Music / Previews
Metal & Prog Picks: October 2024
Ready to rock? The October calendar is absolutely packed, with something for everyone – from classic prog to death metal. Not to mention the 10th anniversary of Bristol’s very own Sons of Liberty. Eyes down . . .
Marble Factory, Oct 3
is needed now More than ever
This show has a rather complicated history. It was originally booked for the Fleece last November and sold out instantly, rather suggesting that the promoter had no idea how popular power metal is around these parts. Then the whole tour was pulled and rescheduled for a year later, with the Bristol show upgraded to the Marble Factory, so many more tickets were made available. Anyway, Battle Beast are Finnish power metallers fronted by Noora Louhimo, whose latest album is Circus of Doom (Nuclear Blast). “If you’re looking for a band that sounds like Bonnie Tyler fronting Dragonforce and feels like a power metal take on Eye Of The Tiger, Battle Beast’s Circus Of Doom has you covered,” enthused Metal Hammer. The main support comes from Austrian symphonic metallers Serenity, who have some serious overachievers in their ranks. Founder/vocalist Dr. Georg Neuhauser specialises in Mediaeval and Early Modern History at the University of Innsbruck, which perhaps explains why the lyrics to the band’s songs about historical figures (Sir Francis Drake, Galileo, Marco Polo, etc) boast a certain academic rigour. Drummer Andreas Schipflinger works as a research and development technician in the construction of cochlea implant system hearing aids. Opening the show are Finnish melodic death metallers Brymir.
Bristol Beacon, Oct 5
Still heroically keeping the Genesis flame burning, Mr. Hackett comes west for another sold-out show. His excellent band is the same one that played that great gig at the Bath Forum in 2022: Roger King (keyboards), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Jonas Reingold (bass, backing vocals), Rob Townsend (saxophone, flutes, additional keyboards), Craig Blundell (drums) and Amanda Lehmann (guest guitar and vocals). As usual, there will be two sets. The opening one comprises solo material, hopefully including much from his excellent new album, The Circus and the Nightwhale. Part two comprises Genesis classics, with particular emphasis on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Trivia note: the last time Steve played The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway at this venue was on April 29 & 30 1975, during the epic, theatrical 104-date tour to mark its release. That time, Genesis played the whole thing in its entirety before returning to old favourites Watcher of the Skies and The Musical Box.
Exchange, Oct 7
A very welcome return for the Austrian symphonic metallers, who were last seen at the Fleece in August 2023. This seems a bit of an odd choice of venue mind, as they’ll struggle to fit on the stage. Visions of Atlantis are still rocking the Pirates theme, having followed their 2022 Pirates album with this year’s Pirates II – Armada. Expect to have your timbers thoroughly shivered.
Thekla, Oct 7
South Wales classic rockers who gave a good account of themselves supporting the Winery Dogs at the Marble Factory last October, Scarlet Rebels’ last two albums, See Through Blue and Where the Colours Meet, have both made the UK top 20, so they’ll no doubt be in the mood for celebration at their biggest Bristol show to date.
Exchange, Oct 8
Remember Redd Kross? Like Jellyfish and the fabulous Enuff Z’Nuff, they were American purveyors of Beatlesy hard rock, though their brand wasn’t heavy enough to scare off the fey indie kids, which gave them a certain critical cred. Despite being hugely influential on the likes of Nirvana, they never really succeeded in bothering the charts, despite some major label support, and then seemed to disappear. Now founding brothers Jeff and Steve McDonald are back with a multimedia assault comprising a new album (their eighth, forty odd years on from their debut), plus a biography, You’re One of Us, and a documentary, Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story.
Fleece, Oct 10
Six years on from The Wolf Bites Back, Brit stoner kings Orange Goblin return with Science, Not Fiction (” . . .a formidable show of strength from one of the greatest bands ever to do it,” reckoned Metal Hammer, who cite it as one of the albums of the year). Always a great live band, they’re back in town for the first time in nearly a decade with equally reliable ‘caveman battle doom’ act Conan (last seen at ArcTanGent) in support. Before the show, Orange Goblin will also be doing a meet and greet at Black City Records.
Thekla, Oct 12
Best known for her work on the soundtrack to The Last Kingdom, Faroese singer/songwriter Eivør has long appealed to metal audiences and signed to avant-metal label Season of Mist for her new album Enn, which has lyrics by Faroese poet Marjun Syderbø Kjelnæs. Support tonight comes from her Norwegian musical fellow traveller Sylvaine, who’s perhaps best known for collaborating with Alcest, and will be performing a solo set. Both women gave great performances at this year’s Hellfest, which were captured by the French/German streamer ARTE Concert and can be found on YouTube.
Thekla, Oct 13
Technically, thanks to the intervention of m’learned friends, these robed Polish black metallers have been obliged to change their name from Batushka to Patriarkh. It all arose because of a falling out between founders Krzysztof Drabikowski and Bartłomiej Krysiuk, which wound up with two rival Batushkas. The Polish court ruled in favour of Drabikowski, so Krysiuk has changed the name of his band to Patriarkh, but is still billing this tour as the final outing for his Batushka. Confusing, huh? Musically, they combine black metal with traditional liturgical songs of the Orthodox Church and the original Litourgiya album was a surprise commercial hit back home in 2015. Support on this ‘Epic Prophecy’ tour comes from VLTIMAS and God Dethroned.
