Let’s get down and dirty once again and have a look at the second Semi-Final at Fuel Rock Club
Heat 1 exploded from the opening bars as Cardiff’s Blind Divide decided to grab the competition by the scruff of the neck and throw it into next week. Their opening set on the night remains possibly the most intense set of the entire competition. Far from being deflated by 2018’s final defeat, James, James, Adam, Declan and Anthony regrouped, drafted in some new material and punched harder and faster. ‘I’ve rarely seen the room at Fuel so engaged. A massive set from an outrageously impressive band’ I commented after they stormed to victory. They band are solid, tight and aggressive. With massive support, these boys will take some stopping to get to the final.
Winning Heat 4, another finalist from 2018, Incursion. Another band that regrouped, learnt and re-emerged stronger, Jonny, Adam and Robby were in no mood to fuck about despite the volume of birthday sherry that Jonny had taken on board during the evening. Injections of humour always go down well if delivered appropriately, and the ridiculous sight of that poor punter with a packet of Hob Nobs down his trousers whilst being battered by the pit monsters was hilarious. Incursion will bring their brutal industrial thrash ready for combat, and another band whose mass ranks of support may well help to propel them forward again.
The final wild card slot saw Beyond Sorrow ease out pre-heat favourites Excursia thanks to a highly energised show which ripped a hole through the ceiling. The RCT metalcore experts are led by John Christo, his domination of the stage demanding attention. Yet another band who brought a shedload of fans with them, they were slightly disjointed in their heat and will need to find another gear to get to the final against such seasoned competition, but their Hyperion EP proves that they have the material to do it. If they unleash The Beast Within, then don’t rule them out.
They say quality always shines through and despite the dreaded early slot which attracted only the hardcore, Pembrokeshire’s In Which It Burns took heat six comfortably. Having travelled the furthest in the competition, there is no way these guys are going to go home without giving it their all and their ferocious thrash onslaught will provide the judges with a huge challenge. If Stretch, Mikey, Steve and Vinny can level Fuel with their vile, anti-establishment metal once more, tracks like The Creed and the legendary 6341 should win over neutrals, and I’d be unsurprised to be watching them there again on 8th June.
For me, the band that on paper face the hardest task to get through is Levitas. Perhaps surprisingly, they took their heat with some ease, but I wonder if their atmospheric progressive post black metal sound will work quite so well amongst the face melting sounds of the other bands. Having said that, that may work exactly in their favour, throwing something different into the ring. With their excellent new EP Charnel Sky so fresh it still needs feeding daily, they could once again be the dark horses that slip through on the rails. In Rhys, Liam, Helen and Sam they have four stunningly good musicians and their music is intoxicating.
Whatever happens, these two semi-finals promise to be astonishingly close. Two nights of superb music, tension and drama and all for £5. Get there early, grab a beer, enjoy and give these ten excellent bands your full support. See you at the bar!
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