April '24 Blog

Whilst I felt a little like I had done nothing this month, that could not have been further from the truth! Beccatron and I decided to take a hiatus from the pod while I sort out the technology for us moving forward but this has meant I have ended up making even more video content. I WAS supposed to be calming down the output but here we are..

Gig wise, I kicked off April by visiting The Six Six in Cambridge for a Sacrifice Promotions show with Denali, Dead Flesh and Written Off. This was a great blend of metal bands that ensured everyone was catered for. Written Off are a promising bunch who are straddling the Hardcore/Beatdown genres successfully. I was slightly heartbroken to hear they will be parting ways soon but I will be following Hounds of the South, a band founded by a few of the members. 

Dead Flesh were incredible and deserve the plaudits they are recieving at the moment. With their first EP dropping and some exciting opportunities unfolding for them, it's no surprise their performances have improved drastically. Their lead singer leaves it all on the stage and is incredibly engaging but it does not stop the rest of the band from interacting with the crowd and showing the passion for their music, outwardly.

Denali brought the deep, heavy riffs and some of the most stunning light work I have seen in this venue. These lads from Hertfordshire run a really tight ship and you can tell they've been working hard up and down the country as of late. 

The next day I got my buds together and headed to the incredible Castle Tav in Luton to join the Black Coast tour on its southern leg. Assimilate kicked the evening off with a heady blend of Alternative/Emo tones and a Hardcore undercurrent that I usually only see with bands twice their size. Not my usual vibe but it was impossible to not be wrapped up in the performance as the lead singer performed in nearly every area of the venue and made sure we were all heavily engaged.

Forager were up next. Sitting comfortably in the Midwest-Emo-Hardcore space, and self described a 'your older brother's favourite band', this five piece from Manchester really piqued my interest. They had a great energy and a bold sense of humour to boot. 

Lastly, Black Coast. I was enamoured by them the moment I saw them on the SOPHIE stage at Bloodstock last year and I have continued to be impressed. It was brilliant to see them on a smaller stage and feel the intimacy that suits this type of atmospheric band. 

To play out April, Metal to the Masses came back to Club 85. This battle of the bands sees groups from the Herts/North London/Camb/Beds area go head to head for a chance to play at Bloodstock. There are opportunities all over the country to catch this competition so do check it out. Hereward from Cambridgeshire and Dead Flesh from North London both got through to the Semi-Finals. Can't wait to see what's next for both!