(written by Islander) We are very happy to welcome the return of Saccage from Québec City, a band whose last album Khaos Mortem (their third full-length) woke us up to their talents like the experience of an explosive detonation next door. They followed that 2019 record with a 2022 EP (Charogne), and at last they’re […]
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For some strange reason, this O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire gig is the first time that I have finally been able to get to see Big Big Train live. Don’t ask why. I always seem to have either been out at another gig or been away on holiday when they toured. So, I must admit to finally being very relieved to tick them off my bucket list.
Words: Adrian Stonley
Photography: Robert Sutton
Of course, the big question, or perhaps the Big Big question, has to be was it worth the wait, and did they live up to expectations? I am pleased to say that the answer is a resounding affirmative to both.
With the show split into two sets, this was going to be an evening for Big Big Train purists and enthusiasts.
The first set consisted of an hour of older tunes and deeper cuts from their seminal and majestic back catalogue. The second set was a complete playthrough of their latest opus, Woodcut, in its entirety.
Interestingly, reading the tour programme, the band had commented that if this tour was a success, then they may consider playing other albums in their entirety. Whether that was a gauntlet thrown down or what it is, it is clear to say that on this experience they had better start working back through some of that less-played older material because tonight was a complete, albeit unsurprising, success.
Opening with a back tape playing The Book Of Ingenious Devices, the band quietly entered the stage and slid perfectly into Salisbury Giant from 2016’s Folklore album.
Playing an hour of earlier material made for an interesting time. The band have so much high-quality material to choose from, and with their pieces generally being lengthier than the average pop or rock tune, it always meant that someone’s favourite would get left out.
Yet, despite that, the quality of the material on offer tonight was such that it became irrelevant, and the entire audience was completely immersed in the pieces played. London Plane and Swan Hunter were both raucously received, and the rarely played Kingmaker rolled the year’s right back.
It became rapidly obvious that tonight was rapidly turning into an experience that was very special indeed. This was not just a run-of-the-mill prog concert. There was magic in the air, and everyone lucky enough to be in the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire tonight was becoming interwoven into it.
As the minutes ticked by, the audience became more and more immersed in the music. Tonight was a case of sitting back and letting the music wash over you. The stage was very much stripped back with limited lighting and backdrops. Tonight was about letting the music do the talking, and tonight it was shouting.
Lost Rivers Of London was a deeper cut from the Folklore album which provided a pleasant surprise, before the band left the stage to drummer Nick D’Virgilio and trumpeter supreme, Paul Mitchell, for a piece entitled Drumpet. Initially starting out as the obligatory drum solo, it expanded into a short piece in its own right as Paul played out a stirring and resounding trumpet solo over the top.
Yet the tour de force was still to come as the band returned to the stage for an outstanding 15 minutes of East Coast Racer. This is a piece that rattles through the emotions as it majestically soars, then gently dives, pulling at the heartstrings.
It is no surprise that there is an immense explosion of sound from the eagerly waiting audience at the close. It could be the end of a successful show at this point, but there was still the second half to follow.
The questions are how would that be received? How would it unfold? We know that concept albums always divide people’s views, although let us not pretend that prog musicians already have this element of the genre down to a fine art, and Big Big Train are no different.
The second half is less a concert and more of an emotional experience. The songs flow together as the story gently unfolds. There is an animated backdrop that visually tells the tale, supporting the music and the creativity herein.
Trying to evaluate and review each song is like taking a chapter from a book and looking at it on its own as opposed to considering the book as a whole. Subsequently, I shall not.
What can be considered, however, is the second set as an entirety. The music, typically of Big Big Train, is complex. It is thought-provoking. At times quite unforgiving, yet at others it surrounds and enwraps you like a sumptuous aural comfort blanket.
As the storyline unfolds, of a disillusioned woodcutter trying to make sense of his life and work, elements and the fabric of the tale become interwoven with the tunes played. Tonight, to ensure that the audience gets the best experience, the ultimate concentration is required.
It is also reassuring to note that the audience have taken on board the request not to use their phones during the show, and subsequently the experience is far more generous than trying to peer through arms held high, exhibiting their Nokias, iPhones, and Samsungs.
