Music / Previews
Metal & Prog Picks: March 2024
The Dragonforce/Amaranthe double-header at the Academy is this month’s big show in the world of metal. Good luck finding a ticket for that (or indeed for Robert Plant, Orbit Culture, Ugly Kid Joe or Justin Hawkins). But March also sees hometown gigs by two very different Bristol bands who are making waves nationally: Svalbard and Sons of Liberty. Support local talent!
There’s also been a flurry of recent additions to the coming soon list, notably those great Polish proggers Riverside, who return to SWX in May, and Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, who make their Bristol debut at the Beacon in June, having previously played a great show at the Bath Forum back in 2022. Oh, and Fish’s seemingly never-ending ‘farewell tour’ reaches the Bristol Beacon next February.
is needed now More than ever
Exchange, March 2
Now signed to metal giant Nuclear Blast, Bristol’s very own Svalbard play a hometown gig which appears to be something of a warm-up for their forthcoming European spring tour with the mighty Enslaved. After that, they’re off to Japan and Australia for a string of headline shows. To celebrate, they’ve just put out a live video of To Wilt Beneath the Weight. Support comes from Witchsorrow who were last seen locally bringing their pleasingly old-school battle-jacketed brand of doom metal to last year’s ArcTanGent festival.
Thekla, March 3
Now fronted by Russ (son of the late former Onslaught vocalist Steve) Grimmett, Bristol’s – and indeed the UK’s – premier southern rock band play a hometown show at their usual venue, this time to launch their new album The Detail is in the Devil. These local rock scene veterans recently made Classic Rock‘s 2024 Hot List (“It’s all about camaraderie – the sense of community among those of us bonded by Rock’n’Roll – on this catchy, distorted marriage of beefcake southern rock and bike swagger”) and are now well established festival favourites.
Exchange, March 5
Veteran Andorran progressive death metallers whose latest album on Napalm, Matanoia, features guest vocals from Einar Solberg of Leprous. Their new EP, Lingua Ignota: Part I, is out now too.
Exchange, March 7
Yet another melodic death metal band from Sweden, Orbit Culture have been in existence since 2013 and recently signed to Century Media, which has raised their profile considerably. This Bristol show is the second date of a lengthy European tour in support of their 2023 album Descent and recent EP Forgotten. All the UK dates are sold out.
Bristol Beacon, March 7
The original witty pop-proggers return for what’s billed as The Ultimate Ultimate Greatest Hits tour, which presumably means the set will be dominated by singles (I’m Not In Love, Dreadlock Holiday, Rubber Bullets, The Dean and I, I’m Mandy, Fly Me, etc). They’ve actually released more compilations over the years than they have studio albums, so bashing out the hits is clearly working for them. Kevin Godley and Lol Creme are, of course, long gone, leaving the band to be led by Graham Gouldman. Veteran drummer Paul Burgess is still with them too, as is Rick Fenn, who’s played guitar with 10cc since 1977.
Marble Factory, March 8
If large, gnarly gentlemen from New Orleans playing crushingly heavy sludge metal is your bag, then Kirk Windstein’s veteran mob should tide you over nicely until the next annual Eyehategod gig. Crowbar’s first studio album in six years, Zero and Below, was released in 2022. This must rank as their largest Bristol show.
Fleece, March 10
Ozzy-worshipping Californian Whitfield Crane and chums return on another tour. Yes, of course they’ll play Everything About You and, probably, Cats in the Cradle too. But they’ve actually released four more albums since 1992’s America’s Least Wanted, which reached number 11 in the UK chart. The latest of these nods to Judas Priest with the title Rad Wings of Destiny and also features a cover of The Kinks’ Lola.
Bristol Beacon, March 13
Don’t expect any full-blown lemon squeezing tonight, as Percy is touring with his low-key acoustic Saving Grace collective, who previously headed our way to support Fairport Convention at the Bath Forum back in February 2019. Once again, he’ll be sharing vocals with Suzi Dian in a band that also includes Oli Jefferson (percussion), Tony Kelsey (mandolin, baritone, acoustic guitar), and Matt Worley (banjo, acoustic, baritone guitars, cuatro).
Marble Factory, March 17
The Californian deathgrinders return with a well received new album, Terrasite. Support comes from their Metal Blade labelmates 200 Stab Wounds, plus Signs of the Swarm and the splendidly named Vomit Forth.
St. George’s, March 19
Have clocked up a remarkable half a million subscribers to his jolly podcast/YouTube Channel, Justin Darkness takes it on the road. The blurb informs us that “Justin will be breaking down some of the most popular and unusual songs out right now, explaining why something is a hit and why something is quite frankly…a bit shit. He will also be posing some important questions that pertain to the world of music and culture, and with your help may bring about world peace by the end of the night.” One lucky audience member will also have their song analysed live on stage.
Louisiana, March 19
Last seen in town at the Fleece with Jared James Nichols, the impressive Dutch classic rockers are now embarking on their first ever UK headlining tour in support of new album Love, Death and In Between (Mascot Records), which has become their first ever number one hit back home.
O2 Academy, March 22
It’s been a while since Britain’s leading power metal band played the Academy, which perhaps explains why this co-headlining show with Swedish electro-metallers Amaranthe sold out so quickly. Indeed, it was the first UK date on the tour to sell out, so hurrah for us. Dragonforce have undergone some line-up changes over the years and are now on their third vocalist (Marc Hudson), but are still driven by Herman Li and Sam Totman on hyperspeed guitars. Their ninth album, Warp Speed Warriors, is out on Napalm, and features a suitably OTT cover of Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams. The genre-defying Amaranthe were last seen in Bristol supporting Powerwolf at SWX back in 2019. They’re distinguished by boasting three vocalists, including the hugely impressive Elize Ryd, who has the dubious honour of once being included in Playboy magazine’s list of ‘The 14 Hottest Metal Maidens in Face-Melting History’. Their seventh studio album, The Catalyst, is out now on Nuclear Blast. Opening the show are Moldovan metallers Infected Rain, who we last saw with Lacuna Coil and Eluveitie at SWX.
Marble Factory, March 31
It’s the return of the deafening drone, as Stephen O’Malley, Greg Anderson and very heavy chums are back to shake the very foundations of Motion. Their last two albums (Life Metal and Pyroclasts) were produced by Steve Albini.
Main pic of Dragonforce: Travis Shinn
COMING SOON
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Sylosis, Fleece, April 4
Bell Witch, Exchange, April 7
Jethro Tull, Bristol Beacon, April 17
DVNE, Exchange, April 27
When Rivers Meet, Thekla, April 28
Bossk/Maybeshewill, Fleece, May 15
Riverside/Klone, SWX, May 20
Yes, Bristol Beacon, May 31
Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, Bristol Beacon, June 17
High On Fire, Thekla, June 18
Bristol Sounds: Skindred, Reef, Kris Barras Band, Canons March Amphitheatre, June 22
Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Bristol Beacon, June 23
Love with Johnny Echols,. Fleece, Aug 1
ArcTanGent Festival: Meshuggah, Animals As Leaders, etc., Fernhill Farm, Aug 14-17
Hawkwind, Bath Forum, Aug 16
Battle Beast, Marble Factory, Oct 3
Steve Hackett, Bristol Beacon, Oct 5
Visions of Atlantis, Exchange, Oct 7
Eivør, Thekla, Oct 12
Therapy?, O2 Academy, Nov 15
Delain, SWX, Nov 22
The Rick Wakeman Yuletide Christmas Show, Bath Forum, Dec 18
Fish, Bristol Beacon, Feb 26
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