A crisp evening in the West saw the second event by Cosmic Sea Bookings, and another ear-splitting night of extreme metal that takes Swansea by storm. With a seemingly endless choice of shows to attend, kudos to those who decided to head for Hangar 18. The reward? Four excellent sets of varied (albeit crushingly heavy) metal, aided by the crisp sound system and enhanced by decent lighting. There are a few venues who could look at Hangar 18 and learn a thing or two about how to put on a live show.
There had been rumours for some time, but tonight sees the return of Plague Father (7), who, according to their social media account are back for their first live show in several years. The trio who step onto the stage aren’t taking tentative steps though, screaming through one of the most intense 25-minutes you’ll see. It’s a snarling return, pumped up and in your face, prompting some of the audience to shrink further toward the back of the venue, whilst others engage in some early moshing.
One over enthusiastic punter seems to think he’s at a hardcore gig with some ridiculous pit killing moves that soon get those on the receiving end of his flying kicks scurrying for cover. It’s not welcomed, and only serves to push people further away from the stage. Cover obtained, it’s an intriguing watch, as vocalist Jon Foreman, cloaked but topless roars and growls as he prowls the stage, flanked by the static multi-stringers who concentrate on delivering their combination of technical death metal and hardcore in time with the programmed drumming. It’s an intense opening, and despite the inevitable rustiness, a visceral and impressive return to the stage. Watch out, Plague Father are back!
It's been a while since I last saw Kill By Mouth (8), but the groove-based thrash and death metal that they unleashed reminded me why I enjoyed them the first time I saw them. They unleash a ferocious 30-minute storm that is a pleasing mix of styles, although they remain locked into their base sound to good effect. Plenty of thick riffs combine with frenetic pace and frontman Cassar’s vocals to craft a maelstrom of metal that gets more of the audience moving forward. There isn’t a huge amount of activity on stage, with most focus on Cassar.
It's been a while since I last saw Kill By Mouth (8), but the groove-based thrash and death metal that they unleashed reminded me why I enjoyed them the first time I saw them. They unleash a ferocious 30-minute storm that is a pleasing mix of styles, although they remain locked into their base sound to good effect. Plenty of thick riffs combine with frenetic pace and frontman Cassar’s vocals to craft a maelstrom of metal that gets more of the audience moving forward. There isn’t a huge amount of activity on stage, with most focus on Cassar.
Having a bassist and guitarist who are rooted to the spot isn’t unusual in these genres, with a necessary focus on the musicianship understandable, but a little bit of movement would help with the visual aesthetics, especially as the band are now a four-piece and were on a stage that allows this to happen. Minor grumbles aside, this was a skull splitting set with plenty of positives. Kill By Mouth are back soon at The Bunkhouse with a slot on the undercard for Cultura Tres (featuring Sepultura’s Paolo Jr).
Gloucester’s Ambrius (9) are the slightly odd ones out on this bill at first glance. They have a more modern metal sound, with vocals that you can understand, but they don’t hold back on the power and hold their own on my imaginary ‘crushometer’. Plenty of driving riffs, thunderous drums backed by driving bass and the extra bit of help via the old layer or two. It’s a splendid performance, with the band’s experience of 2023’s Sophie Stage appearance at Bloodstock evidently providing them with a confidence that is great to see.
Gloucester’s Ambrius (9) are the slightly odd ones out on this bill at first glance. They have a more modern metal sound, with vocals that you can understand, but they don’t hold back on the power and hold their own on my imaginary ‘crushometer’. Plenty of driving riffs, thunderous drums backed by driving bass and the extra bit of help via the old layer or two. It’s a splendid performance, with the band’s experience of 2023’s Sophie Stage appearance at Bloodstock evidently providing them with a confidence that is great to see.
Still in their early stages as a band, they draw from their sole album Effigies Of Time. Bassist Michael Perks brings some hefty growling backing vocals whilst singer Sam Shiers has an assuredness about him. He’s flanked by the dexterous fretwork of Jason Deakins who takes the guitar work with a bonafide seriousness. A quick glance around the room sees plenty of nodding heads. Their work here is done!
Talking of Bloodstock 2023, it’s an opportunity to think back to the final day of the festival and the huge impact made by Bristol tech-death merchants Embodiment (9). A band that I saw seven years ago supporting Suffocation at the Bierkeller in Bristol, and who were cheeky enough to do an interview whilst we were queuing to get into the venue. They always bring a show, and within minutes are raging ferociously. Their brand of death metal is brutally intense, with the driving drumming propelling the dual seven-stringed guitar assault in a maelstrom of fire. It’s insanely fast, bruisingly heavy, and all fronted by the dynamo Harry Smithson, who rarely stops moving.
They race through the set, Smithson leading the pit engagement. There’s humour too, as he notes that every death metal band has at least one song about zombies before introducing Infested. Embodiment are now in their tenth year, and they are seasoned pros. They blister through a ten-track set, with Tyrant and Voices sounding familiar but also fresh as the day they were written. Alongside zombies, we get songs about religious bigotry and yep, aliens. It’s a powerful 50 or so minutes, real sledgehammer to the cranium stuff, and although The Beast is missing from the set, there are no complaints about songs like Cenogenesis which threaten the stability of the venue.
Another fine evening then, and with good news flowing, we can now look forward to Cosmic Sea Bookings next adventure in these parts in July.
Talking of Bloodstock 2023, it’s an opportunity to think back to the final day of the festival and the huge impact made by Bristol tech-death merchants Embodiment (9). A band that I saw seven years ago supporting Suffocation at the Bierkeller in Bristol, and who were cheeky enough to do an interview whilst we were queuing to get into the venue. They always bring a show, and within minutes are raging ferociously. Their brand of death metal is brutally intense, with the driving drumming propelling the dual seven-stringed guitar assault in a maelstrom of fire. It’s insanely fast, bruisingly heavy, and all fronted by the dynamo Harry Smithson, who rarely stops moving.
They race through the set, Smithson leading the pit engagement. There’s humour too, as he notes that every death metal band has at least one song about zombies before introducing Infested. Embodiment are now in their tenth year, and they are seasoned pros. They blister through a ten-track set, with Tyrant and Voices sounding familiar but also fresh as the day they were written. Alongside zombies, we get songs about religious bigotry and yep, aliens. It’s a powerful 50 or so minutes, real sledgehammer to the cranium stuff, and although The Beast is missing from the set, there are no complaints about songs like Cenogenesis which threaten the stability of the venue.
Another fine evening then, and with good news flowing, we can now look forward to Cosmic Sea Bookings next adventure in these parts in July.
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