The visuals match the music perfectly. The band are in their element, and the audience is awaiting every note and chord with bated breath. The pieces and musicality are precise. Let’s not pretend otherwise. Big Big Train are musical magicians and weave their magic magnificently.
The music is structured and layered, yet it is possible to appreciate the songs for what they are alone, as well as through the formation of the tale that unfolds. There is something here for everyone. The audience is silent. You can hear a pin drop.
By the end of the evening, the theatre is writhing with emotion. The audience has experienced the highs and lows of the woodcutter as though they are personally entwined. Everyone is brought into the experience. There is nowhere to hide, and as the final notes drift away and the audience take to their feet in deafening applause, it is akin to the release of major emotional relief. Although that is meant in a positive manner as opposed to a negative.
This was quite simply a show like no other. For the fans here tonight, it was an experience they will take with them for many years to come. One that will be embedded in their memories for eternity.
For those not lucky enough to have seen this tour, tonight was the last night of the tour, the show was filmed for a future DVD release, meaning we can all relive the magic once more.
Delain has torn up the standard replacement-vocalist playbook. Instead of auditioning a new frontwoman, the Dutch symphonic metal project is bringing in a rotating cast of guest singers and musicians, and the first result arrives today in the form of a new single, “We Are Fire.”
The track features Fabienne Erni, Noa Gruman and Paolo Ribaldini. Its release coincides with the exit of vocalist Diana Leah, who has chosen to leave after several years in the fold. The band says it is sad to see her go but grateful for the time they spent together.
Keyboardist and founder Martijn Westerholt, a former Within Temptation member and the brother of that band’s Robert Westerholt, remains the creative anchor. Guitarist Ludovico Cioffi, bassist Ronald Landa and drummer Sander Zoer round out the core lineup.
Martijn Westerholt said, “‘We Are Fire‘ is about the inner fire that keeps us moving forward, even when the path ahead is uncertain. It’s about daring to cross boundaries, and refusing to give up on what we believe in.
“To me, it captures the spirit of what Delain is becoming. A place where different voices and personalities can come together, each bringing something unique, while sharing the same fire.”
After months of mulling over its future, Delain decided that one new voice would not cut it. The plan is to let each song and performance take on its own flavor depending on who is involved. The guest list includes:
Marko Hietala (Nightwish)
Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation)
Anneke Van Giersbergen (The Gathering)
Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie)
Patty Gurdy
Noa Gruman (Sabaton orchestra)
Paolo Ribaldini
Johanna Kurkela (Auri, Eye of Melian)
Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation)
Hietala, Erni, Gruman and Ribaldini will also appear with Delain on its February 2027 tour.
That run marks the band’s first outing in its new form and covers Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands, with more countries and dates to be revealed later. Infected Rain is the special guest, Persefone is in support, and the trek wraps on Februry 11, at 013 in Tilburg, one of the Netherlands’ best-known live venues.
The post DELAIN Announces New Chapter With “We Are Fire” Single & Star-Studded Lineup Of Guest Vocalists appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Few albums bowled over the AMG staff like Fvneral Fvkk’s 2019 Carnal Confessions debut did. Drawing on epic doom legends like Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus, as well as 90s Peaceville heavy hitters like Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, Fvneral Fvkk crafted something truly special wrapped in a heavily liturgical soundscape and based around the Catholic Church’s vast history of child sex abuse. It was easily my Record o’ the Year and one of the best metal albums of the decade. It was so good, in fact, that most people were even willing to overlook the band’s completely ass-tastic name, which is no easy feat. It’s taken these Fvkks forever to deliver the follow-up to their monumental statement on gloom and woe, but this week, sophomore album Indecent Idols finally arrives with very big shoes to fill. With a second guitarist added to round out their sound, and the same basic Fvkk template in place, can these mysterious German monks catch doom lightning in a holy water font twice? I suppose bigger miracles have happened (see the Knicks championship). Are you ready for an altar call?
