Gigs

Gig Review: Panic Cell + SpeedTheory + Smokescreen + Gamarra

Venue: Barfly, Cambridge
Date: 8 March 2008

This was a pretty sweet gig. It’s not often that I will say such a thing about a metal gig, but this show was THAT good. Johnski and I thought we’d showed up fashionably late, only to find Gamarra just finishing their sound-check. I didn’t pay much attention (I was getting served at the bar), but my ears perked up to the grind-like sounds making their way to me. Unfortunately they only played a short, but sweet, set of some punishing grind. The twin-guitar assault (how METAL!) often went from Kreator-mode to At The Gates-mode almost effortlessly. I’m actually glad their set was cut short, because this sort of stuff is best enjoyed in 15-20 minute doses. I’d definitely like to see them play more shows in Cambridge and think they’d go down a treat at a punk/hardcore show at The Cellar Bar up the road.

Up next were Smokescreen, possibly the most entertaining band of the night, who came on to some weird jazz number, followed up by a brutal performance of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song! Random, but definitely an excellent way to start a set! Their bassist was wearing the first coolest shirt I spotted all night (it was a Severed Head of State shirt), but not only that, he also wore a bandana and kind of reminded me of Adam Sandler in Airheads for some reason. Their guitarist on the other hand looked (and performed) like Dino Cazeres from that other big metal band. Smokescreen have a strong thrash influence (less double-bass drumming, more hi-hat) with head-bang-tastic death metal flares here and there, just enough to remind you that metal ain’t about being nice or a Christian. As a result of all this (and the bartender serving me gin instead of whiskey), I found myself smiling a lot during their performance, so high-fives to them next time I see them.

SpeedTheory took the stage and were unfortunately plagued by a series of technical problems early on in their set. Their performance really stood out from all the other bands, what with their singer’s crazy afro and drummer’s Good Charlotte/311 looks. Musically they move nomadically in the territory between Pantera and Killswitch Engage. They were all “going off” on stage, which according to Raybeez’ First Law of Mosh, meant that the kids eventually “went off”, resulting in the first instances of moshing that night. Their singer/guitarist is instrumental in SpeedTheory’s intense show, really working the crowd and spazzing out when the songs demanded it. The second coolest shirt I saw was worn by some kid dancing along. The shirt was an NWA rip (”Straight Outta Colchester” or something) that I wasn’t sure if was totally awesome or really lame. I decided it was totally awesome for being really lame in the end, because SpeedTheory were getting me in a good mood. The combination of cider, whiskey, gin and coke however was beginning to have adverse affects on me, so I switched to water.

The headliners, Panic Cell, came on to lots of cheering from the crowd. Apparently they’ve been around this area before, so there was a healthy interaction between the band and the crowd all night long. Panic Cell’s sound is a broad mixture of many contemporary heavy metal trends, in the Max Cavalera nu-metal tradition of fusing different sounds together, on top of a solid thrash/metal foundation; at times the melodies brought to mind Stonesour or the-horror-that-is-Staind, only to “rectify” the mistake by cutting through a more Anthrax path. Songs off their latest record, such as ‘Stare Into Oblivion’ and ‘Calm’ were notable highlights tonight for me, which I felt succeeded in fusing the better parts of their influences together. Panic Cell seem to have become good buddies with SpeedTheory, whose singer joined them on a few songs with his vocal skills, adding to the party atmosphere that was peaking half-way through their set. Everyone in Panic Cell appear to be seasoned musicians who made their performance seem effortless enough in this impromptu “party” right up front with members from the other bands frequently invading the stage and pouring Jagermeister down people’s throats. I got the impression their show only ended because it was time the party moved on elsewhere in town.

The day after a show is usually a good indicator of how good a show had been the night before. I was feeling a bit hung-over, in dire need of mouthwash and coffee, with a few mysterious bruises and cuts and my ears still ringing. Yup, that means it was an awesome (and by awesome I mean totally sweet) night out, although next time I get served gin instead of whiskey I’m causing a stink. That stuff tastes like paint-thinner and I highly recommended you avoid it at all costs.

For fans of: Killswitch Engage, At The Gates, Stonesour
Band links = Panic Cell / SpeedTheory / Smokescreen / Gamarra

Ioannis’ review also appears in Music-Zine.

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