It’s a well and truly sold out affair tonight and the crowd was arriving early with the air of anticipation of a crowd who has heard 3 amazing albums from a band who they could have only seen many years ago early on a big day out bill, but only if they were lucky enough to know of them then.

Walk the Earth were the only support tonight and for those who don’t know them they feature DW Norton from Superheist and James Ludbrooke, and Matt "Skitz" Sanders from Damaged. I wasn’t really a fan of either of those bands and I can say the same for Walk The Earth. They play a thrashy nu-metal style of music with death metal vocals, but their songs lack hooks for my mind. That said the young crowd here tonight enjoyed their ferocity and were warmed up for the show that they had come to see sufficiently.

Mudvayne hit the stage to a massive roar and it wasn’t long before they had the capacity crowd jumping in the air with new album opener "Determined". The crowd were then worked into a frenzy with Mudvayne playing all of their singles from their 3 major releases. The musical mix tonight left something to be desired however. The drums were overpowering the whole show and killer melodies such as those in Death Blooms and DIG were lost in the mix. This could not dampen the enthusiasm of the excited crowd though and the band were just as aroused by the response from their adoring fans screaming every word along with singer Chad. Chad’s voice held up all night and bass player Ryan was like a little karate master with his cut up chest on stage. Guitarist Greg looked like Cousin It with hair all over his face but he played like a demon, flawlessly all show.
In short this band was killer and I just hope we don’t have to wait 4 years for another show. A band worthy of pawning your soul to Satan himself to get to see. Reviewed by Darren Abbott

Bands: Stampin' Ground/Arch Enemy
Venue: Birmingham Academy 2, UK
Date: 08.03.04

This was the re-scheduled show that should of taken place back in December with Akercocke who unfortunately couldn’t do the new dates. Not that I’m complaining though, as tonight the support was from our personal favorites Stampin’ Ground.

Well, we were running a little late, but we just managed to arrive as SG took the stage. We’ve seen them a couple of times now and they never manage to disappoint, you just know they are going to be good, which is exactly what they are tonight. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Stampin’ Ground are one of the best British bands at the moment and are without doubt one of the most hard working bands around. Tonight they were showcasing their most recent album “A New Darkness Upon Us” as well as songs from the mighty “Carved From Empty Words”. As usual the crowd response was awesome, fists and elbows flying everywhere and the trademark wall of death was huge, the whole set-list was heavy and very intense and we were right in the middle of the action. The last song was fan favorite “Officer Down”, overall it was excellent, it was going to take an amazing performance by Arch Enemy to top that.

After a couple of well-deserved beers to cool off and recover from the elbow in the cheek, Arch Enemy took the stage and we quickly rushed back to the action. We were ready and the crowd was ready to go mental and did from the first song onwards. Playing old and new songs, the majority from “Anthems of Rebellion”. They blasted there way through song after song, even throwing in a cover of “Corporal Jigsore Quandary” by Carcass, well the first bit anyway, to the delight of the crowd. Tonight they were a totally different band compared to the somewhat average performance at last years Graspop Festival, the interplay and musicianship between band members had to be seen to be believed. This was a tight display that mixed brutality and melody together, the technical riffing and harmonies of the Amott brothers, to put it simply, left many with their jaws dragging on the floor throughout. The whole evening seemed to just fly by, anybody thinking about going, or aren’t sure about going to see either of these bands, you will not be disappointed by either.

The absolutely rammed Birmingham Academy 2 had seen it’s best gig for a long time now from two of Century Media’s best bands.

Roadrage 2003
Bands: Chimera/Ill Nino/Spineshank
Venue: Wolverhampton Wulfrun, UK
Date: 03.11.03

Not the usual type of gig we attend, but I’ve heard some good things about Chimaira. The night got off to a great start, we decided to give the local bar next to the Wulfrun a miss and went on a little hike to a little pub round the corner. What a great choice is was too! we got the chance to meet the one and only Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath!

Anyway, back to the gig. First up was Chimaira and they played an absolutely amazing set, most of the songs were off their latest release "The Impossibility of Reason", a heavy yet melodic album full of Thrashy/Melodic Death. Their style probably wasn’t to everyone’s liking tonight, but to me they were easily the best band on the bill tonight, faultless, very entertaining one of the best modern bands that I have heard for a while, and without doubt will have made many new fans.

