Maniacal Edge Gig Review – Mr.Kyps, 31.10.09

November 3, 2009 | Posted by Dan O'Gara

Maniacal Edge at Mr.Kyps. Photography by Robert Whetton www.rjwhetton.co.uk

It’s good to see a decent sized crowd when we enter Poole’s premier live music venue Mr Kyps. Headliners tonight are Metallica tribute band ‘Mentallica’, they always draw a large crowd but it has been swelled this evening by the fact that local Bournemouth based band Maniacal Edge are performing their live debut.

The dry ice spreads out across the stage as the house lights dim and Maniacal Edge emerge from the backstage shadows and take their positions across the stage. They launch into ‘Tortured Soul’ and from stage left, vocalist Bear runs in and immediately start’s to windmill headbang with total disregard for his Cervical (that’s neck to you and me!). Surveying the crowd he encourages the first of the evenings circle pits to open up. Bear’s death growl, punctuated with ‘clean’ vocals emanates from the PA with unbridled ferocity as punters begin slamming into each other with gleeful abandon.

Maniacal Edge at Mr.Kyps. Photography by Robert Whetton www.rjwhetton.co.uk

The sonic backdrop for these delightful throaty growls is a sprawling array of technical wizardry. David Dowland’s guitar prowess is faultless; his fingers dance length of the fret board, showering the audience with more notes than a tropical downpour. The analogy applies also to Jamie Dowding on the drums whose hurricane style of drumming is immense. Your ears are hearing a multitude of rhythms and beats blasting out, but your eyes see a bog standard size kit, with the fella behind barely seeming to work up a sweat.

Fleshing out the already beefy sound, Matt Wilson’s bass lines thread through the songs like a python searching for his next meal and his onstage antics bring a wry smile to your face.

Maniacal Edge at Mr.Kyps. Photography by Robert Whetton www.rjwhetton.co.uk

Keyboards in Metal are rapidly becoming the norm now, but knowing when to use them to enhance the music is the key. Nick Thomas has found the key and picked the lock for good measure! Soaring synths and backing vocals compliment the heavy music no end.

Guitarist Nick ‘Shred’ Richardson lives up to his nick-name and pushes the songs along with frenetic bursts of amazingly complex licks. Set highlight for me was the powerful ‘In Sickness (and In Health)’, chock full of galloping drums and kick ass riffs…excellent!

All in all, a fantastic debut from a band that has the drive and will to succeed, I say that because the second song that they played tonight, Blind Leading The Blind, is on the free CD of the November edition of Metal Hammer, now that’s how to market your band!

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Categories: Gig Review | Tags: Bands, Bournemouth, Dorset, Live Music, Melodic Death Metal, Metal, Mr. Kyps, Poole | 2 Comments »

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