There’s nothing quite like a good old nostalgia trip! Raging Speedhorn were tearing the place up back at the turn of the millennium with their twin vocal assault and blistering riffs filled with dirty and violent sludge. As vocalist John said, when I asked him how it felt to be so influential on people and bands, he simply said “I don’t get how… I mean we just got pissed and went on stage!”. Back in action after reforming and recording a sensational album in the form of “Lost Ritual”, the six piece sludge outfit from Corby are back on the road, and revisiting Liverpool. Given how after their last stop on Merseyside came up more like a reunion of old teenage friends, this night proved to be different. With the highly praised and ever evolving This Is Turin, Belfast hardcore outfit By Any Means and the rather hyped Stone Ghost in tow, it was set to be loud! Bring out your dead, because this ritual needs completing.
Opening the evening were the North West based This Is Turin. The winners of a “Bloodstock’s Metal To The Masses” in Manchester a year or two ago came to the stage and despite the smaller than anticipated crowd, went right ahead with their set. Informing people that there was a Pikachu on the stage so they should move forwards if they wish to catch it, drawing a few laughs from those Pokémon Go-ers in attendance, the five piece unleashed their fury (Thankfully not in the Yngwie way!!)
Melodic, Heavy, Energetic… These are just some words to describe the technical metalcore outfit. Blending elements of Djent and Modern Prog and layering them over some Gojira styled riffs with some tremendous low end rippling through it, Turin showed the crowd exactly why people are going on about them. Though I am not a fan personally, their sound was tremendous. Massive sounding riffs which crushed all in their way, backed up by some technical playing. The vocalist was very active, bouncing across the stage, engaging the crowd and delivering some hellacious screams which really rang out with power, but for all this good, the drawback was too many breakdowns, showing their hardcore influences. With this band playing Bloodstock this year, if they don’t clash with someone you want to see, pop on over and catch them!
Up next were Belfast four piece, By Any Means. Before the set, there was a poignant moment when the guitarist dedicated the set to a close friend he had lost which in turn drew a heartfelt round of applause from those in attendance. With this tribute passing, the band got straight down to business. Delivering a style of hardcore which was very reminiscent of Hatebreed in heaviness but with the attitude of bands like Discharge, it was nonstop angry all the way! Watching on from the side of the stage, Frank, vocalist of Raging Speedhorn could be seen nodding in approval before he even appeared in the crowd himself to enjoy it. There was no need for anything fancy, this was just straight to the point angry music for angry people. Towards the end of the set, the band decided to include another tribute, this time to the legend that is Lemmy and before you could guess what was going to happen, they launched into a cover of “The Hammer”. This hardcore toned approach to the proto-metal of Motörhead really went down well with everyone in attendance and by the end of the set, people were getting their breath back after being pummelled by the unforgiving, tight and heavy groove which just smashed right through them.
With everyone a little livelier now, Stoneghost were up next and several of those in attendance were rather excited for this. Eager to see just what the fuss was about, I headed back after a much needed smoke and took my usual place to watch. Initially, this band came across as metalcore, bearing many musical similarities to the early era of Killswitch Engage (Circa 2002), but with a lot more emphasis on technical ability and groove. Stage presence wise, the singer was commanding, really standing out as a metalcore frontman and musically, especially the rhythm section, it was tight with copious amounts of groove rumbling under the precise riffs. It did sound good to begin with, but then parts were delivered which just didn’t seem to sit right with the tracks or the feel. Over-use of effects in the lead sections, especially the annoying whammy pedal/octaver wah combo making ridiculous high pitched noises (Tom Morello style) and the patterns and feel kept shifting at times, disrupting some of the flow the groove was generating. Tracks like “Mother Of All Bastards” really brought the power and heavy, touching on some mid-nineties Pantera styled sections but again, the turbulence and unpredictability kept surfacing and more of the annoying reliance on effects came from the guitars, quite a shame given how technically competent the guitarist was. As the set ended, I was left a little disappointed by the hype and buzz about them, but you can’t win ’em all eh?
Unless you are Raging Speedhorn that is.
With the anthemic “Hate Song” opening things up, everyone came to life as a jolt of hate-filled energy shot through the crowd. With the floor opening up and the rapid paced assault coming from the stage, the Arts Club was a battleground. Including a mixture of old and new, tracks like “Bring Out Your Dead” and the storming “Motorhead” along with the now, well known “Halfway To Hell” were well received and went down next to favourites like “Thumper”, “Scraping The Resin” and “Chronic Youth” which came over like they had a new lease of life about them. Stage wise, Frank really played to the crowd. Already ‘well oiled’ and being that way since soundcheck, he was taking any and every drink offered his way whilst delivering his part of the twin vocal assault with a confident swagger in his step, whilst John prowled the stage, snarling, screaming and looking every bit intimidating as he always has done.
The sludgy riffs kept coming, pounding away and reinforced by the tight drums and booming bass, creating the perfect sonic backdrop for the frenzied assault which brought carnage upon the venue. With drinks flying, people shoving and the occasional ninja fighter getting decked much to the onlooker’s delight, you would have forgotten the fact the attendance was lower than you would expect for a gig like this, but that didn’t matter. By the time Speedhorn reached the end of their set, ‘closing’ with the phenomenally heavy “Ten Of Swords” which was just a solid wall of noise collapsing on everyone, burying them under the evil tone it had, everyone was still raring to go and there was one very noticeable track absent from the set up until this point – “Voodoo Man”. Coming back out for one last round, the six piece delivered one last blast from the past, giving everyone one more chance to (quoting Frank here) ‘Get fucked up and party, because that’s what happens at a Raging Speedhorn show!’, the set closed and everyone left the venue as the lights came on, safe in the knowledge that those who were there witnessed yet another venue which had a ‘new one’ torn into it.
Back in 2014, if you would have told me RSH were reforming, I’d have laughed at the notion, figuring they all got tired of the band shit, but thankfully, they were willing to give it another go. Firmly in control of things now, no longer having to deal with record labels screwing them over, Speedhorn are in total control and raging once more.
(Review and photos Fraggle)
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