MALEFICE, Silent Screams @Academy 3 21/9/12

Silent Screams are a band that is very much a product of their time. They are young, covered in tattoos and ambitious. They share much in common with former touring partners Bring Me The Horizon, and a producer with Asking Alexandria, which gives some clues about where they are coming from musically.

Their preparation for this tour hasn’t been ideal, literally days ago have just suffered a change of vocalist, but if new man Joel Haywood is suffering from nerves on the second night of the tour, he doesn’t show it. Boasting an impressive stage presence and a decent line in screams and growls, he seems right at home tonight. The band rampages through “Burning Bridges,” “When It Rains” and the almost Trivium like “Till There’s Nothing Left” during in an energetic set. And, whilst this will never be the sort of music that troubles RTM too much, in the right circles Silent Screams could go down very well indeed.

In between bands we listen to Rick Astley’s 80s pop bobbins “Never Gonna Give You Up” for half an hour on a constant repeat. Malefice singer Dale Butler later admits to liking the song. If it’s true we will have to forgive him the lapse. Malefice, you see, are very good indeed and are entitled to dance round their handbags to Stock, Aitken and Waterman songs then so be it.

This is the fourth time RTM has seen the group in the last 12 months. Opening the main stage at Bloodstock as well as being on the bill with Sylosis and Rise To Remain is one thing, this though, is quite another. A major headline tour with plenty of dates and your name on the top of the poster is a big deal, and it is up to Malefice to pull off a headline show.

That they do – and do so well- should not have come as a surprise to anyone. In short, these boys know what they are doing. It is a tried and tested set, which sees them start with the string intro from the title track of the astonishingly good 2011 album “Awaken The Tides” before having a crack at “Delirium,” arguably that album’s stand-out song.

There’s a couple of songs from the previous album “Dawn of Reprisal” in the shape of “Sickened” and “The Midas Effect” a trawl back to almost their beginnings with “Dreams Without Courage” getting an airing, before an encore of sorts with recent single “Omega” getting played.

In fact, the only thing wrong with Malefice is that rest of the country hasn’t quite latched onto their brilliance. Not for nothing, you suspect is this trek called The Perseverance Tour.” The problem for a band like Malefice is that whilst they don’t have a sound that can put them in Kerrang! And into the mainstream, they should be right at the forefront of the UK metal scene, and yet there is barely 70 people here for this. On a Friday night in Birmingham that is probably not good enough at this stage of their careers.

Butler tells us at the end that Malefice have finished album number, perhaps scheduling a further period of activity in 2013. No doubt, it will be fantastic and maybe, finally the perseverance will pay off. We can only hope.

BLOODSTOCK - Day One @Catton Hall 10/8/12

Sometimes you just know you will feel at home.

Walking into Catton Hall for the first time, it is clear that it is exactly the sort of place we should always have been at. Not least of the reasons why is the crowd. There is a refreshing lack of people who attend festivals but who don’t actually like music – the sort of people who you might get a V or Reading, say.

But walk into the Bloodstock arena and it’s hard to tell who is in a band and who is in the crowd, and that’s how it should be when dealing with Britain’s premier metal festival.

And that’s why Malefice immediately look perfect to kick things off. One of the very best British bands, they just continue to impress. “Delirium” and “Omega” were designed to be played at these types of events, thrash on a massive scale; they continue to deserve their success.

From thrash to power and another of RTM’s faves, Freedom Call. By rights they should be awful. They are entirely ludicrous and pompous, but they are also superb and for Germans, they keep their tongues firmly in cheeks. They are here, they say, to start the “Heavy Metal Party” and are tremendous fun.

Another of RTM’s favourites Grand Magus are up next, the Swedes a touch lower down the bill than might have been expected, but they are no less entertaining than you would have hoped. No one can argue with songs of the quality of “The Oar Strikes the Water,” “Valhalla Rising” and set closer “Hammer of the North. Perhaps a place in the upper echelons of metals elite still awaits.

