Unholy Sessions of Ungod

UNHOLY SESSIONS OF UNGOD

It’s a telling sign that a successful night of lockedness has occurred when you awake on Saturday morning in a room still full of people drinking cans and listening to Metal, with a passed out individual’s Saint Vitus ‘V’ tattoo being turned into ‘V’agina’ with the aid of a big fat marker.  

It’s also been a very good month if you’re into Metal and live in Dublin/Belfast. A lot of Dublin people made the trip to Belfast for the Full Metal Racket all-dayer the previous weekend, and in between that and Procession touring the island we’ve had both Saxon and Gates of Slumber deliver the goods both north and south. Decimated bank accounts and sore heads aside, the week seems to have gone down without a hitch. 

CUP OF TEA INDUCES NARCOLEPSY

Scald being completely horrific on Saturday afternoon in Belfast was a particular highlight. ‘Maggot Farmer’ and a whole raft of numbers from ‘Fluke’ were the perfect soundtrack to a lot of confused looking people legging it out of the venue.

Someone put it nicely in the thread when they said that Scald were just Scald, and please get the fuck out if that’s not your cup of tea. A rake of booze with the usual culprits, including das Webfuhrer and a narcoleptic TomfromMassExtinction was a pleasure as usual, and Rotting Christ really outdid themselves.

The drama surrounding Paradise Lost’s sound problems thankfully didn’t interfere with what was an out-and-out great set, and the ensuing singalongs with dramatic posing from all involved were tasteful to put it lightly. Great bus driver on the Dublin bus too, giving the over zealous security a total bollocking at one point. Someone had to do it. 

SOUNDNESS ALERT

Indiana’s finest sons of Doom metal, Gates of Slumber delivered exactly what was required last Tuesday night. Soundness alert - a more pleasant and humble bunch of guys you couldn’t hope to find. How fucking deadly was that set? Hard to put into words.

Talking to their drummer Bob afterwards, they understandably steered away from the more drawn-out likes of ‘Riders of Doom’ in order to fit in as many songs as possible, but opening with ‘Children of Satan’ was more than nice. Everyone was a bit iffy about Fibbers being the venue, but the sound was really on the ball. They hit a high point and didn’t go down from it for 40 minutes. Back to this neck of the woods in November apparently. Savaíste. 

Every time I heard the band name Procession, I used to involuntarily think of a conga line. But now I think of a bunch of totally fucked drunk Chilean guys arriving at a venue completely off their gourd, only to pull out one of the best sets of the year thus far.

REALISTIC TRAIN DEPARTS ON TIME

The Lower Deck was nicely full for them last Friday night, and they managed to pull things together and pump out a fantastic set of pounding old school Doom. I had to forget my copy of ‘The Cult of Disease’ in the Goatstown lair afterwards, along with most of my sanity thanks to session that took no prisoners, but these things can’t be helped. On the strength of that set, this CD is going to be a favorite.

It doesn’t stop there, as Saviours are more than likely rocking the Lower Deck again tonight as I type, but no money means I had to disembark that particularly rock ‘n’ roll train yesterday. I’m going to call that a fitting metaphor as Realistic Train are playing as well [and need to be checked out if you like your rock and haven't heard them]. 

It’s heartening that even with all the economic woes doing the rounds, a raft of great gigs like this can come about and be reasonably well-attended. A most enjoyable start to and good omen for the Summer.