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‘If
you wanted a better guitarist you should have got a sober one’
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At
possibly one of the smallest venues in London, the Arctic Festival
kicked off last night. This tiny venue is tucked away in
Canning Town, amongst waste transfer centre and above a repair
shop. However, it was the perfect place for the festival to
play its first night.
After
arriving halfway through the first band, and settling into this
tiny club, it was the turn of Circle
of Reason to hit the
stage, after a compere channeling Richard O' Brien. Their
run of the mill generic rock didn’t really do anything to or for
the crowd, who were waiting for the other bands. Sadly, the
vocals were drowned by the drums in this very Maiden-esque band,
but without the vocal power.
The
songs followed a typically Muse-driven framework, with plaintive
lyrics and heavy instrumentals that overwhelmed the vocals.
They were skilled but appeared not to use their full potential,
which was a sad sight. They alternated between the heavy and
the melodic, with the vocalist unable to completely satisfy in
either.
The
next band to wow the crowd was Primitive.
The vocals here matched the band, with the growling bass
rumble of the vocalist ear doer the music, although there appeared
to be a technical problem with the mikes.
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Their very bassy and
drum-laden sound was matched perfectly to their deep vocals, and
all the band appeared to be having a brilliant time. The
vocalist was more of a frontman, attempting and succeeding to get
the crowd involved, with some obligatory head-banging by the crowd
and by the lead.
At one point, the
singer from Outright Resistance (a band on the Saturday) joined in
to promote themselves a bit more, and they head banged together in
this madness that consumed them all.
They not only played
up to the crowd, but to each other, showing the camaraderie that
made the band work seamlessly together. The instrumental and
the vocals worked perfectly except for the mike problem, and had
this been resolved it would have been perfection. |
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The next
band up, were a four piece from Scotland, 15
Times Dead.
Their mix of old school heavy metal with elements of Pantera and
Metallica got the crowd moving. The lead vocals were shared by two
of the members, who each brought a different feel to the stage, with one
evoking Hetfield and the other Pantera. The heaviness of the track
was also defined by the lead vocalist, as the music switched from early
Metallica to Pantera-style with ease. The lilts of the Scottish
accent came through at times whilst singing and this leant an authentic
feel to their set.
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After taking a break to
go and mingle with band member and fans alike, we came back to the
penultimate band of the night, Neuronspoiler,
who took 15 minutes extra to set up their instruments, (when most
bands had only taken a few minutes to set up). Their reliance
on showmanship, (the vocalist had an entrance after the first
song’s introduction), set the stage for them. Their lyrics
were hard to listen to and to understand, with the lead providing
more of a showman than of a lyricist. His fellow members
(except for the drummer) were flamboyant in an 80 hair metal
way. But the music wasn’t that good.
As they attempted to
emulate Iron Maiden both in performance and behaviour, it was
obvious that talent had been sacrificed to showmanship, always a big
mistake. The solos were too long and complex, the music was
incoherent at best but they seemed to have a core following in the
crowd, surprisingly. |
Their last
two songs were drawn out and torturous, with long solos that meant nothing
and were there primarily to take up and waste time. Their attempt to
create the epic failed dismally, as did the 80s inspired dress, primarily
tight vests, leather accessories and skinny jeans.
After
another short break to get a drink or two, the headliners (and final band
of the night) Power Quest were
ready to hit London. Again there were technical difficulties, but
this time it was, again, the mikes and not the equipment, yet the wait
this time did not seem long or arduous, as this was the band the remaining
few people were waiting for. Sadly, by putting these guys on last,
the crowd had thinned to around 20 from about 100, which was a poor
reception for this epic power metal band. Their Maiden-esque playing
was coupled with an epic power base, very Gaia Epicus in tone but with
more guitars and bassier drums. They played tracks off albums old
and new, wowing the crowd with their sublime playing and their perfection
from each of the members. This well-held together band not only
played power metal, they made it epic!
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The use
of a keyboard solo with synth elements allowed an ethereal yet metal
feel into some of the tracks, with the power metal evident
throughout. The two guitarists played their parts perfectly,
with the bassist as a counterpoint. The drummer was there
because he knew what he could do, and meshed together the guitars,
bass, keyboardist and vocals to a degree that wowed the crowd.
The softly spoken Irish frontman belied the power and force with which
he sang his heart out, track after track after track.
It was a
shame they were on last due to the size of the crowd (and the problems
that plagued the night) and the obviously skilled team effort
throughout the set showed you what epic power metal is all about –
guitars, strong vocals and a cracking rhythm section that holds
together the band, even when they can’t be heard.
They
were the perfect closer and sent the crowd home feeling happy they had
waited till the end.
Review
by: Kerry H
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