Double trouble of the best kind is landing in Kortrijk with BUTCHER BABIES.
The brainchild of singers Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey burst upon the scene in 2010. BUTCHER BABIES’ roots can be traced back to Shepherd’s erstwhile all female punk/metal cover band. When Harvey joined they decided to take a different tack and try something heavier and more original. Fuelled by the riffs of former Amen guitarist Henry Flury, the double vocal attack and Shepherd’s and Harvey’s striking stage presentation they were able to build a solid live reputation. The accessible and groove-laden metalcore has them screaming their lungs out as heavy verses alternate with melodic choruses, making for a high-octane, incendiary cocktail that leaves no one untouched. Harvey’s motto ‘pretty girls do ugly things’ says it all.
Their most recent full-length ‘Lilith’ (2017) is their most varied effort yet: neck-wrecking, furiously paced metal(core) of the kind that will get any crowd moving.
Founded in 2000 by brothers Justin and Dan Hawkins, ‘THE DARKNESS’ garnered excellent reviews in the UK. Singer Justin’s versatile performance in particular made a lasting impression.
Three years later their debut album ‘Permission to Land’ won all manner of awards. They were off to the perfect start but the box office success of follow-up ‘One Way Ticket to Hell… and Back’ (2005) fell short of expectations and things went downhill from there, culminating in the departure of singer Justin Hawkins and the band’s demise. In 2011 the original line-up reformed and the following year their third album ‘Hot Cakes’ rekindled the fans’ interest. It turned out to be the right move for the quartet who have made glam rock-inspired hard rock their trademark. In 2015, Rufus Tiger Taylor – son of Queen skinsman Roger joined the band.
THE DARKNESS have clearly found their second wind and this is obvious from their most recent full-length, ‘Pinewood Smile’ (2017).
The Norwegians from KVELERTAK – ‘Stranglehold’ in English – are somewhat of a rarity on the metal scene.
They draw inspiration from the most diverse genres: black metal, industrial metal, blues, punk, garage rock, grunge, alternative rock, death metal – the list goes on. Adorned with artwork by Baroness’ John Baizley, their self-titled debut ‘Kvelertak’ (2010) raised eyebrows across the globe due to the variety of influences. The songs are always fun and their infectious lust for life is one of the reasons why their live shows are so memorable. Apparently even Norway’s crown prince Haakon is a big fan.
KVELERTAK describe themselves as a rock ‘n’ roll band more than anything else so the Van Halen and Thin Lizzy-style hard rock vibe on their most recent outing ‘Nattesferd’ (2016) is no surprise. The Norwegian lyrics make it all but impossible for the fans to sing along but the music speaks for itself. In 2018 vocalist and figurehead Erlend left the band and was replaced by Ivan Nikolaisen, who contributed guest vocals to ‘Blodtørst’.
When Michael Schenker left the Scorpions it was time for German guitarist ULRICH ROTH to shine. For four albums he carried the torch as the band’s lead guitarist and chief songwriter.
Following his departure he went on to record three albums with his band Electric Sun and from then on he only used the name ULI JON ROTH. His style is an amalgam of blues-based rock with European classical influences. He also made a name for himself with the G3 performances of 1998 (Satriani, Michael Shenker) and 2018 (Satriani, Petrucci). In 2019 he performed at the Golden Age Rock Festival in Liège with a set list consisting of Scorpions songs. ULI JON ROTH’s instrument of choice is his signature Sky Guitar of his own invention. This line of amazing six-octave guitars has a reach well beyond that of traditional guitars, enabling ULI to explore sonic ranges normally reserved for the violin and the cello. Some of his compositions were written for seven or even nine-string guitars. His style builds a bridge between the creative worlds of classical, ethnic and rock music. Starship ULI has landed!