By Jase Walker
I’ve probably had better ideas than getting quite drunk and watching some pensioners rapping the night before a weekend show in another city. But here I am with a splitting hangover and about to listen to a load of crushing metal and I can deal with it because it’s my own fault innit?
First up today at the nice and early slot of 12:30pm is Arwassa, featuring members of the Leeds TechFest contingent. As you’d probably expect from Tech-Fest regulars, crushingly heavy riffs, multiple rhythm shifts in the same song, wailing solos and aggressive growling vocals. Their singer, Rob, bravely climbs up onto the monitors multiple times, grabbing the stage roof to lean into the crowd to scream at them. Definitely the perfect way to shake the cobwebs off for the day, deliciously heavy so start as you mean to go on I suppose!
Next on my list for today is Lost In Lavender Town, whom I describe generally as “Rush doing Kirby music”. Seeing these lot do their thing live really is something else, it’s just extra in all possible senses, every later of their live show is full of melody, guitars, keys, drums, all of it. The melodic elements of this act really shines when the guitars and keys are harmonizing with each other with intricate playing. The intensity often gives way to soaring breaks that feel like a release of holding your breath intently for minutes at a time. Seriously these guys have killed it every time I’ve seen them and I don’t think I know of a better band that should absolutely do an entire video game soundtrack. Outstanding band.
After an extended break as I had to sort out checking into my hotel and grabbing some food, it’s time for a rather fantastic prog band, Azure! To say they’re playing material of a quality that’s outrageously high would be a genuine understatement. The layering of their songs matches the likes of prog titans such as Dream Theater, Rush and YES. Atmospheric as it is intense, and every facet of the band can be heard clearly from the bass melodies all the way to the keys. The fact that they can maintain such melodic intensity while adhering to complex rhythm changes shows how tight their live performance is as well. You’ve never seen a keytar player look as badass as Azure’s either, just adds to Azure’s live show oozing style, seeing all 4 of the main front members going berserk while their drummer behind belts out non-stop fills behind them. Legitimately has been a solid 30 minutes of just getting my mind absolutely blown once again.
In a turn of events which makes the show run in the same line-up as a gig I was at earlier this year, next is Tiberius! These guys absolutely love messing with people in the audience and it’s only a brief moment before their singer Grant tries to dive in front of me taking a photo of their guitarist Jahan! Always need to stay vigilant for one of the running through the crowd at random times! So not only do we have their intense, busy riffing going on, there’s no chance to take your eyes off the action for fear of one of them poking you in the ear. At one point I have to duck under Grant’s microphone wire but not missing the chance he slaps me on the arse, no-one is truly safe at a Tiberius show. Also provoking the audience into line dancing at one part too, I might be a little out of breath as a result, great fun though. These guys are always a fantastic fun show, incredibly silly in times but incredible fun.
Next is the band who’s T-shirt I’m repping today and with a threatening aura, Hundred Year Old Man. Their whole aesthetic is very much tons of smoke, minimal lighting to the point where they barely appear as anything other than silhouettes on stage while putting out their signature inexorable march to the peak. It’s slow, it’s lumbering, but its force is relentless. I’ve been a fan of these for a few years and they’re definitely at odds with a lot of stuff I listen to normally but their way of delivering crushing, earth shattering noise really is something else. It’s quite literally a wall of sound that rumbles through you with every beat, it washes over you in waves, each time more saturated than the last.
By this point in the day, The Hairy Dog is starting to really fill up, myself along with many other people are losing their minds to HYOM’s set. These guys have a live show that I would compare to the likes of The Ocean, it’s less about seeing what’s on stage and more about the raw, relentless assault on the senses. HYOM’s live show smothers you, suffocates you in its sound, it lays on you heavier than the weight of the sea.
Finally, it’s time for Borders, the grime-infused metalcore act with new material from their blistering release, ‘Bloom Season‘. ‘War’ and ‘Bad Blood’ go down a storm with people throwing shapes in the pit and I’m having to keep my wits about me to avoid getting smacked in the face! Seeing Borders smash it hard right from the outset is great, and I’ve spent almost the entire set so far in the pit, but then to follow it up with ‘Wake Up’? Excellent. It’s hard to take notes when you’re in the middle of the crowd going absolutely mental but I’ll certainly try it! Even the newer ones like ‘Godless’ and ‘Nothing Wrong With Me’ provoke massive pits and I’m right in the middle of it and barely halfway through the set I’m pretty damn sweaty!
Finishing with ‘Fade To Black’ and having a free for all crowd surfing session with me carrying a ton of them, I don’t think I would have had a better way to finish off day one of Techabilitation. Borders are fucking great!