Euroblast Video Review - 21/22 Oct 2011 (Cologne, GE)

Euroblast Festival 21-22 Oct 2011 (Cologne - GE)

From the beginning of September we have been very excited here at Peek from the Pit, since in a bit more than two weeks this year’s edition of the Euroblast Festival is about to kick off! This year, the organisers really went for the best line up possible with an amazing accumulation of djent metal bands including Tesseract, Chimp Spanner and Monuments along with two Nuclear Blast djent(arguable) acts, Danish metalers Mnemic and Dutch Textures as headliners! Also on the line up are Sybreed, Vildhjarta, Aliases and London’s very own Subversion. Many things to look out for this year’s edition, but definitely one of the main things we will surely be paying attention to is to hear some new Textures tracks live, out of their new album Dualism, which is out now via Nuclear Blast. And while we’re talking about new songs, there is also a big possibility for some new Chimp Spanner to be heard on Friday night on the Yellow stage (2^nd stage) right after Mnemic’s set, so be prepared! Another very nice addition to this year’s edition are the workshops that will be held by members of Monuments, David Maxim Micic, Jakub Zytecki and Devastating Enemy just before the gigs blast off on the Yellow stage on both days! This means that if you have any question regarding music, genre, composition, gear etc. then you will be very well served. So everything is set up for what looks like it is going to be an epic 2 days of intense guitars, blasting drums, atmospheric mayhem and a hell lot of headbanging! And if you want to be a part of it well you might want to head to www.euroblast.net for tickets! Hurry up, they are starting to run low! See you all in Cologne! 

Posted by Nick

Subversion - 26 May 2011 (Sound)

Those of you who follow Peek from the Pit, and the writing that is being uploaded, probably understand and know that one of my new favourite bands coming right out of the London underground scene is Subversion. So, inevitably, whenever I hear that the boys are playing in town, I do my best to attend! This time Subversion were headlining the Metal Sound showcase in Leicester square. Sound is a very nice venue which, I understand, is not typically very metal oriented but could, I believe, be the ideal place for a full-on heavy metal show like the one that was planned for the night, but unfortunately it just didn't happen. The event was poorly attended, apart from one band that managed to catch my attention and bring in the public. Splintered Soul (which is a band formed in London a few years ago, and I have to admit that I am not familiar with their history, but I understood that there has been a massive line-up change and some time off for the band) is a female fronted band which might remind some of ReVamp, with a different approach when it comes down to the vocals . Interestingly the following and the attendance that the band had was the biggest from all the bands performing on the night! In general the band didn't create a feeling of amazement but definitely triggered a sense of interest which means that it would probably be wise to keep an eye on them. Nevertheless, the band you should really keep an eye on where up next! Last time I witnessed Subversion they were opening the gig for Anterior at the Barfly and, as we all know, support bands generally don't get the appropriate attention they should. So, this time I was expecting more from the band,since they were headlining, and was really looking forward to the set. Unfortunately the sound throughout the whole show, and for all the bands that played, was rubbish. I don't blame any of the bands for this but unfortunately sound is an important factor for a gig, and this is why bands should really be careful when they chose a sound engineer and also insist in having a proper sound check before every gig. Anyhow the guys really attacked the set with great energy and it always amazes me how into it they are. They are really something worth seeing live, and with the appropriate stage and sound this guys can really kill it and blow your mind off! If you are a guy/girl who likes to give the “I was listening to them before they became famous” lecture, then listen to this band because it won't be long! If they play all their cards right they could very soon be, on their way to the top!

Subversion: 7/10

Sound: 1/3

Ambience: 1/2

Presentation: 2/2

Performance: 3/3

Splintered Soul: 6/10

Sound: 1/3

Ambience: 2/2

Presentation: 1/2

Performance: 2/3

Posted by Nick 

Anterior - Subversion - 9 May 2011 (Barfly)

After the review for the new Subversion album, I was highly anticipating this gig since I was very curious to see if these guys could re-create what they did on the album, live. Not disappointed at all! This guys were great! Subversion really brought out everything they had and it resulted in a great set which was slightly spoiled by the sound. Subversion is definitely a band to keep an eye on since I do believe that this guys have the ability do something really good in the future and really climb up to become a well known established band. The set consisted of songs from their album which were executed really well and created a very nice energy and atmosphere. Headlining the gig were Welsh metalers Anterior which finished the gig in a great way. They came on stage with an amazing energy and power and really gave a great show for everybody. Anterior is really a band which I believe hasn't managed to attract the amount of fans it should. They are a very good band with good songs and a great stage presence. I'm very interested in seeing what are the plans that these guys have for the future since this is also a band I would like to see getting bigger. A new album is expected to be released later this year so we just have to wait for that I guess. In general, a good gig but unfortunately poorly attended.

Anterior: 18/20

Sound: 4/5

Ambience:4/5

Presentation: 5/5

Performance: 5/5

Subversion: 16/20

Sound: 3/5

Ambience:4/5

Presentation: 5/5

Performance: 4/5

Posted by Nick

Lest We Forget - Subversion (2011)

ALBUM REVIEW

I'll have to be honest and sometimes honesty hurts, but it's been a while since I've heard anything from any new band and I've actually liked it. Until the day I got an email about Subversion. I'd never heard of this band before so the first thing I do is to give it a listen on Facebook and well, I was pleasantly surprised to say the least. So when I got a hold of their CD it went straight in the player for a first proper listen! Many plays later I am finally ready to say that this could be one of the bands that will shape the UK metal scene in the future. The ideas are really good and the execution is flawless. The production level is amazing for a debut album and it just sounds really really heavy. The interchanges and the quality of the vocals is excellent while drums, guitars, keys and bass are extremely tight between them and create a great energy and superb atmospheres. The only minor part is the sound of the kick drum which is some times a bit too dry and very trigger like, which reminds of a simple sound recording software plug-in. Also the album is not very fluid. It feels that sometimes it is kind of stumbling and after a few listens it can get a bit boring on some parts. The album also has a war theme going on, with many samples from war scenes, which is nice but makes it, I believe, suitable for listening only if your mood allows it. However, in general this is an excellent effort from Subversion and I really can't wait to see if they are going to sound as good as this when they play live in a few weeks, here in London!

Our favourite track is probably Treason (Beyond Forgiveness) which really has some nice technical riffs and an amazing chorus which really sticks to your head! Also noticeable is the very nice So Many, So Few which is an incredible instrumental piece most probably inspired by the 1940 Churchill speech, which you can partially hear at the end of the track. The track would be a perfect soundtrack for any war film! I can just picture it!!!

Lest We Forget: 8/10

Posted by Nick