When punk and metal collide, thrash magic often ensues, as it did tonight!
Wake up, please, thrashers of Britain. Doomsday’s recent debut album ‘Never Known Peace’ is crossover thrash/hardcore par excellence, and ideally a sold out crowd would be on the verge of spilling out of the New Cross Inn tonight. Oh well – as it is, the place is respectably full, and those that have shown up (bands included) certainly aren’t lacking in enthusiasm.
Essex quartet Sanguine Rose don’t seem at all daunted by the prospect of having to kick things off; in fact, they seem stoked and humbled to be here at all. We detect a hint of Deftones’ influence to their hardcore bludgeon, with the kind of dexterous riffing that would surely get the nod from Chino Moreno’s crew, and a couple of Special Move and Poison The Well covers are the icing on the cake. Good stuff.
Exhume certainly look imposing as they take the stage, all dressed in black, and the Brighton crew sound utterly brutal as they launch into their self-titled opener, with vocalist Joey pushing things almost into death metal territory. Some frenzied two-stepping ensues on the floor, and rightly so. The likes of ‘White Phosphorus’ and ‘Maze Of Eyes’ must surely give the Inn’s foundations a good testing; we’re slightly scared to think what might have inspired such malevolent anthems, but it sure makes for a thrilling set.
“Doomsday say they won’t play unless you all come closer!” That’s Overpower vocalist Matt, who clearly hasn’t lost his mischievous sense of humour in the two years since we last saw them. We certainly won’t let such a long time pass again – not least as the Bristol quintet have grown into genuine crossover contenders.
Yeah, Matt’s chain mail headdress still makes us smile, but the couple of riff-tastic new songs played tonight mark them out as a band to be taken seriously. Plus, is anyone here having as much fun as lead guitarist Lewis, who seems on the verge of orgasmic ecstasy as he unleashes the squealing solo of their self-titled track? We suspect not. Truth be told, they give the headliners quite the run for their money, and if you’re not yet acquainted with Overpower, now is the time.
“London, for the next half hour, you’re in Riff City!” So declares livewire Doomsday frontman Charlie D, and the man does not lie. The Californians have faced a stiff challenge from Overpower, but ultimately triumph by being the absolute tightest, fastest and most manic version of themselves – with Charlie almost taking out the drum kit halfway through a scorching ‘Killing Fields’.
He’s a magnetic ball of energy, and armed with plenty of material from the aforementioned ‘Never Known Peace’, he and his bandmates can’t fail tonight – those riffs are so sharp, they could take your damn eye out. We only wish there was a huge, seething, sweating pit to match the intensity of the music, and they finally get one during a (loudly-demanded) encore.
You can’t help but wonder if, in years to come, those who didn’t bother to attend will lie about having been at Doomsday’s first ever UK gig. Hey, stranger things have happened. Cheers to Real Life Presents for putting together such a beast of a bill!
All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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