Monday 7 February 2011

Once A Wolf EP Launch

The Hydrant
Brighton
6/2/2011

The buzz surrounding the EP launch last night was electric. Once A Wolf saw an extremely turgid Hydrant full of eager fans, an unfortunate rarity in Brighton but a credit to the quality of acts that were performing.

Sweet Ether joined the bill last minute as the honorary opening act as Diving Chaos were in the unlucky position of being stuck in Slough due to the all to well known inefficiency of British public transport, Doh!




Watching Sweet Ether for a second night in a row confirmed my prior thoughts. Their reworked set and stage show, is only going to accelerate their ascent leaving the weaker and less original bands of their genre lying in the dust. 


It is notable that they were somewhat out of place with their Tool inspired Grunge in a bill of short haired, high slung Tech-Metal guitarists, but never the less they were well received and kicked the night off with a bang!




Popping your cherry in-front of a large room full of people is never an easy affair but From Afar's gig virginity was taken in style. Their Tech/Post-Hardcore style mixes it up a bit taking influence from bands such as Alexisonfire, The Fall of Troy and Mastodon


Their line up is used effectively with guitars layering the sound scape and well employed dynamics which show the destruction and reformation of their songs. 

There were a few small slip ups, such as one of the guitarists taking it straight to string break city but this was dealt with relatively well under the support of the audience. 


Vocally frontman Lance did a great job handling the screamed and clean sections without any problem. From Afar showed great promise tonight and with the debut EP 'A Theory For You” currently being recorded another strong act is added the surging pool of talent in our town.



Shane Thomas power riffing
Once A Wolf are obviously the band everyone is here to see tonight and with spirits running high with the release of 'Advent” they detonate onto the stage. 

Primal aggression oozes off the stage as fingers fly across the fretboards and a savage assault of riffs, screams and shredding dreams batter you into submission.

The band show virtuosity over their instruments and genre with songs that naturally flow as apposed to cramming to many conflicting ideas into one song in paradox of this genre. 

The unity on stage is that of an extremely well experienced group of musicians who are tight as they are technical with complicated guitar parts that my brain could hardly compute, just remember to pick your jaw up from the floor later.

Vocally front man Steve Powell had no fear in reaching those high notes just as much as the ball rattling roars. The Progressive nature of their songs really takes you on a journey and their set completely flew by for me, and it is also great to see a Metal band that can handle clean tone, salvation! 

Once A Wolf have got the building blocks in place for a tempestuous future with their music, just be warned however, they come bearing teeth.




After settling my adrenal glands with a cigarette Peterborough Techies Visions adorn the stage. 


Having already received a good level of acclaim through touring with Emmure and Iwrestledabearonce as well as a track that's to be released on 'British Tech-Metal Volume 1' it was the perfect follow up to the showdown that was Once A Wolf's set.

There was decrease in audience population but Visions brutally took us from song to song. However something was missing for me. It wasn't that they aren't a good band, far from it! 

It just seemed to wash over me as I didn't feel they could compete with the intensity and support that the last band received.

Some people say that nothing new is happening in Metal, and that those who live in the past are doomed to repeat it. Anyone who was at the launch party last night know's this is total bullshit. Metal is alive! And doing very well for itself.

So if you haven't already get yourself to; onceawolf.bigcartel.com buy yourself a copy of 'Advent' and revel in their musical release

Underground

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