While She Sleeps Live At The Tunbridge Wells Forum
While She Sleeps are to us, and seemingly most other people out there, the most exciting band around at the moment and my word they deserve it. They've done things their own way and always with an unwavering and irrepressible passion for their craft whether that be in the creative department or in the live environment. August 6th marks the date of the release of the band's debut album This Is The Six and its promising to be something special, all four of the singles preceding it, Dead Behind The Eyes , the title-track, Seven Hills and Love At War have been 10/10 ragers and their fellow eight tracks look set to follow in suit. The work leading up to this pivotal point though has been all about their crushing debut release The North Stands For Nothing mini-album and their staggering live shows that in terms of new bands only California's Letlive. have rivalled. Their one-off show at the Tunbridge Wells Forum then, recently crowned as Britain's best small venue, is an intimate killer event.
Roaring on stage to a ferocious blast of head-caving riffs and pounding percussion, the Sheffield quintet fly straight into the throttling opening track from their forthcoming album Dead Behind The Eyes not only do all five members put everything they have into it, creating a flooring wall of noise, but it really shows how many people they've wowed over the past two years with a close to breaking point crowd shouting back every word while engaging in brutal circle-pits or completely lost-in-it headbanging. Talking between songs is kept to a minimum and instead soothing interludes such as Trophies are played before another killer blast, in this case the raging The North Stands For Nothing, is unleashed, the band packing everything they can into their set-time. Vocalist Loz Taylor is an absolute monster of a frontman, occasionally reminding of Slipknot's Corey Taylor as he stalks the stage and crowd with a conviction none could fake, while guitarists Mat Welsh and Sean Long never miss a note despite flying all over the place. They're a band standing head and shoulders above the rest because they care about every last aspect. Hearts Aside Our Horses and Be(lie)ve usher in huge sing-a-longs before an undeniably crushing Crows brings this sweaty unpredictable show to a brilliant close. It's a night that'll last long in the memory and it's certain to say that this most likely isn't the only show that this can be said for.
While She Sleeps are producing some of the best metal in years and these shows feel special in genuinely witnessing the start of something. Join the six.