Up until the moment Moonsorrow walked onstage Catton Hall had been bathed in glorious sunshine all day. Perhaps fittingly the sun goes behind a cloud in time for some Portuguese Doomy Black Metal. Despite having two superb new albums out they are the first slight let down. Perhaps they would be better in a little club, where the darker atmosphere they create might come over better, but on a festival stage in mid afternoon their songs don’t quite resonate.

Iced Earth, though were born to make a big sound. Now including former Fury UK man Luke Appleton, they seem on a mission to bring the denim quota up. Far more overtly heavy metal than Freedom Call, Iced Earth’s set is a magnificent and joyous affair. Main man Jon Schaffer grins his way through, while new singer Stu Block looks steeped in the role. They knock out the day’s first ballad “Watching Over Me” as well an astonishingly good “Anthem.” Older tracks like “Damien” and ending number “Iced Earth” also manage to sound fresh. As always Earth are a triumph.

It’s hard for Sepultura, you would guess. Once metal’s big hopes, they are now firmly in stalwart mode. Their best days are behind them perhaps but they remain a fine live draw. Frontman Derrick Green gives it everything he’s got and if you can’t enjoy songs like “Refuse/Resist” and an incendiary “Roots” then Bloodstock ain’t for you. They even fetch Ripper Owens out on “Territory” and are very good indeed.

The aforementioned Owens is here as frontman for Dio Disciples, who fittingly perhaps are on the stage named after the man who’s like they celebrate. Ronnie James Dio remains one of the iconic voices in metal, and hearing “Holy Diver” is always a thrill, but RTM opts to head to the Jagermeister stage to check Absolva. Ex Fury UK men Chris Appleton and Martin McNee’s new venture, while there is Midlands interest too as former Point Blank Fury bass man Dan Bate is in the group.

Happily despite being only five gigs old – and with Iced Earth’s Luke watching on -  Absolva might be the real deal. The addition of a second guitarist as foil to Appleton has beefed up the sound and there is an instant appeal to songs like “Code Red” and “Breathe. “ Ones to watch.

Like Moonsorrow, Alcest are another band to suffer from a festival setting. With Watain due on the main stage, the crowd in the Sophie Lancaster tent is a little more sparse than might have been expected. While “Autre Temps” might be a damn fine song on record, here it lacks spectacle.

Spectacle on the other hand, is what Watain do. Surrounded by corpse paint and flames, theirs is a set that is surprisingly good. Part gig and part Ritual it is a captivating performance of a quality that RTM didn’t expect. “Reaping Death” and “Waters Of Ain” are black metal with a modern bent and even the sceptics are won over.

All that is left is for Behemoth to close things off. And it is a task they perform with aplomb. In many ways the feelgood story of the day, just the fact that front man Nergal has beaten leukaemia to even be here is great news. That they are excellent is merely a bonus, but the from the minute they kick of with “Ov Fire And The Void” to the ending of “Lucifer” they deliever a black metal masterclass.

Beat that, day two!

RISE TO REMAIN, Adept, Malefice, Cytota @ Birmingham Academy 2 8/3/2012

It’s a sign you are getting old when support bands at gigs are so young they probably weren’t born when you left school, and this is definitely the case with Cytota.

Impossibly fresh faced, the foursome have been creating a buzz recently and its easy to see why. First of all they are actually a pretty good metalcore act, with the tracks “Absorption” and “The Prosecutor” showing they have the potential to rise above the slew of bands ploughing this furrow. Second because drummer Harry Jennings dad, Craig, manages Bullet For My Valentine, Bring Me The Horizon and Rise to Remain amongst others, which is hardly a hindrance. Expect to see a lot more of Cytota in the coming years.

Reading’s Malefice have been gigging incessantly over the last couple of years and in 2011’s “Awaken The Tides” they landed one of the best modern thrash records of the year. The last time they were in these parts they supported Sylosis and saw their set cut short and oddly, tonight the same fate befalls them. This is a tremendous shame because in opener “Delirium” they posses the best song played tonight. The best, you feel, is yet to come for the group.