After a very holy and pious intro that gets you in the Sunday mass mindset, “Crosses to the Gallows” rolls out in all its vestments and finery. It goes heavy on the vintage Solitude Aeturnus vibes, with vocalist Cantor Cinaedicus sounding a lot like Robert Lowe at times. It’s that same massive, epic doom sound that crushed you on Carnal Confessions, and those dour, mournful riffs and harmonies often reek of Paradise Lost in the best possible ways. It’s a killer doom gem. Fvkk circles back around to the church sex abuse theme on “A Hidden Threnody,” with chilling and frankly revolting soundbites from interviews with an Archbishop opening and closing the song. It’s a gripping song full of grim tidings, and the band know how to leverage pathos without getting overly maudlin. And those fucking soundbites, man…Jesus! “The Beasts of Speyer” is a HUGE doom sonnet that sounds like the love child of prime Paradise Lost and While Heaven Wept. It’s so packed with bleak emotion and depressive tones that it will kill your mellow even if you just won the Powerball jackpot. That sullen lead melody will bring you low, and Cantor’s vocals are so plaintive and despondent, there is simply no escaping the feelz. Even the mildly uplifting guitar work feels like false hope, which is the worst of the hopes.
Indecent Idols saves some of its best moments for later. The 8-minute album centerpiece “Bishop of the Iron Guard” is a monolithic epic doom cut with a killer atmosphere, top-flight vocals, and an unrelentingly cheerless vibe. When it seques into death metal-adjacent riffs and grooves around the halfway point, it hits like a runaway cement truck. Cantor should get a promotion in the Church of Metal for his huge performance on this one. The absolute best/beast arrives dead last with closer “Even in Death/We Possess You.” This one feels like a lost track from Carnal Confessions, and it’s every bit as stellar as the rest of that godly album. It’s a soul-killing piece of brilliantly rendered doom packed full of beautifully melancholic moments, and it’s haunting in a way that will reach into your body and extract your heart. Only the very best doom metal does this. The guitar work starting at 5:24 onward is so gorgeous, it can’t just be heard; it must be experienced. At a tight 42 minutes with no letdowns at all, Indecent Idols is another holy hand grenade of Candlemassive doom that cannot be ignored or denied.
I’m not sure how this mötley crëw creates music this consistently harrowing and beautiful, but this makes two albums in a row where Fvneral Fvkk knocked me for a loop with their morose compositions. The guitar work by Decanus Obscaenus and new gun Pastor Pellex is gorgeously rendered and lays the groundwork for so much emotion and atmosphere. The heavy doom riffs are there in classic Candlemass style, and all the forlorn trills and harmonies bring great sadness and grief to the ear. They even introduce death and black metal elements sparingly but effectively, giving the material an extra sense of danger and dread. Over the top of it all, Cantor Cinaedicus soars with the angels, his baritone crooning conveying a somber gravitas that perfectly suits the music. He’s just about as perfect a doom vocalist as you’ll hear, and he delivers bigly here, weaving webs of gripping, melancholic majesty. It’s a triumph for all involved.
If I’m being completely honest, I didn’t give Fvneral Fvkk a shot in Hell of releasing anything comparable to Carnal Confessions, and I assumed that was why the wait for a follow-up was so long. While Indecent Idols isn’t quite as towering a doom edifice as its predecessor, it doesn’t fall far off from that same level of divine greatness. I feel great shame for doubting these sacred apostles of doom, and I will henceforth seek penance in reviewing crappy metalcore as I pray for forgiveness. If you love doom and sleep on this album, you will be excommunicated from the faith forevermore. CONVERT!
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Dying Victims
Websites: fvneralfvkk.de | facebook.com/fvneralfvkk | instagram.com/fvneralfvkk
Releases Worldwide: October 23rd, 2026
The post Fvneral Fvkk – Indecent Idols Review appeared first on Angry Metal Guy.
9th October 2026
Support: Red Method
Words: Dan Barnes
Photos: Rich Price
With only three shows scheduled for British soil this autumn, the Rebellion Bar was the only venue to be at in Manchester tonight for the long-awaited return of Swedish melodic-death thrashers, The Haunted. Less than twelve-months on from the triumphant show over at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre for the twentieth anniversary Damnation show, and with their Songs of Last Resort record still getting regular spins round our way, I cannot imagine a place I’d rather be tonight.
