Down London Roundhouse Concert Review
October 22, 2012
Jimi Hendrix. Pink Floyd. Motörhead. Led Zeppelin. The Doors. These are just a small handful of names that have graced the stage of London’s Roundhouse, one of the UK’s most legendary and historic venues. And tonight feels like history in the making: Down are in town and with them they have brought Orange Goblin and Warbeast for a night they’ve promised we’ll never forget. It’s a lineup that has all the potential of being gig of the year, and quite possibly the booziest too. Better line those stomachs then!
Warbeast kick things off in great style and, despite the early stage time, a strong crowd is gathered to witness the old school metallers do their thing for the very first time on our fair shores. We’ve all seen Phil Anselmo wearing his Warbeast shirts with pride over recent years (well he did sign them to his label Housecore Records) and needless to say, curiosity has run high indeed. It’s fast, furious and utterly devastating – a necromantic sacrifice to the elder thrash gods with all the high speed-riffing and ball-bursting blastbeats you’ll ever need in the space of 30 minutes. Imagine Slayer and Manowar getting drunk and having a jam, and you wouldn’t be too far off. Bonus points for singer Bruce Corbitt’s skullet, that is one impressive bonnet you are rocking there sir!
Opening with the groove-ridden juggernaut that is Red Tide Rising, Orange Goblin sound absolutely colossal tonight. It might be a rainy Sunday night in London, but it does not take long for this crowd to warmly welcome their hometown heroes and join their electric church of riff worship.
Frontman Ben Ward towers over his bandmates and the 5000 metalheads gathered before them, urging everyone to headbang faster and drink harder. Mixing newer tracks from this year’s Eulogy For The Damned with more old school classics like Quincy The Pigboy and Scorpionica shows just how many flavours can be found in a career spanning close to 20 years, and exactly why Orange Goblin could be one of the most important British metal bands to emerge in recent decades.
