The Masque, Seel Street, Liverpool. Wednesday 7th September 2011
Whiplash Promotions - the saviour of the Liverpool metal scene - returned after a two month break while Seel Street’s The Masque was closed for maintenance. It was a thunderous return, full of extremely violent, headache-inducing and almost entirely tuneless grindcore. Just the way we like it!
First on the bill were quirky local lads HorseBastard, with their own brand of ‘Equestrian Blastcore’. Characterised by ‘short, controlled bursts’ of maniacal fury, their music is quick and to the point. But that should be no surprise at a grindcore gig! Their frontman Chris is a ball of energy, and almost hypnotic to watch, although if you’re in the pit you’ll probably be too busy chucking yourself at other people like an idiot. Local readers will probably have seen drummer Trippy playing super fast metal covers with a mini kit on Church Street. Well worth checking out!
Next up were Today The Sun Dies, who came as something of a surprise to many present - myself included - who had wrongly assumed that they were a deathcore band. In fact, they were every bit as brutal as the other bands on the bill, and were certainly more than worthy of their place on it. Making use of two vocalists, their music is deep and pummelling, and left quite an impression on The Masque’s crowded loft room.
Wigan’s Evisorax were uncompromising in their approach, to say the least. With a typically short set, their sprite-like presence on stage was brutally concise. Main vocalist Chris possesses an ear-splitting shriek, which certainly suited the unsettling mood of their music. Provoking strong, mixed reactions from the crowd, Evisorax cannot be ignored. Check them out, and decide for yourself. And no, I don’t know what their name means either!
And so to headliners, Wormrot. All the way from Singapore, the trio returned for their second Whiplash gig, and easily lived up to Liverpool’s high expectations, performing a surprisingly lengthy set. I mean, it must’ve been somewhere approaching thirty minutes. Epic! With Earache Records releasing their most recent album as a free download, the band’s newer material was widely appreciated. Their set was the perfect climax to an excellent night of punishing metal, somehow coming as a culmination of everything that had come before.
Returning in style with Wormrot, these are exciting times for Whiplash. Next up is Gorgasm on the 13th, and after a brief lull over the summer, the Liverpool metal scene is evidently back to its ferocious best!
Photograph by Joe Speak
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