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North West Doom Fest – Part 2

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North West Doom Fest 

4th – 5th April 2025 

The Saddle, Chester 

Saturday 5th April 

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/mossvalleyband/

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! 

https://www.facebook.com/sabbatwolf/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/Warpstormer/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/shreddibnah/?locale=en_GB

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/boreheadofficial/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/DeathFiend1/?locale=en_GB

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/killthewitchband/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/amonacidband/?locale=en_GB

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.            

https://www.facebook.com/Thesaddleinnchester/?locale=en_GB

North West Doom Fest – Part 1

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North West Doom Fest 

4th – 5th April 2025 

The Saddle, Chester 

Friday 4th April 

Friday 4th April 

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.. 

https://www.facebook.com/druidscrossband/?locale=en_GB

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/warlockhunt/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/tumanduumband/

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.      

https://www.facebook.com/SonOBoar/

That’s it for Day One. Stay tuned for Day 2 – which will follow very soon!

The Saddle is on Facebook.

Pentre Fest 2025

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Pentre Fest 2025

Mclean’s Pub, Pentre, Deeside

Friday 21st & Saturday 22nd February 2025

Here we go with another Pentre Fest, the absolute highlight of my musical calendar! This is the crowning glory of North East Wales Metal Productions‘ festivals – and a huge deal to both the bands and the fans. I couldn’t wait to get to Mclean’s in Deeside and enjoy the music!

This year, another stellar line-up of bands from both near and far, with a good spread of genres. Ever Metal was in full force, with Beth and Mare joining myself for the festivities. With all of us in attendance, we split reporting duties to cover as much as possible as easily as we could.

And so, here are the reviews I composed all by my lonesome, concentrating on musicians that I wanted to contribute to (rather than all of them).

If you want to read the full review, try this here link to Ever Metal.

Friday 

Mother Thunder 

I saw Mother Thunder play in Pentre a few months back, they were superb.  This time around, they were even better.  MT play a hard hitting, groove laden take on classic rock/metal – think Thin Lizzy twin guitars with a bit of Maiden chug – and sublime female vocals.  Heavy rock with irresistible riffs, Mother Thunder lit up the room and could’ve (should’ve) been higher up the bill.  

Apollyon Rising 

Filling in last minute, Apollyon Rising were a man down as their bass player was on holiday in Morocco.  The selfish git.  But with a bit of soundboard wizardry, the remainder of the band confidently gave us a set of prime thrash metal that didn’t shame their reputation one iota.  I knew they could pull it off.  As a wise man once said, never doubt a band with a killer logo (and the talent to match). 

Saturday 

DXRK Winter 

Thankfully, I managed to catch the latter half of DXRK Winter’s set and I glad I did.  They were on first on the main stage in the afternoon, their brutal metal attack was brilliantly performed and went down really well with a crowd that could’ve been chilling, but didn’t.  A worthy act to play higher up the bill. 

Cry for Mercy 

You can’t go wrong with the blues based classic rock swagger of Cry for Mercy.  Great tunes, all built around the majesty of the riff and a persuasive groove.  I loved every second, it’s a shame they were on so early.  Never miss a chance to see Cry For Mercy if you get it.  Their new songs were just as good as old, new album is out soon! 

Victim of Damp 

Frank Williams, aka Victim of Damp, is becoming a popular mainstay of Pentre gigs.  His bipolar set comprises one half of mellow, hangover curing melody followed by a series of playful, Pythonesque parodies.  And he gets more confident every time. 

Bad Earth 

It just wouldn’t be Pentre Fest without these guys!  Bad Earth delivered a reliably ferocious set of raucous biker rock and despite sound hiccups on the first couple of songs, soldiered on admirably.  This was take-no-prisoners rock’n’roll to make Lemmy proud.  Their acoustic set was also a blinder, cooking up some awesome sing-a-long responses from the crowd outside. 

Mike West & the Missing Links 

It’s been a good few years since I saw Mike West play a solo acoustic show at Pentre.  Mike’s brand of dark country and bluegrass is now augmented by a band of drums and fiddle, adding a certain folky, Levellers feel to the tracks.  A brilliant diversion under the surprisingly blue skies of the late afternoon, this set was further proof that a metal festival can experiment with genres. 

