Kinn – Bar Academy – Thursday 27th August 2009
Having recovered from the shock of seeing Liz in a skirt (only joking! It suited you..) the Chopmeister quickly settled into an evening of, as it were, old and new..
Forlorn had been signed by Rising Records earlier in the day, so unsurprisingly they were in party mood. Well as “party mood” as an old school death metal can get! My first visit to the Academy 3 didn't bode well as the sound Forlorn got was nothing short of awful. Seasoned troopers that they are, they ploughed on undaunted and played to their usual high standard. Work is due to start soon on their debut full length, and I wish the guys all the best – and congratulations on being signed!! Well deserved fellas. Set list; “The Rotting”, “Worlds End”, “Doomed”, “Ferality”, “Culture Shock”, “Law Of Hate”, “In The Face Of Terror.”
Hate The Faith are a band I genuinely hope I don't have the misfortune of seeing again. It was bad enough that their fans staring chanting “Hate The Faith” instead of cheering Forlorn's efforts at the end of their set – but I'll excuse them on the basis of their youth and clear lack of gig etiquette. What was inexcusable was the lamentable lack of songs when they finally took to the stage. Granted they again got a shockingly bad sound, but they were a clear case of style over substance. Their fans were entertaining enough with their violent arm circling, high kicking, piggy back spinning/collapsing, and walls of death, and I admire them for their level of fervour and support. I was unfortunate enough to see the man in the lime green man-kini at Bloodstock at scarily close range, which made me want to rip out my brain and bathe it in Jagermeister until the memory was no more – Hate The Faith were the musical equivalent, and I left very early in their set to try and cleanse my brain in Scruffy's. Their puerile emo-screamo shit was an insult to my finely tuned extreme metal ears. My advice? Write some songs. That said, I've seen far worse bands this year, amazing as this may seem...
Adust's new EP looms ever nearer and the assembled horde were treated to two tracks from this opus. “The Evil That Dwells Within” is an absolute monster that gets better every time you hear it, and “The Inner Struggle” is to a similarly high standard. Mix these in amongst tried and tested favourites from the debut CD and you've got an explosive set on your hands. It's impressive how Adust get classier and slicker with each performance, and Matt is becoming an absolute colossus in the middle of the stage. He's also displaying an ever-increasing array of bass techniques, with thumb-picking and even slap being added to his repertoire. Impressive once more fellas. Set list; “Enmity”, “The Fall Of Man”, “The Evil That Dwells Within”, “Prinzessin”, “The Inner Struggle”, “Forevermore”.
Kinn were being viewed by the Chopmeister for the first time, and I'll be seeing them again soon I'm sure. They played a stunning set falling somewhere between the stadium and classic rock genres – think Alter Bridge or Aerosmith and you wouldn't be far off. The vocals were clean and powerful and the musicianship from the band utterly faultless. Intricate five string bass combined with fluid lead work, whilst the drummer was incredibly stylish and a real showman to boot. The groove exhibited was astonishing throughout, and their mastery of dynamics superb. This was a well paced and slick set, with the lengthy ballad “All Alone” being the highlight for me – for me to say this about a slower song speaks volumes! Great structure and amazing guitar solo made this the track of the night. A quality performance to round off an entertaining, if mixed, evening. Set list; “The Recluse”, “Break Through”, “Want Me Need Me”, “Hole World Down”, “Leave All Behind”, “All Alone”, “Can't Take This Feeling”, “Take It Off”, “Way Too Late”, “We Are The Ones”, “Kick Start My Heart”, “Want Me Need Me”.
