Up-Load UK, Gigs News & reviews Subverse, Send More Paramedics Review

June subverse was a lively one! Yet again a very varied audience from the young to the "experienced".

After an indeterminate amount of hanging around the first band called Harpies came on. Harpies are a girl fronted metal band in the vein of Arch Enemy but with the odd bit of singing instead of screaming all the time. That girl can GROWL! They are good live, they had some people moshing and moving. It was a very focused and tight set, for a band I'd never heard of they put on a good live performance. If growly metal floats your boat then check them out.

Next band up were The Comanche Code, which I sadly missed half the set of as I couldn't tell they had started, there are some corners of the Underworld that the noise just doesn't travel to. They are screamo, but the lead singer's voice sounded pretty high pitched. Not particularly different, but rather good. I don't actually remember much about them...

Ghost of a Thousand have a pretty big name, they have supported many a good band and gained alot of fans that way. It appears they had trouble getting the crowd moving, there wasn't much swirling fury going on. Lead singer Tom did try very hard to spur the more rigid members of the crowd into dancing. They made the stage of the Camden Underworld seem even smaller than it already is with their jumping around; a real hyperactive craziness posseses them. They describe themselves as hardcore/punk, their music is fast and furious; songs like Left For Dead sound perfect for a really good car chase in a movie with loads of explosions, to give you a visual idea. Freakin' awesome.

There was a long wait for the next band, filled with music from the speakers. I was concerned that the audience did not know what they were letting themselves in for, I thought the reaction might be fear, horror and standing back. I also thought it was worth getting right to the front.

First the undead band came on: Xundead the bassist, Medico the guitarist and El Diablo the gimp-mask wearing drummer. They started playing Burning the Body. But where was the singer? A terrifying tension filled the room: broken at the opportune moment by B'Hellmouth lurching onto the stage. His clothes were ripped, his skin was blue, and bright red blood gushed from his mouth down his chin. A blood-curdling agonsied scream filled the room. The crowd surged forward, the rush to the front was unbelievable - I'm suprised at the lack of casualties. People were so packed in I couldn't turn my head to see the mosh pit.

Send More Paramedics write the best short, thrash, blow your brains out in under a minute songs. They also write the best singalong songs, with complex writhing guitar licks and bonecrushing rhythm. Burning the body was a good choice for opening the set with: if you don't know it already you can pick up the chorus and shout it as loud as anybody else. B'Hellmouth kept the crowd hooked on the spectacle, offering the microphone to everyone - especially the more mental looking ones who know all the words - which is a treat for any loyal fan like me. They played a good cross section of songs from their two full length albums, two split EPs and earlier demos (including a song called Send More Paramedics that everyone seemed to know the words but isn't on any of their records).

After Driven To Destruction B'Hellmouth said something like "You guys look tired, I think we'll slow the pace down. This one's called Bokor!". That was hilarious; the poor younger kids thought they were going to get a rest for a second!

Zombie Crew was recieved riotously, like many points in the show even B'Hellmouth's loudest scream could not be heard over the audience! Near the end a guy stagedived only to land right on top of B'Hellmouth! Then said vocalist was dragged into the crowd, with the crowd keeping up the chant of "ZOMBIE CREW" until he got back on stage to start the next song.

They played a new song from their upcoming album The Awakening. Although I couldn't hear what it was called it sounded amazing so I have high hopes. Their third studio album is out in late June on preorder, but you'll have to wait till autumn to see it in the shops.

Many people would think a band of the undead would be a rather repulsive thing, but quite the opposite is true; hands reached out to touch any part of any band member they could reach. By the end much of B'Hellmouth's distinctive blue colouring with blacked out eyes had been rubbed and sweated off.

It's difficult to cope with the end of such a show. You know you want more, but you can't physically take any more. Send More Paramedics would have played all day and night if we'd had our way. Sadly at subverse club there is no encore. Covered in blood (fake and real) and sweat the crowd shuffled away, the zombie contagion planted within their brains...