On a Friday evening in September, during my busiest working week of the year, I couldn't be more excited that it's Friday. Partly because it means no work tomorrow, but mostly because I'm off up to the hive of activity that is Camden Town to see London metallers Hang The Bastard support stoner rockers The Sword, the latter of whom I've never had the chance to see before.
In a rare moment of good timekeeping, I actually arrive at the venue on time. Ordering a beer and allowing my eyes to adjust to the dimly lit underground space that is the Underworld, I prop up the bar for a few minutes until the speakers inform me that Hang The Bastard have taken to the stage. It's a sold out gig, so I'm quite surprised to see a lot of space still, but then I'm not used to being this early. I park myself next to a pillar with an actual view of the stage (a real rarity) and see what this London-based quartet have to offer.
Opening with heavy, bluesy riffs the heads in the crowd soon start bobbing along. I'm a sucker for a half beat and a downtuned sound, and there's a lot of this being delivered tonight. There's buckets of energy on stage, and an awful lot of excellent beards everywhere. Frontman Tomas Hubbard screeches his goblin-esque vocals with an impressive ferocity, saving his vocal chords in between songs and turning around whilst the gaps are filled with abstract distortion and crackling feedback. I've seen HTB a few times and I'd say this is probably the most 'together' they've been. The massive doomy sludge riffs and big rhythms fill the space with a dirty, wonderful noise. By the end of their set the venue has filled up, and the capacity crowd seem ready for the headline act, suitably roused by Hang the Bastard's high energy, hard hitting performance. A band to watch out for if you like your metal veering towards death-style vocals and packing one hell of a punch.
The Sword open with the synth-electro Unicorn Farm from the new album, High Country. Following with Buzzards, also from the new release, they go on to mix old and new tracks together seamlessly into a cacophony of seventies influenced, beautifully balanced heavy rock. Tres Brujas from the band's third album Warp Riders follows the opening new tracks with meatier riffs and a togetherness that will stay for the rest of the evening.
The new material is arguably a return to a more classic rock sound, and has less of the heady, bassy stoner rock vibe of previous releases. This isn't to say it's lacking anything though. The 10 tracks performed tonight from the latest record display the characteristic polish and finesse that The Sword's fans have come to know and love. The solos are impressive without veering into self indulgence, the bass, synth and drums melding beautifully together to support John D. Cronise's retro vocals.
The Sword open with the synth-electro Unicorn Farm from the new album, High Country. Following with Buzzards, also from the new release, they go on to mix old and new tracks together seamlessly into a cacophony of seventies influenced, beautifully balanced heavy rock. Tres Brujas from the band's third album Warp Riders follows the opening new tracks with meatier riffs and a togetherness that will stay for the rest of the evening.
The new material is arguably a return to a more classic rock sound, and has less of the heady, bassy stoner rock vibe of previous releases. This isn't to say it's lacking anything though. The 10 tracks performed tonight from the latest record display the characteristic polish and finesse that The Sword's fans have come to know and love. The solos are impressive without veering into self indulgence, the bass, synth and drums melding beautifully together to support John D. Cronise's retro vocals.
The older, heavier tracks get the best response from the crowd, with classics like The Horned Goddess, Freya and Maiden, Mother and Crone soaring over the now heaving crowd with Sabbath-esque style and doomier undertones. The set closes with one of my personal favourites, the epic Dying Earth from the 2012 release Apocryphon, followed by an encore of Suffer No Fools from the new album, and leaving us finally with Arrows In the Dark from Warp Riders. There's no grand exit, no stage antics. The Sword have come to the Underworld tonight to do what they do best, to play a lot of really good music.
In addition to the aforementioned downtuning and half beats displayed by Hang The Bastard, I also love a band who sound really tight live. There's something about technical brilliance and pinpoint rhythm that gets me screwing up my face into something resembling a contorted gargoyle. It's my own form of heartfelt appreciation. And tonight's set was chock full of technical brilliance and pinpoint rhythm. OK, so the Sword might not be the most charismatic band on the planet, but when they sound like this, I really don't care. This is straight up, Southern American rock at its finest.
http://www.hangthebastard.co.uk/
http://theswordofficial.com/
I still forgot to take any pictures though. Next time.
In addition to the aforementioned downtuning and half beats displayed by Hang The Bastard, I also love a band who sound really tight live. There's something about technical brilliance and pinpoint rhythm that gets me screwing up my face into something resembling a contorted gargoyle. It's my own form of heartfelt appreciation. And tonight's set was chock full of technical brilliance and pinpoint rhythm. OK, so the Sword might not be the most charismatic band on the planet, but when they sound like this, I really don't care. This is straight up, Southern American rock at its finest.
http://www.hangthebastard.co.uk/
http://theswordofficial.com/
I still forgot to take any pictures though. Next time.
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