The Raging Mables 

Now I was really looking forward to seeing this band.  I’d enjoyed viewing their Pentre Fest pre-event interview with Beany, plus they have one of the best band names ever.  No arguments.  The Raging Mables were like the Ramones playing ZZ Top, a 200mph Zeke-like melodic explosion of punk’n’roll.  One of the most perfect bands ever.  

Toranaga 

Back to some welcome thrash metal, it was indeed a huge bonus to get to witness the power of Toranaga at Pentre.  These guys are exceptional musicians, their shredding guitars creating a sound akin to classic Bay Area Thrash from the likes of Exodus and Testament.  And that is very, very good.  Their cover of ‘Mad House’ by Anthrax warmed my ancient heart, too.    

Stuntface 

Stuntface hail from just up the road in Wrexham, and it was great to see them finally bring their brand of flat-out, relentless hardcore punk to Pentre Fest.  Their songs are furious yet melodic, played super-fast and with a huge grin on bass player/vocalist Wayne’s face.  An absolute treat – Stuntface must play here again! 

What a blast that was! The guys at NEW Metal Productions always put on a heck of a show and this was no exception. Didn’t get tickets for the Black Sabbath gig this summer? Get yourselves out there and support underground metal, you’ll feel better.

My favourite Pentre Fest so far? Only time will tell…

UK Subs – Gig Review

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UK Subs + The Crapsons

Saturday 16th November 2024

The Rockin’ Chair, Wrexham

UK Subs have been around for a while. Their roots go right back to the early days of British punk rock, incorporating dozens of albums and nearly as many band members. They’ve released an album for every letter of the alphabet, A to Z, and have played all over the world. And guess what? Despite being a fan for years, I’ve never seen them live. Time to correct that mistake, with the Subs appearing just up the road from me in Wrexham.

The Rockin’ Chair used to be known to me as Central Station, and I’ve seen a fair few bands there (such as The Damned, twice, if I recall). This was my first visit to the venue in it’s new guise, though happily not much had changed.

Our fearless support was Birkenhead based The Crapsons, who dealt a reliably fun and furious selection of fast punk rock numbers. Most songs are brief and to the point, played well and enthusiastically, with a healthy dollop of tongue in cheek humour. Highlights included ‘Fuck Off’ and its sequel, ‘Fuck Off Again’, but the whole set was energetic and enjoyable.

Yours truly popped off to the bar, where I spotted legendary UK Subs vocalist/visionary Charlie Harper, who was merrily hanging about chatting to fans. I returned after The Crapsons set, picked up a copy of the newly re-issued “Flood of Lies” album, and asked Charlie to sign it. This he gladly did, as well posing for a selfie. Seems like nothing is too much for this true gentleman of punk, Charlie happily agreed to requests with a pleasant “No worries!” What a lovely bloke.

Unfortunately my selfie was not lovely. I’m a total novice at such things, and made the classic mistake of taking the shot from a low angle. Thus, my rock’n’roll claim to fame features a smiling Charlie, but is ruined by me looking like a huge necked gorilla.

The crowd in The Rockin’ Chair had built considerably, and when the UK Subs took to the stage, there was a roar of approval. Straight away the band sent forth a barrage of songs from their vast back catalogue. Sadly, however, the sound for the frist half dozen songs was diabolical. Alvin Gibbs’ bass was phenomenal, rumbling and gliding along, but Steve Straughan’s guitars were totally lost. Thankfully this seemed to improve from ‘Down on the Farm’ onwards, with the sound coming to life.

No problems with the drums, played expertly by Stefan Häublein. And of course, Charlie was superb: a benign punk rock general leading his faithful troops over the top, on a charge into a rock’n’roll no man’s land where we could all party together. ‘Warhead’ was rousingly brilliant, everyone singing along. ‘Stranglehold’ (the first Subs song I ever heard, fact fans!) was still a blast of fresh air, all these years later.

Returning for an encore, I remember ‘CID’ and ‘You Don’t Belong’ received by an audience who really didn’t want it all to end. UK Subs persevered through sound problems with power and professionalism, giving the loyal fans an unforgettable night. Personally, I was stoked to finally hear these songs live and be part of a UK Subs audience. Fingers crossed I’ll get to do it again. Thanks to all for making this happen, it’s amazing to see classic bands of this stature in the local area.

