Brutality Will Prevail + Malevolence + Drawn In + Sentenced @ The Rainbow, Birmingham – 19th December 2013
As we slide into the last days of 2013 and the season of peace and good will to all men, stood in the Rainbow in Birmingham, I couldn’t help but think that there were a few people that missed that particular memo. Tonight the Rainbow played host to Brutality Will Prevail, with support coming from Sentenced, Drawn In and Malevolence.
As I arrived at the crowded but unusually cold Rainbow, Sentenced, the last minute replacement for Bleak Reality, were busy loading in. The four members of Sentenced, hailing from the Black Country, took their time getting set up even though the event was already running late by about half an hour due to the lineup change. While last minute preparations were made the guttural, off mic vocal warm-ups from lead singer Mike Aherne were met with ‘barks’ of approval from the growing crowd, already strong with those flying the flag for the band’s record label Icebreaker Records. There was most definitely an air of anticipation.
Sentenced are heavy. Their sound is laden with thick bass, rhythmic riffs, gravelly death style vocals and extended breakdowns. From the outset, their set tonight inspired a pit that was a blur of two-stepping, windmilling and spin kicking, with the remainder of the crowd glued to the walls and exits. The highlight of their relatively short set came from ‘Suffering Hell’, which got a great reaction from the partisan crowd, as did the reference to the online controversy surrounding the associated video.
The beatdown scene is not something I really know a lot about or necessarily get, if it’s your thing Sentenced are the guys to see, if you’re not sure, I strongly suggest you do your research first.
After a short break, Birmingham based thrashers Drawn In took the stage. The uptick in tempo worked well as they provided material from their current demo along with the first airing of a new track. Drums, base and vivid riffs all sounded tight. While the stagecraft was very different, their lead singer delivered a vocal performance that I couldn’t help but think was vaguely Lemmy-esque in tone, minus fifty years of cigarettes and bourbon. In all, a strong set from the most local band of the evening.
After another brief break the room filled and it would appear that for many in the crowd Malevolence were tonight’s headline, and to an extent I understand that. Right now the five-piece metal outfit from Sheffield are attracting a huge amount of press attention, slated by some as being potentially the best new band of 2013 and getting rave reviews of their debut album ‘Reign of Suffering’. Personally I consider their album to be one of the highlights of 2013, and therefore my expectations were high and thankfully Malevolence didn’t disappoint.
From the outset the crowd were theirs, singing back lyrics and clambering over each other to share the mic with lead singer Alex Taylor. As those in the pit ‘encouraged’ the more reserved onlookers to join them, the lads from Sheffield intertwined intricate drumming, brutal baselines and shredding guitars with some of the best live vocals I’ve heard this year. Their youthful appearance belies both their technicality and ability to seamlessly blend styles from across the gambit of Metal’s sub-genres and tonight amidst the intensity of their performance, I felt there was a genuine appreciation of the crowds support and energy.
Next up were tonight’s headline, and arriving back after a visit to the blood stained toilets (yes, you read that right) the room was refilling nicely.
2013 has certainly been eventful for Brutality Will Prevail, with Louis Gauthier joining them around the turn of the year after the sudden departure of their previous lead singer, then diving headlong into a UK tour supporting Cancer Bats followed by international dates in Europe and the Far East, and the recording of a new album, there are few that could argue with their work ethic. My previous concerns that Malevolence may steel the evening’s limelight, were allayed by the time the boys broke out ‘Casket’, a personal favorite from their Scatter the Ashes album.
Without any disrespect to Ajay Jones, I personally prefer BWP’s new sound, his vocals just seeming a better ‘fit’. There is also no doubting that Louis has a commanding presence on stage, from his dominating aura at the crowd barrier to his bouncing and straddle jumps to the sudden stillness of his kneeling in front of drummer Craig Reynolds (whose drumming I considered to be the best of the evening).
Paying homage to their name the most brutal breakdowns of the night belonged to BWP. Starting from their already slow-tempo style, they filled the pit impressively will their long-drawn-out, viciously slow breakdowns. Eagerly lapped up by the waiting crowd.
It would appear that things seem to be coming together very nicely or Brutality Will Prevail, already being booked for Radstock and having their new album in the can, tonight’s performance confirmed that I for one am looking forward to hearing a lot more from them in 2014.
Review – Steve Kilmister
Photos – Steve Gerrard