Somehow, a couple of years ago, I ended up with a spare deck. I was going to put it on the wall as a display item, but recently I changed my mind.
The deck in question was this Death Benson Devil Woman. I think I decided it was too wide and set up a different deck to skate – an 8.25″ Patrick Melcher Mermaid deck. I wouldn’t normally buy a deck just to display, so I must have skated one set up for longer than anticipated to end up with a spare.
Whatever the reason, this 8.5″ Benson was put aside to mount on the wall. Recently, my current set up was starting to get really worn out – I obviously needed a new one. As I’d been considering going wider, this 8.5″ deck was brought out of retirement and set up, ready to go.
I used some older Independent trucks that just about fit OK, and moved my current Slime Balls wheels across to this set up.
The result: a great new skateboard. It has that nice poop that new decks have, it feels awesome. I’ve really enjoyed skating it, slightly wider was a good move.
I’ve had one of these decks previously, though in a smaller width (you can read about it here). I’m still a big fan of Death skateboards, and of course the amazing artwork of Liane Plant!
New wheels may be an option in the near future, and definitely new bearings.
And there you have it: just another little post celebrating these rad skateboards that I’ve had the pleasure to ride over the years.
All of this stuff was bought from the extremely brilliant Native Skate Store.
Following a blinder of an evening’s entertainment for Day the First of North West Doom Fest, I was rested and ready to go for Saturday. Beginning at an earlier time in the afternoon, I unfortunately missed the first band of the bill, Hand of Omega, who played while I was still travelling into town. Sincere apolgies for this to all, I must catch them again sometime.
Arriving at the Saddle, the festivities were well and truly underway already. A decent sized crowd were in attendance in the rear courtyard, cradling beers and nursing themselves back to full health. There was no downer atmos that I could discern at all however, everyone seemed amped for the music ahead.
Moss Valley were the first band of the day that I actually got to see, and they were pretty damn good. This three piece straddled a retro seventies vibe with added desert rock Kyuss stylings. Great riffs and warm female vocals adding to the melodies, Moss Valley really made a huge impression. It’s tough to pick favourites at an event like this, but MV were definitely contenders.
Up next we had a visit from the Pagan lords of the north, Sabbat Wolf. This Leeds based band featured exemplary musicianship, again with a commanding female vocalist. What I enjoyed here were the Sabbath worshipping riffs augmented by beautifully tuneful, mellow passages that reminded me of Pink Floyd. Sabbat Wolf really stood out with these psychedelic flourishes and their unashamed occult theme – their song ‘Pagan Bloody Pagan’ tells you all you need to know!
Warpstormer had travelled up from Londonium to the ancient, walled city of Chester. These guys mix full throttle Metal with their Doom, think Orange Goblin rocking out at their trippiest. It’s a Stoner Metal attack that could have been related somewhere to Entombed or Motorhead, but had enough power and groove to fit in perfectly at this gig. Warpstomer were real crowd pleasers and also really nice guys.
Get your flat caps on and forget your fear of heights, it’s time for Shred Dibnah! The world’s premier Steeple Jack Rock band graced the stage of NW Doom Fest, amid clouds of smoke and a pummelling performance. With a portable chimney on stage belching out clouds, Shred Dibnah demolished the audience with roaming riffs and contrasting mellow sections that added to the hypnotic drill.
Borehead were the next band of the day, and again a different take on the Doom template. In contrast to other bands, these Londoners were largely instrumental – except for some weird and wonderful samples – with slow, fuzzy riffs more spaced out than Buck Rogers on a Venusian hookah pipe. Cerebral stuff that you’d assume would be better appreciated on headphones with some refreshment, but it went over very well.
I was already familiar with the mighty Deathfiend – I caught them live a while back, and was happily smashed to pieces with their ferocious onslaught. With elements of Death Metal and even Hardcore Punk in the Deathfiend sound, I wasn’t sure if they’d be too damn nasty for this festival, but they slotted right in neatly. Outrageously heavy Doom riffs delivered with a fiery intensity, this band are a force to be reckoned with.
You know how sometimes you see a band that looks so cool, you want to join up? Kill The Witch were that band at NW Doom Fest. These guys meld together the Sludgiest of Stoner and Doom Metal, traversing varying tempos and styles but always remaining true to The Riff. Roaring vocals top off a faster, more furious Sabbath sound that’s not without its clever invention and serpent-like surprises, throwing in some brutal hardcore along the way.
Finishing off NW Doom Fest 2025 were the mighty Amon Acid. Another Yorkshire based band, their distorted Doom Metal was part Electric Wizard style occult Metal, with hypnotic, psychedelic passages added for kicks. Yet again a different take on Doom with Hawkwind Space Rock and amazing Middle Eastern sounding passages seeping through the acid drenched fuzzy guitar, Amon Acid were a thoroughly entertaining musical experience, finishing the event in style.
And that, kids, was your lot. Everything was wrapped up in a timely fashion so that the punters could make buses and trains home, all of us with beaming, happy faces – gorged on the joy of The Riff. North West Doom Fest was a resounding success and I have to say I enjoyed every band I saw. All of them had their own unique identities, whichever winding track they took from the original concept of Doom. Cool venue, too. Now I feel really stupid for not going last year.
The Saddle is the number one – and surely only – Rock based pub in the City of Chester. A town more famed for drunken shenanigans and expensive outfits for the Races, this is the playground of the Cheshire Set and the wannabes. A home of Metal it is not. Not usually, anyway – except for the welcoming haven of The Saddle.
