LIVE REVIEW: Chelsea Grin @ The Fleece, Bristol
Whether you love it or hate it, deathcore is still a genre very much in good health. With new additions to the underground sound coming yearly, it’s very easy to forget about the bands that pioneered the genre in the faces of so much naysaying from the greater metal community. CHELSEA GRIN are one such band, helping birth the scene way back in 2007 and leading a varied and consistent career ever since. With drama surrounding the departure of long time vocalist Alex Koehler as he seeks help for his alcoholism, the band are now in a weird position with almost no original members save for long time bassist David Flinn. Bringing out their new album Eternal Nightmare earlier this year, CHELSEA GRIN are ready to tour the pants off the record, bringing with them a quality line up of supports to decimate Bristol’s The Fleece on a cold Tuesday night.
ENTERPRISE EARTH are up first, and despite having a sparse crowd as the queue funnels in, the band still go at it with welly. Vocalist Dan Watson is the real star of the show here, as he contorts and twists himself in the centre of the stage, commanding the attention of those present whilst he throws his caustic vocals over the top of the bands heavy yet sloppy assault. The set is marred by slip ups, as the drummer fails to remain consistent in his playing and the bass being utterly inaudible through the mix, muzzling the overall performance significantly. The silver lining is that this is the the first time ENTERPRISE EARTH have come over to the UK, and indeed Europe, so given their inexperience these are things that can ironed out over time. With a solid base of technical wizardry and dynamic song structure the young band have potential, but there are very clear areas for improvement.
Rating: 5/10
Calling KUBLAI KHAN the odd one out is a bit of a weird accusation, but it’s fair considering their belligerent meat-and-potatoes hardcore schtick, but the Bristol crowd laps it all up and then some. The Texan outfit are stoic on stage, refusing to move save only for explosive reactions to their own barrage. Kicking off with The Hammer, it incites an immediate eruption of flailing fists from the crowd, and the band do well to maintain the momentum throughout their set. Vocalist Matt Honeycutt is an imposing figure, and when he has the chance he addresses succinctly addresses the crowd with ease, encouraging applause for some the messages he preaches about family and belief. It does become a bit trying when he talks over the top of the full band playing, straining to hear him talk resulting in being taken out of the action whilst also detracting from the music itself. KUBLAI KHAN are a prime example of a band working wonders with what they’ve got, and if what they’ve got is a room full of keen lads and lasses looking to throwdown, then you know it’s going to be a good night.
Rating: 7/10
It’s disappointingly easy to forget about OCEANO considering how infrequently they grace our shores, but when they do they really make an occasion out of it. Riding off the coattails of the KUBLAI KHAN set the Chicago natives immediately pour mountains of energy into the crowd which is all reciprocated by the incredibly eager crowd. Proving how long the band have been working together as a unit, the whole set being played with watertight efficiency. Shrouded by dark blue and purple lighting they play a strong mix of material, simply reflecting how consistent the band have been whilst they quietly pump out quality albums. The light show does wonders for creating a truly dangerous atmosphere, as District of Misery falls in the middle of the set and causes pandemonium within the crowd. All of this is before Adam Warren loudly exclaims that he wants to see everyone “beat the shit out of each other” and the crowd kindly obliges, resulting in a pit that is every bit impressive as it is utterly terrifying. The thing to take away from this set is that OCEANO deserve far more praise than they’ve received, because they really are one of the best.
Rating: 9/10
Following on from OCEANO is a task that no band would want, even if that band is one with the legacy of CHELSEA GRIN. Coming onto a surprisingly well lit stage means the band already feel to be on the back foot, as the atmosphere feels alleviated thanks to the warm lighting. Kicking into Dead Rose and then proceeding the play through the entirety of their Eternal Nightmare record, which seems to be a weird decision. It becomes immediately apparent how a better set selection would have benefited this set tenfold, as tracks like See You Soon and Hostage both incite real reactions from the crowd, but for the majority of their Eternal Nightmares set, it’s only the faithful that really react to the deeper cuts. With an encore that kicks off with Recreant and the main issue with tonight’s performance is hammered home. A better selection of tracks carefully ordered could’ve torn the entire building down, but instead the pacing feels incredibly inconsistent and highlights the weaknesses in the CHELSEA GRIN sound. The set listing doesn’t seem to be the only thing that detriments the performance as a whole, as the vocals feel incredibly mismatched, with new front man Tom Barber failing to perform some of his parts, whilst drummer Pablo Viveros continues to prove himself as the unsung hero of the band, delivering incredibly tight drumming alongside stand out backing vocals.
Rating: 6/10
Check out out photo gallery of the night’s action in Bristol from April Bishop here:
