PlanetMosh Keeping it Metal
To celebrate the release of their album The False Awakening in January Collibus held an album party at Satans Hollow, Manchester on the Thursday before Easter.
Getting the party started were Vice, a four piece heavy metal band from Bury. Opening with Rise Up, Ishmail playing a six string bass and Tom and Chris on matching red and black guitars, these guys played loud and fast reminding me of bands like System of a Down, Metallica, Megadeth and Iron Maiden. Next song Fall Forward announced by lead guitarist Tom Atkinson, who some may recognise from his time in the band Absolva, or when he played as one of Dave Evans UK Badasses. He now manages Vice and seemed to do a lot of organising and running around throughout the evening. The last three songs of tonight’s short but sweet set Greed, Pride and Envy are three of the seven deadly sins, interestingly also known as the Cardinal Vices. Maybe there are, or will be, songs about all seven! The last Vice (song) of the set being Envy a very fast, hard rocking number bringing to mind American band October 31. A good opening set from the locals lads.
Set List:
Rise Up
For The Fallen
Greed
Pride
Envy
Band Members:
Ismail Akther – Bass & Lead Vocals
Tom Atkinson – Lead Guitar & Vocals
Chris Brown – Rhythm Guitar & Vocals
Steven Hall – Drums
Find Vice on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vicemetaluk
With the party well underway the next band came all the way from Stoke-On-Trent. To a choral intro on came Sworn to Oath, a three piece. The second band also to have the bass player taking the lead vocal role. Starting with Outcast with super-fast drumming and screaming vocals. Their next song Free Me is also their latest video, which can be seen on YouTube, and was played energetically. Forever Hurting had a drum beat start which led into a fast song with synchronised head banging from Tom and Dave but less of the screaming vocals, and more normal singing this time. With a cry of ‘Manchester make some noise! Let’s have a good fucking time’ Holding On Again started with a drum beat and led into some ‘Hey Hey Heys’ with the audience joining in. Sworn to Oath have a new album due out in June and the next track Crosses was a taster. The last track Leave You For Dead was announced by Tom saying ‘You don’t have to put up with what you don’t need to’ A very heavy end to the set with lot’s of head-banging.
Set List:
Outcast
Free Me
Forever Hurting
Holding On
Crosses
Leave You For Dead
Band Members:
Tom Shaw – Vocals & Bass
Dave Leese – Vocals & Guitars
Al Junior – Drums
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sworntooath
Website: http://www.sworntooath.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sworntooath
The penultimate band to take to the stage were Nottingham based spoof metal band Evil Scarecrow. Galloping on to the stage like a herd of wild horses Evil Scarecrow are a sight to behold with some inventive stage names to boot. Well I think they’re stage names! Dr. Rabid Hell with his crown of thorns and made-up sewn mouth. Ringmaster Monty Blitzfist with his circus master costume, thick made up black eyes and Top Hat. Kravven Mordeth, tall with wild hair and his gladiator outfit complete with black and white pantaloons, wasn’t quite Russell Crowe but he would have made a fitting extra. Brother Dimitri Pain in his mad monks robe of black crushed velvet with scarlet slashes, and last but by no means least Princess Luxury in a long off-white dress with a chain necklace, glittery headband and deathly white face like some ghostly Aunt Sally!
Dr. Rabid Hell cantered onto the stage with a cry of ‘Let’s see some horns in the air’ and Evil Scarecrow started their set with Choose Metal, a song with similarities to Fyre Power’s XXV. With the fancy dress attire and heavy make up I thought of another great parody metal band Stuka Squadron. Next came Thundercats with the Dr. giving his guitar a little cat lick at one point, and Kraven and Brother Dimitri synchronizing playing their guitars aloft!
With the audience asked to show their Crab Claws it heralded the arrival of ‘The most evil crustacean ever to grace the stage – Crabulon. The one armed crab monster’ The band moved crab like from side to side across the stage ‘Our job is to warm you up before Collibus’ stated Dr. Rabid Hell. With their claws in the air everyone did a crab scuttle left then a crab scuttle right. Dr. said that Crabulon had ‘Lost an arm but she’ll grow another’ Blackened the Everything with it’s tolling bells was reminiscent of Metallica’s For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Then came some crying and ‘Manchester, it’s time for us to hear your sobs!’ All About You had fast drums and riffs starting a bit Rag Doll by Aerosmith then merging into something a bit heavier say Metallica/Iron Maiden and a bit of synchronised stomping from the band. With a bit of Hot for Teacher by Van Halen style drumming. This one started out a bit slower and quieter then wow it sped up.
