BLACK COUNTRY Metal Fest 2013

by Neil Mach ©

Last weekend The Robin 2 venue, along with the Midlands Metalheads Radio Station presented a magnificent festival of metal mayhem.

 
 
Kicking things off at the fantastic Robin 2 venue in Bilston – with a blistering attack – was the Dead Star Coalition lads with their cruiser-weight sounds and their gargantuan giant-screen vocals.

Crowds gradually developed from about 2pm – and the excitement & emotion was carefully nurtured by the Midlands Metalheads DJ’s, who regularly took to the stage to announce each act (sell T-shirts) and to generally “hot things up a bit.”

Not that the stage needed much heating up, especially when Scar the Crow – the alternative/grunge/rock trio from the Midlands –  came on. Guitar from Tom Cox burnished the Bilston afternoon air, and Matt Preston’s vocals ground all of our ear-worms into a fine powder-dust!

Next up was one of our favourite bands – the powerful West Midlands based pace-setters – Endings and Origins. This  5 piece Metalcore Deathcore Hardcore outfit were a riot of noise, energy and fun.

If you like Parkway Drive, or Lamb of God, then you would have loved the incredible lively  output from this young band. They squeezed out every bit of courage and energy to provide one of the most scintillating sets of the day.

After ushering some of the audience (those ones of weaker dispositions) back into the hall, the Midlands Metalheads introduced Ropewalk to the stage. This Nottinghamshire quartet burned our ears and jellified our brain with their immensely powerful hell bound sounds.

The brutal metal of KuRu then rapidly followed on, and after which, we all enjoyed the rather tasty melodic riff-displays from the Birmingham based Aceldama, who provided all the explosive fizz and harmonious crisis you could ever want from a live show.

Dakesis never fail to amaze – and once again provided a wonderful show at the Black Country Metal Fest 2013. Matt (guitar) was very late getting to the stage (he burst on just as the crowd was urging everyone to “Get on with it…”
 
But once Matt was in place, there was no stopping him, his guitar blazing as it accompanied the immense voice of Wayne (lead vocals) and the urgent keyboards of Gemma (vocals and keys.)

Dakesis mix European power metal influences with their own unique blend of modern melodic metal, and their combined attack at the Robin2 was staggering. They are incapable of mediocrity – and a force to be reckoned with.

After a giant inflatable cock took the stage (do not ask), we enjoyed the extraordinary talent of VandalierS. This band play a hybrid version of honest-to-goodness blues-rock. The type of legendary heaviness you might have been expected in Monterey during the Summer of Love.

As we approached the main acts, the place started swelling.  Metalheads of all kinds – of all persuasions – and of all sizes and shapes – were getting together to really have some fun. It was a superb atmosphere.

So when Awake By Design came to the stage, the audience was up for some classic melodic metal and roared with approval. Their second album “Carve The Sun” is out soon, and the band captivated the audience with their intricate sounds and scorching musicality.

The night was completed with the Wolverhampton band Obzidian. Reminding us of Testament / Sylosis, these lads play a brutal ear deafening thrash metal that shatters the nerves and disconnects the blood vessels in your spine. It is the sound of your own brains being mauled violently from your cranium. It is totally indispensable. Their new album ‘Damned Eternal’  is available at their shows.

The MIDLANDS METALHEADS together with the fabulous Robin 2 venue at Bilston organized and produced a mad, bad, wild and totally devastating metal party.

It was a true celebration of the completeness of metal – in all its various forms. We were totally blown away.

Thanks to all the participants – you should all be proud of what you achieved!  What a day !

© Neil Mach March 2013

Links:

http://www.facebook.com/MidlandsMetalheads
http://www.facebook.com/therobin2