Lomax and Inertia Recording Studio presents:
Reperium, Cthulhu, Our Imbalance, The Riverside and Pay for your Sins
The Lomax, Liverpool
3rd January 2014
Overview:
Well with the dreaded Xmas out of the way and a new year well and
truly making its presence felt, what better way than to kick start it properly
by witnessing five local acts, at a venue that is more than welcoming and
generally moshing out and experiencing metal at its best!
Tucked away in a dark little corner of Cumberland Street is The
Lomax – it’s nothing special from the outside and lots of people walk past unaware of
its existence, that is until the bands get on stage and as many people pass by
their focus is immediately and usually drawn to where these sounds are emanating
from – this means you have found The
Lomax!
With four bands I have never seen live before, I resisted all but Cthulhu clicking on a link for their
latest E.P to get a sample of what was to come – they were simply much better
live, although superb on Bandcamp. I
purposely didn’t click on any music from Pay
for your Sins, Our Imbalance and
The Riverside because I simply like
the element of surprise and I got it in abundance at last night’s gig – make no
mistake!
Despite the bands not going on at the allotted times running around
fifteen minutes later than advertised and ‘The Day Will Come’ having to drop
out due to a bereavement, (which everyone was saddened to hear about, and no
doubt when things have settled look forward to seeing you all play live soon!) (Being
replaced at very short notice by Pay for
your Sins) everything went to plan and everyone had a great time sampling
the bestial and brutal onslaught, be it in angry body movements or just plain
head banging.
A note about Inertia Recording
Studios:
https://www.facebook.com/inertiarecordingstudio
Inertia Recordings is a professional recording studio based in the heart of Liverpool
city centre. It offers high quality
recordings using industry standard equipment at very affordable rates with January prices.
******
Pay for your Sins – St. Helens,
Merseyside - 7.45 – 8.15
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/payforyoursinsofficial
Genre: Metal/Metal Core/Hard Core
Biography:
“The St. Helens five-piece have all the elements of heavy metal to
make them very exciting; with quick fire breakdowns and red hot riffs along
with Jack Jones’s undertone of Scouse, but it sounds good, almost like the
Beatles have gone insane with their vocals makes PFYS metal at its very best”
.JPG)
Pay for your Sins - during Sound Check
The band released an E.P entitled ‘Free Me’ back in 2009 and then
released a CD entitled ‘No Heart No Soul’ back in 2012.
The thing that makes PFYS
unique in an odd kind of way are the clean vocals by Jack Jones – they
certainly are an acquired taste as they seemed rather weak in comparison to the
rest of the band’s ferocious onslaught and I much prefer the dirty, nitty gritty
growls myself, of which there was no lacking what so ever! Thank you Ryan!
.JPG)
Danny - Arms of steel
.JPG)
Jonathan - Hands of magic
Ryan - Vocals of Satan
But it should certainly not go unnoticed though, that Jonathan
Foster’s epic guitar work was absolutely mesmerising. His hands turned into
claws grasping the strings and then with feather light precision produced some
more amazing magical sounds.
I found myself being drawn to his playing so much I just caught
glimpses of the other members, which is something I don’t normally do, as I
usually focus in on each member – but it was so difficult taking my eyes off
Jonathan and how he brought that guitar to life. It was like watching a very skilled magician
as he seemed to produce perfect riffs like magicians produce ‘correct’ cards. It will certainly stay with me for a long time
to come.
PFYS music is without a doubt in the ‘heavy’ category but also possesses
some beautiful melodic touches. The scathing vocals are anything but beautiful
in every sense of the word and show a brutal force, but for me the clean vocals
pose a problem and are just too weak to carry the band. However the rhythmic
punches, and sure fire pit born screams coupled with low hideous growls – were
phenomenal. It was certainly a good way
to kick start the event. Hopefully they will retrace their steps back to the
Lomax at some point – here’s hoping!
