Denounce Reunion Gig. Red Lion, Gravesend. 21st December 2013.

30th October 2010

Denounce played their final show in an incredibly crowded RedLion in Gravesend.

It was rather a sad occasion for me as I'd been going to see them for several years and had videoed a hell of a lot of their gigs and they were, indisputably, my favourite band in the local scene.

When I first saw them supporting Toronto's Zeroscape in a cellar bar in Chatham I was amazed at what I had witnessed and couldn't believe there was still a scene for Death Metal at a local level.

I managed to get to the Red Lion the following night to see both bands again.

Again Denounce blew me away and I knew then that they were the band for me!

The rest is history and I continued to follow them and got to know them and stayed in touch after they'd split up thanks to the social media sites and the local Metal scene.

Summer 2013

I'd heard faint rumours that Denounce were reforming.

I saw a few members at a gig at the Red Lion and they said it had been discussed and that they may play a gig and see how it goes.

Several weeks later an invite arrives via one of the said social media sites to a Denounce Reunion gig.

Imagine the goosebumps?

Imagine me squealing like a little girl?

Imagine my wife's reaction?

Denounce?

Playing a gig three years after splitting up?

Can I wait until Christmas for this?

No!

But I have to.

Along with everyone else!

The time slowly passes and special guest support bands are added.

Vendetta (Seen a couple of times before. Awesome!).

Internal Conflict (Seen once before. Enjoyed them!).

Immoral Minority (Never heard of them!).

And finally,

No Last Words (Never heard of them!).

All invited by Denounce to play as they had played in the past with them and Denounce wanted them to play this gig.

What band in their right mind would turn this down?

Would you?

21st December 2013

The day is finally here!

I get to the Red Lion nice and early and get the recording equipment set up.

With tonight being such a special occasion I take three cameras with me so that I don't just get the crowd left view you're used to seeing when I film at the Lion.

I speak with Denounce and they're happy for me to place a camera behind the drums and the other stage left which they'll start for me.

(This is in the hope I'll be able to edit them together and make a somewhat decent job of it in the near future!)

All set up, it's time to head to the bar for a well earned pint of tap water and a chat with whoever is about!

In the bar there are lots of familiar faces. 

 

All are saying the same thing. 

 

How much they're looking forward to tonight. 

 

Why did Denounce ever split up in the first place? 

 

What will they play? 

 

Would you like a pint, Colin? 

 

No thanks, I have my water!

8 o'clock comes and No Last Words take to the famous Red Lion stage.

They are a punk inspired band however they have a song called 'Punk Is Shit' so I hope I have their inspiration right.

Sorry if not!

Anyhow, they knock out a ten song set in less than thirty minutes to a small but happy crowd.

I enjoyed them and would like to see then again but maybe not on a bill with a Death Metal headline act.

Up next is Immoral Minority.

They have a very Punk looking logo.

Oh well, another Punk band.

Line check.

The bassist has a slight mohican and is wearing a Christmas jumper and the guitarist had a very interesting guitar.

Very bright, very fluorescent, very green!

No problem.

They're here because Denounce invited them to play.

(Now. Remember the old saying if you will. 'Never judge a book by its cover'.)

Immoral Minority start their set and it is, quite frankly, awful.

The timing is bad.

The singing is bad.

"This is going to be bad," are my thoughts.

They finish the first song (thankfully!) and head straight into the second with full force, great timing, great sound, WOW!

It would appear they were teasing and the first track was just an intro of sorts.

You buggers!

Remember what I said earlier...? 

 

It just goes to show that if the cover doesn't appeal to you, open it up and take a look. You may be surprised. 

I was!

Oh, and they were fucking heavy and not really punky at all!

Would like to see them again with a bigger crowd as the venue is still fair to average in punters.

This will be the first time I've seen Internal Conflict since 30th October 2010.

That's right, Denounce's final gig.

They came from Leicester to play that and they made the journey again to play this reunion.

The same goes for Vendetta, although they're from Peterborough and I saw them a second time in July 2013 at the annual Herofest at the Red Lion.

This goes to show the respect Denounce still have, not only as a band but for the people they are.

People will travel far and wide to play with and watch them such is their reputation and fan base.

Internal Conflict take the stage.

They have a new vocalist and bassist from when I last saw them.

And for the better I reckon.

They were everything I remember and then some!

The bass is heavy as fuck as and at some points in the set here are a few nice 'brown notes'!

