VELVET THUNDER

At the time, the ending of nu-metal’s dominance could not come soon enough; not only did it become a parody of itself, but it had reached saturation point well before the death knell began to toll.

Two decades on and the rearview mirror reveals that while metal’s death was greatly exaggerated as the 1990s dawned, the alternative was in and throwing some metal behind that needed to happen; it opened the doors for new ideas and there is an argument that metal is in rude health today because the cross pollination has contributed to the success of new innovators such as Poppy and Wargasm.

It is therefore an interesting prospect to have a four-band bill of bands and time travelling back to the nu-metal era but make no bones about it, Nottingham’s Rock City venue is packed front to back.

Opening proceedings is Texas quartet The Union Underground who released their one and only album in 2000. Whilst a fresh listen to that debut has it of its time, the same cannot be said as to the band’s live performance. Vocalist Bryan Scott cuts something of a suave figure who is happy to have a foot on the monitor while he surveys the audience, but the music come across as modern and with a whiff of the industrial.

Songs like Drivel and Killing the Fly attract a lot of head bobbing in the crowd and there are plenty that are mouthing but by the time mainstream hit Turn Me On “Mr Deadman”, the swell of the audience turns into raised arms and the Rock City floor begins to shake. With the airing of new song Faith Collapsing and the promise of more to come, The Union Underground’s comeback may well be one worth waiting for.

Floridian quintet Nonpoint is one of the bands on the bill that has been productive and releasing ten albums between their debut Statement in 2000 and their latest X in 2018. The Union Underground may not have been the most visually arresting of acts but Nonpoint certainly makes up for that with their matching shirts (even the sound guy has one) and with guitarist Jaysin Zeilstra and bassist Adam Woloszyn spinning around the stage.

If there is any disappointment it is the fact that Elias Soriano’s vocals seem to be a bit low in the mix and the usual powerhouse singer sounds a tad muted. Musically, Nonpoint is one of those melting pot bands that has never been shy as to its influences and they certainly deliver songs such as Chaos and Earthquakes and Dodge Your Destiny with both punch and panache, but it was a shame as to the vocals.

There are only two words to describe the Californian quartet (hed)pe – utterly magnificent. While there may be debate over categorising (hed)pe strictly as nu-metal, their eclectic fusion of styles from punk to gangsta rap to reggae is undeniable. Jared Gomes commands the stage with his imposing presence, and Kurt “Kid Bass” Blankenship ensures the bass lines remain funky, no matter the intensity of the hardcore elements.

The audience’s enthusiastic response is palpable, with pits erupting spontaneously. Despite a technical hiccup during Peer Pressure, the rest of the set is impeccable, including a cover of the Wailers’ Get Up, Stand Up, leading into a reggae rendition of their own Sophia and the first verse of The Toyes’ Smoke Two Joints.

The reggae segments might seem dreamily laid-back, but make no mistake, the set concludes devastatingly with Bartender and Renegade. (hed)pe’s performance tonight is nothing short of phenomenal, and a headline set in Nottingham must surely be in the offing.

Tonight is something of a celebration and their major label debut Scars which may have been released 23 years ago but it has aged remarkably well and a reminder of the power of TV video jukeboxes such as Kerrang! and Scuzz. SOiL may not have hit the mainstream heights but as an album Scars did cause a stir within the metal community at a time needing an injection of new blood.

SOiL bursts onto the stage with the dynamic Scars opener Breaking Me Down with vocalist Ryan McCombs gripping his signature microphone, a look of fierce determination etched on his face as he battles a slightly strained voice. Need To Feel marks a swift shift in tempo, its deep riff capturing and sustaining attention, though guitarist Adam Zadel’s backing vocals don’t quite hit the mark.

By the third song, Wide Open, the band starts to gel, becoming more animated and comfortable, mirroring the audience’s energy; My Own is a powerful track that creates a perfect harmony between the band and their fans. The stage brims with activity; bassist Tim King often takes the forefront, gesturing to fans and thumping his chest, while McCombs frequently retreats to the back only to surge forward again. Unreal lives up to its name, with the audience fervently echoing the defiant chorus, while Black No7 stands out, featuring McCombs seated on the drum riser for its brooding intro and Zade delivering a frenetic guitar solo.

The main set concludes with Halo, and naturally, Rock City goes bat-shit inciting the crowd to challenge the band as to who can sing the loudest. After a brief exit, SOiL returns for an anticipated encore, covering Lead Belly’s Black Betty, a nod to their debut Throttle Junkies, – a song that they have made their own – and ending with Pride from Scars successor, Redefine.

It was a shaky start, but SOiL recovered and easily snapped victory from the jaws of near defeat. A drained McCombs talks as to the power of music, that it begins and ends with the audience, and he does get quite emotional at times like he would personally want to shake everyone’s hand on the way out.

Tonight’s set did what it said on the tin, it was a Scars set, and no-one could be disappointed that they did not get more than that. Not taking the album in order created an ebb and flow like it was tailored for the live environment, it felt complete and did not require much else.

With the last new music a decade ago, this talented band has a lot more to offer but for now, it is a joy to wallow in the familiarity of nostalgia and with an album that did not change the world as such, but it gave metal a shot in the arm when it needed it.