The UK's Most Dedicated Metal Blog
Forging a creative path that many would hardly conceive in a lifetime Textures have announced their return this year. Releasing their brand new album Phenotype this month the band embarked on their Oceans Collide tour. Currently performing all over Europe, Textures brought their brand new show comprising material from their early beginnings in Polars right up until their conceptual tour de force Phenotype to London for one night only.
Symphonic metal is on the rise in the UK, and taking advantage of that are the European powerhouses of Xandria and Serenity who aim to present themselves in the most valiant of lights in the intimate environments of the Camden Underworld. We were there to soak in some symphonic radiance…
It’s been a huge week for prog spectacles in London. With Dream Theater playing on the other side of town, Symphony X roll into the east bring their hyper-technical metal to the table, and they have set their lasers to stun.
Despite being one of the cornerstones in the Progressive Metal genre, Dream Theater relentlessly strive for innovation. Having moved on without drummer Portnoy the band have indeed understood their identity. Handing the reins over to guitarist and beard grower extraordinaire John Petrucci, the band’s creativity has seldom dulled in their thirty year plus career. Quite no one would anticipate their sheer level of attention to detail on their brand new release, The Astonishing. Not only one of the biggest undertakings in the band’s career but potentially in the genre all together. Putting together a live performance the likes most bands will never see, tonight we are at the mercy of The Astonishing : Live at London’s Palladium.
The man behind some of the most epic power metal of the modern day brings his crew to London to showcase that ‘cinematic’ over the top performances that the whole of the European continent has come to love. It’s a small venue the group are performing in tonight, but that doesn’t make the slightest bit of different! We review an evening of power metal spectacles.
A night of efficient German heavy metal has rolled into London town, and every raidiant note was soaked up with every moment cherished. We review the epic performances from metal titans Helloween and Rage.
Attracting anything from the most seasoned of metaller to the most gloomy of Goth’s Steven Wilson is able to cross boundaries with seemingly every single release. Pushing the blueprint further with each conceptual coup, after the phenomenal success garnered from Hand Cannot Erase as Wilson insists tonight’s tour in part of celebration of new mini album 4 1/2. Nevertheless prior to our exploration into the mini album the night is divided into two sections. Happily keeping the avid Prog fans at bay tonight’s setlist has been meticulously chosen to suit every kind of audience member.
In the modern age technology is able to conjure a plethora of smoke and mirrors surrounding a band. Forsaking emotion for the sake of technicality or gimmicks, the performance itself is changing. Releasing their fourth album over a career spanning twenty two years Ignite are seasoned in the schooling of Hardcore. Ten years after the now eponymous Our Darkest Days, the band release A War Against You. Proving critics and fans alike that ten years has done nothing but fuel their fire on record we now get to see just how devastating a live performance the band can be.