Bloodstone are one of my favourite bands in Asia; they combine the raucous thrash attack of early Slayer and Metallica with memorable songs and some "aw, shucks" charm for good measure. I sincerely believe they have the potential to break out of the region into the larger metal world. Unfortunately, this wasn't their night; equipment problems and possible "ring rust" combined for a middling performance from a band that has so much to offer. It was especially frustrating since this gig potentially could have boosted the band's profile. But the goodwill Bloodstone have accrued over the years isn't without reason; and with Singapore becoming a regular hub for touring bands, there will be other opportunities for them to deliver the goods. Here's hoping.
Desecration, despite being the ostensible co-headliner, opted to play second on the line-up to give the two members doing double duty in ENT time to rest up before their headline spot. Aside from vocalist Ollie Jones' unfortunate gaff of asking their Singaporean fans "How do you say 'Cheers' in Portuguese?" ('Singapore' and 'Portugal' do share three consecutive letters...so maybe that's the confusion...?), their set was a lesson in classic death metal, the British way. It has to be said, Desecration's sound was outstanding, further making the case for death metal trios - props to the guy operating the board. I've now seen Desecration twice, which makes up for missing Benediction at last year's MDF - six of one, half a dozen of the other, in my opinion.
You can't throw a stone in the punk scene in South East Asia and not hit someone who's in a "Dis", D-beat, or Tragedy-sounding band. Minus are one of many such bands throughout the region, and their heavy, metallic crust garnered the crowd's approval - including ENT's Dean Jones, who was conspicuously cheering from the side. He eventually joined the band on stage for their final song. A crusty torch has been passed, it seems.
Stray Bullets:
• The best part of hanging out with Singaporeans: having someone to comiscerate with all my complaints about Malaysia(ns). "Give them a few more years to come to terms with the invention of the wheel before letting them drive cars" was met with wide agreement. I might have to extend my stay here.
• Home Club is becoming one of my favourite live venues in the region. It's one of the few places small enough to feel homey but with a PA system that treats extreme metal well. The location is in a touristy part of Singapore, which means lots of train stations are nearby, as well as lots of fun people watching when dolled up tourists walk through groups of tatted up crusties/heshers. The excellent record shop Hell's Labyrinth is a short walk away, if you need to kill time between sets. Plus, it's only a few blocks away from a dozen or so hostels, which makes it easy for metal pilgrims like me to check in, drop off your bag, and hesh out for a few hours. I even got to head back to my room to charge my camera battery before ENT played.
• Explaining to someone what a podcast is and why he might consider sending me a song for mine was like performing brain surgery, up to and including the part when I decided it wasn't worth it and walked away. The result would have been the same either way.
• Extreme Noise Terror aren't playing Kuala Lumpur on this tour, but that hasn't stopped some kids in KL from designing a flyer that looks like they are. Cheeky bastards.