The vocals are extremely powerful and the drums a pounding monster.

My only criticism is the guitars could have had a bit more oomph to them.

That said they were nice and crunchy with some awesome solo work.

A cracking five track set of crushing Metal.

It's a pity Leicester is so far away from me...

Although I'm a die hard Metal fan I've always had a soft spot for Hardcore.

Let's face it. If it wasn't for Hardcore there would be no Slayer.

I love the heaviness and the attitude it brought to Metal in the 80's.

So it's no wonder that Vendetta ticked all the right boxes for me when I first saw them.

Hardcore riffs and fucking heavy.

 

What's not to like about them? 

 

They play a blinding set finished off with a superb cover of Biohazard's 'Punishment'.

To say the venue is near to bursting is an understatement with everyone waiting in eager anticipation for Denounce.

For me, and many others I'm sure, this is the gig of the year. 

 

Scrap that. 

 

The decade.

Since their final gig!

I set my camera to record and hope the two Dave's remember to start the stage cameras whilst I battle my way towards the front.

 

This I will not be missing!

With an intense atmosphere guitarist Dave Irving starts the show with some fading in and out. 

 

Then the storm starts with 'Bloodied Congregation', one of my favourites.

In fact it used to be my ringtone and I may have to reinstate it!

Following is 'On Cold Skin' and 'Flesh Harvest', the first two tracks off the album 'Deep Wood, Shallow Grave' which, if you haven't got I strongly suggest you get in touch with the band for a copy while they still have some.

By the time they start to play 'Of Ghosts And Shadows' my body is, I kid you not, completely covered in goosebumps.

It felt like someone was not only walking over my grave but they were having a bloody party on it. And it felt GOOD!

'Backwater' (A new one from the old days, if that makes sense?!), 'Together In Sleep' and 'Fire Will Follow' knock the living shit out of everyone.

I don't want this night to end but unfortunately it must.

Dave Irving says a few “Thankyou's” to people and the set is finished with 'Roadkill Christ', one of my favourites from the album if only for it's name which was introduced by a fan named Radu who renamed it 'Radu Kill Christ'!

And with that we get a “Thankyou” and a “Goodnight” leaving a rabid crowd hungry for more.

Surely this can't be over yet?

Can it?

No way!

Thankfully Denounce have more up their sleeve to offer and we are treated to 'Within The House Of Putrid Blood'.

Another quick break and Dave Irving starts to play '… And The Needle is Thread' which is an instrumental intro to 'Sewn Silent' on the EP 'The Art Of Broken Teeth'.

This was truly mesmerising and leads into 'Solace', the final track on the album.

And that was it.

My favourite band from the local scene have played their reunion gig.

Will they play again sometime soon?

Or even a full reformation?

Who knows?

I really hope so.

One or the other is fine by me but preferably a full reformation and seeing them play some more festivals. 

Not necessarily the bigger festivals like Bloodstock, where they have played before, but the smaller ones such as Beermageddon or RadFest which are ideal for the genre and the underground scene and support it 100%.

Maybe the organisers of these festivals could invite them to play as special guests?

Or am I living in a dream after seeing them play again?

I hope not.

To end on a positive note, tonight was an absolutely blinding night and one that I, and many others I'm sure, will cherish and have fond memories for a very long time.

I'd like to thank Denounce for doing this and making the night the success it was.

And, of course, Vendetta, Internal Conflict, Immoral Minority and No Last Words.

Cheers Guys!

Denounce playing to a packed Red Lion. Photo courtesy of Vic Wintergeen.

The whole gig can be viewed on my YouTube page. I hope you enjoy it and all the other Metal videos on there.

I also have a Facebook page. Please take a look and like and share with your mates!

Thanks.

Colin

Let's Get Back To This Shit!

Right!
Time to get my sorry arse into gear and start doing some shit on here.
I have no excuse (apart from being ill the last couple of months) to have not done anything since March.
However you may have noticed that I now have a Facebook page called ColinTylerMetalVideos.
I've been putting a few things on there on a fairly regular basis simply because it's easy to do so from my phone.
But that doesn't build up my blog subscription at all, does it?!
So, my ambition is to do at least two posts a week of either an album review or a gig.
It may be a new album or it may be an oldie that I haven't listened to a while and feel I want to write something about it.
Or a review of a recently attended gig or reminiscing on a good time!

