Show Review
Words and Pictures BY Ashley Wilkes
Dead Man’s Chest, Solemn Promise, Blind Mentality, Eyes upon a Ghost, Outta Luck, Internal War
The Racehorse Northampton
Friday 21st February 2014
Hi I’m Ash and because Jay has been pretty tied up with work at the moment he decided for me to help out posting stuff and I had the opportunity to check out some awesome bands in Northampton at the Racehorse.
It’s a decent sized hall stuck to the back of a pub much like the Craufurd Arms in my hometown. This venue has changed hands recently but it seemed like it was pretty much the same good old venue it's always has been. I’ve watched and played gigs here before and it’s a pretty fun place to play and watch bands and it's pretty easy to get to if you don’t mind walking a bit.
Site: https://www.facebook.com/theracehorse?fref=ts
This night was put on by a new group of people putting on shows called NN UNIT. This was the first show they’ve put on, and what a strong lineup they put on for this night! Which drew a very good number of people for their first show. Hopefully NN Unit will take N’town HC scene to the next level.
Site: https://www.facebook.com/NNUNIT?fref=ts
First there was Internal War from nearby Kettering. And I’m gonna start with an apology, as due to the various roadworks going on in Northampton coupled with the fact I suck at being punctual, I missed half of internal war’s set (not a good start?).
Internal War
But there have been some murmurings about this band since its creation late last year and from what I saw of this band and by what people said, and keep in mind this was their first show, they were very good and really tight and I really enjoyed what I saw. Their songs were sick and hella catchy especially when they went into a sludgy beatdown which made people go nuts. I can see them being a favourite for people who like to mosh up front and grab mic's. Keep an eye out for this band.
Site: https://www.facebook.com/internalwarhc
They are due to have a split with Outta Luck coming in the near future.
Outta Luck
Then after Internal War, MK’s hardest and one of Bleak’s most talked about bands, Outta luck. I’m a big fan of this band not because they’re my good friends and former band mates, but theyre really something to look out for and this show was no exception.
Their set comprised of songs off their 2013 demo and a couple of new songs that sounded awesome. They opened up with a cover of a classic tune - 21 Seconds by So Solid Crew. Albeit twisted with their own chug and groove style they pulled it off, they then powered on into each song relentlessly with a good energy that maintained throughout their set which got the better of guitarist Dan who ran off the stage onto the floor and yanked the plug out of his amp right when the first riff of the second song came in.
Their set hammered on, which included of a couple of sick new ones that carried on their style. I especially liked the second new one, they got the crowd moving, everyone looked to be into it and if there weren’t moving there was plenty of people who looked like they were about to. All in all it was an awesome set and lovely to see this band go from strength to strength. Top lads.
Demo link (includes download links) : https://soundcloud.com/outta-luck-mkhc/sets/demo-2013
Site: https://www.facebook.com/outtaluckmkhc
Eyes Upon a Ghost
Proceeding after Outta Luck was Eyes Upon a Ghost from Yorkshire. Who mix beat down with a healthy slab of Slam Death Metal, a style of which I was curious to see. A solid set of songs which were powerful and possessed a barrage of beatdowns that pummeled you like a punch in the face. I like what I heard and so did the crowd.
With a combination of doomy-sludgy goodness, which reminded me of Xibalba, which broke out into faster parts with vocals which ranged from hardcore shouts to pig squeals with bags of low end and a gyrating bass player.... Good stuff.
Site: https://www.facebook.com/eyesuponaghost which includes two singles for download.
Blind Mentality
DMHC from the South Coast, as a fan of both death metal and hardcore their set was particularly enjoyable for me, with songs that were very catchy and VERY easy to lose yourself in and start moshing. Their songs were well structured, unpredictable and the least you could do was head bang to this. This band will not keep you standing still. Especially with a song that included a beatdown which went into cannibal corpse-esque riffing. BWP and Desolated fans will enjoy. Vocals have a hint of Aj in there awsell. Loved it.
Site: https://www.facebook.com/BLIND.MENTALITY . Includes their 6 track EP Bane of Humanity for download at name your price.
Solemn Promise
Solemn Promise from Northampton have been one of my favorite local bands, I’ve had the benefit of playing with these guys at a few shows and they’ve always been a hard act to follow and they are all very sound lads.
Their set consisted of tracks that hammered you to the bone with riffs. You can tell these guys have spent time working on their tones, with Sam’s guitar giving off an awesome sound and Colban’s bass tone which adds a nice rattle on top to add to the barrage of brutality from the brothers of Ash (Drums) and Dan (vocals) Hodgkins. Each song has its own way of hooking you in with their kickdrum led beatdowns and powerful riffs with the added bonus of being able to grab the mic and shouting along (which this set had a lot of) which was very fun to watch.
Dead Man’s Chest
A band you’ve probably heard of or are going to be hearing in the near future, London’s Dead Man’s Chest mean business. Their set was fast, brutal and fueled by hate, it was like a well oiled machine they kept the crowd gripped especially with their cover of Intergrity’s Bringing It Back.
Moshing was a given. It’s what you have to do when you see this band. With the hope of a US tour and further touring in the UK and mainland Europe, this band are ready for domination. Their live show is a statement to that.
Site: https://www.facebook.com/deadmanschest , http://thedeadmanschest.bandcamp.com
Words and pictures by Ashley Wilkes
Bleak Zine Facebook page HERE
As always hit me up with your bands E.Ps, demos, shows and all that jazz at soulcraft1@msn.com
