RISE TO REMAIN

Words and Photos: Charlie Wallis

It’s going to be a whirlwind of an evening at The Waterfront tonight. The club night that kicks off at ten means 5 bands have to squeeze themselves into a relatively small three and a half hour timeframe like a tubby metalhead squeezing into his burgeoning leather trousers. The venue isn’t particularly packed tonight either, all of which creates a challenging setting for what should arguably be an amazing night of the hottest talents on the metal scene.

It must be a daunting prospect for Birmingham youngsters Cytota, opening for some of the biggest names in metal at the moment. These lads take it all in their stride though, uncompromisingly blasting through their set which, due to time constraints is regrettably short. Given the respective ages of these guys they’ve already had an impressive career that’s seen them playing with bands as big a Funeral For a Friend. Definite ones to watch.

Cytota

Next up tonight are heavy metal heavyweights Malefice who take to the stage like a wrecking ball to a condemned block of council flats. These guys prove from the outset that their not messing around and despite their brief appearance aim to leave a lasting impression on the crowd. Leader singer Dale Butler tirelessly interacts with the crowd who in turn offer their appreciation for their endeavours. Their blend of thrash metal and death core gets the pit to start moving, like heaving a boulder that’s been teetering on the edge on an incline, Malefice give the crowd that push they need to get energise and really up the game of the whole evening.

Malefice

With that bar set fairly high already Adept launch into their set with a no hold barred approach. Huge beatdowns and a frenzy of energy Adepts aren’t going to be left behind and put on an accomplished (and incredibly loud) performance. Adept, almost more so than any of the other bands really play off the atmosphere they create. Their brooding yet ballistic breed of metal fits really well with their light show that sees the venue plunged into darkness as much as it’s lit up. The audience really responds to this effort to set themselves apart from the rest of the bill.

Adept

With several of the other bands on the bill declaring them to be “the heaviest band on the planet”, Heaven Shall Burn have a lot to live up to as they take to the stage to riotous applause. What instantly makes Heaven Shall Burn a pleasure to watch is the level of enthusiasm that’s apparent. So often with this type of blistering heavy metal performances can be humourless and so focused on the technicality, this is not the case with “Heaven Shall Burn”. The whole band spends the whole set jumping around and make for a compelling, if ear shattering, spectacle.

Heaven Shall Burn

Rise to Remain have had a hell of a year so far. Tipped by the big music mags as the next big thing for UK heavy metal and with the talent to back it up the sky really is the limit for these boys. The relentlessness of their emerging popularity and devotion from their fans is reminiscent of very early Bullet for My Valentine, but with bigger riffs! This is a band that clearly like to have fun and the reaction from the audience directly mirrors the mayhem inherent within their music. The band tear through their set like a hurricane barely pausing for breath pausing only to thank the crowd for their efforts. Highlights have to the be epic splendour of “The Serpent” and the fist pumpingly good “Illusions”.

Rise To Remain

Given their performance and increasing popularity, the time is swiftly coming when you won’t be ably to see Rise to Remain in a venue as small and intimate as The Waterfront. Miss them at your peril.

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