The Antiquity, Sea Of Giants & More
Vivaz, Scarborough
13th December 2013
Situated on the east coast of North Yorkshire lies Scarborough, a thriving tourist attraction in the summer. And also apparently a town where wide-eyed fourteen year olds offer you a line of coke. But beyond that lies a virtually unknown – and for a while, non-existent – metal and hardcore scene, one that shows potential and promise.
Opening up the show were a new band known as Avalon, a band that were virtually unknown save to a few people who had seen them at their first show (this one was their second show). Described as “girly-fronted metal” by the show’s organiser, it was apparent that most of the crowd were unsure of what to expect. Fronted by the innocent looking Lottie, Avalon kick started their brief but vividly heavy set with a cover of Flyleaf’s I’m So Sick, which eerily sounded almost like the original song.
Following up from the stunning opening track of their, Avalon went onto make a use of some blistering guitar work and a cumbersome bass sound from Emi and James, as well as Jed’s precision drumming. Lottie’s clean vocals proved to be very versatile throughout the set but it was her banshee-like screams that really grabbed the crowd’s attention.
[4/5]
Scarboroughian beasts Bharghest were the second band of the night. Lending their name from the old Yorkshire folklore of a demonic black dog that brings death in its wake, the three piece instrumental death metal unit proved to be a powerful force. With no vocalist and a use of programmed drums, their riffs came down faster than the executioner’s blade, leaving no time for escape from the ensuing ferocious carnage. The guitar passages were sharp and cutting, whereas the bass had all the civility of a sledgehammer being swung into a face. Bharghest ended their set with Legion, a piece that was akin to melodic death metal, only with a darker, more bestial nature. Fortunately, there was no death in their wake but there might be some people left deaf after their performance.
[5/5]
The night took a turn from metal and into hardcore punk with local quartet Satanic Malfunctions. The frontman really did open some eyes as he ran around the stage looking like a psychotic murder – minus the axe – whilst unleashing a visceral assault of old school hardcore styled vocals. The music itself was typically aggressive, showing no signs of turning passive or losing the energetic drive, though it was apparently hard for the crowd to get into this as the size of the venue made it hard to whip up an atmosphere. Satanic Malfunctions however did get a rather positive response from the crowd vocally.
[4/5]
The main support of the night was Bridlington’s hardcore behemoths Sea Of Giants who made a strong use of grizzly riffs, harsh vocals and heavy drumming. The use of lights throughout their set helped make their performance more exciting, as the crowd that gathered on the dance floor joined together for some synchronised head banging during in the breakdowns. Guitarist Liam’s clean vocals fit the mood of the music perfectly, opposing Mcgougan’s harsher screams brilliantly and vividly. The guitar passages and bass lines were a highlight of their set, paving a path of brutality for the headlining act of the night: The Antiquity.
[4/5]
No EP launch show would be complete without the band who is releasing the EP headlining the show and in this case, it was Scarborough’s own The Antiquity though Hull’s metal cowboys were originally booked as the headliners but they pulled out a few nights before the show for valid reasons. From the moment The Antiquity launched their colossal live attack, their vocalist Luther started one pit after another in between his devastating vocal assaults while the rest of the band provided the momentum and energy with a series of venomous riffs and drums heavy enough to shattered teeth. Their titanic wall of sound collided with their live performance, creating a carnivorous atmosphere.
[4.5/5]
Scarborough still has a long way to go before its scene is recognised on the national scale but given what this show was like, it will be interesting to see how the scene begins to evolve from here and to see what Scarborough’s bands can bring to the table.
Nico Davidson
Related articles
- Continents w/Support – Bridlington, UK (valkyrianmusic.com)
- Subjugation – EP (chainmailmetalreviews.wordpress.com)
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