One of the audience got up got up on stage, having recently had a bike accident he was wearing a back brace which leant itself well to a bit of Robototron, robot dancing and everyone joined in throwing their best robot shapes! Kraven and Monty swapped places with Kraven picking up the sticks and Monty trying his hand at a bit of bass guitar. Dr Rabid. Hell grabbed Brother Dimitri by the hood and was leading him round like a rabid dog. We then came to the final song, which was all about war, War and Seek Kraven led participating audience members round in a military march cum gay style conga. A fun ending to a fun set and by this stage I think the audience were well and truly warmed up for the headliners Collibus.
Set List:
Choose Metal
Thundercats
Crabulon
Blacken the Everything
The Last Battle of the Unicorns
Robototron
War and Seek
Band Members:
Dr. Rabid Hell – Vocals, Guitars
Brother Dimitri Pain – Guitars
Kraven Morrdeth – Bass
Princess Luxury – Keyboards
Ringmaster Monty Blitzfist – Drums
Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Evil.Scarecrow
Website: http://www.evilscarecrow.co.uk/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/EvilScarecrowUK
Following the release of their album The False Awakening in January, Collibus were throwing an album party playing the album in it’s entirety from start to finish. Collibus are a five piece based in Manchester, so this was very much a local party. Fronted by Scottish born singer/songwriter Gemma Fox. Coming on to the introductory track Lie in Wait Collibus then went straight into Leave It All Behind which reminded me of Loco by Coal Chamber. R.J. on bass (a five string) was doing some fancy finger work flipping his hand back and forth over the fret. Gemma has a really great, powerful voice to kept the audience enthralled. The next song The Fallen a catchy number with Metallica style riffage is also going to be their next single.
There was certainly a lot of hair on the stage with all, except Aaron having waist length hair worthy of a Timotei advert and an abundance of facial hair (barring Gemma, of course). Thoughts in Vain had many in the audience nodding their heads in time to the beat. Burn out being a slower song which got heavier part way through, had some brilliant G N’ R type riffs. Aaron, who sometimes busks in Piccadilly Gardens, Manchester, and was topless by this time did a brilliant drum solo. I picked up a bit of Rush (Temples of Syrinx) and Motorhead (Eat the Rich) somewhere along the way.
For Hollow Gemma got an acoustic guitar, this was a softer, melodic number. Gemma went through the first three bands thanking them, in particular, Evil Scarecrow who she described as a great band but a hard act to follow. Before Dead Inside Gemma asked ‘Who’s seen our debut music video?’ most of the audience had. With very fast drums and guitars and lot’s of hair flying from Gemma, who after exerting all that energy asked if anyone had a drink and members of the audience were happy to oblige. Through more fast numbers Insurrection and Life Blood we got some machine gun fast drumming and scorching riffs. At one point Tom, from Vice, ran up to plug in Stephen’s guitar which had managed to come unplugged in the mayhem. Luckily it was plugged in before a short guitar solo.
Gemma mentioned that last time Collibus played Satan’s there were only 10 people here or perhaps 10 plus you three and she pointed to three guys at the front, who had been singing along, headbanging or fist pumping for most of their set, so far. Plus her Dad who she said had been to every gig. Said Dad looked to be very proud and rightly so! The next track Spite is the longest on the album, at just over nine minutes long. It was probably the longest song played tonight too but I didn’t time it!
We then had only two songs left, the penulitmate song The Hunted and before the final song Gemma announced that they would see us at Download, Sonisphere, Grasspop and one more which was a secret as it wasn’t yet official but she let us in on the secret and as it is now official I’ll let you know too. Collibus have now been announced to play Wacken Festival in Germany. Gemma thanked everyone for coming and invited Tom from Vice up to jam with the band. It took him a minute or two to get plugged in but the show went on and he got sorted. The red and black matching guitars were back in force as Dan either had the same as, or had borrowed from Chris Brown, as he looked to be having a few guitar problems earlier on. With Tom up there the hair was certainly flying! The title track of the album The False Awakening is also the last track and therefore the last song. A fast, hard rocking number to finish on a high and plenty of applause.
I had to nip to loo straight after and the first thing I overheard from my throne was ‘OMG they were amazing’ and they certainly were. With the festivals mentioned above already lined up, the future is looking bright for Collibus.
Set List:
Lie in Wait
Leave It All Behind
The Fallen
Thoughts in Vain
Burn Out
Break the Silence
Undone
Hollow
Dead Inside
Insurrection
LifeBlood
Spite
The Hunted
The False Awakening
Band Members:
Gemma Fox – Vocals
Stephen Platt – Lead Guitar
Daniel Mucs – Rhythm Guitar
R.J. Kershaw – Bass
Aaron Youd – Drums
Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Collibus
Website: http://www.collibus.com/
