Corral + Two Tales Of Woe | Live - Katy Dalys, Belfast
It’s obvious as a deck to the jaw that Two Tales Of Woe are going to rule this day. Locking like you wouldn’t believe, they have easily the best sound Katy’s has heard in many a gig. The lads play as one instrument - one thick, meaty and all encompasing heavy fucking riff that just keeps on giving. These guys have been around in the best Drogheda bands for years, and it shows. Jaw dropping tone courtesy of some Gibson heavyweights lets vocalist Karl (or is it Papa Windstein up there?) bust a gut to hit notes low and high, allowing him so much more natural space to move than his work with Chosen did.
The fact of the matter is that everyone in the band is on fire. There is not one weak link, and each player excells in keeping the music nailed tight while giving limitless energy and vivacity to the performance. Its a joy to watch. Crowbar, Eyehategod, Corrosion Of Conformity are plastered over this music, and the groove is simply unavoidable. These guys are shit hot, and it would be surprising beyond belief if they could channel the energy in this performance to the imminent cd. If they do… who knows. This is magic.
Corral however have none of the same nous. The trouble is that they’re really rather common-or-garden metal, doing what would appear to be all the right things, but losing any agenda of their own in the process. Complaints were made about the sound, but given that a tight and well rehearsed band got flawless tone thirty minutes previously, it’s just not a good enough reason to fob off a rather grey performance. Not a lot of movement, no memorable songs, just a lot of clattering about in a very worn metal mould.
There are moments of worth however. Their drummer is tight, and is definitely with the gameplan during the higher tempo, thrashier interludes. That bodes well. But the lack of any discernable relationship between guitar and bass leaves too much sonic confusion in the mix, and it doesnt lock. Better tone needed, and more practise - the two become one. Perhaps with more clarity on CD it will work better, but todays performance was a phoned in affair, with the broad brush cover medley - WASP into Sepultura via some other rock club standard - illustrating the creativity deficit. Not bad, but not great. But then few would be after the Two Tales beatdown.
Ciaran Tracey ::: 31/08/08