After what seemed like an eternity, Ill Nino took the stage. With two drummers, their "Tribal" style sounded like they were a second-rate Sepultura or Soulfly. After getting off to a good start, with a very groovy, tribal drumming intro, they then went straight into the first song, it was obvious who most people was here to see, but to be honest, they soon started to become dull, boring and rather repetitive, especially after the brilliant performance of Chimaira, who really did up-stage them tonight. I don’t know what it was, but every song sounded the same, it might be that it was all one long song but all in all, when they finished, they didn’t really leave an impression on me. The Highlight of the set was the huge mosh, which I couldn’t resist joining, as the music was un-inspiring.

Everybody has either heard or heard of Spineshank, and tonight, although I personally think they weren't as good as Chimaira, I could see why they are one of the more "Popular" Nu-Metal bands around at the moment. Showcasing songs from all three albums, Spineshank where in your face all night and not letting you breathe for one second by pumping out song after song. As I've said, Spineshank are one of the more popular Nu-metal bands, but they are also one of the most unique, they don't follow set patterns that is usually found within the Nu-Metal genre. I do have to admit that I was impressed with Spineshank tonight, probably not enough to go out and buy their album but I would definitely go and see them again as their live set is hard hitting', fast and enjoyable. 

Bands: My Deaf Audio/Aura Sun
Venue: Birmingham Academy 2, UK
Date: 14.06.03

There was supposed to be a third band tonight but they had to pull out at the last moment. I have only heard a couple of songs from MDA and nothing at all by Aura Sun so I didn’t know what to expect.

The Academy was totally empty, there must have been between 20-30 people. Aura Sun were up first and they didn’t let the turnout distract them. Straight from the off, you could tell Aura Sun are a top quality band, there post-hardcore/Emo was exceptional throughout the set, every song was of high quality and memorable. The whole band loved it on stage tonight with front man Ricky Glover jumping all over the stage, tight, driving riffs from Chris Walker and Tim Roddis and the rhythm section consisting of Marc Ramsbottom on Bass and Dave Harris on drums played there balls of all night. Aura Sun is a name to remember and I am sure the days of playing in front of a few people will be over very soon. To round it all up when I spoke to them at the end, they gave me one of their CD and thanked me for coming. Thanks Guys!!!

After a beer or two later, MDA appeared. Before the gig I was sent a copy of their "Got a Friend" EP, so I was hoping they played a few off that, which they did. Apart from a few songs, the rest weren’t that very memorable. It was a good performance but I’m afraid that I have heard many bands like this. Most of the people at the front were here to see MDA and they were smiling and dancing non-stop. They went down very well but for me Aura Sun were the highlight of the night, I definitely want to see them again. It was a shame a few more people didn’t turn up.

Bands: Therapy/3 Stages Of Pain/Miss Black America
Venue: Birmingham Academy 2, UK
Date: 14.05.03

With a great turnout again at the Academy, 3 Stages of Pain took the stage first. The Doncaster quintet have been described as a cross between Entombed and Fugazi, to be honest I can’t really see the resemblence. I missed the first few songs as I was talking to Therapy bass man Michael McKeegan, but what I did here, apart from a couple of good songs didn’t seem very impressive, just standard noisecore. I decided to head to the bar to get a few more drinks towards the end of their set before Miss Black America came on, hoping for something more impressive.

Unfortunately, Miss Black America were no more better than the first band with their take on Pop-Punk. There were few interesting tracks, but like the first band, nothing ground breaking or original. The band were lively throughout their set and had great stage presence, and, judging by the reaction of the rest of the crowd, they went down well, for me however it was a different story.

After a lengthy break and a few more beers at the bar, a huge cheer arose, I knew it was time to get back into the action. I haven’t heard much from Therapy for a while and with only 1994’s Trouble gum album in my collection, I was looking forward to hearing some of their newer tracks. They burst straight into new and some older tracks, stopping in-between for a joke and a laugh with the crowd; tonight they were amazing, faultless and very entertaining. This was amongst the best performances I have ever witnessed; it was a joy to watch from start to finish, I never wanted it to come to an end. Anyone in doubt of Therapy's abilities should go and see them live. They are every bit the band that the press jumped all over in the early nineties and as much of a rocking, thrilling, comic, ecstatic brilliance live as they have ever been. Therapy are back!!!

Monster Groove 2003
Bands: Clutch/Spiritual Beggars/Spiritu/Dozer
Venue: Dudley JB’s, UK
Date: 07.04.03

Wow, with a name like "Monster Groove 2003" I was expecting good things, very good things.

