see how he progresses from here.

15 minutes later the lights went down again and Autumn Kings took to the stage. With a name like that I was expecting some kind of rootsy or country rock band - but instead what I got was a band that seemed as if it had been formed to deliberately annoy me. The alternative rock/metal band ticked so many boxes that I do not like - so it is safe to say that I found their time on stage a chore. Combine nu-metal riffing and aesthetic with a dual-frontman approach, one of whom pseudo raps and one of whom is very whiney, and I really found little to enjoy. I am not a rap lover but I can respect the greats of that genre - but that half-rapped, half-tough guy approach that so many nu-metal bands employed is one of my least favourite things. Combine this with whiney, emo-esque choruses and a band is never going to be for me. As such Autumn Kings just sounded so dated. There are smooth modern AOR bands that sound more current than Autumn Kings - who seemed stuck in the early 2000s despite being a fairly new act. Their sort of music has just not been popular for years at this point - and throwing in a Linkin Park cover towards the end of the set should likely really sum up the overall vibe they were going for. I also felt that they relied a huge amount on backing tracks. Lots of bands do nowadays, and Those Damn Crows made plenty of use of them later, but at times it felt like some lead vocals were even on the tracks - or at least whoever was singing was doubling what was on a track. I have to say there were a couple of bits which could have been mimed too, as something just felt a bit off, but that may not have been the case. Unfortunately it is harder to tell these days - but regardless there was certainly quite a bit of 'help' going on vocally at times. As such, I was pleased when the band's set came to an end - although they did garner a bit of a reaction so clearly some in attendance enjoyed them.

Following a 30 minute change over, the lights went down for a third time and Those Damn Crows took to the stage - kicking off with Dancing with the Enemy from their latest album God Shaped Hole. This album topped the charts when it was released earlier in the year - meaning that the band are pushing into the big time. It is no wonder that they targeted some larger venues on this tour - and on their first visit to Plymouth I imagine they would have been happy with the turnout. Whilst I have become familiar with the band's four albums in recent months, I would not call myself an expert or a die-hard fan. Despite this, I enjoyed the band's set and I can see why they have become so well liked. Shane Greenhall is a great frontman who used every inch of the stage to his advantage. He was very much the star of the show, though. The band's music is concise and vocal-focused, so the rest of the band rarely had a chance to shine. They all did their jobs, and David Winchurch (guitar/vocals) did occasionally solo, but really Greenhall was the focus all night - with the others feeling a bit anonymous at times. His voice powered above the band during the set, with anthems like Man on Fire and Find a Way garnering strong reactions from the crowd. Nearly all of the new album was played during the night, too, with many of those songs coming early on. Heavier, groovy tracks like Spit & Choke sat nicely alongside more poignant pieces like the atmospheric The Night Train - whilst later on Greenhall was left on stage alone to sing the album's closing ballad Still by himself. It was a good mid-set pallet cleanser - particularly following two older sing-a-long anthems in the Shinedown-esque Who Did It and the more emotive I Am. There was a moment during Glass Heart earlier in the set, though, when Greenhall seemed to forget the words and seemed lost for quite a while. This revealed that there was quite a lot vocally going on on the backing track - so as I have criticised Autumn Kings for such it is only fair that I also do so here. There were a lot of prominent vocals on the track, although largely harmonies and backing vocals, but given that three of the four instrumentalists sang backing vocals it seems strange that so many extra layers were needed. This was a bit of a shame to see, and I would rather the band did these harmonies as, to be honest, most of the time they looked to be singing I could not really hear them. In truth, I am probably a hypocrite - as I have only pointed this out due to a mistake making it obvious. I am sure that plenty of other bands I have praised have done similar things less obviously. This is not to single out the band, then, but rather to highlight this issue more widely - and it did not effect my enjoyment of the show outside of that moment. There was plenty to enjoy later on in the set, too, with Greenhall sat behind a piano for a powerful rendition of Blink of an Eye before perhaps the overall highlight of the set was the hard rocking and fast-paced Go Get It. This is the sort of song I really like from this band - which is likely why their second and third albums are so far my favourites. These rock the most in my opinion - or, otherwise, the melodies are just really strong as was the case during the soaring ballad This Time I'm Ready which was another overall highlight. The crowd sang the song loudly back at the band, as they did regularly throughout the set, but it was perhaps the final track See You Again which saw the most singing. The band dispensed with the encore tradition and just played straight through - and Greenhall conducted the crowd through some big sing-a-long sections as the set came to a powerful end. The setlist was:

Dancing with the Enemy

Man on Fire

No Surrender

Find a Way

Spit & Choke

Turn It Around

Glass Heart

Dreaming

The Night Train

Who Did It

I Am

Still

Blink of an Eye

Go Get It

Sin on Skin

This Time I'm Ready

See You Again

Despite my comments on backing tracks, which is a wider comment and not specific to Those Damn Crows, I am glad that I made the effort to head down the Pavilions last night to catch the band live. I can really see why they are catching on and they certainly deserve to be playing larger venues. I would like the band to push themselves a bit more going forward, though. They shine the most when they really rock in my opinion - so it would be fun to hear more of that side of the band in future. I will certainly be following the band going forward, though, and I will go and see them again if they ever come back to Plymouth.

Y&T - Wolverhampton Review

It was often a given that during late October and early November the US hard rockers Y&T would tour the UK. You could almost set you watch by their touring schedule, and probably guess the venues, too, but last year's tour, which I caught in London, was the band's first over here since 2019. Fittingly those tours celebrated the band's 45th and 50th anniversaries, so felt like special occasions, but the pandemic and Dave Meniketti's (vocals/guitar) battle with prostate cancer kept the band away from Europe for five years. The band still played sporadically in the US whilst Meniketti received treatment, but I doubt at the time he was up for big touring cycles - and travelling long distances is generally not advised when going through treatment for cancer. The UK fans missed their yearly outing to see the band, then, but understood why. Thankfully, though, Meniketti seems to have beat the cancer. He is currently in remission, so has been back to his old self for a while now - which means that the band's yearly pilgrimages to the UK can happen once again. As such, the 2024 show I went to in London last year felt like a special occasion. Having been starved of Y&T live action for five years, the O2 Academy in Islington was packed - uncomfortably so really. I did not realise just how full the venue was until I had to use the toilet about half way through and ended up being stuck at the very back for the rest of the night with a poor view. There were people with poorer views than me, though, stuck in the door to the foyer - which makes me think that too many tickets had been sold really. The band have opted for the larger Islington Assembly Hall this time, which is likely wise given how popular they remain as a live act, but my choice for 2025's tour was KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton. This continues my trend of seeing the band in a different city and venue each time - with Wolverhampton now joining Bristol, Nottingham, Cardiff, and London. It is not surprising that a band like Y&T would enjoy somewhere like KK's Steel Mill. They are a proper old-fashioned hard rock band and the venue is, despite being fairly new, a proper old-fashion rock venue. The band even commented on such during the show - and it is a favourite of many bands, gig-goers, and myself for its overall vibe, set-up, and facilities. I was last in the city in September, for nights with both FM and Ricky Warwick - so it was nice to return again so soon. The trip up from Bristol could have been an eventful one, given that there had been a fatality on the railway south of Bristol which was causing a lot of delays to trains coming from the South West. I ended up getting an earlier train which was starting at Bristol, as it looked like the one I was supposed to get would be cancelled - but it ended up not being cancelled, so luckily my ticket was not checked too closely. As such I ended up in Wolverhampton an hour before I was supposed to - which meant a leisurely Wetherspoons lunch and a nice relax in the hotel, avoiding the rain, before walking up to the venue ready for a night of rock.