It’s an early start for London’s Red Method, a collective formed from Meta-Stasis, Ted Maul and The Defiled, and bringing a piece of each for a blend of industrial, electronic and gothic nu-metal. As a crowd we are admittedly a bit sparse at such an hour, but the band push on and never let their energy drop. An early circle pit should be commended for the intent if nothing else, and as time goes on the crowd increases and Red Method show why they were headlining the second stage at the Bloodstock Winter Gathering last year. Detonate, from July’s Vol 1: As In Life EP, is fast, heavy and edgy and has more of a modern metal sound in keeping with a Slipknot than the band’s earlier material; Counting Corpses comes with some serious drumming and has a dalliance with the hey-day of the Nu-wave. From a stage bathed in scarlet light – which I’m reliably informed is a nightmare to photograph – Red Method close their set with a health-sized crowd and having made new friends along the way.
I think I’d almost forgotten how much I love The Haunted. Damnation was great, of course, but the Swedes were one part of a magnificent main stage that included Onslaught, Primordial, Pig Destroyer, Anaal Nathrakh, AmenRa and Napalm Death. Joy overload was outcome of that day. Here, at Rebellion, The Haunted have ninety minutes to impress and, boy, do they ever…
This being the Songs of Last Resort tour it’s only fair that the new record gets a whole load of play. Opening duo, Warhead and In Fire Reborn, kicks off the set in a brash and confrontational style. Patrik Jensen’s fingers seem to have mind of their own as they dash about the fretboard; vocalist Marco Aro has a big, beaming smile that belies the aggression of the music. The off-kilter guitar intro to 99 is recreated perfectly and attracts the first surfer of the evening; Trespass is mis-introduced as being the tune that got Marco into the band in the first place; apparently it wasn’t, as he sang it, but it’s still a great song anyway.
The Dead Eye’s intro leads into The Flood and the glorious The Medication; One Kill Wonder’s D.O.A. sees perpetual movement across the room, leading Marco to enquire about crowd safety. Things slow down for some “middle-aged shit” and, as The Haunted are groovy themselves, we get the groove-laden Time (Will Not Heal) from the often criminally overlooked Exit Wounds album.
Eight years in the making so it’s fair that Songs of Last Resort gets the lion’s share and the awesomely titled Hell is Wasted on the Dead snarls and snaps as Adrian Erlandsson goes to town on the drums; time, not only will not heal, but hasn’t mellowed the members of The Haunted either. To Bleed Out is pure At the Gates in its catchiness. Marco also endears himself even more by saying how much better than London last night Manchester is.
Crowd surfer and stage divers are plentiful and Marco can be seen giving folks a hand up onto his stage. On chap fires back into the crowd like he’s been shot from a canon, another looks to have gone down head-first, but a thumbs-up suggests he’s alright (for the time being at least – somebody please watch that man for signs of a concussion!)
The track Marco meant when he introduced Trespass was In Vein, which arrives after a particularly bouncy No Compromise; the final song of last resort is a stomping Death to the Crown; the first song
the band ever wrote, Undead, is full of youthful ire, Hollow Ground flips things by about one-hundred-and-eighty degrees, with it’s unbelievable catchy rhythms.
Made Me Do It intro, Dark Intentions mean only one thing: Bury Your Dead, as rambunctious and face-ripping a song as you’re likely to hear, and the main set closes with Hate Song.
Rather than leave, it’s announced the band have eight-and-a-half-minutes left, just enough time for All Against All and a closing Bullet Hole.
Seven of The Haunted’s ten albums are visited tonight; only Strength in Numbers from the Marco-era and Verses and Unseen aren’t represented. But, when you have a catalogue as richly deep as they have, there are always going to be difficult choices. I would like to have heard My Shadow and Collateral Carnage, but it wasn’t to be. Maybe next time.
Rebellion should have been packed to the rafters for this show, but I imagine Amon Amarth at the Apollo might have drawn some people’s attention away. For those of who were there, this was a show for the ages.
Photo credits: Rich Price
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