Converge and Kylesa, live at Manchester Academy 2, 15th July 2010

Despite missing the first two acts, this was well worth a 6 hour return trip to Manchester for. The two main bands, Kylesa and Converge, were hardly natural partners in crime, but it certainly seems like its going to work throughout the long tour they are doing together.

Kylesa are a special act. They have managed to forge their own unique brand of heavy, with a hypnotic groove that both bewilders and pleases the listener, with the otherworldly heavyness of Electric Wizard and the more technical/psychadelic elements of Mastodon mixed to beautiful perfection. If this doesn't make you want take drugs, no heavy music will. Watching the two drummers at work is pretty mesmerising stuff, and frontwoman Laura Pleasants has a nice dirty roar on her which compliments the music, and its refreshing to have a female in a band who isnt the selling point of the music *cougharchenemycough*. Although like many members of the crowd I wasn't that acquainted with the bands discography, the nature of the music induces involuntary headbanging, and it was a great shame they only had a half hour set.

Converge confirm the diversity of this evening. The songs are short, relentless, incredibly tight and, erm, pretty hardcore. The bundle of energy that is singer Jacob Bannon is to hyperactivity what Mike Williams is to narcotic induced numbness - one wonders how it is humanely possible to maintain such levels of enthusiasm throughout an entire tour. The set features quite a few songs off Jane Doe, the seminal album ranked as the 4th best album of the 00's by Terrorizer, and as the best by Decibal, which were always going to have the crowd in raptures.

Jack

Fear Factory, Manchester Academy 2, 16th Feb 2010

One of the more interesting developments in the metal world last year was the surprise reformation of Fear Factory, this time with founding member Dino Cazares on guitar. The cynical side of me thought that this was just Dino realising that Divine Heresy was never going to give him enough metallic/financial satisfaction, but the nostalgic side said fuck it, this is a chance to hear some of the most moshworthy metal around. Regarding the lineup changes, no-one can question the new members. If Gene Hoglan was good enough for Chuck Schuldiner back in the early 90's and Devin Townsend for the best part of ten years, then based on tonight alone he most certainly is capable of filling the void left by the departure of Raymond Herrera.

Luckly enough for us, the gig was in Academy 2, a wonderfully intimate venue for such as prestigious act. Greeted with a swarm of sweaty Mancunians chanting "you fat bastards" the band launch into the first song off the new record, a typically monolithic affair which has us warming up our neck muscles in anticipation. The set consists of songs spanning the bands entire career (don't mention Archetype and Transgression!), including gratuitious plugging of new album Mechanize, which grated after a while to be honest, even though its all pretty good stuff.

The vast majority of the crowd who probably came just to hear the old stuff were treated to a awesome rendition of "Resurrection", one of the band's most popular softer numbers (lighters in the air and all), but what really got the circle pits moving was the five song suite off Demanufacture - sounding as vital as it did back in '95. I defy any metalhead not to get goosebumps upon hearing that opening riff to albums title track.

Based on tonight's performance, Fear Factory's legacy won't be rendered 'Obsolete' any time soon. Fingers crossed Burton and Dino don't throw their toys out the pram again eh!

Jack