Despite the show being advertised as an 'Evening with...'-type arrangement, which generally means no support act, the growing crowd was treated to 30 minutes of AOR from Powell-Payne before the main event. As far as I am aware, none of the other shows on the tour have had a support act - and there was no support act when I saw the band last year, either. Strangely enough, though, I remember last year's KK's Steel Mill show having Chez Kane as the support act - so perhaps KK's Steel Mill is one of those venues that insists on there being a support act. I recently learnt that this was a thing during Fish's final tour, as he had to have a support act at a handful of the shows. Regardless, though, Powell-Payne only had half an hour to play with - and given that the venue handily published the set times ahead of the doors opening I got there not long before the support act started. Formed recently by former Psycho Kiss drummer Mark Powell and former Airrace frontman Adam Payne - the duo released their debut album last year via Frontiers Records. Joined by guitarist Aydan Watkins and bassist Alex Anderson, the duo ran through a handful of melodic rock pieces from the album to start off the night. I am a big fan of AOR and all things melodic rock, but the Frontiers sound can get quite tiresome after a while. It seems that the label is somewhat slowing down when it comes to endless cookie-cutter AOR projects, which is no bad thing, but Powell-Payne shows that there is still love at the label for such. As such, whilst the band's music was competent and even enjoyable in places - it was everything that all long-term AOR fans that occasionally get suckered in by Frontiers Records have heard multiple times at this point. Slightly heavy guitar riffs, keyboards on a backing track, and decent choruses that never quite take hold essentially summed up the band's sound. Nothing felt like a failure but at the same time nothing felt like a winner. Watkins impressed with some melodic, shredded guitar solos, and Payne still possesses the strong voice I remember from the final Airrace album, but very little seemed to jump out. The most musically interesting part of the set was an excellent melodic bass intro to one of the songs, just because it was something different, but otherwise the set was very much Frontiers 101. That being said, the band did manage to garner something of a reaction. The crowd were slow to catch on, but by the end there seemed to be a few enjoying what they were doing - with the last couple of numbers getting some louder cheers and there was even a brief sing-a-long at one point. For me, though, the set never really felt like it came alive - and this is likely down to my fatigue when it comes to this kind of sound. I certainly did not hate the set, and it passed 30 minutes pleasantly enough, but I did not come away with a copy of the band's album - which probably sums up my overall view.

It was only half an hour following Powell-Payne's set that the lights went down again and Y&T took to the stage as the intro to Black Tiger played - before launching into the song proper. This was my fifth time seeing the band, and the first where everything that they played I had already seen them do live before. They are generally good at pulling a couple of deep cuts out of the vault on each tour - but this year the setlist very much felt like a greatest hits-type affair. This was certainly no bad thing, though, as it meant that the evening was essentially anthem after anthem. The large Wolverhampton crowd lapped it up, too, with plenty of singing going on around me - with the choruses to both Black Tiger and the sleazy Lipstick and Leather garnering strong reactions. The latter included lots of melodic bass playing from Aaron Leigh - and the two powerful tracks set the tone for much of the night. Despite the set largely containing more well-known tracks, there was still a good mix from throughout the years. Tracks like Don't Stop Runnin' and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark showcased the band's more melodic late-1980s sound nicely, with smooth guitar melodies and poppy choruses - whilst the weight of the classic era was nicely represented early on with tracks like Mean Streak and Hurricane. Turning to the band themselves, they were as powerful as ever. Each time I see Y&T live I wonder if this is going to be the time that Meniketti starts to show his age, but yet again the guy put musicians half his age to shame. His voice has not lost any of its melodic tone or power - and he remains one of the genre's best guitar players. His riffs and soloing were on-point throughout, with the delicate Winds of Change showcasing some of his soaring, bluesy talents early on, whilst the rest of the band played like a unit that have done many gigs together since Leigh came on board in 2016. John Nymann (guitar/vocals) and Mike Vanderhule (drums/vocals) have been Meniketti's foils for longer than that, though, and the current Y&T line-up is well road-tested by now. Despite Meniketti being the star, Rock & Roll's Gonna Save the World featured some excellent soloing from Nymann - whilst much later in the set Eyes of a Stranger ended with some powerful and busy drumming from Vanderhule. Everyone got to show off a bit, then, but a barnstorming rendition of signature ballad I Believe in You, with Meniketti's longest solo of the night, certainly reminded everyone who was boss. Before that, though, the band conjured up lengthy and loud sing-a-longs during Midnight in Tokyo and Contagious - whilst the poppy 1980s single Summertime Girls is one of those songs that even the most ardent of metalheads cannot help by get swept along by. Even with a few ballads in the set the atmosphere never really let up, and later on the bluesy stomp of Dirty Girl and the newer, ever-present I'm Coming Home included some intricate guitar melodies. The main set then came to a close with the riffy and shout-along Rescue Me - before the band left the stage to loud cheers. There was time for a couple more, though, and the cheers brought the band back for another anthemic piece in Lonely Side of Town, before their signature track Forever rounded out what had been another masterful two hours of hard rock. The setlist was:

Black Tiger

Lipstick and Leather

Don't Stop Runnin'

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Mean Streak

Don't Wanna Lose

Winds of Change

Rock & Roll's Gonna Save the World

Hurricane

Midnight in Tokyo

Summertime Girls

Contagious

I Believe in You

Eyes of a Stranger

Dirty Girl

I'm Coming Home

Rescue Me

-

Lonely Side of Town

Forever

Y&T never disappoint, and seeing the band for a fifth time was just as good as seeing them for the first time. Despite never perhaps getting the plaudits they deserved, they remain a popular live force - and each tour sees them coming back strong and delivering for their many UK fans. I am sure that the fans will keep coming back as long as the band does - and I imagine that I will be seeing them again for a sixth time around the same time next year.

Battle Beast - Bristol Review

Whilst I am now home again - the past few days have yet again been busy. This past week or so feels like my busiest of the year, alongside a similar period back in February which felt relentless, and there is still more to come over the next few weeks - although much of it is local. Gigs are very much back, then, following a fairly quiet summer - and I have been making the most of this despite some long journeys and plenty of hotels. I got back from London on Tuesday, did one and a half days of work - and I was back on the train, this time to Bristol, to catch the Finnish power metal band Battle Beast at the O2 Academy. It is fitting that I saw both Beast in Black and Battle Beast live a few days apart, given the acrimonious link between the two, but things can work out ironically sometimes - and I have enjoyed catching up with both bands again over the past month or so. Whilst I had seen Beast in Black quite a few times before, although always as a support act, before Thursday I had only seen Battle Beast live once before. This came back in 2019 in London, at a student union venue I had never been to before and have not returned to. I remember the show impressing - but since then Battle Beast have released two more albums and have grown further as a band. The latest of these albums, Steelbound, was only released last week. A review of it will follow on this blog at some point - but thankfully I had the chance to hear it a few times before the show. It is the band's seventh overall, and their fourth with the current line-up. Given that the band essentially ignore their first three albums now, given the split which led to Beast in Black's creation, they likely see it as their fourth. They still played a few 'older' tracks when I saw them in 2019, but those songs seem to have been permanently retired now - with the current six-piece understandably wanting to showcase their creations rather than someone else's. Battle Beast have managed to cultivate a decent fanbase here in the UK, too. When I saw them in 2019 they were on their first proper tour of the UK, with previous visits having been one-off London shows or festival appearances, and they are one of the few power metal bands that seem to have taken hold somewhat. They toured here in the UK last year, too, which sadly I could not make - and having two multi-date UK tours from a power metal band in consecutive years is quite rare. Hopefully this is a good sign for the genre as a whole, and given that I recently saw Sonata Arctica with a decent turnout in Manchester perhaps power metal is, finally, starting to become more popular over here. Battle Beast's tour last year also brought them to Bristol - but at the smaller Marble Factory. I quite liked The Marble Factory, even though it was absolutely freezing when I last went there back in February, but it sadly closed in July due to the lease on the building expiring. Given that whole area is being redeveloped, I imagine the venue was likely forced out to allow for such - but in truth Bristol is not short of good music venues, and there are others I preferred in any case. Battle Beast, this time, opted for the larger O2 Academy. It is probably too big for the band in truth, but they have outgrown places like The Fleece and Thekla - and a decent-sized crowd was gathered in the venue for a Thursday night. The balcony was not open, which is always a sign of low-ish ticket sales - but there was easily a few hundred in attendance, with the main floor and bar area feeling busy despite not being as packed as it often is.

There were enough people for a decent atmosphere, though, and there was a good vibe from the off - despite the action not starting for an hour after the doors opened which is a real pet peeve of mine. The reason for the early good vibe was the two quality support acts, who were both new to me, that entertained the growing crowd with ease. Up first, with half an hour to play with, were Majestica - a Swedish power metal band I was familiar with in name-only due to them being fronted by former Sabaton guitarist Tommy Johansson (vocals/guitar). Whilst the band has been around for a while, largely under another name, I get the impression that they were essentially reborn in 2019 as Majestica - so see themselves as a relatively new act. I was familiar with Johansson as a guitarist but not as a singer - so I was impressed with his vocal display. His voice was very melodic and controlled throughout, and he was not afraid to throw in a few high-pitched screams when required. Musically, Majestica are very much a power metal band, with a slight symphonic edge, but I felt that they were largely more guitar-driven than some - with both Johansson and fellow guitarist Petter Hjerpe riffing and soloing throughout. Johansson was the star, though, and he cut a figure similar to a young Yngwie Malmsteen due to his overall look, outfit, and playing style throughout the set. His plentiful guitar solos were full of finesse and melody - and he expressed himself more and shredded harder than he ever did whilst in Sabaton. I was not familiar with any of the band's songs, but everything played was easy on the ear. The opening track Power Train was one that stuck in the brain pretty quickly - whilst smoother numbers like Night Call Girl showcased something of an AOR influence. 1980s throwback sounds are big in power metal at the moment, as Battle Beast themselves showcased later on - but as a big AOR fan this is not necessarily a bad thing. Generally, though, Majestica's material felt a bit weightier thanks to the big guitar presence - and a busy solo was never too far away. There was certainly a lot to enjoy for power metal fans, then, and the epic Metal United later ensured that the band's short set ended on a high. It was great finally getting a chance to check out Majestica - and based on the band's Bristol set I need to give their albums a listen.

Following on from Majestica, and only around 15 minutes later, were the German four-piece Dominum - a band I was not familiar with at all. When the band members took to the stage and three of them were wearing zombie-like masks I was immediately concerned - but a couple of songs into their set I found myself enjoying the band's upbeat, atmospheric, hard rock-inspired power metal. Fronted by Felix Heldt, under the alias Dr. Dead, whom I was more familiar with as a songwriter and producer for bands like Visions of Atlantis and Freedom Call, Dominum call their music zombie metal - and they have been described as fusing the sounds of Ghost and Sabaton. Whilst that is not 100% accurate, I can understand why they would be described that way - there was certainly a fun element to the band's sound - and Heldt was immediately a captivating frontman. In fact, he really had the crowd doing his bidding from the off - and at times I would say that Dominum received a stronger reception than the evening's headline act. Given the number of Dominum shirts I saw being worn this perhaps should not have been a big surprise - and I am clearly pretty late to the party with this band, who are already two albums deep. In my defence, though, I am generally weary of bands with a strong gimmick or shtick. I tend to find such bands lose their appeal rather quickly. I have long gone off Steel Panther and Alestorm slowly embraced memes and cheap laughs - so time will tell whether or not something similar happens to Dominum. Currently, though, the band seem fresh enough for that not to matter - and there actually seemed to be some substance behind the band's songs despite the theming. Don't Get Bitten by the Wrong Ones, for example, seemed to be a zombie-themed snipe at those spreading hate and division online - whereas We All Taste the Same was a cry for unity. Such messaging and a clear aim to write meaningful songs rather than just playing up to a joke might help Dominum in the long run - but there was still plenty of fun to be had with the spooky opening Danger Danger and the epic Frankenstein. They even threw in a pretty fun cover of Scorpions' Rock You Like a Hurricane, too, and this allowed guitarist Jochen Windisch, aka Tommy Kemp, to show off. With 45 minutes to play with, too, the band were allowed to stretch out a bit. Heldt treated the show as if it was his own and the crowd rewarded him with plenty of energy and singing. Many of the songs whipped up sing-a-longs, with even those who were not already on board with the band joining in - which is always a good sign that a support act has done their job. The crowd were thoroughly warmed up by the time Dominum's set came to an end, then, and the German act are likely going to be another that I am going to have to properly check out.

Following half an hour or so, the lights went down again and Battle Beast took to the stage - and for the next 90 minutes the crowd were treated to plenty of excellent power metal anthems from the band's last four albums. Most of the new album was played throughout the night - but despite the plethora of new songs played it was actually a couple of older numbers which kicked things off. The bombastic and heavy Straight to the Heart and the mid-paced grooves of Master of Illusion were the two songs to get the show underway - and it was clear from the off that the night was going to be a good one. The band's live sound mix, as it had been for both support acts, was clear and well-balanced throughout - which allowed frontwoman Noora Louhimo to really power above the rest of the band. She has one of the most powerful voices in metal in my opinion, at least in terms of gritty, traditional clean singing - and the chorus of Straight to the Heart in particular really packed a punch. Whilst many of the biggest cheers were reserved for the more well-known tunes, the eight new songs played all were welcomed by the enthusiastic crowd. Clearly plenty in attendance had done their homework, which ensured that Last Goodbye and Here We Are both received a strong reception when they came early in the set. Whilst Louhimo was certainly the star of the show, and Battle Beast's music is very vocal-focused, other band members also shone. Joona Björkroth (guitar/vocals) had plenty of opportunities throughout the night to lay down some melodic, fast-paced guitar solos, occasionally with or in tandem with fellow guitarist Juuso Soinio - whilst bassist Eero Sipilä essentially acted as the evening's MC, doing many of the between-song introductions and generally bantering with the crowd. Louhimo did this too on occasion, but Sipilä was the main man in that regard - and it helped the band to have a few moments in the spotlight. Particular highlights in the set included the fast-paced Eye of the Storm and the somewhat Sabaton-esque Blood of Heroes - which is an early favourite of mine from the new album. There was a bit of a strange moment when Sipilä sang a truncated version of Elton John's Can You Feel the Love Tonight - but thankfully Louhimo was back soon enough for more epic metal, including more new bangers like Twilight Cabaret and the thrashy, old-fashioned Bastard Son of Odin. I mentioned earlier, too, about how AOR seems to be creeping into power metal quite a bit recently. Battle Beast have done songs like that in the past, but Angel of Midnight from the new album is their latest attempt at such - and the set late-comer was another strong addition, before the fast-paced Steelbound and the more melodic oldie Eden saw the main set come to a close. The latter featured quite a bit of singing from the crowd, as Louhimo carried out a sing-a-long before the song took off proper. Following a brief step off stage, Joona and his brother Janne Björkroth (keyboards/vocals) returned to play the instrumental piece The Long Road, which had previously acted as the intro tape at the beginning of the show, to kick off a three-song encore which also included the band's big anthem King for a Day and the epic Wings of Light. These two big tunes were a great way to round of 90 or so minutes of melodic power metal - and the few hundred that turned up likely went away happy. The setlist was:

The Long Road

Straight to the Heart

Master of Illusion

Last Goodbye

Here We Are

No More Hollywood Endings

Eye of the Storm

Blood of Heroes

Can You Feel the Love Tonight [Elton John cover]

Where Angels Fear to Fly

Watch the Sky Fall

Twilight Cabaret

Bastard Son of Odin

Angel of Midnight

Steelbound

Eden

-

The Long Road

King for a Day

Wings of Light

The past week or so has really been a power metal-fest. Sonata Arctica, Helloween, and now Battle Beast, plus numerous support bands, have all put on excellent sets to decent-sized crowds in three different UK cities. Y&T the next night in Wolverhampton brought me back to classic rock ground, though, which will be covered here shortly, but I have enjoyed getting to hear a lot of live power metal of late - and Battle Beast did not disappoint.

Helloween - London Review

Whilst I am now home, I am reflecting on what was an excellent few days away taking in a couple of excellent power metal shows. I have already discussed Finland's Sonata Arctica bringing their current album's touring cycle to a close in Manchester on Sunday, and it was good to return to somewhere that I do not get to very often, whilst on Monday I headed down to London to see the genre-defining Helloween on their latest tour. Whilst Helloween have always been a big deal on the touring circuit, since regrouping with classic-era frontman Michael Kiske and founding member Kai Hansen (vocals/guitar), the German seven-piece have become one of the biggest names in the genre again - and are teaching bands the world over how to do a reunion properly. I doubt many thought that adding two long-departed classic-era members to the band's long-standing then-current line-up would last beyond one big blow-out tour - but the leviathan that now is Helloween is still be going strong. The configuration's second album Giant & Monsters (which I reviewed here) will likely be considered one of the year's best releases by many, including me, come December - and it is the excuse for another lengthy European tour, with the band once again filling big venues. In the UK at least, Helloween have gone from playing venues like the O2 Forum in Kentish Town to the much larger O2 Academy in Brixton - but the sole UK stop on this tour was at the much more prestigious Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith. Helloween did play at the venue many years ago, but this was their first stop at perhaps the country's most famous rock venue since the 1980s. As well as promoting their excellent new album, though, this current tour also celebrates 40 years of Helloween. 1985 saw the release of both their self-titled EP and their debut album Walls of Jericho - meaning that 2025 sees Helloween looking back and celebrating that long history. With Kiske and Hansen still on board, too, this history feels like it is being celebrated properly. All of the band's living founding members are in the band at this point - and with both Kiske and long-time frontman Andi Deris in tow all of the band's eras can be properly represented. As such, fans rocked up to the Apollo expecting a career-spanning setlist - which is exactly what they got. Shows at the Apollo are always good experiences, too, as there is not a bad place in the room as far as views go - and the sound is generally good. It is legendary for a reason - and even with plenty of newer and more advanced rooms across the city there is still a prestige to playing the Apollo. Some things never really change, then, and there is always a sparkle to any show there. My trip there was largely smooth, despite a late train down from Manchester - but I had time for a bit of a rest in my hotel before heading over to the venue. Thankfully the rain had stopped by the time it was time to queue - and we were all soon inside despite the doors opening late. The door time had changed a few hours before the show, too, moving from 7pm to 6pm. Considering that the support act did not go on until nearly 7:15pm, though, I am not sure why we needed to be there so early - and this initial wait did get tedious.

Once the music got underway everyone forgot all about the long wait. In support throughout this whole European tour are Finland's Beast in Black - and the power metal five-piece took very little time to establish themselves as a vital part of this bill. It was actually my fifth time seeing them live, as I had previously seen them opening for Rhapsody, Gloryhammer, and Nightwish twice - but it had been three years since I had last seen them. Beast in Black are a pretty big band in their own right these days, so it was unsurprising that they were afforded nearly an hour to play with - and it was clear that many in the crowd were already fans. Whilst the crowd was clearly louder and more active during Helloween's set, there was certainly a strong atmosphere from the off. Beast in Black had little to do to get most onboard, then, with the epic Power of the Beast getting things underway. All three of the band's albums were represented in the set, whilst the two stand-alone singles which have dropped more recently were also included. The band's sound has somewhat shifted over the years, too, with the newer material being much more synth-driven and poppy - whilst the older songs feel heavier. Synths often filled the room, then, but there was still plenty of heaviness throughout the set thanks to the chunky guitar riffing and shredded soloing of both Anton Kabanen and Kasperi Heikkinen. Despite this, though, the synths seemed very high in the mix early on. Even the drums seemed somewhat drowned out by them during the first couple of songs - but things soon levelled out. The soloing was audible throughout, whilst the high-pitched, acrobatic vocals of frontman Yannis Papadopoulos never felt buried. He did feel a little more ragged than usual at times, perhaps suffering from a seasonal illness, but overall he still sounded strong - and Kabanen added some heavier vocals at times as he always does. The band have many good songs, so putting together a setlist must be tricky - but I think that the 12 songs played represented the Beast in Black sound nicely. Heavier moments such as the anthemic Hardcore and the old favourite Blood of a Lion sat nicely alongside AOR-tinged tracks like From Hell with Love and Sweet True Lies - with the latter in particular seeing plenty of singing from the crowd. Papadopoulos took a few opportunities to speak to the crowd, but generally he was stopped from doing so thanks to the crowd chanting the band's name - something quite rare for a support act. The band certainly did their bit in warming the crowd up, then, but this was no surprise with anthem following anthem. The band's self-titled track remains a perennial live favourite - whilst the poppy Die by the Blade always feels like it should have been on a 1980s video game soundtrack. The band's pop side was on full display throughout One Night in Tokyo, though, but the end was looming by this point. After announcing that their fourth album would drop next year and that they would be returning to London in October 2026, Papadopoulos brought things to a close with the fast-paced No Surrender - and given the cheers in the room that London show might sell out rather quickly. The setlist was:

Power of the Beast

Hardcore

From Hell with Love

Blood of a Lion

Cry Out for a Hero

Sweet True Lies

Enter the Behelit

Beast in Black

Die by the Blade

One Night in Tokyo

Blind and Frozen

No Surrender

A curtain soon came down to cover the stage - building the mood for the power metal masterclass which was to follow. Helloween's shows in recent years have been epic - but the last time I saw them in 2022 it felt somewhat more like a typical album touring cycle show as opposed to the previous huge reunion show. Given that this latest show was both an album touring cycle show as well as a 40th anniversary celebration, the band went all-out in terms of production. As such, the show felt closer to that epic reunion show in 2017 than the 2022 show - and the setlist was a real career-spanning affair. A few songs from the new album featured, but there were plenty of old favourites and deep cuts, too - some of which had not been played live for many years. Kicking off with the classic March of Time, it was clear that the band meant business. As the curtain dropped the band took to the stage as a showcase of their whole back catalogue was shown on the screen - and the fast-paced power metal anthem was a great way to start the show. Kiske and Deris shared the vocals, as they did so often throughout the show, and it was a treat hearing the track live as it was not one I had seen them do on stage before. From the off, too, the sound was excellent. All of the lead vocals, no matter who was singing, could be heard clearly throughout - whilst the balance between the three lead guitarists was generally well struck. The setlist had a nice flow to it, too, ensuring that a classic was never too far away - meaning that the casual fans would not be able to lose interest for too long during the deep cuts. One of those deeper cuts was thrown in early on, though, with the epic The King for 1000 Years getting a rare outing. The arrangement was somewhat paired down, but it was still a lengthy cut - with Deris taking the lead despite Kiske still having a strong vocal presence. It is always interesting hearing Kiske singing the Deris-era material - and The King for a 1000 Years was transformed into a true classic thanks to both of them singing. The two singers have great chemistry, too, as was evident during an interaction which followed - but it was soon time to introduce Hansen, who kicked off the bona fide classic Future World. He even sang part of the song, too, making it a vocal three-way - and the crowd was also led in a lengthy sing-a-long. The bouncy This Is Tokyo was the first of four new songs played - but as good as it was I think it was the next few songs which really saw the set take off. Not every song saw the two frontmen duetting. Deris' We Burn saw him taking the microphone alone, with the heavy track feeling powerful early on, before Kiske shone during the speedy Twilight of the Gods - a song which had not been performed live since the 1980s before this tour. There were quite a few treats in that vein throughout the night - but Ride the Sky which followed is a real classic which allowed Hansen some time in the spotlight. He sounded strong vocally during it - and the speed metal riffing allowed him, Michael Weikath (guitar/vocals), and Sascha Gerstner (guitar/vocals) to all shred.

There were so many highlights that it would be hard to name them all - but the next really defining moment was likely new number Universe (Gravity for Hearts). The lengthy epic is one of the best songs on the new album - and it came alive on stage, with Kiske shining vocally. His smooth, high-pitched voice soared - although there was a funny moment when Hansen seemed to forget that he also had a vocal part in the song, which Kiske had to remind him of. Songwriter Gerstner also shone with some impressive guitar soloing, before the chunky Hell Was Made in Heaven reintroduced Deris and led into a lengthy solo from Dani Löble (drums). The drum solo did go on a bit too long for my liking, but it did lead into an epic rendition of I Want Out - so the set was soon back on track. It was strange hearing the song in the middle of the set, but it worked well as a mid-set pick-me-up following some deeper and newer cuts. A brief acoustic interlude followed, with Kiske delivering the short Pink Bubbles Go Ape to the amusement of the crowd - before he backed Deris on the acoustic guitar for In the Middle of a Heartbeat. The guitar was then passed to Deris, who backed Kiske for A Tale That Wasn't Right - with the rest of the band joining in when Weikath launched into his flowing guitar solo. This acoustic section worked nicely and did not outstay its welcome - as it was soon back to full-tilt Helloween with the evergreen Power, which Deris owned and the crowd sang loudly. Heavy Metal (Is the Law), which followed, though, fared less well - as I thought that Hansen sounded quite rough vocally during it. He sounded strong during Ride the Sky, but Heavy Metal (Is the Law) felt quite scrappy. In truth, the song has always felt a bit thrown together in my opinion, so it was not one of the set's high points, but this did not matter too much as the epic Halloween followed. The song is a classic for a reason - and it ended the main set. It also featured one of the set's handful of spoken introductions from the Keeper character on the screen - which added a lot to the overall show. These interludes and the quality of the on-screen graphics reminded me of the 2017 reunion show - and overall the quality of the presentation was really high. As was the quality of the performance, too, and Halloween was no exception. It is a song which really works well as a duet - so both Kiske and Deris sounded great throughout. The lengthy arrangement and multiple solo spots allowed Hansen, Weikath, and Gerstner to all show off, too, and it rounded out an epic main set with ease. Following a minute or so of silence, Invitation could be heard through the venue's PA - which meant that Eagle Fly Free was the first of a three-song encore. Kiske sang the song alone, and he sounded great throughout. His voice seems to have barely aged, and he powered above the band - turning the clock back to the 1980s. A final new track in the upbeat a A Little Is a Little Too Much then reintroduced Deris, and the crowd was bouncing during it, before the whole evening was wrapped up with then anthemic Dr. Stein - which again saw plenty of singing and jumping from the crowd. A snippet of Keeper of the Seven Keys was thrown in at the very end, too, and the large Hammersmith crowd certainly went away happy. The setlist was:

March of Time

The King for 1000 Years

Future World

This Is Tokyo

We Burn

Twilight of the Gods

Ride the Sky

Into the Sun

Hey Lord!

Universe (Gravity for Hearts)

Hell Was Made in Heaven

Drum Solo

I Want Out

Pink Bubbles Go Ape

In the Middle of a Heartbeat

A Tale That Wasn't Right

Power

Heavy Metal (Is the Law)

Halloween

-

Invitation

Eagle Fly Free

A Little Is a Little Too Much

Dr. Stein/Keeper of the Seven Keys

This was my fourth Helloween show, and my third seeing the band in their current configuration. That 2017 reunion show will likely always be the best, just for how long it was and how much of a novelty it felt at the time - but this one ran it close. The new songs came across well live and the inclusion of a number of deep cuts made it a real treat for long-time fans. A large Hammersmith crowd certainly made their appreciation felt during the night, too, and the atmosphere in the room was excellent from the off. This Helloween train just keeps on rolling, and it seems the seven-piece version really is in for the long haul - which seems to be paying off. I should also note that, as I was finishing this review off, Beast in Black announced that Heikkinen has left the band, three shows into this lengthy tour - meaning that this show was his last with the band.

Sonata Arctica - Manchester Review

Given that prior to May this year I had not visited Manchester since 2019, it felt strange to be back in the city a mere five months on. Given the distance between home and Manchester, trips so far north are rare. Generally there is usually a closer or more logistically sensible option, especially given that I can get to London in around two-thirds of the time, but sometimes Manchester is the best option for a gig - and it is somewhere that I would like to visit more despite the distance, as I am just not that familiar with it. Bruce Springsteen did not leave me with much of a choice when his 2025 European tour included UK shows in only Manchester and Liverpool, even though it was great to experience the new Co-op Live, whereas my latest trip was more about tying into existing plans than anything else. As I will write about here in due course, after my night in Manchester I travelled down to London for a night with Helloween - but kicking off the power metal party the night before at the Academy 2 in the heart of the university campus was Finland's Sonata Arctica. Sonata Arctica were one of the first proper power metal bands that I got into back in the late 2000s, with 2009's The Days of Grays being the first album of theirs I picked up new, but in more recent years I had somewhat drifted away from the band. I am not sure that there is a specific reason for this, as I have generally liked their more recent albums on the whole and they never disappointed live, but I think that, in general, I moved away from power metal somewhat - meaning that Sonata Arctica naturally received less attention. Prior to this past weekend I had seen the band live three times - but the most recent occasion came back in 2016 at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, which was nine years ago now. The first of the three was still the best, which was back in 2011 at the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton, but that was likely when my Sonata Arctica fandom was at its peak - meaning that I was seeing a real favourite at the time. The band have returned to the UK since 2016, but perhaps not as regularly as they once did - with gigs largely limited to London. I remember looking at all of them but they did not make logistical sense at the time - so I was looking forward to seeing them live again after quite a few years and to check out a new venue in Manchester. I had been to the building before, as I saw Queensrÿche at the Club Academy back in 2019 (my last visit to the city prior to this year), but the Academy 2 is a bigger space - similar to the Wulfrun Hall which, as mentioned, was the site of my first Sonata Arctica live experience. Another draw to the show was the American symphonic metal act Seven Spires - who supported Sonata Arctica on all three of their recent UK shows. I have only started listening to Seven Spires recently, so am still not overly familiar with them, but I really like what I have heard so I was also looking forward to seeing how they came across live. Due to difficulties in getting from the South West to Manchester at a reasonable time on a Sunday, I broke the journey in two by stopping overnight in Birmingham. Industrial action on the railways meant that my trip from Plymouth to Birmingham was on a coach, but in fairness the trip went smoothly - and it was back on the train on Sunday for the second leg to Manchester.

Before Sonata Arctica and Seven Spires, though, there was another support act - with the UK's own Dendera getting 30 or so minutes to warm up the crowd prior to the touring party taking over. Dendera are a five-piece that I have come across a few times over the years - and I would consider myself something of a casual fan. I enjoyed last year's Mask of Lies (which I reviewed here) - and it had been a while since I last saw them so I was looking forward to their set. They only had time for five songs, but the band made their time count - showcasing their newer, heavier material, with three songs from the latest album and a couple of slightly older tunes. Despite starting out as more of a traditional heavy metal band, Dendera now exhibit something of a metalcore-adjacent sound. Frontman Ashley Edison is still the star of the show, with his impressive vocal range and power - but Steve Main (vocals/guitar) is now quite a big presence vocally, too, with his harsh vocals adding a lot to the band's sound. Despite Seven Spires' heavier side, Dendera were the heaviest band on the bill overall - but this did not seem to put the power metal-loving crowd off from having a good time. Dendera seemed pretty well-received from the off, then, with two big anthems in Mask of Lies and Scream in Silence kicking things off. A few around me seemed to know Dendera's songs, but even those who did not generally seemed to be having a good time. When the band started their set, the room was only around a third full - but by the time they finished it was around two-thirds full - which was how it largely remained for the rest of the evening. A decent turn-out for a power metal show outside of London on a Sunday night - and there was a great atmosphere in the room throughout all three sets. Despite being heavier, though, Dendera still had plenty of melody up their sleeves. Perhaps this was less obvious during the more overtly heavy Inside My Head, which was likely the heaviest tune of the night, with even Edison sounding grittier than usual during it. The heavier tune allowed Main and fellow guitarist David Stanton to riff and solo away, though, and it was a good set centrepiece. The two slightly older songs were left to last, then, with the big anthem The End of Days seeing a fair bit of singing from the Dendera fans around me. It felt a little more expansive than the more concise newer tracks, but the heaviness was still there - before Reborn rounded out a short, but sweet, set nicely. Dendera are one of those bands that do what they do well - and it was nice to catch up with them again and hear some of the newer songs live. The setlist was:

