Music / Previews
Bristol’s metal and prog picks: September 2024
It’s a great month for those who like their metal very heavy indeed.
The big news is the very first death metal show ever staged at the Bristol Beacon, as Thomas ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher and his Cannibal Corpse chums promise to lay waste to the venerable refurbished venue.
There’s also more death metal from Nile, global metal from Soulfly, and thunderous noise from rising Britmetallers Heriot – not to mention tomfoolery from costumed Australians Battlesnake.
is needed now More than ever
Marble Factory, September 1
Max Cavalera returns to Bristol with his post-Sepultura ‘global metal’ band for the first time in six years. Soulfly also provides gainful employment for his drummer son Zyon.
There’s talk of a new album, but they haven’t actually released anything since 2022’s Totem – their first since the departure of guitarist Marc Rizzo. Still, Soulfly live shows are always riotous experiences and this promises to be no exception.
Fleece, September 5
Welcome return of the Egyptology-obsessed American death metallers founded by Karl Sanders way back in 1993.
Earlier this year, they released the splendidly titled Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by The Four Apes ahead of new album The Underworld Awaits Us All.
If complex technical death metal is your bag, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Exchange, September 6
Album launch show for Dead Gods, the second release by South Wales combo Black Lakes, whose stated aim is to blur the boundaries between traditional hard rock and alternative metal.
Support comes from fellow Welshmen Valhalla Awaits, who are fronted by Andrew Hunt – formerly of the rather fine Buffalo Summer.
O2 Academy, September 20
Australian business tycoon and rhythm guitarist David Lowy’s supergroup collective recently parted company with the great Glenn Hughes, who went off to rejoin Black Country Communion.
So now they’ve reunited with his predecessor John Corabi (formerly of Motley Crue) for their seventh album Light ‘Em Up, produced by Marti Frederiksen in Nashville. As Classic Rock noted, this seems like a bit of a backwards step into “meat-and-potatoes rock” as Hughes is one of the genre’s all-time great vocalists.
Still, you can’t fault the quality of the musicianship on display, especially as excellent journeyman guitarist Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio, etc) remains in the ranks.
Cannibal Corpse/Municipal Waste/Immolation/Schizophrenia
Bristol Beacon, September 25
Whoa! This is going to be quite something: the first ever death metal show at this venue in its current incarnation or previous one as the Colston Hall. Let’s hope the Beacon are bringing in specialist stewards who are used to this music and its audience.
Last seen packing out the Marble Factory six years ago, Florida pioneers Cannibal Corpse are the very naughty boys of death metal who were once cited by Bob Dole, alongside 2 Live Crew and the Geto Boys, as “undermining the national character of the United States”.
The gore-fixated Corpse have been going for 30 years and succeeded in getting themselves banned in Germany, Russia and Australia at various times. Their sixteenth studio album, Chaos Horrific, is out now on Metal Blade and we can no doubt look forward to hearing such evergreen ditties as I Cum Blood and Entrails Ripped from a Virgin’s Cunt.
Amusing trivia fact number one: Cannibal Corpse appear briefly in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, performing Hammer Smashed Face. Amusing trivia fact number two: their fans include palaeontology professor Mats E. Eriksson. He named an extinct monstrous worm, Websteroprion armstrongi, after the Corpse’s bassist Alex Webster, who pronounced himself suitably honoured.
The main support on this four band bill are Richmond, Virginia thrashers Municipal Waste, who are regular visitors to Bristol and were last seen playing a great headline show at the Marble Factory last October.
Expect to hear The Thrashin’ of the Christ, Headbanger Face Rip and Born to Party. Altogether now: “Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up!”
Opening the show are Antwerp deaththrashers Schizophrenia and New York death metallers Immolation.
Exchange, September 26
Costumed Australian funsters who may struggle to squeeze all seven members onto the tiny Exchange stage, Battlesnake describe themselves as a mix of Queen, Judas Priest, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and AC/DC, which seems to cover all bases.
They’re certainly making a name for themselves down under, having supported Kiss on their End of the Road tour in Sydney. Second album The Rise and Demise of the Motorsteeple (“…proof that you can be a) heavy metal, b) silly as hell and c) really quite good” – Metal Hammer) is out now.
Exchange, September 27
“One of the best young bands in the UK metal scene right now,” reckon Metal Hammer of Swindon’s excellent Heriot.
Fronted by guitarist/vocalist Debbie Gough, they’ve had a busy summer on the international metal festival circuit, appearing at Hellfest, Rock AM Ring, Rock IM Ring, Resurrection Fest and Download.
This is a launch show for their debut album, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell (Century Media).
COMING SOON:
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Battle Beast, Marble Factory, October 3
Steve Hackett, Bristol Beacon, October 5
Visions of Atlantis, Exchange, October 7
Redd Kross, Exchange, October 8
Orange Goblin/Conan, Fleece, October 10
Eivør/Sylvaine, Thekla, October 12
Blues Pills, Thekla, October 15
Starset, O2 Academy, October 17
Sons of Liberty, Electric Banana, Weston-super-Mare, October 19
Fu Manchu, Marble Factory, October 22
Lacuna Coil, O2 Academy, October 26
Cradle of Filth, O2 Academy, October 27
Uada/Ghost Bath/Cloak, Fleece, October 30
Gatecreeper, Fleece, October 31
Focus, Fleece, November 13
Therapy?, O2 Academy, November 15
Baroness/Graveyard/Pallbearer, Marble Factory, November 21
Delain, SWX, November 22
Massive Wagons, SWX, November 23
VOLA/Charlotte Wessels, SWX, November 26
Pitchshifter, Thekla, November 26
The Sheepdogs, Strange Brew, November 30
Dying Fetus, Marble Factory, December 2
Pure Reason Revolution, Thekla, December 4
Gun, SWX, December 7
Jethro Tull, Bristol Cathedral, December 11
Fever 333, Marble Factory, December 12
Endeavour, Exchange, December 13
The Rick Wakeman Yuletide Christmas Show, Bath Forum, December 18
Eyehategod/Goatwhore, Marble Factory, December 19
The Halo Effect/Pain, Fleece, January 21
Tremonti, O2 Academy, February 5
Queensryche, Marble Factory, February 14
Opeth/Grand Magus, Bristol Beacon, February 25
Fish, Bristol Beacon, February 26
Wardruna, Bristol Beacon, March 21
Amplifier, Louisiana, April 5
Dewolff, Fleece, April 16
Steven Wilson, Bristol Beacon, May 10
Main image of Cannibal Corpse: Metal Blade
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