Gigs

Gig Review: Cancer Bats + Johnny Truant + Hexes

[Venue: Barfly, Cambridge]
[Date: 16 May 2008]

Hexes, a quartet from London and Southend, have described themselves as “a cyclopean howl as a burning torch is thrust into a drunken eye” which gives you the impression that they love to hurt their audiences. In truth, their music is very easy on the ear. They dabble in fast punk rock’s easy chord progressions but throw in some pretty meaty low-end hardcore breakdowns. Hotly tipped for success in 2008 by Rock Sound magazine we made sure to catch them and weren’t disappointed. In comparison to the band’s energetic input the crowd seemed fairly reserved, mainly nodding along politely, until their bearded frontman announced the song ‘Kiss The Guns’ which a few in the know cheered. It proved to be their best song of the night, full of adrenaline-spiked attitude and a chorus hook large enough to hang your leathers off.

Johnny Truant are one of a few British metal bands who have seemingly been chosen for greater things. They’ve come a long way from their early Severance days attracting big industry producers like Killswitch Engage’s Adam Dutkiewicz and SikTh’s Dan Wellar and Justin Hill, and have also scored some big support slots for tours and festivals. With a new album around the corner they seem destined to finally make that breakthrough and from their very first chords tonight, it’s apparent that vocalist Olly Mitchell is on a mission to convert any doubters to his metalcore religion.

Stepping on and off the stage, wading into the crowd, he sets about placing people where he wants them. “Come forward, come forward” he screams before suddenly feeling constricted. “Step back, it’s not a fucking war.” It’s a common theme as throughout the gig the whole band take it in turns to support themselves by pawing at the venue’s low roof as if trying to push it out. By now Mitchell is swathed in sweat and the front row get sprayed with it plus the occasional gob of phlegm that he fires off randomly. Delightful, I know.

New tracks ‘Last Arms Of The Apocalypse’ and ‘Death Rides’ get an airing both with jarring breakdowns snapping into giant choruses that are roared with spite and anger. They suffer slightly from their guitars being rather bass-heavy with the drums consequently missing out of the mix. A distant, weak-sounding kit is not something that Paul Jackson would be happy with but he’s thrashing at the snare for all he’s worth. Hell, it’s not the only problems the band encounters. It’s getting mighty hot on stage and it becomes apparent that the fans aren’t working. Guitarist Stuart Hunter yells at the soundman for all he’s worth before flashing a thumbs-up as he flicks a switch. They get a second wind, excuse the pun, and finish in fine style with the moshpit responding in kind.

“Johnny Truant! The best metalcore band in Brighton”, claims Cancer Bats’ Liam Cormier as he strides on. Could this be the dry wit of a Canadian? I think so. The band, in fact, hail from the sprawling metropolis of Toronto, Ontario to be exact and with their first offering of sonic violence they step things up considerably. Tight, manic and crystal clear they blast into their set like possessed men. All forms of “loud” get an outing as fist-clenching hardcore gets rammed deep into the throat of Southern groove whilst heavy metal melts over the surface of rock-hard thrash. At times they indulge in a speed competition as ‘Pray For Darkness’ flies by, then they ramp up the distortion for ‘Pneumonia Hawk’ before laying down scintillating thrash patterns for ‘Sorceress’.

Lead vocalist, Cormier, his cornball haircut bobbing about, tears about off-stage rasping out his scattergun lyrics. “Having a good time, Cambridge?” he yells as he paces out his newly-won territory. At one point he seems to catch someone a right hook, then apologizes profusely. “It’s all gravy, it’s all bangers and mash!” he teases in a faux-Cockney accent. He’s a constant source of invention, keeping the crowd involved, calming the over-excited, letting us know how the tour’s going. “British water tastes fucking great, so thankyou.” That one gets a laugh! At times the band’s concentration lapses and the music starts to sound unpolished but the physical effort they put in more than makes up for it.

A steady rumbling starts up and Cormier informs us that “this next song is all about the headbang.” Shit, he’s not kidding. ‘Hail Destroyer’ sees Mike Peters fire up a cracking beat which prompts heads to nod, backs to bend and hair to flail in time throughout the venue. It carries a raw, monstrous aggression that courses through you and we slowly feel our ears dripping down our necks. The vocal attack becomes a volcanic roar and Scott Middleton’s hooked riff on the chorus shudders like an earthquake. Even the sight of a polystyrene bat-head wading through the mosh can’t distract us and we depart still nodding gently to the aftershock in our heads.

For fans of: Every Time I Die, Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster, Unearth
Band links = Cancer Bats | Johnny Truant | Hexes

Photos courtesy of Luke Truman.

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