Face to Face

Mask of Lies

Scream in Silence

Inside My Head

The End of Days

Reborn

It was only around 15 minutes later that the lights went down and the American symphonic metal four-piece Seven Spires took to the stage. Calling them a symphonic metal act seems to do them a bit of a disservice really given their diversity - and it was not long before the band's dramatic and chameleon-like music was on full show. They had around 45 minutes and managed to represent all four of their albums - and it was the epic Songs Upon Wine-Stained Tongues which kicked things off. Moving back and forth between symphonic black metal and more traditional power metal, thanks to the huge vocal diversity of frontwoman Adrienne Cowan, Seven Spires do not really sound like anyone else. From genuine blast beats one moment, to legato tapping runs from Peter de Reyna (bass guitar/vocals) the next, to shredded guitar solos from Jack Kosto (guitar) to round everything out - the band are not always easy on the ear but I really like their sense of adventure. I have enjoyed the albums of theirs that I have heard to date, but I would not call myself a fully-fledged fan as yet. There is still a lot for me to discover - but it was great seeing the band pull off this complex music live. Cowan is a great frontwoman, too, and quite different from most symphonic metal leading ladies - which is meant as a compliment. She just has a great vibe about her - and her black metal-esque shrieks filled the room with venom, whilst her clean chorus vocals were full of smouldering power. Not every song by the band is quite as bombastic, though. Songs like Ghost of Yesterday and the more overtly-melodic Succumb, the latter of which came later, felt a bit more easy on the ear - but vaudevillian craziness allowed The Cabaret of Dreams to really stand out, whilst it was perhaps Love's Souvenir which showcased the band at their most diverse. It opened in an almost lounge-jazz style, with Cowan singing against a backdrop of percussive drums and busy bass playing - before it later evolved into a full-on black metal workout with some extremely intense drumming from newest recruit Dylan Gowan and some proper progressive metal soloing. The song never stayed still, and perhaps can overreach a little at times at the expense of strong melody, but it was nevertheless impressive to hear live. By this point there was not much time left - and the powerful Gods of Debauchery rounded things out, with Cowan once again showcasing her venomous side throughout. I feel like Seven Spires are a band that one day I will really love - but at the the moment I am still learning, and seeing them live for the first time was a treat. The setlist was:

A Fortress Called Home

Songs Upon Wine-Stained Tongues

Ghost of Yesterday

The Cabaret of Dreams

Choices

Succumb

Love's Souvenir 

Wanderer's Prayer

Gods of Debauchery 

Following a half an hour or so break to clear the stage, the lights went down and Sonata Arctica stepped out for the last time as part of their Clear Cold Beyond (which I reviewed here) world tour. Clearly wanting to leave the best until last, three UK shows brought over a year's worth touring to a close - and the band were in good spirits as a result. Given Clear Cold Beyond being something of a return to their early sound, the set was largely focused around classic power metal anthems - with much of their recent catalogue ignored. This meant that the set included a number of songs I had not seen the band do live before - or for quite a few years. Hitting the stage to a symphonic intro, the band immediately hit the crowd with two of the new songs - with the fast-paced First in Line and the somewhat more atmospheric Dark Empath showcasing two sides of the band from the off. The sound mix was pretty clear right away, too, with frontman Tony Kakko very audible above the rest of the band - whilst the keyboards were able to cut through, ensuring that Henrik Klingenberg's (keyboards/vocals) melodies always gave the set an appropriate amount of flash. Kakko has always been a great frontman - but he seemed in an especially jovial mood on Sunday. He took plenty of opportunities to joke with the crowd in between songs - and it was clear that the current touring cycle had been a success. The band were clearly looking forward to a bit of a break, too, before tackling their 30th anniversary celebrations next year alongside working on a new album. The set largely reflected the band's upbeat mood, too, with Flag in the Ground and Angel Defiled both coming early on in the set to present more faster-paced tracks to the crowd - who lapped up every shredded solo from Elias Viljanen (guitar/vocals) and double bass drum pattern from Tommy Portimo. There were slower moments, too, such as the emotive ballad Tallulah which the crowd helped Kakko sing - whilst the mid-paced majesty of The Last Amazing Grays took me back to seeing the band live for the first time in 2011. Much of the back-end of the set was very much power metal 101, though. Kakko said that San Sebastian (Revisited) was likely the first true power metal song he ever wrote - whilst the storming My Land was a treat for long-time fans towards the end. The two big favourites from 1999's Ecliptica were, unsurprisingly, the set's big sing-a-long moments, though, with the slightly more delicate Replica seeing plenty of singing - before a rousing FullMoon rounded out the main set, with plenty of jumping and singing during the bouncy chorus. There was time for a couple more, though, and a two-song encore followed. More upbeat power metal was served up in the form of the rarely played these days Wolf & Raven - whilst the ever-present Don't Say a Word acted as a great closing statement as it always does, with Viljanen and Klingenberg trading solos. The usual, rather silly, Vodka outro was also included - and the gig, and therefore tour, ended on a high. The setlist was:

First in Line

Dark Empath

Flag in the Ground

I Have a Right

Angel Defiled

Tallulah

The Last Amazing Grays

San Sebastian (Revisited)

Broken

Replica

My Land

FullMoon

-

Wolf & Raven

Don't Say a Word/Vodka

Following a nine year gap it was great to catch up with Sonata Arctica live again last weekend. It was good to also see a pretty healthy turnout to a power metal show outside of London - and the atmosphere was good in the room throughout. A strong bill helped, and I am sure that everyone who turned up went home happy. The band will not have much of a break despite their current touring cycle now being over - as they will be celebrating their 30th anniversary next year. They are also undertaking a lengthy European tour with Beast in Black later in the year - which I shall be attending in London.

Revocation's 'New Gods, New Masters' - Album Review

As I hinted at here recently, it has been quite a while since I last reviewed some proper extreme metal. After I made more of an effort to do so last year, shaking up the blog's content as a result, this year I have not really sought out extreme metal in the same way. Whilst I have reviewed plenty of heavy albums so far this year, with metalcore, melodic death metal, and doom albums all covered, much of it has been too melodic to truly be considered extreme metal - and there is nothing the purists hate more than things being called extreme metal which are not. I would not wish to upset that crowd, as I can already hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth from here. As such, it was likely October last year when I last reviewed some genuine extreme metal - with The Black Dahlia Murder's Servitude (which can be read here) the subject. Even that band are nominally a melodic death metal band, but they seem to be largely embraced by the extreme metal crowd in a way that bands like The Halo Effect and Arch Enemy, who I have both covered more recently, are not. I do not think that anyone could disagree with the assertion that the Boston-based four-piece Revocation are extreme metal, though - and their ninth studio album New Gods, New Masters, which was released last month, is the subject of today's review. Despite being able to essentially trace their history back to 2000, although they were originally known as Cryptic Warning, Revocation are pretty new to me. In fact, the only reason I started to take notice of them is that I will be seeing them live next year - as they are going to be acting as special guests to Sylosis on their upcoming European tour. I am sure that Sylosis being a touring partner for Revocation will upset the same crowd, as the Reading-based band are likely too associated with metalcore for their liking, despite them being heavily influenced by thrash, progressive, and death metal, too. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the pairing - as I have been enjoying what I have heard from Revocation so far. I am certainly no expert, but I have checked out both 2018's The Outer Ones and 2022's Netherheaven - the two albums which preceded New Gods, New Masters. Despite generally being seen as a death metal band, and sitting at the more technical end of that spectrum, they also feel heavily influenced by thrash - and, perhaps ironically, there are some similarities that can be drawn with Sylosis' sound - despite Revocation certainly coming from a different school of thought. As such, there is a lot going on in Revocation's music. Their songs are not crushing, three minute long, blast beat-led slabs of traditional death metal - but instead they tend to be on the longer side, feature a huge amount of intricate guitar riffs and leads, alongside the throatier and thrash-adjacent vocal delivery of founder and frontman David Davidson. Davidson is the only original member left in Revocation - but he has essentially driven the band since the off. He has written much of the band's material himself - and has always acted as the lead singer and lead guitarist. Others have chipped in songwriting-wise over the years, but Revocation is Davidson's band - and he is the star of the show throughout New Gods, New Masters. Long-time drummer Ash Pearson, who has been in the band since 2015, joins Davidson again on this latest album - but the rest of the current line-up are making their debuts in the studio here. Both guitarist Harry Lannon (Cognitive) and bassist Alex Weber (Wait; Svengahli; Obscura; Evilyn; Empyrean Sanctum) came formally on board this year - although Lannon has been playing live with the band for a couple of years at this point.

