Brocas Helm live !!!

[carnut]

Last Saturday I went to see Brocas Helm in Laakdal, an end-of-the-world place in Belgium....Now , 20 years ago this was a centre for cross-over/hardcore metal, so not THAT unknown for me, we even did a gig with our band there in '87 or so...First thing that suprised me a bit was that it really look like I stepped into an 80's club ; jeans jackets with patches, oldschool shirts, buttons (hell, I even noticed a Tysondog button, catch that!!). I met some friends that I didn't see in 20 years, so my evening couldn't be bad...So, what about Brocas Helm: they are a pretty underground US band that have a very loyal fanbase...I'm not that crazy about their albums, not bad, but neither outstanding... first band to play was Litany from Greece; I'm not gonna wayste to much words on them, just didn't like them, vocals were awful (like in a bad way I mean). Next up was Belgian Doom-metal band Plague of Gentleman; they sounded alot better, but some passages got pretty boring, this band has some potential though, they just need to find a way to paste in some tempo changes to keep the doom interesting. The last 5 minutes of noise were just too much for me...
Last up was the Brocas Helm !! The sound wasn't perfect but these guys put up a hell of a show; well balanced song choice of earlier and newer material, and these old guys still rock live!! guitar player jumped into the crowd several times, was nice to see him playing solo's next to me in the back of the club !! Also the front had a real bunch of oldschool headbangers (Griffin amongst them ofcourse)... If you got the chance to see Brocas Helm do so !!! I had a great time just sniffing up that 80's atmosphere !!
Hey Griffin, post some pics here, I was too lazy again to take my camera...
Next concert is Masterplan, next tuesday, will let you guys know how that was...

 

[Griffin-]

hell of a night for me!
im a big Brocas fan myself and since they didnt come to Holland I drove to Belgium. Unfortunately that meant no beers for me. Indeed, it was like stepping into 1985. At lesat, the atmosphere was like it. carnut gave me a maiden shirt which he didnt fit anymore and it fits me wonderfully, thanks again again!
Litany: i like litany. I like their epic doom metal they make, and hell, I like the vocalist a lot. I can understand why you didn't like 'm though carnut. the sound was rather bad even after they tested for so long. They made some really good songs. 'Solemn' is magnifiscent, download the rehearsal demo and give 'em another chance! =)
TPOG: seen them before. extraordinairy band this is. very unique, very raw, have LOTS of power and left a great impression. spoke with quite many people who said, "its not my thing but hey heyre good in what they do" or something similar. I like 'em, but perhaps their show was a little too long. i also had severe headaches so i didnt see the whole show. highlight: the ocean has no tides.
Brocas Helm: WHOA! headbanging from the first song "Black Death" (where the bass unfortunately didnt work during the first half minute!). Crazed fans (I mean seriously, one gave me a pen for my birthday. but thats another way of being crazy eh. nope it wasnt my birthday?) crazed bandmembers. great when bobby went to the other end of the venue - with his wireless guitar - and drank a beer while he played on and the other members were still playing, haha. setlist was great. i was shocked when they skipped "children of the nova dawn" (since i read the setlist before hand) but they did anyway. ravenwreck is my favorite song and with the one i named before the best of the night. it literally wrecked my neck. lots of new songs, drink and drive, cry of the banshee, ghost story, all the good ones. they finished with 'skullfucker', nice choice imo.
so all my passengers were drunk and asleep in the car, i was hyperactive from the gig. i had my own afterparty at home. but tomorrow..yeah tomorrow's my day, no alcohol limits and kick ass bands!! Raise your fist!

there'll be a full review on metallive.nl soon (in dutch) at the moment it's in process with adding pictures etc. here are some BH pics:

TPOG:

Litany:

I dont understand why they're so small sorry..

rest is here: http://photobucket.com/albums/v233/Fleurfoto

 

[carnut]

Cool pics Griffin !! Nice to have my personal photographer for live gigs , hahaha !!!
I'll get the rehearsel demo of Litany and let ya know what I think...but I think it's not really my piece of cake...