The Cult – Gig Review

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The Cult + Jonathan Hultén

Friday 25th October 2024

02 Apollo Manchester

November 25 1991, Manchester G-MEX. That was the last (and first) time I saw The Cult perform live. They were my favourite band and being there to witness them in person was a hell of a thrill, I was barely 19 years old and I’d never been to a gig of that scale before. Years go by, and I’m finally going to see The Cult again, this time at the far more atmospheric Apollo, rather than the cavernous aircraft hanger of the old G-MEX.

Yes indeed, it had been a long time since I saw my old mates Billy and Ian up on a stage. A lot had happened during that time – for all of us – but the music was always there.

Our support act this evening, in a seemingly incongruous move, was Jonathan Hultén. Standing solo on stage, swathed in veils and enigmatic face paint, Hultén was not what many were expecting to open the show. His music was dark, ethereal folk, with acoustic guitar and haunting vocals. At first I was intrigued, as the music continued I became thoroughly engaged. Just a few days before Halloween, this Scandinavian folk horror and gothic bombast was entirely appropriate to open this event.

More surprises, even more pleasant, revealed themselves when The Cult took to the Apollo stage – accompanied by a sample of ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ from Apocalypse Now (a genius move in itself). Launching into an earth-shaking ‘In The Clouds’, followed by ‘Rise’, from the insanely underrated “Beyond Good and Evil” album, this was not what I was expecting at all. Both songs are later entries in the band’s cannon, and sit gloriously at the heavier end of their repertoire. I adore both tracks – this was going to be interesting.

“Electric” album cut ‘Wildflower’ was next. One of my favourite Cult songs, I could’ve left at that point and been satisfied. More hard hitting classics followed with the swagger of ‘Star’ and Charlie Jones’s thudding bass introducing ‘The Witch’. New track ‘Mirror’ slots in seamlessly, then we get another mighty song from “Beyond Good and Evil”, ‘War (The Process’). All well known songs to Cult freaks like me, but not obvious choices by any means.

Billed as “The Cult 8424” – a 40 year anniversary tour – I’d expected a Greatest Hits set, culled mainly from the bands mid 80’s days. Early non-album single ‘Resurrection Joe’ was therefore no surprise, otherwise, this set spanned eras and albums confidently. Next was an acoustic ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’ – I’ve always preferred this song in stripped down form to the “Sonic Temple” production.

‘Sweet Soul Sister’ was my chance for a quick “comfort break” – I’ve never been a huge fan. Great riff, overblown chorus! Another surprise followed, with ‘Lucifer’ from the “Choice of Weapon” record. The huge, epic riff of this song has made it one of my favourites, so a real bonus to hear live. John Tempesta on drums really powered all these songs home flawlessly, with both groove and power.

The latter part of the set delivered all the big crowd pleasers; an anthemic ‘Firewoman’, a truly captivating ‘Rain’ (surely one of the greatest rock riffs of the era), the tribal beauty of ‘Spiritwalker’. Billy Duffy, playing to a home town crowd, performed guitar magic throughout: from gutsy, gritty riffs to mesmerising yet direct, never fancy melodies. Lightning bolt energy from Ian Astbury galvanised the audience, as he revelled in the role of shamanic leader. And with a final roar through ‘Love Removal Machine’, it’s over.

Except it isn’t! Of course not, we all know The Cult will be back for an encore. But what will it be? Any more surprises?

‘Brother Wolf, Sister Moon’ is a classic track from the wonderful “Love” album, but wasn’t a single and so a very welcome reward. Finally, of course, the legendary ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ rings out and unites the crowd in a euphoric shared moment – Astbury’s air raid siren vocals leading the throng. I swear that man doesn’t need a microphone.

My return visit to The Cult’s sonic temple took a few years longer than anticipated. It was great to see them on such fine form, revelling in the classics and confident in their position as genuine, treasured heroes. What really made the gig for me though, was the sheer joy of hearing a very generous helping of less obvious, but very beloved tracks that I wasn’t expecting. No ‘Lil’ Devil’, but the rest of the set made up for it. I’ll return sooner next time.

PS: we need “Beyond Good and Evil” re-releasing on vinyl, please lads!