The line-up changes do not really shake things up here compared to the band's last couple of albums - although a few guest vocalists do add some variety throughout. New Gods, New Masters is very much a technical death metal album with a side of thrash - but there are plenty of memorable riffs and leads here which help it to stick. Kicking off with the title track, the album pulls no punches from the off. Slow-moving, stabbing guitar riffs open the song up, with the bass high in the mix, under which percussive drumming, followed by fast double bass patterns, is thrown. There is a heaviness to this opening, but the slow-moving riffing has a epic, thrash feel - with the death metal kicking in proper once the band speed up and Davidson starts to sing. He has a great harsh vocal delivery, but he is certainly more of a screamer than a growler - which helps to enhance the band's thrash edge as well as allow for a more melodic feel alongside the guitar playing. The riffing early on, once the song really kicks in, is fast and knotty - as if Davidson and Lannon want to showcase their abilities early on. The vocals still sit nicely above this busy riffing, though, and technical drum breaks allow for some great accents. Intricate guitar leads are thrown in occasionally, with tight harmonies accenting the riffs, whilst Davidson's screams and the occasional grittier bark are full of power. The band showcase their more progressive side during a later instrumental section, though, which slows the pace down. Clean guitar melodies and discordant chords fill this section - before a lyrical guitar solo takes over, mixing traditional metal shredding and some jazzy passages. The contrast between this solo section and the driving death metal heard elsewhere is what helps this band to appeal to me - whilst some groovy riffing towards the end of the song feels more primal. Sarcophagi of the Soul opens with high-pitched and busy riff, which features some tight harmony leads - before an off-kilter verse section takes over, led by a riff which switches up the time signature somewhat. The riffing takes a while to sink in, but now I have heard the song a few times I like how jarring it sounds - and the drumming always allows for the gaps in the riff to hang nicely. The vocals still feel right when they sing across this strange cacophony - but as if it to ensure that the song still sticks with most, the band soon transition to something a bit more typical. Some of the sections here feel pretty a straight forward mix of thrash and death metal - with fast double bass drumming, chugging riffing, and a slightly more anthemic vocal delivery. The mix of the knotty sections and these more straight forward sections work nicely - whilst the guitar solo this time is more straight ahead heavy metal. The opening riff returns throughout the song, adding some more off-kilter vibes. Confines of Infinity features the first of three guest vocalists utilised throughout the album - with Travis Ryan (5/5/2000; Cattle Decapitation; Murder Construct) adding his throaty and out-of-control vocals to the song. Three guest vocalists may be a bit excessive, but guest vocalists are quite common in extreme metal - and Ryan's grindier vocals do add quite a bit to the track. Confines of Infinity is a slower and heavier track in part - with it opening with a sludgy riff that allows for some slightly deeper vocals and more of a bass presence. There is less of the band's usual flamboyance here, although the song does speed up as it progresses - launching into thrashy sections on occasion with hard-driving riffing and intense tempos. Ryan comes into his own towards the end of the song, with some unhinged vocals adding to a gnarly bridge section - that then concludes with a surprisingly laid back guitar solo over a heavy riff.

Dystopian Vermin also takes something of a step away from the album's core sound - with a great thrashy riff opening things up and Weber's bass filling in all of the gaps with some busy playing. Given the slower pace of much of the previous song, this track feels much pacier overall - but there is also something quite anthemic about it. Despite the thrashy opening riff, the rest of the song feels a touch above mid-pace - and there are shades of the most straight ahead end of Lamb of God as well as the more metallic hardcore bands here. Despite a few knotty riff and lead moments, this track feels more conventional overall. There is a lot more chugging to the riffing, which gives the vocals quite a lot of space to breathe, whilst the overall arrangement feels simpler. The song is easy to get on board with, then, and it has become a bit of a favourite thanks to this hard-driving feel and similarity to other bands that I like. The main guitar solo is still impressive, though, and it is goes on for quite a while to allow some technical motifs to sneak into the song - whilst a later closing section does up the heaviness to go for a more pummelling, Fear Factory-esque groove which works well. Despiritualized instantly feels like the album getting back to its core sound a bit more, with a slightly meandering riff opening things up, with some strong bass countermelodies, before the heaviness drops away to allow an Opeth-esque discordant clean guitar pattern to take over. This opening showcases the band's more technical side, then, but once this clean guitar section comes to a close the song gets going proper - with the band launching into an intense verse section with off-kilter drumming and inharmonious guitar melodies, giving a twist to the usual death metal approach. A chorus section later feels a bit more anthemic, with a groovy riff and more strident drumming allowing Davidson's vocals to shine - but even the accents during this chorus are busy, with bursts of double bass drumming and more discordant melodies sitting between each more anthemic moment. This is quite a common theme on the album - and as the song progresses the band double down, with some tight blast beat-led sections that include hypnotic guitar melodies and intense vocals. There is really no let up as the song moves along, then, with Davidson and Lannon constantly switching things up - with some dual lead guitar moments later on being another memorable moment. Throw in a floaty, legato guitar solo, too, and the track is extremely varied throughout. The band often like to include an instrumental on their albums, and The All Seeing is their latest effort. Guitarist Gilad Hekselman, who is known in the jazz world but has not really turned his hand to metal all that much, is featured here - and he solos during the song's outro. It is clear that Davidson has plenty of jazz in his locker, though, so Hekselman does not sound out of place here - as the track is largely a jazz metal guitar workout. Stabbing riffs and fast drumming fill the solo-less sections, but much of the song is given over to soloing - with a good mix of slower, jazzy moments and shredded sections. Discordant melodies and riffs are featured regularly here, often to break the different sections up, whilst the soloing is generally melodic. Hekselman's closing solo is the jazziest here, unsurprisingly, but the off-kilter melodies fit nicely alongside the stabbing riffing that sits beneath it.

Data Corpse gets back to a more flat out death metal sound following the jazzy excursions of the previous track - with a crushing riff opening things up. Given that the song is one of the shortest here, it is unsurprising that it feels a bit more straight forward. This is relative, of course, as there is still some busy lead guitar work here - but the vocal-led sections feature riffing which feels less busy overall, which allows the vocals to shine. This is another song which goes for a bit of a groovy approach at times, too, with a pretty big chorus which mixes Pantera-esque riffing with some excellent death metal vocals. It is one of the album's hookiest moments, and it is sure to go down well live, whilst shredded guitar leads and solos elsewhere ensure that more of a technical vibe is still felt. Revocation clearly do not always feel the need to make a song complex - and they know the value of a strong melody or groove. Cronenberged is somewhat similar, given that it is also on the shorter side, but it features Jonny Davy (Job for a Cowboy; Fleshwrought; Serpent of Gnosis) for some vocal variety. Like the last song, though, much of the riffing is quite straight forward. It is a pacy track with a strong thrash influence during the verses - even if some pre-chorus and breakdown sections feel much more akin to typical death metal. The soloing here feels much knottier, though. There are jazzier vibes again on show during the fairly lengthy guitar solo - whilst grindier death metal is on show towards the end when Davy takes over vocally with his gargling vocal style. Thrashy riffs and grind sit nicely side-by-side here - and the track is another strong one thanks to this approach. The album then comes to a close with the lengthy Buried Epoch - the longest song here at over seven minutes. It also features the final guest vocalist in Luc Lemay (Gorguts; Negativa; Pallid Veil). The song overall slows the pace down somewhat early on. It is not as slow and doomy as Confines of Infinity, but there are certainly shades of that approach during parts of the song - whilst other sections speed up to a more typical death metal pace, with busy double bass drumming and snappy riffing. Lemay is utilised during a slightly more cinematic mid-section - with his throatier voice used to aid a somewhat more atmospheric sound. This approach works well, especially as it is not overused, and he does something different to what Davidson is dong elsewhere with his barks. Given the song's length, too, the song does chop and change somewhat as it moves along. Clean guitar-led sections are thrown in occasionally to break up the heavy riffing - whilst the aforementioned cinematic section shakes up the album's core formula. Lengthy guitar solos are also thrown in as would be expected - with large portions of the track once again a big showcase for the band's ability to conjure up progressive and jazzy melodies nicely. As it is the album's longest song, there is a lot going on here - but overall everything hangs together well, and the song feels like one which pulls a lot of the album's core approaches together nicely into a cohesive whole to end on. Overall, then, New Gods, New Masters is an impressive album from Revocation. It is first by the band that I have truly digested - but I have been enjoying it since it dropped a few weeks ago. I will certainly spend more time with the other albums by the band that I have - and I am looking forward to seeing them pull some of these songs off live next year. There is quite a back catalogue to catch up on, too, so Revocation will be popping up on my iPod from time to time I am sure.