 

[ElectricWiz]

Cool. I feel kinda guilty though. Brocas Helm is from right here in my own hometown. They don't play A LOT, but they do play. I saw them a couple months ago with The Lord Weird Slough Feg (world class hometown band) at a gay bar of all places. It was awesome, and just the littlest place. The crowd was funny and cool. Metalheads mixed in with the gay regulars (it's a gay biker bar, so it's kind of a "tough" scene). The sign on the door said, "Tonight: Brocas Helm, Slough Feg....It's Metalicious!" Ha. It was great, and Brocas was awesome.

I'm talking about San Francisco, incidentally.

 

[KMADD]

Hey Carnut i remember going to this really cool metal store in Brussels in 88 and picking
up a overkill longsleeve and I stumbled on this cassette of this Thrash Punk band called
Sixty Nine and it was brutal! Whatever happened to them?

 

[carnut]

Hey Carnut i remember going to this really cool metal store in Brussels in 88 and picking
up a overkill longsleeve and I stumbled on this cassette of this Thrash Punk band called
Sixty Nine and it was brutal! Whatever happened to them?

I only remember the name 69, later on this band changed into Channel Zero, one of Belgium better thrash bands in the early 90's...

 

[KMADD]

I only remember the name 69, later on this band changed into Channel Zero, one of Belgium better thrash bands in the early 90's...

Word!!! Yeah I wouldn't mine having a cassette of that stuff! Just pm when you can find the tape. Ill send some loot!

 

[KMADD]

I'll have to check out Channel Zero too!

 

[carnut]

I'll have to check out Channel Zero too!

Here's some MP3 clips

http://home.tiscali.be/ndevreese/flower.wav

http://home.tiscali.be/ndevreese/fuel.wav

 

[Griffin-]

Cool pics Griffin !! Nice to have my personal photographer for live gigs , hahaha !!!
I'll get the rehearsel demo of Litany and let ya know what I think...but I think it's not really my piece of cake...

guess what, i lost my camera at raise your fist yesterday
(i guess that's what happens when i dont have to drive and i can drink)
damn

 

[carnut]

guess what, i lost my camera at raise your fist yesterday
(i guess that's what happens when i dont have to drive and i can drink)
damn

Bummer Hope it wasn't a too expensive one...guess I'll have to take mine than in future

 

[KMADD]

Hello my European brothers and sisters!!! Last night I witnessed a punishing
helluva doom/stoner metal show at The Melody Inn in Indianapolis and
it was going away festival for The Gates Of Slumber because in a couple
weeks they heading off to Old World!! Let me tell you folk about my local
boys!! If you like Sabbath, Trouble, St. Vitus this is the band for you!
and for Carnut here are some Belgian dates!

17APR 05 Goudvishal-Arnhem
18 APR 05 Charlatan-Ghent
22 and 23 Apr 05 Belgian Doom Night maybe in Brussels? Karl didn't list the city!
And for Hawk and Griffin in the Netherlands!
24 APR 05 Baroeg-Rotterdam

This band will kick your ass!
Sorry if this was the wrong thread to put this on. But I thought there might
be some interest!

 

[Griffin-]

Bummer Hope it wasn't a too expensive one...guess I'll have to take mine than in future

found it!! i left in a car of german guys where we slept and sang songs from the mentors for several hours haha. I'll get it back at KIT and Ill post some girlschool, jaguar etc pics

@KMAD: I'm not really a doom fan myself, only sometimes (I love While Heaven Wept for instance). I'm not going to the doomnight though I tihnk. Too much doom for a night for me. This is in Gent, by the way.

 

[KMADD]

That's cool but I think you might dig this band. They are also going to be in Germany,
England and Scandanavia. Sorry for the Gent misspelling!

 

[Griffin-]

hm.. I don't think so, I really hate Saint Vitus

 

[Griffin-]

http://www.metallive.nl/metallive/m...bum?OpenView&RestrictToCategory=PCNLDB-6AXDQQ

review will be online shortly