Music / Metal
Review: Puppy, The Exchange
We’ve all done it, haven’t we – described a band as sounding like a cross between this band and that band with a hint of another band. And whilst no one likes to put bands in genre ghettoes it can be easy to say a band are death metal, or punk, or post-math-rock-sludge, or whatever. Shorthand descriptors to help paint an aural picture of an outfit.
That approach doesn’t work with Dirt because you could hear half a dozen bands in their opening number Forgot, and then a different half a dozen in the next tune Shed. But at no time did they sound derivative or was there any hint of plagiarism. Likewise the sound. Gnarly but not grunge; heavy but not metal and way too gnarly and heavy to be post punk, but the rhythm section evocative of the best post punk outfits.
Chelsey Reynolds (vocals and guitar), Jake Jackson (bass) & Dane Nash (drums) kicked up a glorious racket – bass led, with Nash beating the hell out of his kit to propel the tunes. Although the sound was dense at times, the propulsive bass drove the songs with clarity and groove. The tunes themselves were at times complex, with multiple time changes; sludgy (in a good way) but when they picked up speed, packed with excitement. Reynolds vocals were stylistically all over the place (again, in a good way), from a primal roar to a sweet, melodious croon.
is needed now More than ever
There were no ear worms: this was a challenging, captivating set of modern gnarly post punk metal from a band that sound a bit like Queens of the Stone Age, Melvins, Gang of Four, Meshuggah, Alice in Chains, Deftones & Mudhoney. Some of the time. A set that left you wanting to listen and watch again, and a set that was well received as the room filled.
Green Lung have just released their debut album – Woodland Rites – and it’s an invigorating, confident debut. Their sound is more easily described: hefty riffs & flowing harmonious solos (Scott Black) counterpointed by swirling keys & organ (John Wright) built on a solid yet nimble rhythm section (Andrew Cave, bass & Matt Wiseman, drums). Tom Templar’s vocals were strong and reminiscent of Ozzy, or rather reminiscent of an Ozzy that can stay in tune for a whole set. Bless him, the Prince of Darkness is a great vocalist but few would declare him a great singer.
The set drew heavily on the LP. Woodland Rites, Let the Devil In, The Ritual Tree, Templar Dawn and Call of the Coven seemed to fly by in a blur of psychedelic flavoured classic metal (the band too competent, too tuneful to be compared with the old proto-metal bands). Whilst Templar captivated as a front man, the stage couldn’t confine Wright: a headbanging Keyboard Kong who treated the amps and keys as his own Empire State Building. Lyrically the band draw on old fashioned black magic and paganism. Words more evocative of Dennis Wheatley and Hammer film than of The Exorcist, ably set in the Mendes metal, the sublime backing vocals making the choruses eminently memorable.
Dirt had drawn a crowd in and it swelled for Green Lung, plenty in the room clearly already familiar with the album, joining in on the choruses. The set closed with Lady Lucifer by popular demand, another thundering slab of riffage that animated the crowd further as they sang along.
Both of the support bands had drawn a crowd and been well received, but there’s no doubt the majority were there for Puppy (touring debut LP The Goat on this “Greatest of All Tours”). The room was packed with the bouncing around singing along demographic, and oh boy, did they (and the band) enjoy themselves.
Puppy were the final part of a well-chosen bill exemplifying the breadth of modern heavy music. More immediate than Dirt but not quite so in thrall to the classic bands as Green Lung, they have a rather unique yet accessible sound. They’ve managed to create a noise that’s as melodic as Hüsker Dü at their most pop, yet not as frantic or breakneck; and as quirky as Therapy? but without the punk and the nihilism. The sound translates well on stage – a clean sound, alt-metal at its best, heavy yet leavened with their own idiosyncratic humour.
Billy Howard, Guitars & vocals; Jock Norton, drums and Will Michael, bass and backing vocals opened proceedings with a mighty rendition of Entomed blasted through another nine bubblegum sweet but forceful songs and concluded with a powerful Demons (the non-encore encore). The latter driven by a riff worth of Iommi, and yet still a catchy number, was proceeded by a leery rendition of Happy Birthday for one lucky punter. It was that kind of night.
Howard’s vocals were idiosyncratic throughout, nothing like the typical metal or even classic rock singers. Light, and pitched quite high, it suited the material perfectly. Michael’s backing vocals lifted the choruses and on occasion strengthened the verses – the pair’s vocals a vital component in giving the band their unique sound. The music itself was sharp and precise, devoid of flamboyance and in service of the songs and without the merest whisper of jamming or elongating the material beyond its worth.
This was an absolutely splendid night of music perfectly illustrating the way young bands are alchemising the music of the past in to new and vibrant shapes with panache and verve. Such a shame the media are about due to declare guitar music dead again – maybe they should be getting their asses out to venues like The Exchange and catching bands like Dirt, Green Lung and Puppy to see guitar music is, as always, in loud, rude health.
Puppy: The Exchange: Thursday, 18 April 2019
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