First up was Dozer. All that I knew about Dozer were they have been around for about 5-6 years and their latest album "Call it Conspiracy" is there fourth. OK the turnout at that time was pretty poor (about 40 people max), but the way the band just came on, played there stuff and just stormed of sulking didn’t impress me at all, they said one thing to the crowd during the set, "By the way, we’re Dozer". Musically they play groovy, heavy stoner rock similar to Kyuss. They have been getting good reviews worldwide, musically I was quite impressed, but the way they put themselves on stage that night wasn’t very good.

Next were up Spiritu. I had the opportunity to interview them before hand but unfortunately I couldn’t get there early enough, anyway, the crowd was still thin on the ground but Spiritu looked very professional and seemed to enjoy it despite the poor turnout. Spiritu are very similar to Clutch, even the front men are similar. Spiritu and there blend of heavy "monster groove" rock were excellent throughout, and look forward to hearing more from the band and hopefully see them again in a more crowded atmosphere.

After a long break, Spiritual Beggars finally emerged as the crowd finally looked like it was getting bigger and moved forward to the stage. Spiritual Beggars have been impressive as of late and this was the first time I have seen them live and boy, I was very impressed. Tonight they had massive stage presence and played an absolute blinding set with their take on Heavy, yet groovy Rock/Stoner which definitely got everyone going. SB have the knack of writing excellent songs, and having only heard little by the band, I will be looking to purchase a couple of their albums.

The man at the front was looking very tired by the time Clutch came on, which wasn’t surprising as he spent all night head banging. I don’t think he stopped at all during the night. Clutch were given a huge welcome by everyone and delivered what I believe are the critical components of a live show - high energy, and renditions of old songs and new material. Clutch are an exceptional band and live they are even better, The amazing drum work from Jean-Paul Gaster (the guy is a madman), heavy, groovy riffs from Tim Sult (g) and Dan Maines (b) and on vocals is Neil Fallon, who I think is one of the best front men around lately. To sum it up, a great performance by a great band.

Overall a great night, maybe apart from the turnout and the attitude of Dozer, but it wasn’t enough to put a downer on the night.

Bands: Madder Mortem/Opeth
Venue: Birmingham Academy 2, UK
Date: 17.03.03

Wow, the mighty Opeth, I was looking forward to coming for weeks! First up were Madder Mortem, they are a quite unique band that is hard to categorize. They are very melodic, atmospheric and heavy. Not thrash or death metal but could maybe be filed under gothic.

Most of their set came from the latest "Deadlands" album, but there were a few tracks from earlier albums which didn’t really standout as much as the newer tracks. Unfortunately, throughout most of the set, they had problems with the guitars and regularly had to retune them, although this went unnoticed, front lady Agnete apologized for the problems between a couple of the songs. Speaking to the band before the gig, MM have been one of the most pleasant bands we have met and tonight I feel they won over the crowd and, despite not much action from the front, a very respectable cheer and applause arouse after each track which seemed to please the band. Standout tracks were "Necropol Lit", "Rust Cleansing" and "Jigsaw". Madder Mortem are a very interesting band with a lot of new ideas, which I will now be following with some interest. They also make a change to the usual stuff I listen to.

After a long wait, a very long wait actually in which a lot of people were becoming restless and shouts of "O-peth", "O-peth" were being replaced with"come on" and "hurry up". When they did finally come on, the reception was amazing; I don’t think I have heard anything like it. Softly-spoken Front man Mikael Akerfeldt between announcing the songs had time to talk to the crowd and seemed surprised at the reaction they were given, then as they played the songs he seemed like a man possessed, faultlessly switching between harsh guttural vocals and softly sung vocals. Opeth played a truly brilliant set which included songs from every album including "Deliverance", "Godheads Lament", "Forest of October", "Demon of the Fall", "The Leper Affinity", "Backwater Park" and "The Drapery Falls" to name a few. Opeth really are one of the greatest bands I have ever had the privilege to hear, and I hope I will see them again very soon. From the man with the long hair who kept whipping me in the face to the small bloke beside me who seemed to be dancing to entirely different songs that were on, the whole night was great.

Bands: Fallen To/Decimate/Shadows Fall
Venue: Birmingham Academy 2, UK
Date: 05.03.03

I always look forward to seeing bands that I haven’t heard of before but, as Decimate took the stage, they announced that Fallen To couldn’t play tonight due to problems. Bit disappointed but nothing that will cause me sleepless nights.

