LIVE REVIEW: Revocation @ Rebellion, Manchester

The appearances of REVOCATION on UK soil have been sporadic to say the least. Despite boasting a collection of killer material and a formidable following, the Boston shredders have not toured across the UK has often as we would like. However, it seems that our prayers have finally been answered. Hitting the road on their first ever headlining European tour, with ARCHSPIRE, SOREPTION and RIVERS OF NIHIL along for the ride, we ventured to Rebellion in Manchester as the UK leg reaches its conclusion.

Given the fact that Rebellion is packed to the rafters as RIVERS OF NIHIL take to the stage sheds just an insight into what a monumental year it has been for the American tech death quintet. Having released Where Owls Know My Name to critical acclaim, there was an air of anticipation surrounding their live output and the band more than justified the hype. Whilst a short set of just five songs is disappointing, what RIVERS OF NIHIL delivered was nothing short of outstanding. The dual guitar harmonies from Jon Topore and Brody Uttley dazzled one minute with technical flurries then delivered crushing riffs the next, whilst frontman Jake Dieffenbach oozed with confidence and unleashed his vocal lines that matched the intensity of his bandmates. Material from Where Owls Know My Name sounded extraordinary live, with the mid-tempo chug of A Silent Life getting heads banging before the crooning mid-track instrumentation displays the sheer skill within the band’s repertoire and A Home sounded more incendiary in the live environment that it does on record. A performance from a band that is bound to hit the upper echelons of progressive and technical death metal.

Rating: 9/10

With the bar set at an almighty high level, SOREPTION had the audacious task of following and whilst they fall just short, the Swedes do deliver their ferocious brand of technical death metal in abundance. Frontman Fredrik Söderberg cuts an imposing figure on stage and his consistent barrage of growls and snarls washes across the room effectively and Tony Westermark puts in a solid shift behind the drums, keeping the speed flowing in top gear. Sole guitarist Mikael Almgren does impress also, with his complicated leads on King of Undisputed Nonsense being the clear highlight of the set. However, there just seemed to be an air of rinse and repeat with SOREPTION, as their brand of tech death is done by the book and whilst it was performed well and certainly matched their intensity of their studio output, it just lacked that organic flair to give the band a truly memorable live performance.

Rating: 7/10

When ARCHSPIRE first broke onto the scene, many considered their ridiculous over-the-top brand of tech death merely a gimmick to show-boat their musical prowess. However, as studio output has continued to develop and improve, certainly warranting the band to be considered as a legitimate outfit, question marks remain as to whether the band can replicate their elaborate, complex, and, quite frankly, ludicrously technical music in the live setting. And within mere minutes into opening salvo Calamus Will Animate, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Throughout their set, ARCHSPIRE deliver a performance of sheer technical madness and it was brilliant to watch. Dean Lamb and Tobi Morelli‘s guitarwork stole the spotlight as intertwining riffs and finger-shredding solos fixate your attention whilst Jared Smith and Spencer Prewett work tirelessly behind the scenes on the bass and drums respectively, keeping the band’s high-octane speed flowing organically. Whilst it’s clear that the band’s USP is pushing technical death metal to mindbogglingly complex levels, live, the Canadians remain grounded and their interaction with the crowd creates a strong bond that only enforces the enjoyment of their performance. Oliver Rae Aleron is to thank for that as his wit and humour strikes a chord with many in attendance before impressing in the vocal department with rapid-fire gutturals that are deployed with such ferocity, they hold their own. Indeed, ARCHSPIRE put on a performance that demonstrates their prowess and legitimacy as a fully-operational band, and yes it is ridiculous, but live, it was an absolute treat.

Rating: 9/10

Whilst REVOCATION may have graced our shores sporadically over the years, the excitement leading into their first headlining show in Manchester was more than apparent. With a venue boasting near full capacity, the air of excitement set a perfect platform for the band and upon their entry and diving into opening number The Outer Ones, the title-track of their latest record, the band generated an incendiary reaction. As bodies collided in the pit, REVOCATION kicked off their headlining run in style and from there, the intensity only continued to develop. Dan Gargiulo and David Davidson combined effortlessly well over the course of the set, deploying dual riffs that oozed groove and hooks in absolute abundance and the latter equally dazzled with his prolific soloing and guttural blasts. Equally, Brett Bamberger more than impressed with his skill on the bass with the funky lines in fan favourite Existence Is Futile being one of his strongest moments of the performance and Ash Pearson‘s blistering display on the drums was emphatic to say the least.

Deploying an arsenal of material from across their career, REVOCATION left no stone unturned and gave a performance of glistening quality. Madness Opus, featuring a nice cameo of RIVERS OF NIHIL‘s Jake Dieffenbach, kept the ferocity flowing, a healthy selection from The Outer Ones demonstrated that the band’s latest effort works a treat live and finishing the set with a one-two punch of Chaos of Forms and Witch Trials ensured the performance finished on the strongest of notes. Indeed, REVOCATION gave a performance of quality. Let’s hope that it won’t be too long until the Boston shredders grace our shores again.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: