Melodic Thrash Just Got A Little Bit More Exciting
Perhaps they’re just a bit sadistic, revelling in the opportunity to make people que longer then necessary on a cold Sunday night in October. But with the doors to the Birmingham Barfly having been open for over half an hour, it seems a bit odd that a line of people still snakes its way around the venue, straining to hear if the support bands have started and showing signs of contempt when strains of a guitar riff escape from the open doors.
Tonight’s show isn’t even a sell out, making the ridiculously prolonged entrance even more annoying, especially as Iceland’s Sign are well into their set before Room Thirteen gets in out of the cold, greeted by a blast of ‘Run To The Hills’ that quickly bulldozes the cold out of the body. Covering Iron Maiden is a dubious step but Sign do it with an ease that immediately sets out to claim the track as one of their own, unleashing a hail of chunky riffs that vigorously charge head first into an adrenaline punched chorus creating a mash of nodding heads throughout the crowd. From this the Icelandic quintet offload some chunky riffs that collide and smash against a machine gun rampage of crashing drums as ‘The Hope’ stamps its way into the room, swept up neatly in a wave of melodic mastery that escalates with lead singer Zolberg’s soaring vocals as he stares worryingly into the crowd, never seeming to blink and forcing all to gravitate towards the band. Blending the right amounts of thrash with just the perfect concoction of melody, Sign confidently control the room, leaping around the stage as ‘Misguided’ screams and rants, exploding with a barrage of hand claps from the enthusiastic crowd before Sign take time to thank the other bands, the crowd and the crew before making their exit, leaving all breathless. Melodic thrash has just got a little bit more exciting.