Serpico Rock The Capital

Friday 26th June, 2009

Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh

This electric night was not one to miss. Full of distortion and energy, the bands put on a show worthy of any rock/metal audience. Having just returned from Download festival as well as a UK tour, Serpico stormed the night, and left hearts pounding all round.

Lost to the Landslide.

Lost to the Landslide are a three-piece band who make an incredibly full sound, their drummer really drives the songs along. It’s not often that you hear a band using every note so effectively. They make capturing the energy look easy, as the well-thought-through vocals, bass and guitar are played to good effect. Clean breaks, layered melodies and edgy rhythms keep the audience engaged. This band creates music beyond their years and is very promising. I’d love to hear some harmonies in their songs but never the less the music is powerful and I can’t wait to see how this band develops and progresses, definitely one to watch.

The Void

The Void’s punchy rhythms dominated their set and the band make an impact from the very beginning. Three voices were used well and created some great three-part harmonies. It was particularly effective when the instrumentation was stripped down to create much quieter and exposed sections in the songs; the contrast really added power to the choruses. The stripped down, almost a cappella sections, which were driven along nicely by the drummer, were the highlight of the set. This band are not afraid to experiment and if they keep up the work and tighten up the playing a little bit, there is no reason why they couldn’t go far.

Backlash

Backlash shift the genre nicely with a truly great display of a new modern depiction of classic rock. This band has got that all-important stage presence and really captures the imagination of the very enthusiastic crowd. This was the most energetic performance of the night and it drew everyone towards them. The bold and distinctive vocals dominated the overall sound and really held everything together. The backing was consistent and tight with some very impressive lead guitar solos; the vocals had a great dynamic range and a lovely tone. The quality of the music was excellent and the use of backing vocals sparingly really enhanced the sound. The tightness and thundering guitar parts produced by backlash really indicate how high their standard is becoming. If you love classic rock, this is the band for you.

Serpico

Powerful, tight and professional, this headline act certainly stands out from the rest. The dark bass is a strong foundation that develops to allow some heavy, yet beautiful and catchy melodies to break out. The words, almost spoken at times, really give the song the opportunity to build up, the instrumentation shines out at times too before the vocals return along with some ascending guitar that lifts this exceptional and compelling dark sound. The strobe lighting keeps the whole set visually interesting and the professional, confident presence of the band as well as technical brilliance make Serpico one of the top metal bands in Scotland at the moment.

Click HERE for photos of the night...