Sower

metaldazza / July 23, 2009, 4:24 p.m.

The Underworld was particularly gloomy on this wet Tuesday night. The rear bar was closed and a skeleton crew were installed to keep the night ticking over. It wasn't looking good as ticket sales were low.

To be fair, who has heard of Pentagram from Chile? You don't get more underground then a Chilean death metal band that recorded two demo tapes in the late 80's and then for various reasons split and were consigned to the 'what could have been' section of the history of Metal.

First band up Sower played with gusto to a crowd of 30 or so people. Without ever getting in to gear Sower delivered a good enough set but nothing to set the Underworld alight. A bigger more enthusiastic crowd might have extracted a better performance from Sower. Despite this I would say they are definitely worth checking out at Blood Stock in a few weeks time.

After a short intermission Nebukadnezza announce their arrival on stage with the customary hiss of a back line without noise suppressors. The hiss is soon suppressed by the sheer wall of noise that Nebukadnezza launch on the 50 or so metalheads in the crowd. Always an impressive outfit Nebukadnezza's recent work on their new Album seems to have honed their performance into a more subtle Thrash/Death crossover. It's still a wall of noise but the pointing has been touched up.

During the Nebukadnezza set another 50 or so people appear and merge into the crowd pretending they've always been there and that they they do support the local scene. Without pretence Pentagram walk on stage, say their hello's and get on with the show.

In the last 20 years a lot has changed in death metal but nothing has changed for Pentagram. Song after song reminds the audience that death metal is more about feeling then it is about speed and more about lyrics then it is about cookie monster singing. It is a genuine pleasure to hear these tracks for the first time.