By Monk and The Dark Queen
We’re not sure how many people realized how special this billing was, marking as it did a reunion of sorts… Not only were melodic thrashers Ketos returning to the stage for their first headline show in what seemed like donkey’s years, but they were sharing it with a band whom their vocalist also fronted for several years.
This was the first time we had seen Delusional Silence since they stripped back down to a quartet last summer, with guitarist Ricki stepping up to the microphone following Pete’s departure last summer.
While they have lost something of the aggressive edge their former frontman brought to his delivery, they nonetheless maintain their no-nonsense traditional heavy metal approach, with no airs or graces, just concentrating on hitting hard but with the right degree of punky melody that reminds of DiAnno-era Maiden mixed with biker rock attitude and intent.
A tight set delivered with aplomb.
As I said in the intro, it had been quite some time since Ketos unleashed their kraken (sic) with a hometown headline show, but they certainly showed no sign of ring rust as they launched into their extended set faster and more furious than a nitro-fuelled street racer from a certain inane movie franchise. Right from the off, they show they are determined to ‘Escape The Chains’ with their fierce metalcore-inflected thrash groove.
New single ‘Overload’ takes it to just that level as the quintet deliver a set crammed with big broiling beasts of tunes which are in turn dynamic, energetic and vibrant, with no let up in the adrenaline levels. They encore with a brand new song, ‘Price Of Life’, which possesses a swirling classic rock riff underpinned with their archetypal dense aggression, which hints at a possible subtle change in future musical direction but also indicates that they still have plenty of fire in their collective and individual bellies…
Don’t leave it so long ’til the next time, eh bais?
- PHOTO CREDIT: All photos © The Dark Queen/Über Rock.