There’s a lot of good bands about in the North of England, from all genres, but if there is one genre that the North excels in, it’s metal. Tonight’s battleground, the Kazimier Stockroom, is host to a line up of metal bands ready to bring the hammer down on an expectant crowd.
Kicking things off with a cover of ‘Counting Worms’ (the ever popular song made famous by Knocked Loose) is Atonia. Playing a set list of covers and own material, the band power through their set as the crowd begins to filter into the venue. As sets go, this is a great warm up for the crowd; injecting them with energy from songs they know, before smashing out some own-material. At first the band seem a little unsure of their own talent, but as the set continues, their confidence grows, giving them the chance to take control of the stage and have fun with it.
Next up, we have RECLAIM, one of the heavier bands of the night. Another band hailing from the North West, RECLAIM are here to blow away the crowd with their fast-paced drums and thrashing guitars. The band are clearly no strangers to live shows, with plenty of movement on stage and off. A stand-out moment is a rage-filled performance of ‘The Doomsday Clock;’ a song that those who have seen the band before will recognise. Through screeching guitars, pounding drums and a fantastic vocal performance, RECLAIM are a band worth following. You can find RECLAIM on Spotify and later this year at Dark Reign Festival in Birkenhead.
For the penultimate act, we have a band who have been working extremely hard to set themselves apart from the rest, and it pays off. That band is One More Day. For members of the crowd who have seen the band before, this is something new. At either side of the stage are old TV’s. One plays an intro video, the other simply displaying static; bringing a theatrical feel to the set. With a flash of light, the band begins, bringing with them melodic choruses and heavy breakdowns.
The music itself could easily be compared to songs by Static Dress and possibly even the earlier music of Funeral For A Friend. It’s got a raw edge to it that is not as common with newer bands. With some added effects and a few new songs, One More Day are an impressive band who are clearly determined to make waves in the local scene and beyond. If you want to check the band out for yourself, you can find their music on Spotify.
For the last band of the evening we have Rituals; a band from Newcastle. Having won Kerrang’s ‘The Deal 2023,’ and playing a set at last years Download festival alongside some of the biggest names in metal, Rituals bring their live show to Liverpool. This is the first night of their UK tour, taking them from Liverpool to London across 10 dates. From the get-go, the energy is high on stage; treating this small venue no differently to one of a larger size.
The crowd takes to the band quickly and, after some encouragement from vocalist Lewis MacRae, the movement begins. MacRae has an impressive range, with soaring clean vocals and brutal screams. A draw-in for the band is their blend of metal sub-genres which, at times, sounds similar to Beartooth or Bury Tomorrow, creating an exciting sound.
Rituals are a joy to watch on stage, with guitarist Ewan Lee showing some true showmanship and technical skill, taking control of his section of the stage, whilst the rest of the band get stuck into their performance. As the night goes on, the crowd become more involved; heads banging back and forth to the sound of crunching guitar and pounding drums.
Rituals play with precision and intent, treating the crowd to a fantastic set; proving that they deserve a place amongst the bigger UK metal bands and cementing the fact that the North knows how to produce strong metal bands.
You can find Rituals 2023 EP ‘I Found Myself In The Dark’ on Spotify, along with all of their previous releases.
Will Robinson
