Ape Vermin, the formidable 3-piece act hailing from the depths of Valdese, North Carolina, USA, is gearing up to conquer the cosmos with their latest sci-fi-infused album “Andromedas Colossus” on May 17, 2024, with a US tour to follow the release.
October 29th 2023, Fear Factory made their grand return to Scottish soil for the first time since 2015 and they brought with them an entourage of metal's finest. Naturally, landing on the rich shores of Scotland pretty much guarantees very typical Scottish weather of fierce winds and heavy rainfall. Nevertheless, that didn't stop fans from surging in to the holy grounds of the Glasgow Garage for a completely sold out show and the atmosphere was electrifying to say the least.
Ghosts of Atlantis
British Symphonic Melodic Death metal act Ghosts of Atlantis opens the night's show with a strong setlist and an impressive crowd, especially for an opening act. However sound quality and mixing wasn't the greatest. The vocals and the rhythm were predominantly drowned out until about three quarters of the way through their set when the sound balanced out. They are, however definitelt a band to watch out for and check out live. Their stage presence is very dominating and their energy is incredibly thunderous.
Setlist:
01 - The Curse of Man 02 - Sacremental 03 - The Lycaon King 04 - False Prophet 05 - The Lands of Snow
Ignea
Ignea hail all the way from Ukraine and operate as an incredibly technically tight and precise band. However again, much like Ghosts of Atlantis, a lot of their power and musical prowess was lost in poor sound quality and mixing. A stand-out point for the band however goes to Helle's incredible vocal ability. Her melodics are crisp, soaring and absolutely stunning whereas her gutterals are brutally demonic and powerful. Don't be fooled by her small stature, this vocalist certainly packs a punch.
Setlist
01 - Children of the Dawn 02 - Dunes 03 - Camera Obscura 04 - Daleki Obriyi 05 - Bosorkun 06 - Nomad's Luck 07 - Leviathan
Butcher Babies
The main support act for this tour came in the form of Butcher Babies however Carla was missing due to medical issues that needed to be resolved. This band are absolutely incredible live and tore the place apart. Their sound was very well balanced instrumentally and their energy was highly addictive. Considering Heidi was doing the job of two vocalists herself, she didn't falter at all. Her vocal ability is absolutely ferocious and stunningly powerful.
Setlist:
01 - Backstreets of Tennessee 02 - Red Thunder 03 - Monsters Ball 04 - King Pin 05 - Wrong End of the Knife 06 - It's Killin' Time, Baby! 07 - Beaver Cage 08 - Spittin' Teeth 09 - Last December
Fear Factory
The moment everyone was eagerly waiting for had finally arrived met with much excitement and curiosity. Founding member and driving force behind the machine Dino Cazares brought forth the strongest lineup the band had seen for years; the forefront of which was new vocalist Milo Silvestro.
Considering Fear Factory have 10 studio albums to choose material from, it was only natural that some "big" tracks would inevitably be left out. However the setlist itself was not only strong but also provided a few surprises. 'Freedom or Fire' and 'Resurrection' for example being notoriously difficult songs to perform vocally, Milo delivered them with incredible skill and passion. Not to mention 'Archetype,' the track Dino said he "would never play live."
To say the machine is well and truly alive and thriving is an understatement. Fear Factory devastated the venue and the crowd emanated the band's energy. Mosh pits, crowd surfing and screaming chants echoed around the hall with a fevered passion and excitement for the future. The machine is back and better than ever.
Metalhead of 20+ years from Scotland, UK. History & Psychology nerd,
avid hiker & caffeine enthusiast. Host of The Heavy Metal Journal on YouTube. Follow me on Twitter! (www.twitter.com/Lindsay_C88)