Thekla, Oct 15
The Swedish rockers fronted by Elin Larsson are back after a long break on their low-key Happy Fucking Birthday tour celebrating the release of their fourth album, Birthday, which features a heavily pregnant Elin on the cover. “Rock music is so dominated by all-male bands,” guitarist Zach Anderson told Classic Rock, “so it feels like a cool thing to have a super-pregnant lead singer on the cover.” Another cause for celebration is that it’s also a decade since the release of the band’s breakthrough debut album on Nuclear Blast.
O2 Academy, Oct 17
Last seen here supporting Shinedown at the Academy back in 2018, these Ohio alt/prog or ‘cinematic rockers’ to use their preferred description certainly know how to put on a striking show. The band itself is the concept, their elaborate overarching backstory casting them as a “public outreach initiative” of the fictitious Starset Society, whose function is to explore the social and political impact of emerging technologies sparked by a mysterious transmission picked up by SETI. The blurb promises this Immersion: The Final Chapter is their “most impressive tour yet, framed by a dystopian futuristic narrative woven into a multimedia experience, through music, video and live performance.”
Electric Banana, Weston-super-Mare, Oct 19
Hell yeah! Bristol’s very own southern rockers return from their long slog round the summer festival circuit for an almost-hometown show as part of their 10th anniversary tour, during which these road hogs will play their 250th gig. New album The Detail is in the Devil is out now. Support comes from Kit Trigg.
Marble Factory, Oct 22
Veteran Orange County desert rockers Fu Manchu are back with their first album in six years, The Return of Tomorrow (“Crushingly heavy dope-rock jams, full of menacing riffage and crazed soloing” – Classic Rock). It’s accompanied by a single, Hands of the Zodiac, which was inspired by an astrologer pal of guitarist/vocalist Scott Hill who was always hopelessly wrong about everything.
O2 Academy, Oct 26
Last seen on fine form at SWX back in 2019, these great veteran Italian goth metallers have been pretty busy of late. In 2022, they put out a re-recording of their breakthrough album Comalies for its 20th anniversary and have been beavering away on album number 10. Two singles have been released so far: Never Dawn and In the Mean Time.
O2 Academy, Oct 27
Bucket of Muck kick off their autumn European tour in Bristol ahead of the release of their follow-up to 2021’s Existence is Futile, which will apparently include their unlikely, long-threatened collaboration with Ed Sheeran. No kidding. Keyboardist and co-vocalist Zoe Marie Federoff has also revealed that the as-yet-untitled 14th album, which isn’t due out until next year, is very much in the fan-pleasing Dusk and Her Embrace/Midian vein. Support comes from Butcher Babies and Mental Cruelty.
Fleece, Oct 30
Tenth anniversary tour by the atmospheric melodic black metallers from Portland, Oregon. They’re perhaps best known for 2020’s Djinn album, which was unusually polished for the genre. Support comes from Deafheaven-esque North Dakota post-metallers Ghost Bath, who used to pretend to be Chinese, and Atlanta’s Cloak, who are heavily influenced by early Norwegian black metal.
Fleece, Oct 31
Death metal for Halloween? Well why not? Arizona’s Gatecreeper were hailed by Metal Hammer as “one of the most exciting bands in death metal” with their third album, Dark Superstition, and are now back in town to celebrate its release with their second consecutive sold-out Bristol show. Support comes from 200 Stab Wounds and Enforced.
Main image: Steve Hackett at the Bath Forum, October 2022. Pic: Mike Evans
COMING SOON
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Focus, Fleece, Nov 13
Therapy?, O2 Academy, Nov 15
Baroness/Graveyard/Pallbearer, Marble Factory, Nov 21
Delain, SWX, Nov 22
Massive Wagons, SWX, Nov 23
VOLA/Charlotte Wessels, SWX, Nov 26
Pitchshifter, Thekla, Nov 26
The Sheepdogs, Strange Brew, Nov 30
Dying Fetus, Marble Factory, Dec 2
Pure Reason Revolution, Thekla, Dec 4
Obituary, SWX, Dec 6
Gun, SWX, Dec 7
Jethro Tull, Bristol Cathedral, Dec 11
Endeavour, Exchange, Dec 13
The Rick Wakeman Yuletide Christmas Show, Bath Forum, Dec 18
Eyehategod/Goatwhore, Marble Factory, Dec 19
The Halo Effect/Pain, Fleece, Jan 21
Cattle Decapitation, Marble Factory, Jan 31
Tremonti, O2 Academy, Feb 5
Mother Vulture,Thekla, Feb 7
Slomosa, Thekla, Feb 8
Gloryhammer, SWX, Feb 9
Steve’n’Seagulls, Fleece, Feb 11
Hayseed Dixie, Fleece, Feb 12
Queensryche, Marble Factory, Feb 14
Green Lung/Unto Others/Satan’s Satyrs, Marble Factory, Feb 17
Uriah Heep/April Wine/Tyketto, Bristol Beacon, Feb 20
Opeth/Grand Magus, Bristol Beacon, Feb 25
Fish, Bristol Beacon, Feb 26
Zeal & Ardor, Marble Factory, March 19
Wardruna, Bristol Beacon, March 21
The Darkness, Bristol Beacon, March 24
Amplifier, Louisiana, April 5
Dewolff, Fleece, April 16
Steven Wilson, Bristol Beacon, May 10
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