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Wednesday saw Exeter Cavern play host Hull’s mighty SWORN AMONGST. Accompanied by local veterans, BORN OF THE JACKAL, this was always going to be a class show, and not one to miss.
To open the night were BATTLEBORNE, a four-piece Heavy Metal band from Exeter. These guys played a well-composed set, with a good sense of presence… unfortunately, to a fairly empty Cavern. For a mid-week show, this was a fairly poor turnout, even for an opening band, but hopefully as the evening progressed so will the ticket sales. Battleborne were a worth opener, but it would have been nice to see how they played in front of a larger crowd.
To follow, were REIGN ETERNAL, a five-piece melodic metal band from Exeter. I am pleased to say, that for these guys, the crowd was much stronger. It seemed that these guys had brought their own following with them for this show, and it was great to see. The guys fed off of the crowd’s reaction and played a great set. As a band, I think Reign Eternal held their own. A young band, with a lot of promise, some good material, and a good frontman, which is always vital. An enjoyable set, and a band that I look forward to seeing again as they progress.
To follow were Exeter’s veterans, BORN OF THE JACKAL. After playing Bloodstock Festival last year, and just after recording their debut full-length, BOTJ are back on a short run of dates with Sworn Amongst. It is no secret that these guys are a class act, and they showed nothing less. For the first night of the tour, it definitely went off with a bang. They rattled through a set of both new and old tracks, showcasing the best they had to offer. They were tight and clean, and new front man Matt Stuart showed no hesitation in venturing out to the crowd. It was great to see these guys going from strength to strength, and proving that bands can move out from the South West, scene onto the national stage.
To finish the night were the highly anticipated Sworn Amongst. After releasing ‘Kolim Nem’ back on December 3rd, Sworn Amongst were back to play some unreleased album tracks, ahead of heading into the studio. For a mid-week show the turnout was impressive. The crowd was far from capacity, but that wasn’t an issue. Headbanging, moshing and everything in between. It was also great to see all of the support bands sticking around to see out the night. Playing both old favourites, and unreleased tracks, it was great to see how Sworn Amongst’s material had changed and developed between releases. They have become much more modern and up to date now, hosting seven-string guitars, instead of six, for that added bottom end. This has definitely made their style a lot more diverse, and will hopefully see them gain more fans across national and international Metal scenes. The crowd for this show was quite young, and I think Sworn Amongst’s new direction was well received, and well understood by them and allowed them to get into the music much easier than the thrash style that Exeter Cavern quite often attracts.
Overall, this was a great show. The bands were great, and the crowd were up for anything. It was great to see people out supporting a midweek show, comprising of mainly local bands. For a scene that is often talked about as becoming stagnant, this was quite the opposite.
Review by Siôn Roe
Read the Interview with Sworn Amongst
Read the interview with Born Of The Jackal
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