GBH – Gig Review

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GBH + Stuntface + Bogans

Saturday 20thJuly 2024

Buckley Tivoli

Well, The Tiv managed to do it again! Another legendary band enticed to play this great venue in Buckley, North Wales. The list of classic bands who’ve played at the Tivoli Venue over the years is, quite frankly, ridiculous. This time, renowned Birmingham punks GBH were our headliners. Trust me when I say, I snapped up a ticket as soon as this show was announced.

Leading the charge this evening were Bogans, from up the road in Wrexham. Sadly I missed them, but have it on good authority that the band were great. I’ve checked out their tunes online and this is true. Shame I didn’t get to see ’em, their hardcore punk with melody would’ve been a fine way to start.

Next up were resurrected Wrexham punk rockers Stuntface – brought back to life with some kind of bizarre voodoo ritual, it would seem. Their super fast merging of classic UK punk (UK Subs, Vice Squad) and US hardcore (Misfits, Cro-Mags) was a rousing, WOAH-OH chorusing, adrenaline soaked set. Great fun and so good to have them back.

GBH playing at the Tiv was a no brainer for me. I’ve owned their records for well over 30 years, but never seen ’em live. And get this: an early bird ticket cost me just £12! Now that is just crazy, and makes very good financial sense to an old miser like me. Thankfully this wasn’t a budget set: GBH ran through a mighty wedge of their back catalogue with all the fire and fury of a band of whippersnappers.

Song after song, it was relentless. I checked my watch and was stunned that they’d only been on stage for half an hour, so intense was the setlist. “Sickboy”, “Momentum”, “Wardogs” and more raced past with barely a break between songs. “City Baby Attacked By Rats” was a much welcomed highlight, before the night ended with GBH covering the Motorhead classic “Bomber”.

The full GBH set was, of course, much longer than half an hour – cram packed with fantastic songs from right across their career, it was extremely good value for money. Twelve quid well spent, but I’d have happily paid a lot more to attend this gig. Simply unmissable.

Living Colour – Gig Review

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Living Colour + Red Zephyr

Saturday 2nd December 2023

Buckley Tivoli

Yet another massive coup for the good ol’ Tiv! The Tivoli Venue in Buckley, North Wales is a legendary spot and has attracted some amazing, big names over the years. The latest to pay a visit and astonish us with their prowess were alt-rock icons Living Colour. This was, indeed, a big deal. I bought my ticket as soon as it was announced.

No surprise, the Tiv was packed to the rafters on this Saturday evening. It was a good atmosphere from the start, a feeling of warm anticipation in the air. I caught up with several friends old and new, but that meant I didn’t get much experience of support band Red Zephyr. What I did hear, they seemed to be a supremely capable and enjoyable hard rock band – one to investigate further in the future.

Now me and Living Colour go back some way. I still have an old 7 inch vinyl Sounds EP featuring the band that a friend gave me in 1988, which is where my fandom began. I’ve never seen them live though (ah, if only I’d been able to go to Lollapalooza 1991!), so this gig was really something to look forward to.

Opening with their infectious track “Middle Man” before launching into playing their “Stain” album in full, it was immediately obvious that Living Colour were still at the top of their game and playing exceptionally well. It was also nice to be reminded just how many great songs – and of varying styles and grooves – this band have in their repertoire. Crunchy metal provided by guitar maestro Vernon Reid on “Go Away” nestles up comfortably with the sublime pop of “Nothingness”. On all tracks, the Haribo fuelled voice of Corey Glover roared majestically and crooned sweetly.

Post “Stain” run-through saw a jigsaw of originals and covers, the highlight being a 50 years of Hip-Hop medley featuring “White Lines” and “The Message”. Doug Wimbish, the king of bass, shone here, although his skills dazzled all night. And drum master Will Calhoun gets a well deserved solo spot: he ably showed both relentless power and effortless grace throughout.

Of course, two of the big crowd pleasers are “Love Rears It’s Ugly Head” – which is uncannily well played – and the crushing, monster riff of “Cult of Personality”. All the songs sound great, with Corey’s vocals in particular sounding like they came direct off the vinyl.

Well done to all at the Tiv for making this happen, and huge thanks to Living Colour for turning up and playing their hearts out. They had the musical skills, they were vibrant and entertaining on stage – Living Colour absolutely ruled one of the best Tiv nights in a long, long time.

Living Colour are online here.

Check what’s on at Buckley Tivoli here.