The gathered collection of dead rock stars massing outside the Zanzibar is the first indication that something strange is going on. Metro Manila Aide have compiled some of the best new bands on the Liverpool scene. Seven bands, one theme, one occasion: the launch of the longest debut album in history.
Brassneck cut the ribbon on proceedings with the impact of a sledgehammer. Dressed as Cliff Burton, Dimebag Darrell, Frank Zappa, Sid Vicious and Bob Marley and there’s a real sense of enjoyment on and off stage as the band ham up their respective roles. By the second song they have shed most of their attire through the sheer movement and frantic energy of the performance.
Vocalist Vic is the metal scene’s newest hero, Max Cavelira deliver and Henry Rollins sentiment. He is aggressive and the subject matter is elevated. Stand out track Children of the Mud is a political attack on justice and morality.
Momentum continues to move as Father Christmas takes to the stage and provides thrash metal fans an early present in the form of The Institution.
As efficient and clinical as an obsessive compulsive surgeon, The Institution cut through to their peers with a sound so complete it is almost impossible to find technical fault. This can sometimes be the problem though as the material can appear desensitised and cold, but it’s through the considerable efforts of vocalist Joe Maryanji aka St Nick that keeps this from happening. Effectively knee-capped in 2008, you would be forgiven to think he was still on medication such is the wry smile placed across his face throughout the set. Insane with bloodlust, waving the flag for thrash metal high and clear.
With such high quality on offer here, to stand out was always going to be difficult, were do you go when you have pushed the envelope so far? The reply this evening is provided with Eighth Day Army.
The answer is ‘No’ and the question is, ‘Is there a bigger pedal board than John Lawton's?’ Normally equipment of this magnitude leads to mindless meanderings of electric nonsense, but then normality is something that Eighth Day Army have long since disregarded.
There is an aching simplicity to EDA’s sound and this is used to fire off moments of inventiveness and intricacy. Their solid grooves, hip straddling metal, rock and jazz/blues fusion are a step in another direction, one which is unwritten, improvised and thought-provoking. Quality songs with angular melodies.
Hollow Point court the title ‘Most likely to Succeed’ and it seems as though they are awaiting this inevitably, but sometimes you have to force your way to the next level, tonight’s performance needs to be amazing.
HP has often had difficulty balancing talent versus the song; it’s a nice problem to have but one that can resign your band to oblivion if not controlled.
Easily getting the crowd onside from the opening HP are closest to the complete package, even alongside MMA-they are a safe pair of hands in an unstable metal world, and clearly the crowd lap up ‘Printed wisdom’.
Wearing their heart on their sweatbands, it’s clear the Metallica, Megadeth and Pantera sound will live on long after they are gone with HP around, the first chants by the crowd start and we now move into the section of the night were the place is full and people and bands have no excuses.
Hollow Point are still easily running with the pack, and now it’s down to them to rise above, songs like ‘Ludicrous Speed’ could be played in heavy rotation until the end of time, but now their baying fans are ready for more.
Having already played tonight with SSS, you would be of the belief that lead singer Foxy would be a spent force; it would be a mistaken belief however as he attacks The Bendal Interlude’s material with vigour and power and achieve the right amount of force to keep the gathering crowd onside and knock over some fence-sitters.
The now booming crowd, particularly the section to stage right, who have clearly come to see them, are loving this metal swing rolling back and forth from Sabbath and Orange Goblin to Down and Corrosion of Conformity. Bendal weigh in heavy-enough-to-crush-your-skull-and-just-insane-enough-to-enjoy-it which is made apparent when Foxy leaps into the group without fear for his own safety.
Bendal’s set has all the hallmarks of a band doing this for their friends, in the form of Metro, the fans from the already converted, to the recently won over and the respect and admiration for heavy music, in straight up muscle.
Just dripping in Kyuss and space rock, stoner blues Bow And Arrow take the energy a different direction, it’s relaxed but still strong as guitarist Craig weaves chord phrasing with lead lines - the maxim here is groove.
If Mark E smith sung in a metal band Adam would be the result, at times almost lost, looking redundant but then barking into life with a choice phrase or interjection cutting right though completely surprising anyone who isn’t paying strict attention.
It’s a jam mentality that works really effectively, and proves an accomplished take on psychedelic metal, one of which honestly needs to be appreciated repeatedly to fully enjoy and serves as a perfect precursor to what is to take place.
Describing Metro Manila Aide in any conventional sense is an utterly useless endeavour. Trying to explain the MMA to another person is similarly a fruitless pastime. The reason being that MMA are a live experience, a snapshot event where colossal elements converge in harmony of discord.
Those elements started long ago (seven years now) in semi-normal births which echo none more than in the playing of Danny Rogers' psychedelic backwards guitar. Sounds swirl around in the background and then are quickly discarded as MMA strive for something else more direct.
The audience have preconceived notions of what Metro are - it’s these notions that the band put into an envelope and then post them to different galaxy.
After announcing themselves McBride removes his outer layers, revealing skin-tight white pants, then the shirt, revealing a white vest and then, throwing his hair to the sky...reveals a complete Freddy Mercury.
A flair for stage show runs inherently through Metro's set, constantly moving and engaging, Paul points into the crowd, sometimes to absolutely no-one, laughing menacingly at his own rhetoric and then delivering wisdom which could have fallen from the Dalai himself.
The closest thing to hold on to as you throw yourself into the arms of Metro is some kind of street religious zealots, only with the ability to change your life with inward thought and an outside views.
‘Queen Bee’ is found tonight, safe and warm nestling within the set and pushes to its natural conclusion as the audience sing the lyrics back, it’s possibly the closest thing to a metal hymn.
At times atop his pulpit, then amongst the crowd Paul weaves the cult of personality with Rogers, Jefferies and Keegan proving the perfect support, best shown when he counts in on a monstrously heavy beat, before stopping instantly, silence, then the line ‘When it comes to the crunch, could you fit your head into a keyhole?’
Tonight’s launch is a glorious vindication for people who say there is no scene within Liverpool, that say there is no new music, that no-one is doing anything of value; but more importantly it shows that live music as an entity will always be something that resonates with people, ask the people that bought ‘The Devil’s Handbook’, those that were blown away by The Institution and Hollow Point's mass metal and Brass Neck’s downright quality. In fact, don’t ask them, see these acts yourself and let someone else wonder what’s going in Liverpool.
Mark Cooper
3rd May, Zanzibar, Liverpool
Images by Adam Lee - adamleephotography@yahoo.co.uk
