Converge FOREVER

Converge have to be one of the greatest bands live - ever. And what's sickening is how they just seem to get better every year you see them. This week's show at the O2 Islington in London was so good it's almost cruel. I could only find a couple of videos of Converge's tracks on YouTube (health warning: do not watch THIS if you're scared of heights) so please ping me if you find or have any more so I can worship them, relive the memories again - and also add them to the Blog / favourite them on my Channel. Thanks muchly!

It's always curious to see who dare support this lot, so I'm not sure what they were thinking adding 33 to the bill...(think a shockingly dated dual vocal act with a bored-looking guitarist and seriously below-average drummer...kill us now) but I owe them a huge thanks for introducing me to Pettybone! If you, like me, haven't heard this fabulously furious all-girl band before, do see if you can hunt them down with me at either the Relentless Garage on the 6th July or The Unicorn in Camden on the 3rd. You might recognise their rather impressive drumming talent from performances in Camden with Invasion .

Heard or seen Mayshewill yet?

If not - hunt them down now now now!!!
I confess I hadn't heard a note until I went down to review Earthtone9 at the Garage last week and to think I might not have discovered them at all is practically criminal.
OK, yes, I am slightly over-excited but when I tell you that they are everything you could want of an atmospheric vocal-free and movie sample-full young metal band, I'm not exaggerating, I promise.

Somewhat left of center and cult in their influences and achingly tight on stage, they're as fresh as it comes - and home town Leicester should really be proud. OK, so they don't tend to interact or even notice the audience much when they play but their sound speaks for itself and captures you in a way that The Ocean and Pink Floyd fans would kill for...that is as long as you can cope with a lack of vocals and the selective use of electronic samples and film references every now and then.
Best of all, their songs are simply stunning. They have a knack of writing cascading melodies and exhilarating metal crescendos that is sickening for their age, and when they played the Garage there were few among us beardy (ok, not me - I'm a girl), heavy-loving folk (yes, me) that didn't stop chatting and pause from ordering beer to raise an eyebrow, become suddenly entranced and routed to the spot.

They certainly captured the heart of the Garage that night, so all I'm asking if to see if they can offer you anywhere near the same. The videos on YouTube are probably your best bet as the moving footage and cool imagery is perfectly suited to their high-intensity emotionally-engaging sound. Try Not For Want Of Trying as a starting point and then moving onto The Paris Hilton Sex Tape for a more light-hearted break.

Shai Hulud at the Purple Turtle, anyone?

Just dedicated the morning to finding out who's playing London in the new few months so I can be absolutely sure not to be on a work trip (grrr) and - behold - it turns out that US progressive hardcore bruisers Shai Hulud are down to play the Purple Turtle on June 22nd.

Awesome news, considering how intimate a venue this is and how downright aggressive (in fact, occasionally abusive if we remember the odd 'punching fans in the face' moments they've ticked off in their enthusiastic history) their gigs are. Not that I'm saying it's great to be thumped in the face - they are just mighty raw and real live and well worth the 8 quid change!!

Grab 'em HERE before word gets out.

Thrash'n'Burn

Ah, yes. 6 hours of non-stop death/metalcore at my favourite London venue. It would have been awesome if I had remembered my earplugs. Oh, and if my mate hadn't dropped out last minute and left me with noone able to share trips to the bar. Hey ho.
In all seriousness, though, it actually was awesome.

I missed the first band due to a guest list muddle, but luckily made it in time for Arsonists Get All The Girls, who were hilarious. Not one for the metal puritans, but the mad pinball machine / gaming sounds that come out of that keyboard are brilliant fun and inject the whole venue with the atmosphere of a weird heavy metalcore house party.

War From A Harlot's Mouth were a lot less jazzy live than on record, but brilliantly brutal as a result, and Carnifex and Beneath The Massacre were just plain HEAVY. Like deafeningly, earth-shatteringly heavy. Beneath won over Carnifex simply due to their blindingly talented band members, though. The singer has a majorly deep growl, but is a bit pit-bull on stage and not all that engaging, but the rest of the band are so fast and powerful it's almost something you want to have recorded to watch in slow motion when you get home.

It was a toss up between Darkest Hour and Bleeding Through, who are both massively talented headliners in totally different ways. Where Darkest Hour turn suddenly more raw and credible live, not giving a hoot about image or plans, Bleeding Through are polished and melodic. Both worked for me, I gota say, and between them they had enough great songs to play for a good hour or two more.
Maybe we need two Thrahs'n'Burn tours a year from now on!

BladestorM turn MaissianN

It seems that my 2008 unsigned crush, London-based Polish death/hardcore band BladestorM, have gone through some changes in the last few months.
It's ok, though, I have faith.
I first stumbled across these guys when they supported a mate's band (Meantime) near Mornington Crescent last year and I can't deny that, as a brutal death-metal/hardcore crossover with a ferocious scream-in-your-face frontman, I fell for them hard. I've tried to keep up on news on them ever since, but trying to locate the right 'BladestorM' using gormless search engines is much like typing in 'hardcore' without expecting to find naked flesh...hopeless!
However, since the late loss and gain of a few members (including a second guitarist!) they've now re-surfaced calling themselves MaissianN, so cyber-stalking's become a little simpler. And the great news is that their truly awesome heavily-tattooed singer Kamil remains. My faith is well-founded :-)
So, take a look at their old offerings and maybe join my quest by checking their new WIP website and myspace.com/maissiann for the follow-up to 2008 debut e.p Obliteration.