Review by Jason

In these times of insecurity and flux, there is one thing that remains constant, and that it is that Slab don’t do bad gigs, Slab do great gigs. Every single time. Off stage, Jake looks happier than a comparative clause. But stick a microphone in front of his face and hang a guitar around his neck and he becomes a monster with a voice ravaged in wrath and riffs that treat the neck as an enemy to be overthrown – and he always wins! Jim’s bass sound is gigantic and his lines counter Jake’s riffs perfectly, bouncing off them and flooding the nether regions with melodic thunder. And sat behind the kit, Andy effortlessly works the kit to lay down mighty groove on groove and colouring the songs with flourishes and fills that, put simply, kill. Tighter than a Chinese finger trap, Slab are as focussed a unit as can be found on any stage, underground or otherwise. Between the three of them, not one note is out of place and they are the sound and size of many very big things – big, hard and heavy things made of even bigger hard and heavy things.

Click here for MR’s review of their album and then head over to their website to buy it and check for upcoming gigs.

For any band to open with a new song takes guts. Firstly, bands risk losing their audience with unfamiliar material at the first beat, and secondly, new material isn’t usually as well-rehearsed as older material so it lacks that element of familiarity that a band has with their material. But Arceye are too fucking good to concern themselves with any of that crap, and it sounds like they’ve been playing it for years. And the song – an astounding piece of work – is welcomed by the crowd with many a banging head and many a raised devil horn. Despite having enough material of superior quality to make a set list that many a band would shit themselves at, Arceye introduce more new material – as equally astounding as their opening song – that makes the wait for their next album that little bit more painful. Flanked by Dave and Luke – two phenomenal guitarists with a taste for huge riffs and cool melodic harmony lines – bass and mouthpiece Al spits out venomous metal bile with the force of many big hard and heavy things. And new drummer Craig Mackay is a slaughter house behind the kit.

Click here for Arceye’s website.

Though this show is a warm up for the Damnation Festival in Leeds the following day, Xerath play Scruffy’s as if it is Damnation. Loud, heavy, aggressive, and melodic, Chris and Owain chuck out mammoth riffs, Michael’s drumming is enormous, tight, and relentless, and Richard is a massive mouthpiece. Given their style of metal riffage and symphonic arrangements and given that both Slab and Arceye have delivered sets that were gobsmacking, Xerath have got to deliver. And as with Slab and Arceye, they are a mighty force and so deliver a set that is just as strong. Despite some confusion as to when songs have started or stopped due to the use of a backing tape (which saw the band occasionally hovering aimlessly between songs), Xerath’s set was consumed with dreadful delight. Intricate riffs, melodic passages, and solid structures, all delivered with the fervour and focus of the most seasoned of metal veterans, Damnation Festival looks set to be great weekend. Tonight, the Scruffy’s crowd has been spoilt. Three phenomenal sets from three phenomenal bands. This is what we need more of in the Midlands.

Click here for Xerath’s website.