Decimate were up first, and play heavy Hardcore, which, despite the poor turnout at that time, I feel they went down quite well despite the warmish reception at the start and have a bright future ahead of them. After couple of tracks, you could see the room filling up which seemed to lift the band and the crowd in general. There were a few devout fans that sang along to every track, but it took a few more songs to get me into them. There were a couple of times that I thought a mosh might start, but nothing came about. Give them maybe a year or so, gain a bit more experience and I think Decimate could go somewhere.

After a pint (or two!), Shadows Fall took the stage. Looking around, it was still a poor turnout maybe about 100-150 people, but the band never let that put a dampener on things and performed an excellent set. Shadows Fall are definitely going to be the next big name. The played a set mostly made up of tracks from the masterpiece "The Art of Balance". For me, every track on that album is great, and live they are even better. The atmosphere for a smallish turnout was electric. Head banging, jumping, moshing, the whole of the set was amazing. Power, Melody, Aggression, that should appeal to anyone into aggressive music in general.

Shadow’s Fall are playing the Download Festival at Donnington, Kerrang Week-Ender, the US Ozzfest and hopefully the UK Ozzfest. If you manage to see them at any of these shows, I guarantee you are not going to be disappointed, there latest album is being hailed as a classic, I even had trouble trying to find a negative review of it anywhere. Some of you will let SF just go past, which is your loss. A great night even if Fallen To didn’t show up. Good choice of support as Decimate for me, are one I’m going to watch with interest and Shadows Fall, well need I say more. When I spoke to them earlier they said they didn't mind the turnout as they are only just trying to spread their name over here in the UK, I think tonight they have definitely done just that!

Bands: December/Stampin Ground/The Haunted
Venue: Birmingham Academy 2, UK
Date: 26.02.03

I was a bit to surprised to see it in the smaller Academy 2 but then again, the smaller venue may add to the atmosphere.

Before the gig, we had a talk to Stampin’ Ground frontman Adam Frakes-Sime (you can read it in the interview section). Being a fan of SG, I looked forward to the interview and their set. Anyway, the doors opened at 7 with a pretty dismal turnout which was very suprising, but, within about half an hour it was packed to the rafters and December took the stage soon after.

Having not heard anything by December, I was interested to hear them and, as they took the stage I just had time to realize that the singer was the guy I was talking to at the merchandizing stall before they burst into savage grind-metal assaults, painstakingly crafted song structures and startling rhythmic precision. Its always hard being the opener and, despite the slow start, they soon picked up with a solid set from their debut album on Earache "The Lament Configuration", much to the delight of the crowd. December were received well, with front man Mark Moots regularly thanking the crowd for their reactions. December will definitely leave Birmingham with a lot more fans.

After a short break, out came the mighty Stampin’ Ground. With new drummer Neil Hutton on show, SG blasted through classics "The Symmetry of Hatred", "Mid-Death Crisis" and "By Whatever Means Necessary" there were some new songs on show but I didn't get the titles of them. Before "Everybody Owes a Death", front man Adam got the whole room to move either to the left or right, and said that on his command "Go Wild" and when the song kicked in, the whole room went f*****g wild, with the biggest mosh I have ever seen, it was totally amazing. SG are a huge presence live and with a new album out soon I look forward to seeing them live again. They finished the set with "Officer Down" and were joined halfway through by December’s Mark Moots. As Mark took lead vocals Adam climbed the front barrier and proceeded to swing across the rafters and drop into the crowd, and both guys finished the song on vocals. The crowd was great and the band was great. As the band left the stage, you could see everyone just looking at each other in disbelief at what they had just seen.

As I went out to the main area to get some air, Anders & Jonas Bjorler walked past me, followed by Marco, Jensen and finally Per Moller. The guys from the Haunted are huge blokes, the type you don’t want to be approached by in an alley. 5-10 minutes later, a cheer arose from the crowd. I knew it was time to return back to the action. The kids that were at the front before had now been replaced by big, long haired men with beards. This was going to be hard! The Haunted took the stage and immediately started with (I think) "Godpuppet" then a mixture of tracks from "The Haunted Made Me Do It" and the hard "One Kill Wonder". Marco Aro interacted with the crowd between each song and looked pleased with the reaction. The Haunted were fast, aggresive and heavy. Marco regularly jumped into the front row and was immediately mobbed by everyone. The Haunted were thrashy, energetic, screamy and played their songs perfectly. Musically they were near perfection, but towards the end the crowd looked tired but very happy with the evening. I left as soon "Hollowed Ground" finished to beat the rush of people.

Overall, an unbelievable night that I will remember for a long time. The entire package was excellent!