The album was released on 26th September 2025 via Metal Blade Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Dystopian Vermin.

King King - Exeter Review

When it comes to modern British blues rock, there are few better acts on the circuit currently than Scotland's King King. Whilst there is a strong blues bent to the current UK rock scene, King King come from a firmer blues background - with a soaring, classy sound which has been long-honed by its members, both in King King and in various other blues acts before the band was founded. Their blues-based sound feels much more authentic than many of the meat and potatoes, leaden bluesy hard rockers which make up a significant portion of the current UK rock scene - with songwriting and virtuosity both pillars of the band's sound. I first came across the band back in 2016 when I saw them opening for Thunder in London. I was not really struck by them at the time - but seeing them again twice in 2018, once at Steelhouse Festival and once opening for Europe, turned my head further. By the time the band's last album Maverick (which I reviewed here) was released in 2020, then, I was a big fan - and I saw the band once each in 2021, 2022, and 2023 as a result. I did not get to see them again last year, but when another big UK tour was announced for 2025 tickets were soon acquired for the Exeter date. The 2021 and 2023 shows were also in Exeter, at the Phoenix, so it is a venue that the band are well versed in by this point - and each time they rock up in Devon their fans turn out in force. King King's Exeter shows are always well-attended, then, and this is likely why the band keep coming back. By the time the tour rolled around, though, there was perhaps a slight cloud hanging over it - as it was meant to be a run of dates to promote the band's sixth studio album Light Up the Sky. The album was supposed to drop in September, but it has been delayed until some point next year. As Alan Nimmo (vocals/guitar) candidly said on stage during the night, the album is just not ready yet. He gave the impression that some of the songwriting had not even been finished - so it may be a while yet before Light Up the Sky sees the light of day. This is a shame, both for the fans and for the band, as it meant that this lengthy tour, which includes some decent-sized venues, cannot capitalise on the buzz of a new release. I suppose that just means that the band will need to do it all again when the new album is indeed ready - and another night in Exeter with this excellent band is certainly no bad thing. New album or not, though, a King King show is always a good night out. They excel in terms of catalogue depth, despite only having five albums so far, and live stagecraft - and each time I see the band they seem to get a bit better. It was with excitement, then, that I headed up to Exeter last night, and I rocked up to the Phoenix not long before the evening's sole support act took to the stage - following a bite to eat and a couple of drinks at the local Wetherspoons.

Before King King's excellent set, though, the growing crowd was treated to a set from country/blues singer-songwriter Laura Evans. Starting out her career as an actress, having been on The Basil Brush Show for many years, Evans turned her talents to music a few years ago - and has began to make a bit of a name for herself as a UK-based modern country act, with more than a hint of the blues. Joined only by Joe Hazel (guitar/percussion), Evans' set was stripped down - but it allowed her diverse vocal talents to shine. Whilst there was a strong country/blues favour to her material, alongside a couple of covers from Chris Stapleton and Bonnie Raitt, there was also plenty of modern pop to be found - especially in the lyrics and the way that the vocal melodies were constructed. Neither modern country nor pop are much my thing - but I found myself largely enjoying Evans' set even if it did get a bit samey after a while. She certainly has a powerful voice, and came across as very likeable during her time talking with the crowd - who gave her some good-natured grief for being both originally from Wales and now from Plymouth. Being backed by only one musician, though, it was hard for the songs to feel fully fleshed out. Hazel is certainly a strong guitarist, and his stripped back blues approach worked well, but the songs were likely ones with bigger arrangements than were being presented. I generally tire of acoustic acts and stripped back performances for similar reasons - as I find it hard to connect with songs which are being presented in perhaps a less interesting way than they generally would be. Acoustic or stripped back versions can work well if a song is known - but they are rarely a good introduction to a song. I do understand why support acts, especially in smaller venues, are limited to such, though. That being said, Evans' 30 or so minutes on stage did not outstay its welcome. Her voice certainly did a lot of heavy lifting, and some occasional soloing from Hazel was welcome. She also managed to bring quite a few in the crowd along for the ride - as one of her later songs conjured up a bit of a sing-a-long. Overall, then, Evans' set was enjoyable for what it was - even if what she does is not really for me.

Given that there was not much gear to clear away following Evans' set, it did not feel like too long before AC/DC's Highway to Hell was blasting out over the PA and King King took to the stage. A warm Exeter welcome greeted the band - and they soon launched into a 13-song set which included a handful of favourites, a few oldies which had not been played live for a while, and a couple of new numbers. Alan remains the band's focal point, leading the band vocally and from a guitar perspective - but I felt that his brother Stevie Nimmo (guitar/vocals) featured a bit more as a lead guitar player throughout the set this time - with Stevie's more straight ahead blues style complimenting Alan's more varied approach. Both the riffy opener More Than I Can Take and the uplifting Let Love In, played surprisingly early in the set, featured some strong guitar playing from Stevie - even though Alan still dominated. From the off, too, the sound was great. The vocals were audible, the lead guitars cut through the mix, whilst the lashings of Hammond organ from Jonny Dyke (keyboards/vocals) grounded the band's sound nicely. A lot of crowd favourites were played, with the shuffling and slightly funky Waking Up being an early highlight thanks to its big chorus - but perhaps the first real highlight was the new track Strong. Whilst Light Up the Sky may not yet be ready, a couple of the tracks which will feature on it were played - with the former being a lengthy, dense ballad with some of the best soloing of the night. The haunting chorus felt like one which will stay in the set for years to come - whilst the lengthy instrumental mid-section saw both Alan and Stevie soloing. It was the sort of epic ballad that King King do so well - and it felt like a darker version of A Long History of Love, which itself was wheeled out not long after. These two big, emotional ballads felt like the centre pieces of the set - whilst shorter, more anthemic pieces such as the golden oldie Lose Control and the other new number Cried Out for Love added some riffs and instant melodies to the evening. The latter was that strong mix of early Bad Company and 1970s David Coverdale which King King dip into from time to time - with the powerful rocker sure to become another real live favourite. I like it when the band let their hair down a bit - and it saw new drummer Jon Lodge rocking out a bit more behind his kit. Following this new cut, it was time for a couple of other rarely-played oldies to be brought back into the limelight. Alan mentioned that seeing a video of the band playing Hurricane at the aforementioned London show with Thunder persuaded him to bring it out of the vaults, and the rocker impressed the crowd, before the slowest moment of the night was reserved for the plaintive ballad Lay With Me. The last portion of the main set was reserved for favourites, though, with Alan's song about his brother You Stopped the Rain prompting quite a big sing-a-long with the Exeter crowd - before the distinctive electric piano intro of Rush Hour introduced the sprawling, atmospheric piece. It was left to I Will Not Fall to round out the main set - and, as always, the song was stretched out to include a plenty of soloing, including a lengthy blues effort from Stevie. It left the crowd wanting more - and the cheers brought the band back out for one more, with the powerful ballad Find Your Way Home impressing to round the night out. Big vocal harmonies and plenty of Hammond warmth brought the song to life - and it worked well as a set-closer despite it being a slower piece. The setlist was:

More Than I Can Take

Let Love In

Waking Up

Strong

Lose Control

A Long History of Love

Cried Out for Love

Hurricane

Lay With Me

You Stopped the Rain

Rush Hour

I Will Not Fall

-

Find Your Way Home

King King shows are always extremely enjoyable and last night in Exeter was no different. It was great to hear a number of different tracks live, despite plenty of favourites still being thrown in, and the two new songs were excellent. I am hoping that the new album, whenever it comes, will live up to the vibe of these two songs - and I am sure that when it does drop the band will be back around again to ensure that everyone gets to hear the new material.