Shellshock, Helminthian, Elements of Refusal, Carnal - 12th August 2006
Reviewed by Christine Miller
After last week’s mixed-bag of Punk-based rock and metal, Saturday 12th August sees a return to full on metal mayhem and (from the headliners Shellshock) a taster of the messed-up mix of metal-meets-drum n bass that’s beginning to turn heads on the current metal scene…
Followers are out in force for Death Metal trio Carnal, consisting of The Dillenquents front man Rich Taylor, ex-Blackout drummer Geoffrey Evans and Esquires’ own George. Songs with titles like ‘Grave’ and ‘Battle Horror’ are probably enough to suggest what you should expect from this gruesome trio… expectations that are confirmed as they unleash a rabid mix of razor sharp guitar and sludgy, slithering bass, over which the indistinguishable vocals are barely audible. Whilst the drums rattle around your head the gurgling bass notes pierce you to the core. It’s been a while since ‘One For The Underground’ was treated to this kind of metal and (in its own brutal way) it makes a pleasant change.
Next up are the Luton quartet Elements of Refusal (who last graced the Esquires’ stage in support of Devil Sold His Soul in April this year) returning with their characteristically schizophrenic sound as screaming electric guitars, brutal drumming and shrill, ear-bleeding noise are melded with soaring sung choruses and smashing cymbals; lovely melodies and picked guitars are interlaced with screams and deep drumming that rolls like thunder - one minute they’re screaming like banshees, the next they’re laying into a catchy chorus. The performance finishes with the guitarist and bass player climbing the speakers and leaping off simultaneously onto the floor in front of a surprised crowd, who watch open-mouthed as the two musicians go completely mental before returning to the stage to only collapse completely. Elements of Refusal’s growth as a band is evident since their last performance, yet the complex nature of their sound perhaps needs more attentive listening than a half-hour set at Esquires really allows, before you to truly be able to appreciate their complexity.
Travelling all the way from Cheltenham and having impressed with their performance in Danny’s Bar a promotion to Level Two is in order. And watching their show, it’s little surprise; Isolation really do know how to put on a performance. Coming on stage in matching orange boiler suits and looking like they had just escaped from a prison block, the band lay into their first number as the singer marches on stage in a straight jacket and hockey mask before breaking out to reveal his heavily tattooed arms and a shock of black and blue dreads. Citing Motley Crue as an influence, Isolation certainly make use of dirty rock ‘n’ roll hooks, whilst mixing them with pummelling drums, pinched harmonics, squealing guitars and screaming vocals that leave the crowd reeling.
With the audience still buzzing from Isolation, Helminthian take to the stage, highly anticipated, and attracting an impressive crowd. Helminthian play full-on metal and (in their own words) ‘nothing more and nothing less’, which perfectly sums up their bone-crushing riffs and powerful guitar work led by ‘Big Finny C’ and Rich Taylor (making his second appearance of the evening). Meanwhile, lead singer Whatley head bangs violently, before they lose themselves in a moment of frenzied madness as Hatebreed cover sends them all spinning in various directions.
Earlier this year the Esquires audience was introduced to ‘trance-core’ by Hertfordshire quartet Enter Shikari, and it seems that that Shellshock are the next forward thinking band to mix radically different genres and challenge the stereotypical metal mould. Tonight Shellshock’s sound certainly messes with your mind as they fuse 90s metal influences with dark drum n bass beats. At times the vocals are harsh metal screams, sometimes fast-spoken rapped lyrics over catchy sung choruses, while ticking, hissing drums and dark twisted drum n bass tracks is neatly woven in alongside. The anti-chav anthem ‘Kev’ emphasises their love of brutal metal, yet as you find yourself head banging violently, the exhilarating drum n bass sends your heart racing. Already attracting attention from many sectors of the music press listening to Shellshock tonight you can’t help but feel that as time goes by their sound will only get better as they tweak and perfect this self-consciously boundary-breaking concept.
(You can read Chrissie's interview with Shellshock in our 'Features' section. Ed)