You just know by their entrance that Norwegian coven Witch Club Satan aren’t just a band. The smouldering herbs and eerie lighting give the game away, and then the music starts. Imagine Heilung doing black metal and you get the picture. This is way more than feminist paganism for spectacle. Through the theatrics there’s genuine sincerity which carries on to the merch stand where, big shock, the band members turn out to be sweet and humble. Who would have guessed? Festivals take note and book please!
How do you tell people where you come from without telling them where you come from? In the case of Alien Weaponry they kick things off by performing The Haka (look it up if you don’t know). Then they launch into a set that displays in every note why they are one of the fastest rising and most respected metal bands around at the moment. They have a groove and intensity that is mesmerising combined with wonderful warm personalities. You get more than little hints of their homeland in the song craft which gives them added depth. Tonight they simply detonate Rock City. They look well able to headline next time around.
And talking of Headlining this most famous of venues, you have to wonder how long it will be before the mighty Avatar will have outgrown Nottingham’s jewel in the crown? This is a supremely impressive performance in front of a packed house. Having survived near electrocution in London the Swedes are sizzling in a mercifully different way tonight. It’s a blast from start to finish with ringmaster Johannes Eckerström leading the charge. It’s great to see the spotlight shared too, literally when guitar solos are revving things up. The band as a whole have that tightness you get from playing together a lot, they are essentially match fit and then some. We get a nicely rounded selection of songs from a set list that oozes class. Having carefully built a reputation for originality and consistency it’s time to reap well deserved rewards. With so much talk about who will replace the big heritage bands five guys with huge grins from the land of snow and flat pack furniture just said ‘hold my pint’.
Review and photos by Gary Trueman