Don't forget that I also have a YouTube page.
Please also check out my wife's Blog and Facebook pages for a bit of family fun and dilemmas with the children!
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Have a great Christmas and New Year.
Colin \m/

Skreamer - "Blackened Earth" - Album Review

I've been waiting for this album for what seems an age. And believe me it's been worth the wait!

I first saw Skreamer at The Really Red Roar Festival at The Red Lion in Gravesend last year.
This was a TEN DAY event with 200 bands playing and I think they played three or four times (correct me if it's more guys!) and I managed to see them twice.Not bad as I only managed to make two days due to work commitments.

The first day I thought to myself, "Hmm... Not bad at all! Wouldn't mind seeing them again sometime."
Low and behold, I get to another day and The Skreamer Van was parked up outside and I thought, "Ooh, 'ello!"
The band recognised me from being there a couple of days earlier and asked me if I was recording bands again and if I'd be recording them (I didn't record them the first time) and I said, if they didn't mind, I'd like to.

And so to the album...

"Victim" has a killer riff, psychotic vocals and a great final breakdown that gets the album off to a flying start, followed by "S.M.I.L.E". which is short and more than sweet and has an almost NWOBHM feel to the intro with slightly heavier sounding guitars and a bass sound that certainly gets your attention.

Next up is "Nothing". Heavy as fuck bass again and at this point I noticed how good the drumming was. Why I didn't notice it during the first two tracks I'll never know but it suddenly grabbed me by the balls and brought the kind of grin to my face that only Heavy Metal can! Those who know, know...

"Opiate" with its slow intro gradually gets back on track and leads nicely to "Flesh And Blood" which is semi epic sounding showing true skill and musicianship.

"Straight To Hell" is a somewhat manic track and just what every Metal fan wants. A true 'pit song' for some 'Good Friendly Violent Fun' a la "Toxic Waltz"!

Bass, Bass and More Bass! That's what you get in "Bad Trip". One of my favourite live tracks which comes across brilliantly in the studio also. THAT BASS!!! This track could be a signature song for Skreamer. It's short and to the point, so STOP YOUR BITCHING...

"Time" - My notes read 'Ballad'. Having listened to it a few times I'm still not certain that ballad sounding tunes have a place in modern Metal.

The final track and album title "Blackened Earth", however, is an immense track. Its classic sound and solo's leading to the end tick all the boxes and leaves the hairs on the back of your neck standing up in anticipation of the next release which, hopefully, won't be too long.

To summarise. This is a varied album showing true talent from a young band that, having seen them live, enjoy what they're doing and are deserved of recognition.

Click here to watch the official "Blackened Earth" video.

Devildriver & Cannibal Corpse - The Forum, Kentish Town. 7th March 2012

This was a gig that I'd been looking forward to for about six months. What an amazing line-up at an equally amazing venue, The Forum having taken over from The Astoria for similar sized bands to play.

We missed Winds Of Plague due to the door and start times. No major excuse, just didn't make it. Sorry.

Unfortunately this gig was marred by two of my mates having their phones stolen from the person. They were not both coincidentally lost.
When speaking to the Police they advised us that they're aware of a gang that operates at The Forum taking phones from people when in a crowd and that there had been quite a few reports this night.
This was advertised on the venue screens advising people to be extra vigilant.
Someone was arrested that night for theft but it's unknown if they were part of the gang.
THIS HAS TO STOP.
Whilst it's impossible to stamp out crime please, everyone, take care of your belongings at gigs as the scum (only word that's suitable for a blog) do not care who you are or who we are and will target anyone. They don't care about genre. They only care about themselves and their like.
If you see anyone acting suspiciously bring it to the attention of a member of security. They're there to help and if one crime can be prevented and a non fan removed from the venue, then good.

We got in just as The Black Dahlia Murder was hitting the stage. I'd heard them on the radio before and liked what I heard so down towards the front we went.
It didn't take long for me to become entranced by them and look at Will who said, "You wanna go down the front, don't you?"
With a grin like a man possessed, I nodded and we entered the pit!
They play a great set (forgive me for not knowing the song titles) and it was clear to see the whole band had a blast and genuinely enjoyed themselves. The Cheshire Cat smiles gave that away.
And here's a surprise for you... During one track the crowd was told to 'go crazy and get crowd surfing', which they were only to happy to oblige. Even this old man at 43 joined in and took a leap back in time to his youth!

