It’s been a couple of months since I last went to a gig, and even longer since I went to a thrash gig. As the usual grind of life inevitably creates a constant feeling of burnout, some sonic stress relief has been long overdue. It’s been a few years since I last saw Onslaught thrash ‘til the death so with their metal forces coming to town, I’m buzzing to bang my head.
By the time I arrive at Audio I’ve unfortunately missed local lads Fatal Collision, a band who’ve been on my radar for a while who I will see someday soon! There’s a fair crowd inside though it’s not busy. The vibes are chill with folks equally dispersed throughout the room and on the street outside, chatting with drink/smoke/merch-in hand while second Luxera soundcheck. The Edinburgh up-and-comers get straight to business once the soundcheck is over demanding attention from the first chord. The boys seem more confident since I last saw them, commanding the crowd and energetically delivering their old-skool sound. With the release of their debut 2-track and more gigs under their belt, the band are becoming ones to watch. Tracks such as the released “Kill the Liars” and “The Skeleton Ball” harken back to the early days of thrash with hooky power chord riffs, pounding beats and cool NWOBHM-esque moments of melody and harmony. Luxera treat us to two new numbers, one I don’t catch the name of and the other I believe is called “Into the Spiral”, both upping the ante in the riffing.
Despite a rapturous reception in their home turf, the response in Glasgow is disappointingly lukewarm. Frontman Alex Jean is commanding the stage as if he’s thrashing the RJD stage at Bloodstock and the crowd politely shuffle a few steps forward upon command with only a handful of heads banging throughout the crowd. Maybe the beers haven’t kicked in, maybe the hordes are saving themselves for the headliners, or perhaps they’re yet to familiarise themselves with some of the local talent. Ultimately it’s great performance from the band, that’s well-received given the cheers however for a Saturday night thrash gig, the energy in the audience is disappointingly mellow.
The changeover between sets is efficient as within 20 minutes or so, cult UK thrashers Toranaga hit the stage and get sound checked. Looking around before the set starts, loads more thrashers have filled Audio – possibly long time fans looking to catch them for the first time in three decades. ittedly when I first discovered the old-skool UK thrash scene in my teens, Toranaga is one of a few bands who I never followed up on after my initial introduction, so I’m keen to see and hear what I’ve been missing. I’m not disappointed. The set is mainly composed of cuts from their cult classic God’s Gift, celebrating it’s 35th anniversary this year. Heavy hooks come in the likes of “Food of the Gods”, “The Shrine” and “Hammer to the Skull” getting loads more heads banging and bodies shuffling on the floor. The band, made up of new blood behind classic frontman Mark Duffy, are generally performing more laid back, entranced in delivering the awesome riffs. Drummer Toby Wallace however is more than making up for the axemen’s energy, smashing the cymbals and snare with each banging beat.
Duffy is the star of the show, delivering his killer vocals on point as if it was still 1990. It’s a given that vocals degrade with age, however he’s still got it albeit with a complementary hint of well-worn grit. The numbers in attendance reach their peak throughout the set, with everyone warming up over time and getting in the mood to mosh. For those not about to thrash before, Toranaga make sure they are with a fun cover of Anthrax’s “Madhouse”, getting the pit and vocal cords moving like never before . A smart choice executed note-for-note perfect – since it’s likely there’s many in the crowd unfamiliar with the band, their songs might not get new listeners moving so a killer cover of a classic certainly will. Toranaga have done awesome and I hope they’ve gained some new fans on this tour.
Another quick changeover onstage and the devil’s legion howl for headliners, Onslaught. Another celebratory set, honoring the 40th anniversary of the band’s classic debut Power From Hell.
The band are poised as the cheering competes with the “Damnation” intro tape before the band burst into the title track. The crowd are well and truly warmed up now and it’s clear the majority were saving themselves for the main event as the pit opens immediately from the first drum hit and seemingly never stops throughout the entire set. This is metal madness I’ve not seen in a while as the band rage through classic punk-thrash bangers like “Thermonuclear Devastation”, “Death Metal” and “Angels of Death”, stage divers are constantly jumping into the rabid horde of thrashers in front. The benefits of no barriers in a tiny venue while frontman David Garnett and bassist Jeff Williams tower over the front row riling up the raging pit below. The band on the whole are feeding off the crowd and delivering each riff with intense energy, Williams and guitarist Wayne Dorman rocking out together while Garnett screams his lungs out. Onslaught originator Nige Rockett is chilling at the side, contently nodding along and cracking the occasional smile as he delivers his influential thrash hits.
The Power From Hell segment of the set ends and Rockett disappears behind his Blackstar stack for a break which is slightly disappointing. I hope he’s not tiring of the Onslaught life but it’s fair play if it’s taking a toll and he needs to take it easy. However Garnett takes his place picking up his camo guitar and proving he’s an awesome rhythm axeman in his own right. The second segment is a selection of Onslaught bangers from across their albums, beginning with The Force classic “Let There Be Death”. The energy in Audio is holding up relentlessly as the banging heads and flying bodies are a never-ending sight. The pit is frenzied throughout heavy ragers like “Killing Peace” and “Strike Fast Strike Hard” (representing their awesome last LP Generation Antichrist) where I’m knocked flying from the pitside to the edge of the room several times while I’m wrecking my neck. Rockett returns to the stage for the closing moments including a rendition of one of the band’s influences in Motorhead’s “Iron Fist”, recently released as a single from Onslaught’s re-recordings/covers album Origins of Aggression. It’s a fun tune that naturally goes down well though I wish they played “In Search of Sanity” instead seeing as it’s their latest single. The minor disappointments however, are trivial and don’t detract from the overall show in the slightest. With their raging riffs and and high-energy performance invoking 100% pure thrash insanity among the audience, Onslaught have annihilated Audio no question.
Onslaught: official | facebook | instagram | spotify | youtube
Toranaga: facebook | instagram | bandcamp | spotify
Luxera: facebook | instagram | spotify | youtube
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