9/10
Set List:
(Introduction)
Theology Scholar
Vanity
Past and Present
Not Alone
Empty Chest
Deep Breath
Members:
Joel Wallace – Rhythm Guitar
Jack Jones – Bass/Backing Vocals
Danny Jones - Drums
Ryan Pennington - Vocals
Jon Foster – Lead Guitar
******
The Riverside – Liverpool – 8.30 –
9.00
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/theriversideuk
Genre: Metal/Hardcore
My fave track from The Riverside
was Punch & Judy and believe me when I say it certainly had punch! The stage
was literally vibrating with aggression although not showing any melodic
touches at all - it was a powerful solid show of anger and although engaging to
the gathering crowd was for me, slightly less effective at being able to follow
a musical path.
Riverside in action
However the crowd – and yes there was a crowd, were turning into
whirling dervishes with arms and legs flying, so one had to stand well clear of
the melee which was another factor at not being able to fully focus on the band
in question.
But for sheer aggression they had that in abundance, the cascading
rhythms were solid and sure fire mosh pit starters of which there was certainly
no lacking.
9/10
Set List:
Intro
Masks On
Kingsway
290
Punch & Judy
Members:
Connor Murphy - Guitar
Courtney Smith - Guitar
Ben Macwhinnie – Vocals
Craig Quinno - Drums
Joshua Parker – Bass
******
Our Imbalance – St. Helens – 9.15
– 9.45
Links:
Genre: Metalcore
Biography:
“Formed in 2011 and currently writing material for their debut album
Pandora’s Box due for release early 2014”
I don’t think the Lomax knew what hit it last night. Eric Bickerstaff more than truly made his
presence felt before he got on stage – he flung himself around to the previous
bands like he was possessed and it was only the fact that on stage with guitar
in hand, did it stop him from going totally berserk although even his guitar
didn’t stop him in the end and he grabbed the mic and launched into the crowd –
the faces of everyone around me was one of deep joy as well as shock as the
madman continued his rampage and of course the fire was fuelled to one of sheer
pumped aggression with a few of the brave souls in the audience joining in.
Our Imbalance
Kadeem and Cavan
The crazy Eric Bickerstaffe
Kadeem the redeemer and frontman's face contorted in a twisted
frenzy of anger as each chord struck. In fact the whole band just went crazy on
stage in a fit of anger was no doubt fuelled by the surging rage of metal core
and in turn fuelled by the fracas in front of them as certain members of the
audience participated – so much so Matty and Paul the Lomax bouncers were
called in to stop a full on war of bodies. Brave men indeed!
Arms, legs and every other body part imaginable!
First time for ‘Our Imbalance’
to grace the stage at the Lomax and I very much doubt it will be the last! Proving
they, like the rest of last night’s bands, have a healthy appetite for hungry and
riveting intensity!
‘Our Imbalance’ haven’t reinvented the wheel but what they have done here is
overwhelmed us with a sprawl of violent and predacious atmosphere that is just
simply hard to ignore!
10/10
Set List:
Pangaea
Man of the House
Sleepers
Counting the Day
Deception
Members:
Kadeem France – Vocals
Cavan Michaelides – Bass
Eric Bickerstaffe – Guitar/Vocals
Adam Rogers - Drums
******
Cthulhu – Liverpool – 10.00 –
10.30
Links:
Genre: Djent/Hardcore/Groove Metal
Biography:
As some bands fade into the distance others spring up everywhere and
here is one such band that has newly formed in the shape of Cthulhu – performing their first ever
show in Liverpool after hitting stages in Colwyn Bay and Southport and after
tonight will be wreaking havoc in Rhyl 10.01.14 at the North Inn and The
Compass in Chester 24.01.14. The band have already released a 5 track
self-titled E.P out on the 1st November 2013 (Produced by Lee
Carmichael) of Reperium fame, which
you can download here for free in all its glory: http://cthulhumetal.bandcamp.com/
Cthulhu are just as poignant live as on their Bandcamp E.P (reviewed a few
days ago) offering more than ‘just metal’ with hard core, groove - plenty of
that and bestial grind core – what more could you ask?
Cthulhu
The name Cthulhu was
spawned from a novel by H. P. Lovecraft as most of you will know and who was
the master of some weird fiction, dying in 1937 but not before leaving behind
his legacy. However Cthulhu – the band are more strange fact than fiction and produce engaging
riffs rather than thought provoking words on paper.
