Yearly Archives: 2012

Hammerfest 4 Review Part 2 – Saturday

by Nicholas Holmes

Photos by Tess Donohoe (www.tessdonohoe.com) 

It is noon on a grey Saturday at a North Wales holiday camp, and heads are sore after the long night before. However, some hardy souls are up or have not even been to bed. Just as the previous day's action closed with the ridiculous spectacle of Lawnmower Deth, the bizarre duo Oaf have stumbled onto the small stage in the Queen Vic pub to begin the second day of Hammerfest in equally ludicrous fashion. One of them is recognisable as Metal Hammer's own Dom Lawson. It seems his, ahem, project is a form of music therapy. Arguably some may need therapy after prolonged exposure to Oaf-ishness! They are actually very funny, and Lawson drops some great stand-up style lines between the shouting, screaming, punk rackets. Apologising for a merch fuck up, he quips, “If you are a 4ft 2 woman with no boobs or a big fat fella like me, we've got T-shirts just for you!” Returning to the therapy theme, he explains one song is based on a Will Self book about mental illness, responding to a heckler with, 

Black Breath/Victims/Tormented/Dead Existence at the Underworld 02/04/2012

Words by Pete Green

Photos by Antony Roberts

The Underworld is crusty at the best of times, but if there were a crust-o-meter system to measure the volume of beards, the essence of scraggly unwashed hair, the number of hoods up over baseball caps indoors and pairs of tight black jeans, tonight would surely be up there as some kind of new record. Seattle, Washington’s premier punk-thrashers Black Breath are in town to wreak havoc and destruction alongside a varied support bill of bands drawn from an equally gnarled darkness. One thing’s for sure, this ain’t gonna be pretty!

Suffocation with support from Cattle Decapitation, Blood Red Throne, Sadist, Cerebral Bore and Carceri, Camden Underworld, London, 13th March 2012

Words and photos: Antony Roberts

With Suffocation's London date falling on a weekday it was always questionable whether I was going to make it on time.  Doors were at 5.30 and not living in London this was going to be a mission.  Unfortunately with full time work commitments our reviewer who is far more familiar with all the bands playing was unable to get away from work, and I arrived late having missed openers Carceri.

Cerebral Bore were due on at 6.30 but took to the stage around 7, good for those arriving after work, but meaning the rest of the night was going to be pressured to get the timetable back on track.  Opening with Maniacal Miscreation and then plowing through

Wino and Conny Ochs, with support from The Death Letter, The Black Heart, London, Saturday March 23rd 2012

Words and photos: Antony Roberts 

With the ever reliant service from South Eastern trains I turned up to the gig late despite it being on a Saturday afternoon.  Managing to only catch the very last few songs of The Death Letter, I walked in to "Down and Out" and felt like I could have been walking the rail tracks out in Mississippi.  With a home made banjo they referred to as a rigar it was a great start to the beating start of summer with London's first, and very early mini heatwave. They finished up with a raw bluesy cover of Monster Magnet's Powertrip.  One 

Earth at The Haunt, Brighton, 12th March 2012

Words: Antony Roberts

Photos: Antony Roberts (metalgigs) & Gemma Shaw (www.gloomylightsphotography.co.uk)

After seeing Kylesa play a blinding set at The Haunt and experiencing its seriously awesome sound system for the first time, there was no questions asked at all, we had to go and see Earth play there.   Kylesa was my first time at The Haunt and I fell straight in love with the venue.  It's small and intimate, but unlike so many small venues they've actually spent some money on the P.A. system, and it sounds amazing. 

Walking on to quiet and polite applause, Earth took to the stage, and Dylan thanked us for joining him on