Brutal but Choppy
It was a stifling atmosphere inside the Liverpool Carling Academy and the sold out crowd had to wait patiently for young Scottish openers 'Mendeed' to appear. They'd brought a few fans with them and I think they gained a few more on the night with a well-delivered set even though musically, they didn't really complement headliners Dragonforce. 'Mendeed' play a currently popular style of scream-core which incorporates the 'if you can't come up with one great idea then use ten fairly good ones' attitude. It works most of the time and it initially knocks you back on your feet, but the various changes made the songs slightly choppy. A brutal Vinnie Paul style bass drum sound shaking the room did get the heart racing sometimes but just as you're getting into that groove, they changed the riff which was a little frustrating. The constant shouting did get monotonous but vocalist Dave Proctor has a good versatile voice it's a pity he used it mainly for screaming. Guitarist Steven Nixon was responsible for some great lead breaks that wouldn't sound out of place on an Iron Maiden album. Even though this is a credit they do seem to be placed in the middle of the song, sometimes not fitting with the screaming thrash that had preceded it. They gave a professional performance and came across better than most of the current crop of American bands playing a similar style. The problem Mendeed have is coming from Britain where the music industry will largely ignore them which would be a shame.