ETERNAL FEAR, In Denial, Salvation @Scruffy Murphy's, Birmingham 25/8/13

There is a really pleasant atmosphere in the tiny basement room of Scruffy Murphy’s tonight. Sweden’s Eternal Fear are making what is apparently their first visit to these shores and given that they never stop smiling all night it is clear they are enjoying themselves.

Indeed, the only blot on the horizon is that the originally slated support, I.C.O.N, who RTM has a soft spot for, have had to pull out with personal issues. This means, though, that a couple of local bands have the chance to impress instead.

In addition to being – on the evidence of our first meeting with them – amongst the friendliest blokes in Birmingham, local band Salvation are well worth keeping an eye on. Whilst we don’t hear the “country twist” to their “hard rock” (as proclaimed by their website) we do hear some very catchy songs indeed.

Songs that groove along with riffs a touch like Corrosion of Conformity and catchy enough to stick with you “Hell and Back” and “Pray For Me” are well worth checking out and even if convivial frontman Dougy Reid gets the title to “Sleep” wrong it is still a very decent song. The band’s central message is one of positivity too, as befits a group that is selling bracelets for the Sophie Lancaster Charity. RTM was there when they played their first ever gig, at Basementfest last year, we liked them then, we like them now. Very good indeed.

This is In Denial’s second time supporting Eternal Fear on this short tour of the Midlands, and they offer a slightly different proposition to the openers. Their sound is a little more rooted in the early to mid-90s alternative scene, with a couple of different vocal sounds too, while one or two of their songs are reminiscent of Faith No More. Even the one word song titles are something of a throwback, with “Twisted,” “Corruption” and “Asylum” all getting an airing. They are interesting and engaging, but perhaps it is set closer “Inside” – the most straight ahead rock song they play this evening – that works the best.  

By contrast to In Denial, there is nothing remotely 90s about Eternal Fear, think Dio, Priest, Sabbath and Maiden and you wouldn’t be far away from their influences. Although they are rather unknown over here, their new album “Eternal Damnation” is their 10^th in a career spanning getting on for 20 years, so they have plenty of material to pick from. RTM is pleased though, that most of it is played from “….Damnation” including its brilliant title track, which showcases all that is good about the band.

“Grab Of Doom” soon follows, as does “Army of Hell” which sees clearly excited singer Ove Jonsson disappear into the crowd for a sing-song, but really, there are no duff tracks here.

A superb 45 minute set ends with a track called “Child Of Darkness” which Jonsson explains is one of many they have written for a new record. It is more of the same excellent stuff that preceded it and bodes well for the new opus.

The band promises to return in October for another tour  - if it is anything like tonight, it promises to be most enjoyable. Heavy metal wore a smile tonight and there is nothing wrong with that. 

BASEMENTFEST Day 1: Point Blank Fury, A Thousand Enemies, Salvation @Roadhouse Birmingham 25/8/12

RTM has never found itself at Basementfest before, but the chance to see a pretty decent line-up of unsigned metal is enough to tempt us from a Saturday night by the tele. Even if the Saturday night does contain the Gypsy Pistoleros as the headliners – but we have no intention of hanging around to watch them this time.

We also have little time for the compare for proceedings either. And if we may offer a word of advice to the organisers for next year it would be simple: The last thing a metal festival needs, or metal fans want, is a fella in a suit talking about the raffle and making crap jokes before the bands come on.

What we do want is new metal bands to have a look at. And thankfully Basementfest has these in abundance. Indeed part two of day one has a band who are playing their very first gig. Despite their inexperience Salvation are actually pretty good and showed great potential. Sort of a retro groove metal band – think Pantera covering a Rival Sons song – they race through 25 minutes of their stuff. “Pray For Me” is a highlight, but they are worth keeping an eye on.

A Thousand Enemies have been going for a little longer than that and the Nottinghamshire mob are beginning to make some waves for themselves. RTM saw them support the execrable The Morning After earlier in the year and by all accounts they were their usual selves during a storming set in the New Blood tent at Bloodstock the other week. Even the loss of their usual drummer tonight can’t dampen their ebullient frontman Bane, who has evidently got himself as annoyed with the “comedian” as RTM: “Where’s him in the suit,” he says, as the band are ready to start. “Come on pal, aren’t you ready to talk shite before we play. “ There followed some rather painful banter before ATE get down to business. And what business it is. Enemies attack their set with gusto. Ok we have seen it before, even down to Bane making his joke about them playing a song called “Fucking Ages” (It is actually called “Forever And Day”) but by closing number “Valve” even the people who have never heard them previously must surely have been won over.  Bane then wins extra points for telling the compare to “fuck off” to rapturous cheers.

So to Point Blank Fury. As far as RTM is concerned the Fury boys are the headline act tonight – possessing considerably more talent and songs than the aforementioned band of Gypsies. The last time we saw them, back in June, they were breaking in a new bass man following the defection of their old one to Absolva, Chris Appleton’s post Fury UK venture, tonight they sound even better than they did that night. 

Essentially they play the same set as they have been since reforming, and you know the drill, “Ashes,” “Change Tomorrow” “Love Ain’t Always Easy” and more. This is their last gig of the year, according to Dale Jones, the guitarist, who promises they will return with a new album in 2013. They have already reclaimed their crown as the Midlands most promising band this year, so you hope he’s as good as his word.

So they last song they play of 2012 is signature tune “Night Skies” which sounds as superb as ever, before bidding us farewell.

And with that its time for RTM to disappear too, partly because the compare is back. With raffle tickets. And also the Gypsy Pistoleros are setting up behind him.