Murders In Memphis + Litmus Test
Saturday 5th April - MPM Studios, Walsall
By Philip Whitehouse
Cross-pollenation between musical genres is a common element in heavy music right now - but tonight's show takes the concept a little further. In thoroughly punk-rock fashion, stoner rock power trio Litmus Test and deathcore sextet Murders In Memphis decided to put on a free-entry show at the lockup where they rehearse. The resulting gig was a friendly, intimate and entertaining showcase for a couple of promising and talented bands.
"We're Litmus Test, and we're ill."
So began the first set of the night, but poor health notwithstanding, Litmus Test managed to put on an impressive set - combining the groove and swagger of Clutch with the hook-filled sensibilities and accessibility of Foo Fighter's ballsier moments, the trio's blend of energetic riffage, frenzied skin-bashing and dynamic songcraft ensured a warm reception from the gathered crowd. A less-than-ideal sound (an inevitable consequence of playing under such unconventional circumstances) lef the vocals somewhat buried beneath the instruments, but that failed to prevent the infectious, head-nodding nature of the songs from causing appreciative foot-tapping and headbanging amongst the audience.
Further entertainment was provided when one of the band's songs was interrupted mid-flow by the drummer suddenly yelling "Wait! WAIT!", before rapidly re-adjusting the cymbals he had knocked out of place with his enthusiastic battering and four-counting the band seamlessly back into the song, just where they'd left it - an unplanned moment that highlighted the band's tightness as a unit, and subsequently demonstrated their affable personalities when the bassist jokingly suggested they should replicate the accident in all of their shows from that point on.
After a short interlude, Murders In Memphis took their places in front of the crowd, and struck up the intro to their set - a chugging rendition of the Terminator II theme. This was rapidly followed by the band launching headlong into their first track, setting the pace for the rest of their set and providing a stark contrast to what had come before. Defying easy categorisation, Murders In Memphis combine a dual-vocal assault (one screaming, one guttural), riffage that runs the gamut from The Black Dahlia Murder-esque speedy melo-death to brutal, chugging, pit-starting material by way of frequent tempo and time-signature changes, dextrous drumming and jazzy/percussive basswork.
Considering the technical nature of the material, the band were impressively tight, and the newer compositions aired showed the band's songwriting abilities coming to the fore, managing to marshall blizzards of chaotic riffs and deliver them with punch and authority. The tempo of the set did lag somewhat with the airing of one of the older tracks, 'Can't Argue With Running Water', but even that song's occasional tendencies to spin its wheels on a section that just overstays its welcome served as a benchmark to show how far the band have come with their newer tracks in a relatively short space of time.
Overall, the knockabout, 'Fuck it, let's do the show right here' nature of the chosen venue combined with the alternately affable and confrontational nature of the bands made for an entertainingly intimate night - an early glimpse for a privileged few of a pair of promising young bands who look set only to improve with time.
Saturday 5th April - MPM Studios, Walsall
By Philip Whitehouse
Cross-pollenation between musical genres is a common element in heavy music right now - but tonight's show takes the concept a little further. In thoroughly punk-rock fashion, stoner rock power trio Litmus Test and deathcore sextet Murders In Memphis decided to put on a free-entry show at the lockup where they rehearse. The resulting gig was a friendly, intimate and entertaining showcase for a couple of promising and talented bands.
"We're Litmus Test, and we're ill."
So began the first set of the night, but poor health notwithstanding, Litmus Test managed to put on an impressive set - combining the groove and swagger of Clutch with the hook-filled sensibilities and accessibility of Foo Fighter's ballsier moments, the trio's blend of energetic riffage, frenzied skin-bashing and dynamic songcraft ensured a warm reception from the gathered crowd. A less-than-ideal sound (an inevitable consequence of playing under such unconventional circumstances) lef the vocals somewhat buried beneath the instruments, but that failed to prevent the infectious, head-nodding nature of the songs from causing appreciative foot-tapping and headbanging amongst the audience.
Further entertainment was provided when one of the band's songs was interrupted mid-flow by the drummer suddenly yelling "Wait! WAIT!", before rapidly re-adjusting the cymbals he had knocked out of place with his enthusiastic battering and four-counting the band seamlessly back into the song, just where they'd left it - an unplanned moment that highlighted the band's tightness as a unit, and subsequently demonstrated their affable personalities when the bassist jokingly suggested they should replicate the accident in all of their shows from that point on.
After a short interlude, Murders In Memphis took their places in front of the crowd, and struck up the intro to their set - a chugging rendition of the Terminator II theme. This was rapidly followed by the band launching headlong into their first track, setting the pace for the rest of their set and providing a stark contrast to what had come before. Defying easy categorisation, Murders In Memphis combine a dual-vocal assault (one screaming, one guttural), riffage that runs the gamut from The Black Dahlia Murder-esque speedy melo-death to brutal, chugging, pit-starting material by way of frequent tempo and time-signature changes, dextrous drumming and jazzy/percussive basswork.
Considering the technical nature of the material, the band were impressively tight, and the newer compositions aired showed the band's songwriting abilities coming to the fore, managing to marshall blizzards of chaotic riffs and deliver them with punch and authority. The tempo of the set did lag somewhat with the airing of one of the older tracks, 'Can't Argue With Running Water', but even that song's occasional tendencies to spin its wheels on a section that just overstays its welcome served as a benchmark to show how far the band have come with their newer tracks in a relatively short space of time.
Overall, the knockabout, 'Fuck it, let's do the show right here' nature of the chosen venue combined with the alternately affable and confrontational nature of the bands made for an entertainingly intimate night - an early glimpse for a privileged few of a pair of promising young bands who look set only to improve with time.
