Enforcer - Skull Fist - Vanderbuyst - Genghis Khan, Live @ The Underworld, London, UK, 03/02/14

Enforcer - Skull Fist - Vanderbuyst - Genghis Khan, Live @ The Underworld, London, UK, 03/02/14

Ah, another cold night in London; it had a breeze of fresh air though and really, you couldn’t get any fresher than ENFORCER, SKULL FIST, VANDERBUYST and GENGHIS KHAN. The first gig of the year would definitely be packed with hard and heavy energy and lots of booze.

Unfortunately the venue posted an incorrect time schedule so instead of 19:00, Genghis Khan started to play at 18:15. I arrived at the venue just in time for a beer some chatting with Olof from Enforcer and also managed to see three songs from Genghis Khan (woo-hoo). Although I wasn’t too impressed when I first heard them, I must say that they are way better on stage. Solid sound and very good communication with the crowd. The crowd was about 30-40 people at the time, which was sufficient, judging by the wrong time schedule and the fact that only 140 tickets were sold for London, unlike the previous sold out gigs of this tour (info from Olof). Too bad that London metalheads don’t support young bands.

Time for another beer and Vanderbuyst. Having seen them live in the past, I sort of knew what to expect from this power rocking trio, but I must say that their live appearance was way better thatn the one before. A nice blend of classic rock and heavy metal, reminding you bands like Thin Lizzy, Accept, Uriah Heep and Judas Priest. Once again the band was very energetic and communicating with the crowd all the way through. They’re definitely developing their own style and combined with a great sound, I must say that this was indeed a great overall performance.

I remember when I first heard about Skull Fist back in 2010. I spoke with their drummer at that time, who also promoted the band a lot and I loved them from the start. A few months later I also got the chance to see them live at the Up The Hammers festival. I loved their first two works, and now they have a new album named "Chasing the Dream". Skull Fist are a love-em-or-leave-em situation, their heavy-ish, nwobhm-ish, speedmetal-ish style is definitely not unique, but fresh and powerful. Their live performances are strong and loud. The band supports the classic Heavy Metal style all the way. Some people can handle it, some can’t. The fact is that the band always delivers and they are a must-see for every metalhead as far as I’m concerned. Speedy riffs, 80s metal clothing, high-energy on stage performance and screams out of Hell. 100% Heavier than Metal.

Time to witness the miracle named Enforcer. 3 great albums in a row, and hundreds of gigs around the globe in just a few years. Having seen Enforcer three times already (one with Adam Zaars on second guitar and Olof in vocals and acrobatics) I knew exactly what to expect. The weird thing is that the last time I saw them was in economic-crisis -stricken Greece in a packed place with almost 500-600 people and now only 100 people more or less were there. However, even if you’ve never seen them before, you can easily start to get in the mood. Enforcer quickly developed their own style and stage presence. Smoke, candles and banners surrounded the band and into battle we ride again… Their set and on stage presence is mostly composed of their last album as it should be, without missing the classics from the previous two. It didn’t take long before the crowd turned into a huge mass, mesmerised by fire and Enforcer. If I tried to be a little harsh, I’d say that I’ve seen them play better, but watching Enforcer live is always a great experience and one really feels rejuvenated afterwards, and so did I. Enforcer classics came and went along with a cover of Venom's "Bursting Out". Another great night has reached to an end, leaving us once more with lots of memories.

Also on Metal Kaoz: http://www.metalkaoz.com/live-reports/12350-enforcer--the-underworld-london-uk.html