EMPIRE STATE BASTARD RETURN HOME TO SCOTLAND AS THEY END THEIR SOLD-OUT UK AND EUROPEAN TOUR AT GLASGOW’S SWG3

★★★★☆ (4.5/5)

EMPIRE STATE BASTARD PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S SWG3
PHOTOCREDIT: CATCHING LIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Side projects are a funny thing. Designed to be a creative vent for artists who don’t want their main project to stray too far from the formula, they’ve become the chance to see mega stars starting from what is seemingly square one. If you were to try to see Biffy Clyro or Slayer in a space this size, you’d be laughed out the building or escorted into a room with soft walls. However, when the elements of these bands get together – it’s a real opportunity. Where you’d previously not be able to get within 50 meters of Simon Neil… tonight there’s every chance of being sweated on by him.

There will always be star spotters at shows like this. But tonight we’re here to see if the musical result of this cast is greater than the sum of it’s parts.

The relatively small (compared to what the individual members of the headliner are used to) room fills before opener Benefits takes to the stage. There would have been an era where I wouldn’t have known how to describe a band like Benefits but it’s a sign of the times that I do now. Just as Thatcherism and austerity brought us the painful silver lining of punk in times gone by, the current political toilet that we find ourselves in has brought bands like this to our stages. Benefits have strong opinions and they’re exploding like cluster bombs all over this room. It's politically motivated slam poetry that crashes into crazy metal blast beats flanked with abrasive and deep synths. The audience are given their opportunity to voice their opinion as frontman Kingsley Hall screams “what more do you want?” into the attentive void and he’s met with similar political ideas being fired back onto the stage. This is definitely one for the fans of Myrle Streek… another act that boils over with rage at the state of the country. If these two acts were to meet it would result in riots. Even if blast beats and insane metal isn’t your thing, you can’t help but think you’re witnessing the birth of something here. This is as exciting as punk must have been back in those just as troubled times.

Empire State Bastard walk onto the stage after half an hour of ominous tones being played though the PA rather than music. If anyone can’t here expecting Biffy Clyro… they’re going to be very upset. Simon Neil opens with a death growl the likes of which I’d never imagine coming out of that man. The room then fills with an absolute barrage of relentless noise and drums with the shrieks of a tortured soul. Depending on your musical inclinations - this is what either Heaven or Hell sounds like.

The music does have it’s more melodic moments. Occasionally verses call upon the slower influences of Nirvana and even Nine Inch Nails. Every so often you get a glimpse into the mind of the lyricist with words that you can make out…”it’s always someone else’s fault…it’s always someone else’s fault…”. Then it quickly falls into the blast beats and chain sawing guitars again. When ESB hit top gear it’s like going to Napalm Death for dental work. There’s a lot of noise and there’s every possibility that someone is going to die. Dave Lombardo’s playing is - I would say - better tonight than on any Slayer material as the fills are unforgiving and you can feel every beat kick you in the ribs. Never before has noise been so brutal yet elegant in how it’s put together. Yes… it’s extreme metal and yes… my mum would hate it. But you can tell that the music has come with a mission. It’s like art house horror where it would have been easy to make a low effort slasher but it’s more rewarding to make something with thought and imagination behind it.

It's clear Simon Neil hasn’t come here tonight to bask in celebrity or his fans. He’s throwing himself around, often screaming into one of the bass drums or rolling around as he empties his tank all over the stage and takes a match to it. We’re not seeing international rock star Simon tonight. We’re seeing the front man of Empire State Bastard kick the face off any type of corporate, radio friendly, rock cliché tonight. God help you if you get in his -or this band’s - way.