Sweden’s Adept are the main support for this early part of the tour – with German thrash mob Heaven Shall Burn not joining until later -  and it’s a role they fill with confidence and relish. The likes of “Shark! “Shark! Shark!” from debut album “Another Year of Disaster” and “The Ivory Tower” from last years leap forward that was “Death Dealers” sit comfortably side by side and the moshpit loves them. “We’ve never played Birmingham before, so thank you,” says singer Robert Ljung, it’s a safe bet that considering their reception tonight, they will be here again.

In contrast Rise To Remain have been here before. In fact it was only September when they last played in the second city. That gig was next door at the smaller Academy 3. Not for nothing is this trek named the “Progression” Tour.

It has been interesting to chart the, ahem, rise of rise of Rise To Remain. When they first came onto the scene it was too easy for the cynics to snipe that they were only getting anywhere because their singer Austin Dickinson was the son of Bruce. It was against this backdrop that RTM clapped eyes on them in the Bohemia tent at Sonisphere in 2010- and their performance was astonishing.

That seems to be the way, as they have criss-crossed the country supporting anyone and everyone. Any cynicism is washed away by their talent and just in case there were any lingering doubts their debut full length record “City of Vultures” is damn good too.

Not that it has been totally plain sailing for the group and tonight marks the debut of new rhythm section Josh Hammond and Adam Lewin, who are the replacement bassist and drummer respectively as the last two quit on the eve of a major US tour with Machine Head which had to be cancelled.

The duo slot in seamlessly, with “The Serpent” sounding as crushing as ever, carried along on the back of Ben Tovey’s intricate lead playing. New single “Talking In Whispers” gets its first live airing and “Nothing Left” is as good now as it was two years ago.

Indeed the only worrying moment comes during the encore of “Bridges Will Burn.” Such is the excitement at the front there are too many crowd surfers for the security to cope with.  One lad comes straight over the front and crashes into the barriers. The band immediately stops the song to check on the welfare of the fan and with his health confirmed they resume normal service.

Crowd surfing near disaster apart it is yet another triumphant evening in the recent history of Rise to Remain. Indeed, you might say the rise continues unabated.

SYLOSIS, Malefice, Anterior, Chapters @ HMV Institute Temple 30 Sept 2011

There are many problems with the gig tonight.

First it’s in the hottest place on the planet, the upstairs room The Temple. Second the mighty Evile are just up the road playing the opening night of the UK tour – a fact that Sylosis frontman Josh Middleton acknowledges in his bands set. And last but not least, there is a ridiculously early curfew time.

Which makes it even more baffling therefore that come 6.30 (the scheduled start time) opening act Chapters still haven’t appeared. When they are finally allowed on the young Berkshire band show some promise. They are very much a work in progress and their attempted Prog/Thrash epics don’t quite work yet, but if they had the confidence to pull off their vision they might have something to offer.

Confidence is something Welsh metallers Anterior don’t lack. New album “Echoes of the Fallen” has finally seen them at the top of their game and they seem to be on the verge of a breakthrough of sorts. Singer Luke Davies is a charismatic presence, and drummer James Cook looks to settled their problems behind the kit. The only way – at last – is up.

Malefice aren’t hanging around either. Singer Dale Butler explains that the last time they were here their van was broken into and, after apologising for being late (a fact blames on some unexplained “issues tonight”) they race through a 25 minute set as if eager not to be parted form their valuables again. New album “Awaken the Tides” is a masterclass in modern thrash and its title track is rapturously received.

Yet more delays – the soundmen are clearly arguing – mean Sylosis are half an hour late on stage, which is a tremendous shame. This is their second headlining trek of 2011, having been the star turn on the Metal Hammer Razor tour, and with second album “Edge of the Earth” attracting rave reviews they know this is very much their time. Gargantuan riffs abound, with the unexpectedly catchy “Sands of Time” an obvious highlight, but just 40 minutes in and it’s all over. The plug is pulled and its time for the ravers waiting for the club downstairs to come in.

We have free tickets for that, so we are informed. We don’t take them up on the offer. Reflecting instead that what could have been an almost perfect night was flawed through no fault of the bands themselves.

I’ll bet Evile didn’t have this problem.