FURY, Silent Resistance, Hurtseason, Steeltrooper, Revenant Dead @ Academy 3 16/6/12

These are real boom times for the Midlands metal scene. Down the road at The Roadhouse there is a battle of the bands featuring five bands hoping to get a slot at Bloodstock, while here there is the first of two bills in a fortnight featuring 10 groups in all under the Emma Scott Presents banner.

Brummie metallers Revenant Dead have drawn the short straw on this packed evening with a 7.15 start time not really conducive to a packed crowd. It seems they have spent a fair bit of time listening to Skeletonwitch, as they are from the same stable, heavy metal riffs over a harsher vocal delivery. RTM only sees a couple of songs, but they are worth further investigation.

Staffordshire’s heavy power metal mob Steeltrooper follow them and are – frankly – a revelation. Here to plug the excellent “Eternal Warrior” record, they also play a new song called “Art Of Destruction” which offers hints that the next opus may be just as good. The only downside to what would have been a total triumph are the sound problems that dog them throughout, particularly affecting second guitar man Loz, but it is a measure of their abilities that the manage to perform so admirably.

Hurtseason are making their way back after a period of inactivity. With their last recorded output coming out in 2010, the Coventry band appears eager to make up for lost time. Singer Tom Scott – clad in a Soilwork t-shirt which gives a clue to the bands influences – offers an impressive range and guitarist Mark James is capable of delivering punishing riffs, and with new single, set closer “Vanity Ruins” set for release, they could be about to enter an exciting next chapter.

Leicester’s Silent Resistance have bought a significant number of fans with them up the motorway, and as such are perfectly happy to lead a sing-along of the track that gave them their name, before launching into evident fan favourite “Echo.” They can back up the adulation by providing a vibrant and energetic set. With a fan base,  an EP in the shops and evident talent to craft decent modern sounding melodic metalcore they might just break through if they can find the one killer song they need.

Tonight, though, is Fury’s big night, and dammit if they aren’t about to take the chance with both hands. The Worcester four piece are already big enough to warrant a chant of their name when the lights go down and have enough confidence in their abilities as a headline act to play nearly an hour long set.

For a band with only two EP’s out, the self titled five track CD from last year and this years “Burn The Earth,” lets be honest Fury are astonishingly proficent. They look like they are having the time of their lives too, with singer Julian Jenkins and drummer Alisdair Davis frequently having to stop themselves grinning, as if they can’t quite believe what is happening.

It tells you all you need to know about they go down that a moshpit breaks out before as finishing number “Burn The Earth” starts up.

RTM saw them for the first time three months ago and wrote “A twin guitar attack, you know the reference points – a spot of Maiden, a bit of Priest - but that’s not a bad thing. Keep an eye on these boys, they may just have a chance.” We stand by every word of that, except two. There is no “may just" about it. Fury have a chance of being very, very good indeed.

The Metal Ball (Point Blank Fury, Intense, Fury, Maidallica, Shades Of Avalon)

A good idea, this.

10 new and unsigned metal bands in one place, for a fiver. Excellent value.

Five of the bands have already been on by the time RTM shows its face, but we are there in time to see Manchester mob Shades of Avalon. “Here’s a song about killing Vikings,” explains singer/guitarist Tobias Gray and thus the tone is set. Think Amon Amarth with slightly more melody and you would be in the right ball park. There is much merit to their set.

Next up are Maidallica, and I will bet you can’t work out what they were doing. Kicking off with “Aces High” and moving onto “Blackened” – they are ok, but it’s a tribute band, For God sake strap your guitars on and play some tunes of your own, even if its derivative its still better than copying perfection.

Strapping their guitars on is just what Worcester’s Fury have done. The young four piece were a late addition to the bill after Scream Arena pulled out. This is good news for us, though as they have started to make waves recently and have just released their second EP “Burn The Earth.” A twin guitar attack, you know the reference points – a spot of Maiden, a bit of Priest - but that’s not a bad thing. Keep an eye on these boys, they may just have a chance.

Main support is RTM favourite leather clad metal men Intense. When they were last in these parts in October it was to celebrate the release of “The Shape of Rage” album. The intervening five months has allowed them to hone their delivery and, as a masterclass in underground Brit metal they are hard to beat. “Anubis” pounds, “The Elemental” tips his hat to the Irons then moves off in it’s own direction and they really are the real deal.

Headliners Point Black Fury were former stalwarts of the Brummie metal scene, before they disappeared about 12 months ago, when it turns out, they split up. This represents their comeback show “its ok, we like each other again now” points out guitarist Dale Jones, helpfully.

Their 40 minute set highlights why they were so good in the first place, and also allows them to showcase some new songs including “Love Ain’t Always Easy” which strays a little into power ballad territory at first, but then redeems itself by the end. They close, just like they always used to, with “Night Skies” and as a welcome back the job is very much done.

This event is apparently going to be repeated, which is to be welcomed. There are much worse ways to spend a Sunday evening then at a metal ball.