Music / Previews
Metal/Prog picks of the month: May 2015
Bierkeller, Fri 1
is needed now More than ever
How come the UK never produced a melodic rock band to stand tall alongside the likes of Journey and Toto? Actually, we did. By rights, FM should be living it up on the Glee royalties from all their catchy hits. But, alas, there weren’t any, apart from a few minor ones, despite touring with Bon Jovi and having That Girl covered by Iron Maiden, and they eventually split in 1995. When FM reformed in 2007, it was in a much more receptive musical environment, with no shortage of fans happy to dig deep for PledgeMusic campaigns and plenty of support from Radio Two. Ninth album Heroes and Villains is something of a corker, showcasing once again the incredible voice of Steve Overland.
Marble Factory, Tue 5
Veteran classic rock bands tend to fall in to one of two categories: those who are happy to bash out the hits and those who feel the urge to record new material. Uriah Heep are very much in the latter category. While you wouldn’t want to listen to much of their mediocre late ’70s output, they’ve hit a creative purple patch of late, culminating in last year’s excellent Outsider album (their 24th, fact fans), which won a well-deserved place on Classic Rock’s Albums of the Year list. Still featuring cheery founding guitarist Mick Box, they remain a formidable live act.
Fleece, Wed 6
A treat for those who prefer their prog laid-back and melodic, Panic Room comprises former members of the Welsh band Karnataka fronted by busy Anne-Marie Helder, who also contributes keyboards, flute and backing vocals to Mostly Autumn. Their Fleece show is a two-parter, opening with an acoustic set and concluding with an electric one.
Motion, Fri 29-Sun 31
Bristol’s very own friendly, independent, sponsor-free, underground metalfest was an instant success when it launched last year, so it’s no surprise to find that the second one has sold out well in advance. With sixty bands on three stages over three days, anyone who favours the really heavy stuff is bound to find much to enjoy. The headliners are American metalcore titans Converge (Fri), deafening drone metal duo Sunn O))) (Sat), and, er, even more drone metal from Earth, fronted by Kurt Cobain’s shotgun procurer Dylan Carlson (Sun). Other highlights include doom heroes Pallbearer, brilliant French-Canadian prog-metal veterans Voivod, splendidly named stoners Bongzilla, Radio 1 Rock show presenter Daniel P. Carter’s metal ‘supergroup’ Krokodil, Celtic Frost founder Thomas Gabriel Fischer’s Triptykon, and delightfully named US grindcore combo Pig Destroyer. Among those keeping the local end up are Bristol bands Anta (excellent instrumental prog-metal) and atmospheric doomsters Sonance.
Exchange, Sun 31
Before Daevid Allen departed for the great flying teapot in the sky back in March, he made a point of passing the Gong flame to Iranian-born Kavus Torabi, guitarist with the band’s most recent incarnation. Talented Torabi refuses to be pinned down to any genre, having played with the likes of Chrome Hoof, The Mediaeval Baebes and The Cardiacs, as well as serving as co-host of The Interesting Alternative Show with snooker-playing prog enthusiast Steve Davis. He also has his own band, Knifeworld, who trade in mostly unclassifiable avant-garde music with psychedelic overtones, making them a must-see for more adventurous prog enthusiasts.
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