Metal Up Your Ass - February, 2008

All too often Metal Up Your Ass has held out its arms in despair at the lack of good, well-publicised gigs going down in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. But, by Jaga's beard, has February 2008 flipped all that on its head. A bonanza of big-time headliners, underground touring bands and local stalwarts wave goodbye to the New Year pinch as the scene kicks back into full throttle action.

English ambient rockers Manatees play with Down I Go at Sleazys in Glasgow on 3 Feb and Dexter's, Dundee the following night, while they'll be joined by Hitcher and Le Soleil Brille at The Hive in Edinburgh on 2 Feb. Meanwhile, dubbed "the future of metal" in some corners, those bullhorn pullers from Wales, Bullet for my Valentine, roll into Glasgow Academy on 3 Feb, while, riding not far behind them, fellow Jager-tourists Fightstar hit the Barrowland on 4 Feb.

The Westport Bar in Dundee will be moshing to the classic metal of Brutal Goose and Hellbound on Wednesday, 9 Feb. Dillinger Escape Plan finally touch down for their much-jinxed tour when they play Glasgow Cathouse on Friday, 15 Feb, with support from Between the Buried and Me and Stolen Babies.

Back in Auld Reekie, the 20th throws up melodic metal from Manchester in the form of Life Among People – support comes from Dead at the Scene and Billy Liar – at The Hive or, if you're up in Dundee that night, Austrian screamo mavericks Dimitrij play the Balcony Bar with Clearer the Sky.

Thrashing back across to The Catty, catch Earache Records' Londoners Biomechanical play with Madman is Absolute on Thursday 21st while back in Reekie it's Rise With the Fallen and Firing Blanks at Studio 24 on Friday 22nd. Caught your breath yet? Good, because you'll have to be up to full fitness again by Sunday 24th for hearty Welsh metal crazies Johnny Mental at The Hive with The Death of Her Money and Departures.

Too much, or not enough? We'll let you be the judge of that.