Metal Monk live review, September 2005
Live at The Assembly Rooms, Derby, Saturday 3rd Sept 2005 as part of Bloodstock
[View the article on Metal Monk's website here]
[Metal Monk]
Having been quite impressed with SEASON'S END during their Darwin Suite performance at last year's Bloodstock Festival, and having since gotten hold of most of their music, I was looking forward to seeing Britain's Gothic Metal hopefuls tear it up on the main stage. I was not disappointed.
The set kicks of with a wall of guitars and keyboards - not to mention pyro effects that blast flame and smoke from behind the stage. The sound is almost perfect, Becki's vocals are spot on (if a tad quiet in the mix) and the guitars are sublimely heavy. The build up of song "Touch" is truly excellent, not to mention the crowd-pleasing "Ghost in My Emotion" which is a sure fire headbanger.
Playing to their biggest crowd yet, the band seem right at home. Indeed it even goes to their heads so much they throw in a drum solo and a bass solo towards the end (the latter is probably un-advisable, but fun none-the-less). We are also treated to new material, which as it goes sounds just as good as anything I've heard from them so far.
SEASON'S END are a band that seem go from strength to strength, and today's set of bombastic, symphonic anthems will have surely gained them new fans.
Second opinion from Daniel Stead:
Having been thoroughly impressed with Season's End live in York a few months ago, I felt it would be unfair to expect them to top that experience, rather to hope they adapt well to their big stage debut at Bloodstock.
Almost unsurprisingly, they took the stage like true professionals - even managing an almost chilling atmospheric opening with just the angelic Becki Clarke and keyboard impresario Dave Smith lighting up the stage from the smoky darkness that preluded Season's End's set.
Complete with pyrotechnics, the set comprised largely of material from their debut album "The Failing Light" [which it is imperative you purchase as soon as it is released], and was warmly received by the Bloodstock crowd. I initially felt a little disappointed that "Ghost In My Emotion" appeared mid-set, rather than as a resounding finale, but I later acknowledged that its placement avoided it becoming the one song Season's End are initially monikered with. Instead, Season's End chose to demonstrate their musical prowess by introducing a new track "Into The Flames" as their finale.
Clearly enjoying themselves throughout, the band played professionally and rewarded the enthusiastic crowd with a solid set that highlighted the excellent potential of their debut release, but also hinted at the much greater potential that the band has as a whole: I would hope it won't be long before Europe begin to sit up and take notice that there is life in the British metal scene.
Although I personally prefer the more intimate yet powerfully dramatic I show I witnessed earlier in the year, I cannot fault Season's End ability to bring their music to the bigger stage at Bloodstock - I hope that their performance is echoed throughout the world for many years to come.
8.5 out of 10
Richard Kleiser of Metal Monk
http://www.metalmonk.co.uk
