South Coast Entertainment Music Reviews Terrathorn, Tricorn, Dead By Dawn & Layed Wasted

Metal nights on a monday in Southampton are sometimes not as glamourous a prospect as they could be. However, with the hard working Terrathorn and Tricorn being backed up by new bands on the block Dead By Dawn and Layed Wasted, the confidence in having a good night was high. The joiners Arms, as ever the main stay of the live music industry in Southampton, was a fantastic venue for these two new bands to hone their skills and gain some valuable experience.

First up were local band Layed Wasted. With the Joiners slowly filling up, the intrigued gig goers had a good chance to headbang to a band influenced by the screamo scene of recent times. A Hatebreed cover went down well mid set and kept the public stage-side. Any lack of confidence at the start of the set had dispersed by the end when the band seemed more at home with the surroudings on stage. Although it was clear the band needed more time on stage in front of an audience, this experience will have done wonders. Hopefully we shall see the band working the local area in the near future.

Dead By Dawn from Bournemouth were up next and wasted no time in turning heads with their melodic rock metal. This was no mean feat considering this was the bands first live performance. The band infuse fantastic solos from lead guitarists Jonny Miles and Greg Pidgeon with the heaviness of the likes of Killswitch Engage and produce a stunning sound. The vocalist Dave Cook makes the stage his own with his intense movement and builds the energy within the venue. The vocal likeness is comparable to a husky Zack De La Rocha in his pomp and the theory is enhanced with the band pushing into a cover of Rage Against The Machines legendary 'Bulls On Parade'. As was mentioned by bands later on the bill, it could have been a massive error to include such a well known song, but Dead By Dawn pulled it off with aplomb, genuinely winning fans straight away. Bassist Mike West and Drummer Marc Canning work fantastically well together to keep the band from getting ahead of themselves during the songs. The band continue the short set with songs 'Outta Luck' and 'Nightmares' that enhance their reputation with the Joiners crowd. Bigger and better things should be expected of the band and like Layed Wasted, more stage time will add further experience and confidence and plenty of members to what will be a growing fanbase. The overall thoughts following the gig were of how tight the band sounded, a compliment that must not be underestimated in the metal music genre where the bands that succeed always sound crystal clear and together as a unit.

Tricorn have been playing together for 3 years now and display their phenomenal sound, influenced heavily by the South American metal sound of the likes of pantera and the structured song by the likes of Alice In Chains. Again the intensity runs high through a band which adds to the spectacle of the night at the Joiners. Tricorn run through their songs which include 'Step Outside' and 'Girl Let's Ride' with the nature of an experienced band going places. The band are a joy to watch as a metal fan and the intricate melodies built into songs keep you captivated from the first note to the last.

To finish the night with a bang were Terrathorn. The band who have played with the likes of Soulfly in the local area burst straight into their set with lead singer James Hayball taking the show to the crowd in the first song. Bursting with power reminiscent of the likes of Phil Anselmo, the band are instantly interesting to watch and push through songs with a thrash edge few bands can do well. Terrathorn make a terrific sound that is captivating and should be inspiring to the other bands on the bill. A flawless cover of Megadeth's 'Holy Wars' was included in the set including songs 'Homeland Or Death' and 'Conspiracies'. A brilliant way to end a night of high standard metal.

In a time when the metal industry needs new bands, the freshness of tonights line up bodes well for the future. Hopefully in time, these bands can progress and make the metal music industry great again. It is at least clear to see that the talent is here, it just needs a chance to grow.