The Miserable Metal Mind Podcast

Iron Bore bookings have once again perfectly curated the Ruination Festival at the excellent Underground venue in Bradford .  The extra special treat for the Friday night is named “ A Night of Ruin ” and I have managed to arrive on time, ready to catch all the bands.  The first of which is local five-piece “ Kamien ”. Their 90s style tunes have riffs and a chilled vibe. They open this Friday collection with calm, smooth stage presence. Their female vocalist has a grunge-type delivery to her style, pairing perfectly with this music. Although they are the first act, the crowd is decent and enjoying this alt rock experience. The power of the guitar solos assists in the experience for this mainly metal crowd.  Next on stage is Hollow Earth . Immediately, I lament not knowing this band’s music already. This is right up my street. Prog Doom metal riffs fill the Yorkshire air, and they slide into their set expertly. Clean vocals sit on top of the proggy vibe, with each band ...

By the time work relinquishes its cold grip on me, I end up being late for local boys Bloodsaw’s opening set. From the looks of it I have missed out. They are deep into a cover of Painkiller and doing an excellent job by the time I get to the stage. The crowd is large and very much into it. I really do feel like I missed out on this one. Sorry guys.  It’s not long before Tom Collins strolls menacingly onto the stage, with scythe in hand to rapturous applause. He swaps scythe for bass and we are off. Collins confidently takes his position behind his ram skull adorned mic stand, providing the thumping, pounding bass lines Devastator’s music contains. The black, roll, thrash metal takes very little time to cause a manic pit to open up. We have bodies, hair and grins flying around this venue and it’s awesome to witness. I have been a fan of this band for a long time now. I have seen them entertain on both small stage and larger festival stage, and not once have I been disappointed....

Through a forest of red pointy gnome hats, you can just about witness support, and tour organisers Wall take to the stage. A scream of feedback fills the Cathouse before the massive riffs of their two-person attack crush Glasgow. The two Cole brothers from Desert Storm play instrumental music and it’s massive in tone. The audience is large and loving the vibe.  The red hats continue to bob in time with the concrete riffs while the boys power through their set with smiles on their faces. The weighty riffs go down well in the Cathouse, and the audience displays their appreciation loudly. More red hats congregate in front of the stage before Gnome make their entrance. With a pink Flying V named “Pink Dick” Rutger and the boys lay into “Rotten Tonge”, one of the heaviest tracks in their catalogue. The Scottish crowd immediately go wild and it’s not long before a Gnome pit is formed. We go back to the album “King” next with “Bulls of Bravik” while the pit gets bigger. The intensity of t...

  Thrasherwolf The Sub Blackpool. Nestled amongst kebab shops and karaoke bars sits a little yellow music bar/venue. It’s Beatles-themed, mainly around The Yellow Submarine. This is the venue for tonight’s thrash metal party. First impressions of the place are nice, with friendly staff and a clientele ready for some live music. The youngsters of “Parilla” are the first to walk onto stage, and they burst into a cover of Creeping Death. This is enough to get heads bobbing and the juices flowing. Their short set comprises of covers and their own material. They have already amassed a decent following, and many are here to enjoy their starter in this thrash experience.  Blacklist are waiting in the wings, and by the time it’s their turn to shine they seem pumped and ready. Their thrash aggression immediately hits the crowd in the face. They are fast, sharp and incredibly precise. There is always a sense of anger and menace around a Blacklist performance, and tonight is no excep...

It’s not often we stray from the world of heavy metal over here at The Miserable Metal Mind, it’s rare, but not unheard of. The music of The Dead South is certainly different than our normal menu, but with songs about sex, drinking, death, and fighting we are not too far removed. Plus I like them.  This evening's music begins with support from “Corb Lund”. These fellow Canadians have a smoother feel to their country music sound. The audience soaks up the tails of cowboys and cavalry delivered by this four piece. Mixed into these more traditional country tunes we get a rock-a-billie tune named “The Gothest Girl I Can” causing many money-makers to be shaken. A beautifully smooth guitar solo graces Manchester’s Apollo in “Spookin’ The Horses”. With material from ten albums to choose from Corb’s music goes down well tonight.  As the four mic stands appear on the stage awaiting their operators the anticipation begins to build. After what seems like an eternity the Saskatchewan boys...

2009 was the last studio release by this seminal band, whose debut album in 1989 is rightly regarded as a classic and still gets regular airtime in this house. With Chris Goss the only original member, the elusive genius now brings the band back to life once more with their latest album, The Archer .  Masters of Reality has always driven their own course. Rightly credited as a major influence on the desert rock scene, the band’s canvas was spread much wider. The Archer comprises nine tracks that span just under 40-minutes, making it an easily digestible record but not one that diverts from the quality that Goss has always crafted. Here he’s in fine form, the sprawling songs take their own shape and form, nothing rushed and much mellowness as the bluesy vibes cascade across the songs. Barstow , which sits in the middle of the album is a perfect example. A sleepy gentile track that oozes relaxed quality, it’s nonetheless a fine example of the laidback approach which makes this album...