The Metal Column – September 2011
While last month’s unsightly bouts of civil disobedience were indisputably deplorable, one of the more overlooked effects was what it meant for Britain’s longhair contingent. Metal is no longer seen as the breeding ground for anarchic hellions. Did anyone see a solitary Autopsy shirt in that carnage? A single denim or leather-clad misfit putting the boot into Primark? Hell, naw! Well, September’s the time for the metal masses to take the streets back – with face-melting riffs rather than actual violence, you understand.
Steadfast as ever, Bannerman’s will be spearheading the charge with another night of blood-drunk brutality on 12 Sep. Gorgasm, Cancerous Womb and Defeated Sanity will bring a combo of grunts, growls and blasts to Auld Reekie, followed up by a real coup as acid punk progenitors Warrior Soul roll into town on 23 Sep.
Rawk-lovin’ brothers-in-arms Studio 24 will be providing the heavy artillery as oft-forgotten thrash titans Onslaught take up arms with Irish speed-demons Gama Bomb (28 Sep). Given that the Bristolians are touring their recently released Sounds of Violence album, you don’t get any prizes for guessing how much this is gonna pulverise your eardrums.
Fighting the good fight on the Western front will be 13th Note, serving up Singaporean grinders Wormrot on 6 Sep. There’ll be no excuse for standing on the sidelines shaking your head ‘cos you don’t know the material either, as those terrific chaps at Earache have put their latest album Dirge up for free download. If you can’t quite handle that, make sure to make it along to the Buckfest Alldayer (17 Sep) as The Bucky Rage, Girobabies (yes, they went there) and countless other Mohawk-honouring upstarts rock that diminutive stage (well, floor).
Our continental cousins will be doing their part as well, as Poland’s dark stars Hate And Vesania team up with Transylvanian black/folk metallers Negur? Bunget (20 Sep) for a night that’s likely to deliver equal parts majesty and sheer devastation, while Hellenic power-metal merchants Firewind will be sounding the battle-charge from the confines of the Cathouse (11 Sep).
Even our Belfast brethren will be contributing to the war on abject idiocy as they send LaFaro our way, armed with razor-edged hooks and a wealth of tunes that’ll keep your head banging as the world crumbles around ye. Take in the spectacle at Aberdeen’s Tunnels (24 Sep), Glasgow Stereo (26 Sep) or Edinburgh Sneaky Pete’s (27 Sep).
Of course, our allies across the pond are joining the fray late as it’ll be the 23 Sep before the elite troops in Between The Buried And Me storm into King Tut’s to kick ass and chew bubblegum. If history has taught us anything, it’s that while our American friends are hardly punctual, they’re always handy in a ruckus.
The small pockets of resistance dotted around the country will play no small part in our eventual victory against those who simply cannot be arsed saving for a PS3. L.A. locals Letlive will be taking their emotion-soaked hardcore up north to tackle Aberdeen’s Tunnels, Beat Generator Live (formerly Hustlers) in Dundee and Inverness’ Ironworks on 1, 3 and 4 Sep respectively. Dundonians are also in for a treat as Metallica's favourite aggro-punks The Anti-Nowhere League hit BGL on 9 Sep. “So what!?” we hear you cry. That’s the spirit!