Live Review : Voivod + Cryptic Shift + Damnation's Hammer @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 20th 2023

I have always been drawn to the more avant-garde and obscure corners of metal's rich tapestry. When I was making my first faltering steps into the genre in the mid-80s, whilst my contemporaries had their heads turned by the commercial giants of Maiden, Priest and the rapidly ascending Metallica, I was seduced by bands offering a more difficult and select version of metal. My early adoration with musical mavericks such as Celtic Frost, Suicidal Tendencies, Queensryche (back when they were brilliant) and Voivod.

Live Review : Cryptic Shift + Inhuman Nature + Sanhedrin + Suicide Samurai @ Star and Garter, Manchester on January 25th 2023

Suicide Samurai from Oldham open tonight’s proceedings. They're a new proggy-grungy-metal band on the local scene for only a month or so, and let me tell you they promise good things. There’s plenty of raw energy and emotion in the vocals, which are matched by the skilled musicianship of the entire band. The songs are heavy, yet melodic, with a strong sense of dynamics. When I say grunge I’m not talking about a nostalgia trip,

Live Review : Gatecreeper + Cryptic Shift + Celestial Sanctuary @ Rebellion, Manchester on July 9th 2022

It's officially the hottest nights of the year. The atmosphere is stifling, and you can feel the heat sizzle off the pavement. This is a night for smooth tunes and a gentle summer breeze. So where am I, I hear you cry? Well, I'm melting in a sweltering and heaving Rebellion to witness a trio of corrosive Death Metal bands, where else would I be? The fact that the place is so packed speaks volumes about a) how desperate we are to get back to live music (it still feels like a forbidden fruit that could be snatched from us at any given time) and b) the power of word-of-mouth.

Live Review : Morbidfest 2019 @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 30th 2019

So here I am back in more familiar territory both geographically (I really should just cut out the middleman and get my post delivered direct to Rebellion) and also genrely. You see tonight is an unashamed celebration of the power and majesty of old skool death metal and provides a rare opportunity for us in the UK to witness performances by acts that simply don’t usually make it over here.