Cannibal Corpse need no introduction. The come on stage, say hello, do a line check and get the Hell on with it!
They play all the favourites you'd play on a first date including 'Hammer Smashed Face' and 'I Cum Blood'.
I can't remember many other titles as, again, I was at the front getting thrown about and doing crazy things!
Isn't that the only way to be at a Cannibal Corpse show?
If the band are giving 100% and then some. Show them a little love and give it back. Go MAD for them!

This was the first time I had the pleasure of seeing Devildriver and what a pleasure it was! No bullshit. Just full on, in your face, Heavy Fucking Metal!
I saw Coal Chamber on several occasions so knew what to expect from Dez Fafara. And, as always, he delivered the goods. He's an amazing front man that knows his stuff and certainly knows how to whip a crowd into a sweaty frenzy!
And when Fafara says his thanks to the bands, especially Cannibal Corpse, saying they're one of the best bands he's ever had the pleasure of touring with and how down to earth they are, you know he means this with (black) heartfelt passion. 
The band clearly enjoy themselves and what they're doing, with plenty of crowd interaction.
Now I've finally caught up with them live, I'll be sure of going to see again. ...And Again!

Where to start?

That's a good question!

I've been considering starting a blog for some time now to do with my love of all things METAL!
Not the element, but the music that has been somewhat of an obsession for over thirty years.
So here goes...

My earliest memories of listening to the heavier side of music from my youth is Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and the likes, later discovering AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Accept and so on.

Shortly after came the inevitable with Metallica (my all time favourite band) hitting my radar and I became a Thrash Metal fan in my early teens shortly after the release of "Kill 'em All".

With this brought Anthrax, Slayer, Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel, Dark Angel and Sacred Reich to name but a few from The USA and, of course, European greats such as Kreator, Destruction, Sodom and Celtic Frost.

Before I get accused of forgetting The UK bands...
Venom, Anihilated, Acid Reign, ReAnimator, the list is seemingly endless (time).
(A little pun there for the old Death Angel fans out there!)

Of course, Venom labelled themselves as Black Metal and claim to have started the genre.
I will not argue with this claim!

In true addict style, I love Black Metal too.

In between all this there is, of course, the Hardcore / Punk side of music. Bands such as Agnostic Front, DRI, Adrenaline OD and Circle Jerks. Again, the list goes on.

But how many genres of Metal is there?
Here's a Wikipedia Link for reference!

Whilst I stated at the start this blog was about my love of all things METAL, some of the genres, I have to admit, I'm still not getting.
That's not to say I don't like them, I just don't get them!
I've seen a lot of different types of METAL live and, whilst the band can play, they're tight, they're loud and shouty, sometimes I just don't get it.
I try, but I don't!
I'm sorry if I offend some of the younger generation.
Maybe it's an age thing now...


Well, that's a little bit of history out the way.

Let's get with the times and get up to date...

A few years ago my partner, Tracy, bought me a Creative Vado Pocket Camera. I don't know why, but she did.

I decided to take it along to see some bands play in the seaside resort of Sheerness-On-Sea and asked some of the bands if they'd mind me taking a few vidz of them they were all really keen.

This surprised me. Especially when I was asked if I'd be 'putting them up on You Tube'.
"You what?" I asked, having never heard of it and only recently hearing of this thing called 'My Space' and 'Facebook', as far as I'm aware, was in its infancy and no-one in the UK was using it!

So I did some research into whatever the Hell they were talking about and thought to myself, "Far out, Man!"
I set up an account and decided on the user name of colintylermetal, which I think sums me up nicely!

After a couple of years, and seeing what fun I was having, Tracy bought me another Vado. This time it was HD+. Amazing quality (for an amateur) and perfect for my needs.

I hope you enjoy watching them as much as I enjoy attending the gigs, recording them and uploading them.

Feel free to share them on whatever social network you use.
I ask only a few things in return:
1) Give me credit for it!
2) Give the bands credit.
3) Support the bands. Especially the Underground Scene by going to local gigs, buying their CD's, T-Shirts and other available merchandise.

And so to the future of this blog...

It is my intention to continue to attend gigs and do what I'm known for locally and further afield, but I'm also looking at reviewing albums and EP's when they are released or when I pick them up at a gig, reviewing gigs, promoting independent radio and gig promoters and keeping the true spirit of METAL alive.

Thankyou for taking the time to read this. I'll try to keep future posts (or are they blogs?) shorter, but if there's a lot to say about something METAL related... I'm gonna say it!