Hang The Bastard are currently one of the UK’s finest metal bands. They may not yet have the mainstream exposure of their friends Sylosis, or some of the other bands flying high such as While She Sleeps or Bury Tomorrow, but 2013 has been Hang The Bastard’s best year to date. The crowning moment of the year was undoubtedly their appearance at Download Festival 2013, where they stole the show on the Friday, playing to a capacity Pepsi Max Tent (read the review here). Tonight’s gig found them in far more intimate settings, in the confines of the underground venue 229 Great Portland Street in Central London.
Tonight’s show was a four band bill, and before Hang The Bastard (who were on third), there was the “small” matter of support band Hierophant to take in. Hierophant were fierce, brutal and utterly relentless during their twenty five minute set as their fast paced brand of extreme metal went down well with those in attendance; heads were banging and nodding throughout the venue. Not having any familiarity with Hierophant prior to tonight’s performance, they are certainly a band worthy of further investigation (7).
Despite suffering some initial problems with the sound mix, it takes more than a sound imbalance to disrupt the well oiled machine that is Hang The Bastard live on stage. New guitarist Rusty fitted seamlessly into the set up as the band, marshalled throughout by Simon Grubb’s precision drumming raced through their 35 minute set in what felt like no time at all.
Hang The Bastard’s most potent weapon is the way they combine Sabbath style groove with periods of all out sonic assault and this was in full evidence tonight. When old favourites Interplanetary Portals and Rivers Edge were aired there was barely a still person amongst the audience with heads and hair flying throughout. Finishing off with recent single Sweet Mother, Hang The Bastard’s performance tonight once again underlined their credentials as one of the UK’s very best metal acts (unless, of course, like us, you saw them at Download, in which case it would have been no surprise at all). Bigger stages surely await them with increasingly regularity (9).
The Hang The Bastard Setlist was:
The Vigil
Interplanetary Portals
Dyad
The Year Is One
Rivers Edge
Sweet Mother
Stay tuned to Rocksins for more live metal gig reviews from all over the UK. Hang The Bastard are headed into the studio shortly to record their second album which is due in early 2014. If you want to see Hang The Bastard in the flesh you have one more chance in 2013 as they are performing at The Underworld in Camden Town, London on the 16th of November with Nails in what will be one of the most brutal shows anywhere all year long. Further updates from the HTB camp will be brought to our readers as soon as we have any. In the meantime go follow Hang The Bastard on Twitter at @HangTheBastard.