Nobody would ever have guessed they had newly formed and it being
their first show in Liverpool. They all appeared confident amid the dry ice
that lingered. The atmosphere was already at fever pitch. Cthulhu just went on to raise the stakes even higher as a reign of
terror cloaked the hungry onlookers who again despite being told to ‘calm down’
took little notice as the irresistible grooves gained momentum resulting in
what can only be described as sheer mind control as the music took hold.
A severe and potent mix of savagery that touched all the senses in the
most powerful way possible through the art of music, sonically charged and
injected with primal lust – seeing is believing!
Here’s hoping it won’t be the last time we see Cthulhu live. I can definitely recommend you go and see for
yourself just what explosive anger and aggression looks like in musical form.
10/10
Set List:
1907
Death Prevails
Consequences
Repente
Forced to Exist
Members:
Alex Chan – Bass
Rory Bellamy - Guitar
Dean Coughlin – Guitar
James Lyon – Drums
Michael Page – Vocals
******
Reperium – Liverpool – 10.45 –
11.15
Links:
https://www.facebook.com/reperium
Genre: A Scouse blend of
Progressive Metal/Djent/Metalcore/Deathcore and Ambient.
Old favourites Reperium
never EVER fail to impress me – they have produced some amazing tracks over the
years but now, they have just got heavier in sound. They have also produced
some beautiful progressive moments – so it’s a bit like beauty and the beast if
you like.
Mike
Lee with Mike in the background
Ant
Danny and Lee
Danny B
Danny, Lee and Mike
Mike’s vocals take your breath away – but apparently not his,
he was still raring or should I say roaring, to go long after the gig had
finished, no sign of a sore throat anywhere, but this is due to punishing
practise regimes and sheer determination.
The band were all focused on the task in hand and launched into one
beautiful but brutal attack on the aural. Ant and Mike had just found out that
a close friend of theirs had died in November and dedicated the track ‘Kintsukuroi’
to him which was a nice touch, although as soon as Mike had announced it I felt
cold shards of air rip through me – no doubt their friend was enjoying their
gig in the front row, after all!
It wouldn’t be a Reperium
gig if the band didn’t play the awesome ‘Deterioration’ the track that is at
the very heart of Reperium itself and
Mike promised always to play the track live, so I always listen out for it. They
delivered it with ravaging precision.
‘Blood Money’ is without a doubt the heaviest track I have heard
from the band so far and executed with true brute force – it’s such an engaging
track that knows just how to bite when you least expect it.
Brothers united in music
With no apparent failings of equipment this time round the band played
the awesome ‘Kenny Lads Chronicles’ I just love hearing that – the whiny Scouse
accent of a scally kid being serenaded by contagious grooves always makes me
smile even if he is announcing ‘This is what Kenny do’ ‘I wake up and me bird’s
in me bed’ and ‘shag girls!’ it’s so tongue in cheek but probably true! – I just
love it and thanks Mike for dedicating the track to me along with ‘Blood Money’
little things mean a lot!
As I have followed Reperium’s
rise and loved ‘Sick Circus’ back in the day – I will always go out of my way
to watch this band live as they are just solid, emotionally charged musicians
whose hearts are all in the right places.
Finishing slightly later than planned, this was one mesmerising
performance I personally didn’t want to end. Long live Reperium!
10/10
Set List:
Intro
Galaxies
New Cali
Kintsukuroi
Deterioration
Blood Money
Kenny Lad Chronicles
Members:
Michael Lothario - Vocals
Antony Lothario - Lead/Rhythm Guitar
Danny Skarratts - Lead/Rhythm Guitar
Lee Carmichael - Bass Guitar
Danny Barnes – Drums
******
** Special thanks to Frank and Jo the host and hostess with the
mostest and to Kath and the rest of
the obliging bar staff at The Lomax. Lee Carmichael & Inertia Recordings for bringing together a
solid line-up and of course to
Kyle stopping for a moment to catch his breath
Kyle for
the sound without him – well it wouldn’t sound at all would it? And special
shout out to Rufus Hok – we meet at
last! Also a mention to Shaun for
the awesome dreads and Danny the
human whirlwind and not forgetting Matty
and Paul the Lomax bouncers who
made sure we all survived and of course to ALL
the amazing bands who performed to the best of their abilities last night and
then some! Reperium, Cthulhu, Our
Imbalance, The Riverside and Pay for your Sins. Superb night!