And for one weekend in April, the tiny G21 venue at the back of the pub hosted the second North West Doom Fest: two days of the heaviest, doomiest metal in the land. Absolutely fan-fucking-tabulous!
The evening began with Druid’s Cross, from not far away at all Liverpool. I’ve seen this band before, and knew they would be ideal to commence the festivities. Harsh vocals lead relentless, dynamic riffs with a traditional metal feel as well as a slow, doomy pace. There’s a dark, gothic edge to the music as well, resulting in a compelling sound that grabbed everyone’s attention from the start..
Festival organisers Lorraine and Mark were up next, with their amazing three-piece band, Warlockhunt. I’d also seen this band before, and I’m always amazed by the complexity of their dual bass and tribal drums sound. The other worldly female vocals have led to this band being described as Doom Pop (I coined that phrase, actually, thank you very much) and it’s easy to see why. Always different and always captivating.
Grim skeletal figures flanking the stage, inverted crosses and a duo wearing dark cloaks: Tumanduumband aren’t exactly shy of revelling in their ominous personas. What they are, is a West Midlands based Satanic Doom band, and their music is both atmospheric and heavy as hell itself. Fuzzed out, crushing riffs mean that the visuals aren’t inappropriate – this band is growing a cult based on their own dark riff-tuals.
Headlining tonight, and admittedly one of my favourite bands out there these days, the mighty Son of Boar rightfully took their place at the top of the bill. I became a big fan after seeing them play Pentre Fest some years ago. Bass wrangler Gaz is also an Ever Metal scribe, not that I’m biased at all, honest! Son of Boar played a set that was tight and forceful, with ear-worm riffs and thundering rhythms. Tusks up! The boys brought the HEH-VEEE, then slept the night on the floor of the venue, ‘cos they rock that hard.
Back in the very early 70’s, I accidentally missed getting on the bus with Black Sabbath (or was deliberately left behind, you choose), and found myself stranded in Sweden. Luckily, I had a few contacts and was able to get by, eventually meeting up with a couple of young Swedish lads in Stockholm. They were into folk music, but I could tell they were great musicians with an ear for a melody. After some persuasion, they agreed to try something new and join me in a new band, part heavy metal, part rock’n’roll, with a bit of folk thrown in to keep them happy.
Our jam sessions were going really well, with me handling the vocals and devil worshipping lyrics, and the lads on guitar and piano. We had numerous tracks rehearsed, with some killer riffs inspired by my old mentor, Tony Iommi.
Then one day, it was all over. The two lads decided metal wasn’t for them, and they hooked up with two Swedish girls in an attempt to make something more commercial. A great shame, I thought, as we had potential. Never mind, I’d saved up some cash to get back home and off I went. No idea what happened to those Swedes though. I think they could’ve gone far.
All this reminiscing brings me round to discussing the latest Brown Acid compilation from RidingEasy records – the nineteenth, if you can believe it. It’s been a while since I last reviewed one of these releases, so to summarise briefly for any late comers, Brown Acid compiles long lost gems from the late 60s through the early 70s as a document of the early days of hard rock and proto-metal from the time. Most of these tracks – and the groups who performed them – have been lost to mists of time, but it’s always a joy to rediscover them in the 21st century.
Our first song on this volume is “You Come on Like a Train” by the brilliantly named Dick Rabbit. Just under three minutes of Hendrix infused fuzz rock with clattering drums, it’s a high energy opener to get us moving. Next up is Blizzard with “Be Myself”, which has a killer intro riff that then dominates the song. Think Cream or Mountain and you’ll be on the right avenue.
“Sun City – Part II” is a gritty, raw rocker from the less imaginatively named Fox – the catchy riff is a beauty. Next up, Sweet Wine give us “Bringing Me Back Home”, a boogie, rock’n’roll bar-room brawl number that injects some Southern Rock into proceedings. It’s an unusual move for a Brown Acid comp, but it works well. Finishing off Side One is Enoch Smokey and their cover of the Chuck Berry classic, “Roll Over Beethoven”. A cover is also an atypical move for Brown Acid, but this rendition has enough apocalyptic hard rock mayhem to warrant its inclusion.
Side Two commences with “Get You” by Flight, a Grand Funk style rocker that’ll get your head noddin’. “Indian” from Quick Fox offers a more cerebral lyrical approach, lamenting the fate of Native Americans (no surprise there). It does have a late 60s psychedelic shine that gives the song a different feel and identity. Then it’s back to some full-on hard rock with “The Fury in Your Eyes” by Bonjour Aviators – a spectacular band name, great riff and almost punk vocals.
Cedric delivers “I’m Leaving” next, which is lo-fi garage rock that’s simple but damn effective – like The Kinks covering The White Stripes in a Detroit dive bar. Finally, we have the brain destroying proto–Space Rock of Zane with “Step Aside”, which sounds like Hawkwind sound tracking classic 70s dystopian sci-fi movie, Logan’s Run. If you don’t think that sounds cool, your life clock must’ve already died.
And that’s that: another ten songs saved from the wilderness and given a new lease of life, a second chance of glory thanks to the caring curatorship of RidingEasy records. And all the bands get paid, which is super cool. Brown Acid: the Nineteenth Trip is very much recommended for anyone who worships at the altar of early 70s rock – and also a great soundtrack to any party. Get it on!
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