Infobia / Panic Cell / Warchild
12 February 2005
Snooty Fox, Wakefield
Full marks to Glyn and the Power-Metal.co.uk team for putting this event on, for which we were more than happy to make the long trip up North. Many faces were finally put to names from the Bloodstock community and it was great to meet up with friends and make new ones.
On to the metal then and Wakefield was in for a treat when Italy`s Warchild took the stage. Right from the opening guitar riff of Nothing To Share the sound was spot on giving them full opportunity to show why anybody who has caught them live has heaped praise upon them.
The galloping Dead Zone gets heads nodding with the scything guitars of Keith Wild and Ottavio Marzo weaving memorable riffs. It would be wrong to simply categorise Warchild as a power metal band as at times the band verge on thrash, such as the crunching Theater Of Pain. Standout track The Preacher recalls the intelligence of pre-Nevermore outfit Sanctuary, with Francesco Luiso`s vocals reaching ever higher.
Luiso becomes fully absorbed in each song with a Bruce Dickinson like presence. His attack is one as if he was playing Wembley Arena and Warchild are clearly deserved of bigger stages. With repeated visits to the UK, working the gig circuit with Panic Cell, Warchild are picking up a great number of fans and an appearance at Bloodstock later this year will justifiably boost their profile.
A riotous cover of Europe`s Rock The Night closes the set to unanimous praise.
Warchild set list:
Nothing To Share / The Dead Zone / The Preacher / Theater Of Pain / Burning Fire / Life Goes On / Son Of The Lies / Starless Sky / Rock The Night
Tonight was my seventh Panic Cell gig in under a year and, as I told guitarist Kelly Downes after, they`re going to have to play a bad gig sometime as I`m running out of superlatives. Of course once again this was not that off night and the Cell were simply on crushing form.
The sheer energy in Panic Cell`s performance is a joy to experience. Every member of the band puts 100% into both playing and performance and it`s a wonder the stage didn`t give way. Damn Self Pity`s brutal conclusion seems particularly ferocious tonight with Lee Turner`s drumming verging on a black metal attack.
Shallow features an improvised intro before the familiar chorus has the crowd singing along, conducted by Luke Bell waving his skull and spine mic stand over their heads.
Playing with Warchild seems to have kept Panic Cell on their toes and inspired an even more fierce performance. The ballad, Thousand Words, doesn`t make an appearance tonight and the band close with a violent run through of Machine Head`s Imperium.
So it`s time to call up the thesaurus again. Exceptional, stupendous, splendid, don`t think I`ve used those before.
Panic Cell set list:
Damn Self Pity / Nothing / Shallow / Utter Madness / Save Me / Away From Here / The End / Imperium
The party is in full swing as Infobia open up with Life Is and kick-start some headbanging at the front. Breathe continues with a pounding riff Anthrax would happily pilfer.
Vocalist Derk`s cheeky in between banter would suggest he has a career in stand-up if he stopped singing. "This one`s for Reader`s Digest". It`s clear he should not hang up his mic as demonstrated on Close which features a progressive edge.
Jellyfish turns things on its head with the wackiness of Primus, whereas Past My Eyes brings in a Queensryche influence.
Infobia have a bunch of great songs, and if there`s one small criticism it`s perhaps that Derk seems to carry the performance, with bassist Mike Mason and guitarist Al Pashby seemingly happy to take a backseat and keep out of his way. This is not to take anything away from their playing which is spot on throughout.
Energy is not something missing stage front however as the crowd link together for some synchronised head banging to W.H.Y.G.M?
Infobia set list:
Life Is / Breathe / Destined To Feel / Forever Now / Close / Jellyfish / Love Is / Past My Eyes / War Toys / W.H.Y.G.M? / Hell In Me
LINKS:
Power-Metal.co.uk
Infobia
Panic Cell
Warchild
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