Metal & Prog Picks: October 2021

A couple of months after, ahem, ‘Freedom Day’ there’s still mixed news on the live rock front. Black Stone Cherry managed to pull off a UK tour only by taking extraordinary protective measures and remaining in a ‘bubble’ every time they were offstage. For other overseas bands, especially the smaller ones, touring the UK is still proving a challenge. There was disappointment for those of us who were looking forward to seeing Swedish prog-metallers Evergrey this month as their entire European and UK tour has just been deemed “not feasible” in the current circumstances and postponed for a full year. So it’ll come as no surprise to find that all of this month’s picks are UK bands.

Still, at least we have plenty of homegrown music to enjoy right here on our doorstep. Bristol’s very own metal emporium, Black City Records, recently launched a record label named Forged in Darkness. Incredibly, they’ve actually managed to squeeze some local bands onto the premises and the label is being used, at least initially, to provide a platform for the acts invited to play these sessions. There are two Black City Sessions releases available so far, from death metallers Dies Holocaustum and dark ambient, neo-classical outfit Dead Space Chamber Music.

Dies Holocaustum manage to squeeze into Black City Records for their session

“We were of course heavily influenced by the Radio 1 Peel Sessions from the late great John Peel and wanted to create that same rough, raw vibe with some of our favourite artists performing short sets in the actual shop” says owner David Savage.

The Dead Space Chamber Music Black City Session CD – available to buy now

“It was always an idea and a vision from the very day we opened and I think I pitched the idea to the guys in Dies Holocaustum that same day. It’s also our way of helping to promote the bands and music we love.”

Skindred

O2 Academy, Oct 8

Rather like The Wildhearts (see below), Newport ragga-metallers Skindred hit the ground running as soon as restrictions were lifted, playing the Download pilot event and even pitching up at Bloodstock (one of the highlights of the weekend, reckoned Classic Rock). There’s been no new music since 2018’s Big Tings album, which they unveiled last time they played the Academy. So we can presumably expect a set of familiar material with plenty of audience participation (including, inevitably, the ‘Newport Helcopter’), buoyed by Benji’s welcome trademark positivity. Welcome back, chaps.

The Wildhearts

Fleece, Oct 17

This is one of those gigs that should have taken place at smouldering SWX, scene of the self-styled seven-legged rock’n’roll machine’s triumphant 2019 show on the back of Renaissance Men getting the best reviews of their career. Ginger (“Songs? I shit ’em . . .”) Wildheart was never going to rest on his laurels, so there’s a new album out, 21st Century Love Songs, which has just become the Wildhearts’ second top ten hit and their biggest seller since 1995’s P.H.U.Q. It’s another joyously genre-hopping collection, taking in everything from power-pop to prog-metal. Certain to become a crowd favourite is Sort Your Fucking Shit Out, in which Ginger seems to be addressing himself (his real name is David) while the rest of the band join in with a chanted “Oi! Sort it out! If you don’t, you’re a twat!” Never mind the Covid – just get down the front and jump around like a loon.

Caravan

Fleece, Oct 27

Pop quiz! What links great Canterbury scene prog veterans Caravan with aging boy band Take That? No idea? It’s bassist Lee Pomeroy, who’s one of the blokes lurking at the back playing the music while Mr. Barlow, Mr. Donald and so on do their choreographed cavorting in the nation’s arenas. Away from his day job, Pomeroy is something of a proghead, playing with Rick Wakeman, Steve Hackett and prog-metallers Headspace. Following the departure of Jim Leverton, he’s now guesting with Caravan, bringing the mean age of the band down by a couple of decades. We last caught Caravan on splendid form at Komedia in Bath in November 2017, when they were belatedly plugging 2013’s Paradise Filter album. The core members of the band remain the same  – founder Pye Hastings (guitar, vocals) Geoffrey Richardson (viola, mandolin, guitar, er, spoons) and Jan Schelhaas (keyboards) – with Mark Walker on drums following the sad death of Richard Coughlan. And it’s been an expensive few months for Caravan fans, with eminently covetable 37-disc (no kidding) box set Who Do We Think We Are? released in August and now followed by a new studio album, It’s None of Your Business. The trademark warmth, whimsy and wit remains firmly in place, though Hastings can’t resist taking a pot shot at anti-vaxxers, who have made him unusually cross, in Spare a Thought. Expect to hear plenty from the new album tonight, though obviously they won’t be allowed to leave the venue with revisiting their masterpiece, In the Land of Grey and Pink.

Update: You’ll need to get there early for this one. There’s no support and Caravan are playing two sets, from 7:30pm-8:45pm and 9:15pm-10:15pm.

COMING SOON

Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.

The Dead Daisies/Quireboys, O2 Academy, Nov 3

The Pineapple Thief, O2 Academy, Nov 5

Evil Scarecrow, Thekla, Nov 6

Wayward Sons, Thekla, Nov 15

Fish, SWX, Nov 15

Conan, Exchange, Nov 16

Turbowolf, Fleece, Nov 17

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Thekla, Nov 18

Boss Keloid, Exchange, Nov 20

Monolord, Exchange, Nov 22

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, Marble Factory, Nov 24

Marillion, The Forum, Bath, Nov 24

Focus, Fleece, Nov 25

Black Spiders, Thekla, Dec 1

Hayseed Dixie, Fleece, Dec 1

Myles Kennedy, O2 Academy, Dec 3

The Darkness/British Lion, O2 Academy, Dec 7

Alestorm/Gloryhammer, O2 Academy, Dec 10

Lamb of God/Kreator/Power Trip, O2 Academy, Dec 14

Bowling for Soup Acoustic Singalong, Thekla, Dec 14

Earache Christmas Party: Dub War, Lost Horizon, Dec 16

Svalbard, Exchange, Dec 18

Avatar, Marble Factory, Jan 13

The Black Dahlia Murder, Fleece, Jan 30

Cheap Trick, O2 Academy, Feb 6

Decapitated, Fleece, Feb 8

Tony MacAlpine, Exchange, Feb 11

Katatonia/Solstafir, Marble Factory, Feb 13

Paradise Lost, Marble Factory, Feb 17

Evile, Exchange, Feb 19

Kvelertak, Marble Factory, Feb 20

The Zombies, Fleece, Feb 24

Van Der Graaf Generator, The Forum, Bath, March 1

The Sheepdogs, Thekla, March 6

Septicflesh, Fleece, March 9

Epica/Apocalyptica, O2 Academy, March 12

Kris Barras Band, Marble Factory, March 14

Tangerine Dream, Trinity, March 16

Status Quo, The Forum, Bath, March 18

Big Big Train, The Forum, Bath, March 19

Therapy?, Fleece, March 22

Gong, Thekla, March 23

Eric Gales/Danny Bryant, Fleece, March 27

Skunk Anansie, O2 Academy, April 12

Deicide, Fleece, April 16

Frost, Komedia, Bath, April 19

The Picturebooks, Exchange, April 24

Stoner, Thekla, May 4

Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets, The Forum, Bath, May 7

Karnivool, O2 Academy, May 19

OM, Fleece, May 26

Meshuggah/Zeal & Ardor, O2 Academy, May 29

The Quireboys, Thekla, June 17

High On Fire, Fleece, June 26

Mushroomhead, Thekla, June 27

Rammstein, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, June 22

Evergrey, Fleece, Sept 19

Anthrax/Municipal Waste, O2 Academy, Oct 6

Pallbearer/Elder, Fleece, Nov 3

Pitchshifter, Thekla, Nov 30