On a freezing cold Sunday in Camden, the big story is the return of Howard Jones with Devil You Know. Sadly I had the misfortune to miss them but they brought some amazing openers with them that were worth the ticket price alone.
First up, with an early opening set, were the hometown boys in Brutai. A surprisingly decent turnout for a young up and coming band. From the first chords of opening track “Of Ashes”, you could tell that these guys are definitely one to keep your eye on. To say they were tight is an understatement.
All the instruments come together in near perfect synchronicity and the dual vocal assault from singer Felix Lawrie and keyboardist Alex Lorimer add extra layers of melody and brutality to each song. My personal highlight has to have been the penultimate track ” Deep”.
If you know the band then this is most likely the song that stands out. Equal parts melody and crushing heaviness, strong vocals that you couldn’t help but sing along with, they had the crowd enraptured. Definitely a strong up and coming British band to keep your eye on. Their full album “Born” is available through Transcend Music.
Now on to a band that I have had my eye on for a while, Wearing Scars. You cannot fault the pedigree of this band, made up of former members of Sacred Mother Tongue and Mutiny Within. Taking to the stage to near full crowd, they break into opener “Become Numb”.
It’s obvious from the start that the crowd is in for something special. The guitar work of the legend that is Andy James is wonder to behold. Note perfect for every song with solos that would melt even the stoniest of faces. Couple this with the astounding voice and presence of vocalist Chris Clancy and you get some of the most melodic sing along anthems going. Finish that off with the incomparable rhythm section of bassist Craig Dawes and drummer Lee Newell, you have the total package.
They blazed through a strong set, the crowd singing along with every word. My personal highlights were ” Stand Alone” and the closer “Butterfly”. If you get a chance to see this phenomenal band I suggest you do as I don’t see them playing smaller venues for much longer.
Wearing Scars album “A Thousand Words” is available now!
As mentioned previously, Wearing Scars features former members of Sacred Mother Tongue, Check out this archive Rebellious Noise interview from 2013 with the some of the guys in their former band