Tuesday 6 November 2012

Gravesend - November 3rd - Rezinwolf, Kthon, The Furious Horde, Wretched Soul and The Iron Knights!

Kthon almost seem a little left out on this lineup, which attracted my attention personally for it's link to Beermageddon, which I have written about before. With The Iron Knights confirmed for the 2013 festival and The Furious Horde, Wretched Soul and Rezinwolf having been favourites of mine from this year's edition. Still, who knows, Kthon could well show up there next time. I'd certainly welcome it.

It was my first time at the Red Lion, or indeed in Gravesend at all, but the lineup certainly looked promising. The organisers - The Pandemonium Club - have been putting on gigs for a while now and this is the first one I've managed to get to. Unfortunately, presumably through a combination of it being Bonfire night weekend and a bitterly cold night, people stayed away on this occasion, whilst not taking away from the event itself, there is a bit of disappointment from the organisers that more people didn't show up. I know I'm just some idiot on the internet, but guys, if you have a local metal promoter near you who puts on shows, get along to them. These people put blood, sweat and tears into putting on the bands we love to play for us.

Anyway, bitching aside, I pay my £8 to get in for a lineup I'd happily have paid double that to see, escape from the freezing cold of the outside world and grab myself a drink. £3 for a Desperados isn't too shabby I suppose. After a while of soundchecking, Rezinwolf take the stage. These guys seriously impressed me at Beermageddon and absolutely did the same tonight. Whilst I maintain that their drummer looks like Jay from the Inbetweeners and their guitarist is a younger Corpsegrinder with a nice voice and good at guitar, Rezinwolf are exactly what you would want from a thrash metal band, they're full of energy and confidence and tighter than a very, very tight thing. Oh, and they threw in a cover of Pantera's 'Fucking Hostile'. Which was brilliant.

Rezinwolf over, time for another beer or two. It's at this point that I ended up chatting to some of the regulars of the pub, as opposed to the Pandemonium Club, about how to survive a zombie apocalypse. Since they only just met me, they decide that I'd have to be killed first if they had to resort to cannibalism, or if they needed to sacrifice someone to escape. Thanks guys.

Next are Kthon. I had seen them before a year or two ago as part of the Bloodstock 'Metal To The Masses' battle of the bands, where I was very impressed with them. It's slightly odd seeing them on a bill filled with very fast paced bands, but their crushing, chugging doom riffs complement the other bands very well. They're the kind of thing you want to listen to if you're in need of punching a wall, at a very slow pace. They are, by their own admission, a little sloppy, but their songs just have that massive feel to them. Plenty of headbanging, plenty of Lee Dorian-esque doom dancing.

Beer time.

The Furious Horde are up next, a band that I thoroughly enjoyed at Beermageddon and who I raved about on here and  have been yammering on about to my friends for the entire time since then. I was very excited to be seeing them again. This time, the keyboard player and his pink shiny onesie is missing, but accompanied by a keyboard backing track the Horde absolutely slay it. Seeing them again now that I know their songs really makes the experience quite pleasantly different, still just as intense, but with that unrelenting urge to scream the lyrics back at them. For my shame, I held back, as nobody else was singing and I didn't want to look like a bit of a wally, not even for 'Possession', my favourite track. Next time I'll be the irritating guy screaming in your ears so you can't hear their music properly. Good lord though, I'm very glad I discovered these chaps.

Alcohol pit stop.
Thrash o'clock again next as Wretched Soul take to the stage for five tracks of limitless energy. With their debut album due to be released early next year, it's well worth looking out for these chaps. One of my favourite bands on the underground circuit, there are exciting times ahead once the album hits. Despite vocalist Chris's throat giving him a bit of grief, it doesn't show and Wretched Soul once again bring their best to the stage with them.
Beer.

Next is a little confusing. I had arrived expecting to see Stuka Squadron, but instead am watching the first ever Iron Knights gig, due to complicated issues between the band and an ex-member. They smash through their set with full force, showing that they are just as strong and good as the Iron Knights as they were as Stuka Squadron. A fantastic way to close a brilliant night.



The night is only slightly dampened a day or so later, when the Pandemonium Club release a statement saying that due to lack of numbers coming through the doors, they can not afford to put on any more events for the forseeable future. Please guys, support your local promoters, we can't let these excellent groups of people fall away due to lack of support.


New blog coming up soon. Cheers for reading!


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