Revoker at Hevy 2011
For a female to watch Revoker, it feels like going through gender reassignment surgery, such is the level of masculinity. The Welsh four-piece brought a generous dose of unabashed metal to the proceedings on Friday evening and it really gave the festival an almighty kick up the arse. Making a sound to rival that of fifty bands, they somehow managed to make a partially filled tent feel like they were watching a stadium show with the likes of Pantera- even without any pyrotechnics. They stormed that stage with a staggering display of confidence and control that you could only see from a seasoned band from the echelons of classic hard rock.
Performances of tracks like 'Psychoville' and 'Stay Down' sounded irresistibly good on a live stage. Songs like that were written with the intention for you to feel the steaming heat of each musician's sweat like a stinking side-dish of pure metal. With chugging guitar that hits you right in the gut and a raw power to inspire a thousand headbangs, Revoker really have got something. They may not be doing anything 'new', in fact they sound like they've just time-travelled their way in from the past, but they still sound so fresh. They have the key ingredient of a charismatic frontman who can grab his entire audience by the throat (in the most non-murderous way imaginable) and drag them through this break-neck speed journey with growl-laden heaviness. As someone who usually fails to connect with the 'classic metal' sound, I was seriously impressed by how involved Revoker had me. Here is a band that will make you want to roar yourself hoarse.