LIVE REVIEW: Rings of Saturn @ Mama Roux’s, Birmingham

Texas tech-death collective RINGS OF SATURN have continued to delight the hordes with their so-called brand of Aliencore since their 2010 debut. They ramped up the galactic chaos via album number four Ultu Ulla which was as expansive as it was explosive in terms of its spacey melodies and ferocious shred. The four-piece are back in Birmingham for the Sounds Of Carnage 2019 Tour and show number eleven of this 23-date headline run across Europe. And with NEKROGOBLIKON, MENTAL CRUELTY, HARBINGER and LEFT TO THE WOLVES joining them on what could be deemed as the most otherworldly bill of the spring, it promises to be a mayhem-filled experience.

A cruel combination of an earlier-than-advertised door time and public transport sadly puts the kibosh on Distorted Sound catching the Lexington sextet’s full set. A shame as LEFT TO THE WOLVES’ self-coined “backwoods Kentucky metal” is replete with atmospheric interludes and pummelling riffs; during its heavier moments, material from 2015’s In the Absence of Humanity seethes with potent aggression and self-belief.

Rating: 7/10

If past appearances suggested they were poised to morph from a promising underground act into titans of the flourishing UK tech-metal scene, then HARBINGER’s performance tonight confirms it. The turnout is modest – the curse of early doors – but Thom Gardener’s impassioned cry of “bang your fucking heads Birmingham!” is obeyed by every single punter gathered around the rumbling stage. The mercury shoots as this London five-piece proceed to roll out a blistering arsenal of riff-drenched maelstrom combining intricate technicality and ferocious rhythms punctuated by sporadic bursts of enticing melodies. Darkest Days’ throat-ripping proclivities see the band talisman practically turn himself inside out due to the sheer blunt force trauma, but there’s an unmistakable sense of refinement bursting forth from the five brand-new tracks being showcased from debut full-length Compelled To Suffer. Both The Dance of Species and Descendants employ the kind of reverberating riffs plucked straight from the depths of hell, but The Awakening bleeds with atmospheric depth whilst the vitriolic squall of The Fear of Sorrow is tempered by accessible choruses and intricate guitar layers. The skill and execution exhibited tonight is astonishing and the set’s sonic heft is monstrous – if HARBINGER continue down this bludgeoning path they might just barge past the competition on their way to the upper echelons of modern metal.

Rating: 8/10

Blasphemous lyricism, abrasive chugging and bloodcurdling gutturals are the fundamentals of the MENTAL CRUELTY arsenal and the German quintet waste no time in unleashing their unholy sermon upon the baying throng beneath them. With a setlist comprised of songs from diabolical debut Purgatorium and latest release Inferis, the ensuing result is a brutal mix of down-tempo slams spliced with symphonic overtures; both of which permeate the blackened cores of Planet of Misery and God Hunt. Prolapse-inducing squeals sit alongside a near-perpetual battery of extended breakdowns and blastbeats as the hammers are brought down with brute force; flashes of sweeping tech-death guitars and solos emerge but are rapidly extinguished as the dank dirge of Chapter II: Rise of the Antichrist immediately encourages this crowd to smash into in one another with zero regard for their own personal safety. Slam, bam, thank you ma’am – it’s a face-melting display of barbarity.

Rating: 7/10

Barely contained chaos. A goblin playing air guitar on what appears to be an oversized house plant. Guitarists running amok in the crowd whilst songs about mythical creatures are unleashed with unashamed glee. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to bonkers and the stench-filled world of LA’s NEKROGOBLIKON. Granted, the novelty aspect is obvious but the visual schtick works because the melodeath sextet have the legitimate musical chops to back it up. Nicholas ‘Scorpion’ Von Doom veers wildly between vitriolic barks and operatic wails as a rabid opening salvo of Dressed As Goblins and Row elevates the madness to new levels. Bodies bounce along to huge choruses, synth-inflected riffs and galvanising solos that showcase the rhythm section’s technical abilities as well as their penchant for silliness. The balance between the two is perfectly illustrated during the compulsive stomp of No One Survives – the mid-track dance break (led by a maniacally clapping John Goblikon) briefly transforming the whirling room into a giant rave. Swirling melodies are interspersed with furious blastbeats before a crushing rendition of boisterous hit Powercore closes out a set dedicated to unbridled aural carnage. Goblincore is alive and kicking in Birmingham tonight.  

Rating: 8/10

A brief scan of Mama Rouxs swelling floor reveals a sea of bodies sporting RINGS OF SATURN merch and as the extreme metal genre-benders hit the stage amidst a barrage of noise, the time has come to get extra-terrestrial. Unleashing an inhuman barrage of indecipherable screams amongst atonal guitar notes, demented riffs and propulsive drumming, Ian Bearer stomps, stalks and seethes over every inch of available space. The classic RINGS OF SATURN grooves are omnipresent along with the punishingly fast blastbeats, but the band’s progressive leanings bleed through the melodic refrains of Lalassu Xul. Senseless Massacre’s merciless shred-cum-slam opens the pits up whilst the playful, carnival-esque intro to Inadequate quickly segues into dirge-laden breakdowns and effortless transitions between low-end gutturals and pig squeals. It is however, guitarist Yo Onityan who might just steal the show via some of the most fluid and clean sweeping we’ve witnessed at a live show and this rapt crowd are quickly transported to 7-string heaven. The cosmos remains RINGS OF SATURNS’s proverbial oyster.

Rating: 8/10     

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Birmingham from Serena Hill Photography here: