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Tuesday 2 April 2019

Bloodstock Metal To The Masses Heat 5 Review

Metal To The Masses South Wales Heat 5, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff 29th March 2019

A break of three weeks has flown by and we rolled into Heat 5 of the qualifying heats. Back at Fuel at the end of a beautiful day, it was Infernal Diadem (6) who took the opening slot. The four-piece set about their task with gusto, their impressive looking guitars dwarfed by bassist Elliot Cadmore’s giant seven string weapon (not a euphemism - Ed). The band play an intricate style of thrash metal with the influences of bands such as Megadeth clearly identifiable within their song structures. Musically the band were relatively tight, with Cadmore at times almost playing as a third guitarist, something we know the man can do with ease. Whilst musically the band are enjoyable, the Swansea band are let down by George Smith Holmes’ vocal style which doesn’t fit with the band’s sound at all. It led to a rather disjointed sound which I felt struggled to gel. Infernal Diadem also suffered from a sparse crowd with only a hardcore of regulars making the effort to watch all the bands. With a lack of support the band were always going to struggle and so it proved. Guitarist James Nicholas was playing his final gig with the band and we wish him well in his future endeavours. Sadly, it wasn’t to be Infernal Diadem’s night.

A change of style and pace followed with the melodic hard rock of three-piece Eulogy (8). Throughout the heats, there have been some superb quality bands playing, often those who don’t stick to the typical death or thrash metal genres which tend to dominate on the stages at Bloodstock, and Eulogy can be added to that list. The Cardiff three-piece delivered a confident set crammed full of top-quality hard rock. The vocals of Neil Thomas, who also played a thunderous bass, were a surprise to start but as soon as you were accustomed to them, they fitted perfectly with the band’s driving sound. Meanwhile drummer Darran Goodwin helped out with the backing vocals whilst keeping time with ease and alongside Thomas, guitarist Mike Williams demonstrated that you don’t have to be flashy to play good music. With a solid set list which included tracks from their EP Back To Life, Eulogy soon warmed the growing crowd.

I’d been harsh on Cadacus (4) and their debut release Virtual Salvation when it was released last year, describing the album as ‘a real struggle’. I was hoping that the band would prove to be better in the live arena, but I’ve got to be honest, they weren’t. The weakest band on the bill by a country mile, their disjointed heavy metal was unimpressive and repetitive, the same riff apparently used for most of their songs. I was also harsh on the vocals on the album, and at least Tom Gapper stepped up his game with an energetic performance on the night, despite spending most of the set off stage in the pit alongside guitarist Luke Roberts. This did mean at times those towards the back were only watching three members of the band on stage which substantially detracted from the show. A word of advice; in a small venue like Fuel you really need to let the audience see you and diving into the pit generally doesn’t help if it is for a prolonged period. Full respect to new drummer Charlie Barraclough who was giving it his all on his debut with the band. I have a massive admiration for anyone who gets up and plays. I don’t, so I often feel terrible at writing reviews which are negative. However, Cadacus have a long way to go before they will get close to a semi-final slot, which is a shame as they have the energy and enthusiasm to move forward. Keep at it guys.

Before the heat, I’d have placed money on Ablated (7) obliterating the audience and crushing their way into the semi-final. Having seen them really pulverise in the same venue towards the end of 2018 I was fully aware of their firepower. On the night, despite an explosive opening, where vocalist Greg Fleming roared about “we’re here to fucking make you die”, this was a rather subdued show, with the band seemingly disinterested at times. Their brand of death metal is binary. Aim, focus, destroy being the mantra. Their bludgeoning approach usually works effortlessly, but as their 30 minutes progressed, the more conversation there was around the venue, something which you would not expect for a band of this calibre. Apart from the hardcore who were working hard at the front of the stage, there appeared to be a lack of interest around the room. Maybe an off night? Maybe not the right crowd for such an intense band. Who knows? I know Ablated can do better. Make sure you see them again because live they are usually phenomenal.

Closing off the evening was the atmospheric post-black metal of Levitas (9). The band took their set by the scruff of the neck, gave it a seriously hard shake and then stamped it into the ground once more. The commanding presence of bassist and vocalist Liam Wolf dominating the stag, his hooded appearance adding a sphere of sinister atmosphere to an already unworldly sound. Flanked by guitarists Helen Kinsella and Rhys Williams and ably nailed down by the solid time keeping of Sam Heffernan, Levitas proceeded to tear through a stunning set which had the audience gasping. The sheer emotional intensity of the set took even seasoned Levitas fans by surprise as they upped the gears quickly to hit their stride. A huge ovation greeted the conclusion of their set and it was no surprise when the band won a landslide number of votes to cruise to the semi-finals.

With the votes in, the only real question left was who would claim the wildcard slot. As it transpired, Ablated sneaked it above Eulogy, and another evening of metal was concluded. As always, huge thanks to all the bands, the organisers, the sound engineer and Fuel Rock Club for hosting another superb evening. Onwards to Heat 6. Shit’s about to get real!

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