Let's picture the scene. You're in a dark little bar in the lower-East regions of London town. With high propriety, it goes by the name of the Dirty South. And, as three acts prepare to take to the stage, it is indeed time to witness the crunching higher-planes of the gritty, metal dirt of the South. Hear the rumours, read the signs: a video shoot, you say..? There's no smoke without fire; come one, come all, come far, come wide. For, above all, this is a night of mayhem, madness and Mekanizm.
The drinks are flowing and the stage is set, as THUNDERWOLF (8/10) step into the ring. "Formed in the summer of 2007, with a mutual respect for technical guitar play, and a love for melodic metal", as self-defined, Bromley's paragons of energy sustain their standard once again through a coalescence of strong musical know-how, diversity of repertoire and glove-tightness in performance. Smooth solo-to-riff and pinch-harmonic-to-groove transitions are secured by guitarists Dan Smith and Criss Thomas, laced with a soulful, shaped improvisation from each, to capture the symmetry of their twin-axe harmonies. The undoubted pinnacle of the band's showcase, a vivacious rendition of Iron Maiden's 'Hallowed Be Thy Name', exemplifies well-timed musical intervals, fluent bass finger-work and notably, excellently-replicated fills to mimic then-Maiden-drummer Clive Burr, from Thunderwolf drummer Tom Reeve.
Thunderwolf's particular command of such a well-loved classic tonight marks with poignancy Reeve's last gig with the band, and also the fearless and ambitious animal that is the chrome-plated creativity of this particular line-up: raw, intense, and, above all, ever true to those beautifully twisted roots of metal, with which our kind are all in love. New members? New scenery? New reassurance: Thunderwolf will pull it off, whatever the weather.
Thunderwolf's particular command of such a well-loved classic tonight marks with poignancy Reeve's last gig with the band, and also the fearless and ambitious animal that is the chrome-plated creativity of this particular line-up: raw, intense, and, above all, ever true to those beautifully twisted roots of metal, with which our kind are all in love. New members? New scenery? New reassurance: Thunderwolf will pull it off, whatever the weather.
The light is shed on Bromley's BOA 2010 fresh blood, SILAS (8.5). "We don't aim to sound like anyone else", claim the ensemble; at this, they unarguably succeed. Their musicianship tonight is both creatively and technically expansive; guitarist Mike Ross masters vibrato-infused and note-bending grooves, complete with semitone slides and satisfying, tonic resolution to root-note. Coupled with an improvisational style that is firmly grounded in a blues feel, propelled by a gritty rock tone, both he and brother Tom explore harmonic decorations that are offset by a network of sounds and timbres, thanks to many a stamp on the effects unit on the floor. Silas talk the talk, and clearly have no trouble walking the walk, when it comes to their musical capabilities.
As for their type of song-writing, they're notoriously hard to pin down. Indeed, they offer a vast array of influences: there are some straight-up metal numbers, structured in a contemporary verse-chorus, 'pop' layout, such as the thematically-consistent 'In the Grind'; there are tunes injected with middle stretches of a totally different style, such as the reggae-pricked 'Angels Lie', and the melodic-blues-soaked 'Open Your Eyes'. Does it seem fragmented? Somewhat. But Silas' charm lies in this difference, this unusualness; and any starkness in genre cohesion is balanced by such memorability and catchiness in their melodies and choruses, that you find yourself singing and humming them at even the most unsuspecting moments. With a titanic energy and enthusiasm in performance that is fatally infectious, Silas' own breed of fire-cracking fusion could be blended a little more delicately, a little more seamlessly – but, without a shadow of a doubt, demonstrates ideas and a versatility of musicianship that, with pounding passion, shoot for the stars. Even the darkest depths of the metal world will bear witness to great things from them.
As for their type of song-writing, they're notoriously hard to pin down. Indeed, they offer a vast array of influences: there are some straight-up metal numbers, structured in a contemporary verse-chorus, 'pop' layout, such as the thematically-consistent 'In the Grind'; there are tunes injected with middle stretches of a totally different style, such as the reggae-pricked 'Angels Lie', and the melodic-blues-soaked 'Open Your Eyes'. Does it seem fragmented? Somewhat. But Silas' charm lies in this difference, this unusualness; and any starkness in genre cohesion is balanced by such memorability and catchiness in their melodies and choruses, that you find yourself singing and humming them at even the most unsuspecting moments. With a titanic energy and enthusiasm in performance that is fatally infectious, Silas' own breed of fire-cracking fusion could be blended a little more delicately, a little more seamlessly – but, without a shadow of a doubt, demonstrates ideas and a versatility of musicianship that, with pounding passion, shoot for the stars. Even the darkest depths of the metal world will bear witness to great things from them.
And as the moment all are eagerly awaiting is finally nigh, MEKANIZM (9) don their armour, and prepare to battle. As the camera rolls, the prospect of shooting a live performance may incite a tremor of fear in a lesser band. But those tremors themselves shy from the courageous execution of Bromley's belligerent quintet tonight, who, in their own words, "supply a full, brutal, military-assault-sounding barricade of noise".
Main lead guitarist Mike Toulson is, for technical proficiency, a wonder to behold. His improvisational style of lightening arpeggios and scalic movements, combined with fluidity of finger-tapping and sweep-picking, and stunning knowledge and command of the makeup of the fret board is, within the construct of Mekanizm, exploited through exotic and unusual flavours: from Western harmonic tones, to Eastern and modal elements. Mekanizm's signature solid, tremolo-picked grooves, selective whammy-bar abuse and Maiden-esque, three-guitar-strong instrumental layering, demonstrate their namesake in a kind of mechanical accuracy to their playing, which satisfies the musical ear through its sheer mathematical precision. Housing also an aggressive network of semiquaver rhythms, blast-beats and dense drum-fills and ad-lib, Mekanizm are musically organised and contrived, with a patterning and velocity to their riffs and solos to place them firmly within the upper echelons of conventional, machine-gun metal.
But it is their chromatic colouring, explorative song-writing, and the energy and mobility in performance of charismatic front man, vocalist/guitarist, and character Faust Perez, which dig deeper. In the same vein, they explode off-camera into free-flow funk and jazz jams, and smoulder through an acoustic rendition of own tune 'Save Me' (featuring Djembes and percussion, high-treble blues-picked guitar techniques, and a dazzling slide solo from new rhythm guitarist Eddy Leo): not only showcasing a thoroughly well-grounded musicianship, but cementing the darker spice with which Mekanizm are tinged. Although relative newcomers to the musical world, theirs is a mature and successful hybrid of a merciless, metallic wall of sound, injected with a passion and intensity to feed the sensual and emotional receptacles of their listeners.
There are splinters of everything embedded: influences from Fear Factory, Machine Head and Soilwork, to Opeth, Yngwie Malmsteen and Disturbed, reverberate within their work. And with musical delicacies such as 'Rise', 'Feel the Pain', and studio-video promo-favourite 'Decide' to feast upon, Mekanizm ravish the senses tonight with their sultry sonic cocktail and gravitational determination: placing their stamp of closure upon the year, and pre-empting a frictionless and victorious path for their artistry throughout 2011.
Main lead guitarist Mike Toulson is, for technical proficiency, a wonder to behold. His improvisational style of lightening arpeggios and scalic movements, combined with fluidity of finger-tapping and sweep-picking, and stunning knowledge and command of the makeup of the fret board is, within the construct of Mekanizm, exploited through exotic and unusual flavours: from Western harmonic tones, to Eastern and modal elements. Mekanizm's signature solid, tremolo-picked grooves, selective whammy-bar abuse and Maiden-esque, three-guitar-strong instrumental layering, demonstrate their namesake in a kind of mechanical accuracy to their playing, which satisfies the musical ear through its sheer mathematical precision. Housing also an aggressive network of semiquaver rhythms, blast-beats and dense drum-fills and ad-lib, Mekanizm are musically organised and contrived, with a patterning and velocity to their riffs and solos to place them firmly within the upper echelons of conventional, machine-gun metal.
But it is their chromatic colouring, explorative song-writing, and the energy and mobility in performance of charismatic front man, vocalist/guitarist, and character Faust Perez, which dig deeper. In the same vein, they explode off-camera into free-flow funk and jazz jams, and smoulder through an acoustic rendition of own tune 'Save Me' (featuring Djembes and percussion, high-treble blues-picked guitar techniques, and a dazzling slide solo from new rhythm guitarist Eddy Leo): not only showcasing a thoroughly well-grounded musicianship, but cementing the darker spice with which Mekanizm are tinged. Although relative newcomers to the musical world, theirs is a mature and successful hybrid of a merciless, metallic wall of sound, injected with a passion and intensity to feed the sensual and emotional receptacles of their listeners.
There are splinters of everything embedded: influences from Fear Factory, Machine Head and Soilwork, to Opeth, Yngwie Malmsteen and Disturbed, reverberate within their work. And with musical delicacies such as 'Rise', 'Feel the Pain', and studio-video promo-favourite 'Decide' to feast upon, Mekanizm ravish the senses tonight with their sultry sonic cocktail and gravitational determination: placing their stamp of closure upon the year, and pre-empting a frictionless and victorious path for their artistry throughout 2011.
The 21st Century is evidently the time and place for modernity, machinery and lest we forget, Mekanizm.
Review by Rhiannon Maiden. Copyright © Rhiannon Marley. All rights reserved.
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