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It seems that I am destined to spend this Summer in underground sweatboxes, slowly going deaf!
Tuesday was no exception, as DEMONIC RESURRECTION rolled into Plymouth’s newest venue TIKI BAR, with DE PROFUNDIS, THE FLORENTINE CAMERATA and CRANIOECTOMY.
It was a ‘school night’, and elsewhere the Brazilians were being taught a footballing lesson by the Germans, but still a decent crowd had come out for a night of (mostly) Death Metal!
First up were young, local three-piece, Cranioectomy. I mention that they’re young, because whilst they have some good riffs, and engage the crowd (mostly through bassist, Ollie Lyle’s posturing), it all seemed a bit… immature, lyrically.
Guitarist, Grant Nicholas assumed frontman duties, as lead vocalist Jez Lundström was tied up behind the drums. His inter-song monologues would be funny if the band were playing for laughs, but they’re weren’t. Introductions to songs about “Shooting a retard in the face with a potato bazooka”, and ‘Limbs To The Grindstone’ got an introduction/rant about “…the chavvy bitches… you want to hack their arms and legs off, and f*ck the bloody holes!” You get the idea.
The Florentine Camerata did more than just restore a bit of maturity to proceedings. There was a blurring of crowd and band, as vocalist James Baillie-Hamilton, positioned himself among the throng, arching, curling, clawing, growling and flailing, giving it everything!
At the back, the pounding rhythm from Louis Cornish was unrelenting, although to look at him, you’d think he was playing swing, such is his seemingly laid back style! Damon Thompson did a fantastic job linking the front and back, coupled with some awesome ‘metal’ faces.
Andy Prowse matched Thompson in the face-pulling department, and also Dan Baker in the ‘widdly-widdly’ department, both guitarists excelled in the execution of both the technical and the chuggy. If you like your melodic death metal with conviction, look no further than TFC!
Taking his cue from Baillie-Hamilton, De Profundis’ vocalist, Craig Land placed himself well forward of the stage area, electing to play WITH the crowd, rather than FOR them.
That, for me, encapsulates the beauty of these smaller venues. Nowhere else will you get that sense of belonging, that sense of being a part of the event, rather than merely witnessing it.
We were treated to all the tracks off their current EP ‘Frequencies’, and I mean treated! Guitarists, Shoi Sen and Paul Nazarkardeh created some wonderful noises, from sweet melody, through chunky chug to blistering solos, and it was all backed up by fretless bass and superb drumming. Actually, the kit had been sounding immense all night. Top marks to whoever set it up.
And so, we came to our headliners, India’s Demonic Resurrection, touring the UK in support of their latest album, ‘The Demon King’.
The band has been around for 14 years, and it shows! They gave a tight, polished performance, with Ashwin Shriyan, on bass, a writhing nest of dreadlocks, Nishith Hedge, the archetypal Metal guitarist, with his full octave of ‘chord faces’, and the enigmatic Mephisto on keys, all led from the front by “you can call me…” Demonstealer.
Their influences are far and wide, with traces of Thrash, Prog, NWOBHM and Indian flavours all in the mix, all served up under the moniker of ‘Demonic Metal’. Whatever it’s called, it was bloody good! There was light and shade. There was brutality and sensitivity. There was melody and crunch!
Apparently, I missed a cracker of a match. Do you know what? I couldn’t give a toss. I was hot, sweaty, knackered… and grinning like an imbecile!
De Profundis are playing the SOPHIE stage at BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR next month, and Demonic Resurrection are supporting ONSLAUGHT throughout July.
Review and images: Rob Nankivell
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