36 CRAZYFISTS & 12 TRIBES

SPRING & AIRBRAKE, BELFAST

28/04/2007

We've never been that lucky with gigs over here. While London, Manchester and Glasgow would be part of a major bands tour schedule on both summer and winter tours, Belfast and Dublin more than often never feature on either. There are very few American bands that would play any more than five British dates before trekking on to Paris or Berlin but for once a band has organised more than a month of dates all in Britain and Ireland. Clocking up 26 shows spanning from April 1 to May 1, 36 Crazyfists do actually care about their fans and they prove it by going to capitals, towns and the cities.

36 Crazyfists, a four-piece from Alaska, have maintained a thriving interest ever since their first Roadrunner release Bitterness The Star was released. They featured along with Killswitch Engage and 5 Pointe 0 on the Roadrunner Roadrage tour, a showcase of their best new talent back in 2002, which also brought them to Belfast for the very first time.

Their heavy thumping metal was forefront in a movement that brought proper hard metal back to a credible status after the nu-metal that was wearing thin at the time. Their next release and arguably their best, A Snow Capped Romance, was released in the heart of the new wave of American heavy metal and ultimately pushed them into the position of many fans' favourite band. They came back to the Limelight in Belfast again in October 2004 with the now huge Bullet For My Valentine and the recently split up Eighteen Visions, in what at the time was, for me, 36 Crazyfists? finest hour. Last year the band released Rest Inside The Flames, an album that contained some irresistible metal anthems among with some soft, heartfelt, but of course brilliant songs.

In support this time round is Ohio band Twelve Tribes making their first ever visit to Ireland. Like both Chimaira and Mushroomhead who they share their home state with, they offer straight up, in your face, personally influenced injected metal with addictive twists throughout.

Their arrival to stage like headliners certainly gained a headliners reaction from the crowd with the dark stage, flashing lights and thunderous intro. Immediately, lead singer Adam Jackson's thick black dreads fly round faster than the music to the likes of Muzzle Order, Midwest Pandemic and Translation of Fixes, which are all imposed on the crowd with the sheer virility Twelve Tribes have to offer.

Their unity is obvious onstage and proves what a band with a consistent line-up can produce. However there's a unity between both bands as 36 Crazyfists drummer Thomas Noonan is standing middle of crowd admiring the metal on stage while guitarists Mick Whitney, Steve Holt and singer Brock Lindow can be clearly seen just standing behind the band head-banging to their tour buddies.

Saving an old favourite for last, Venus Complex from The Rebirth Of Tragedy was the perfect way to end their set with the towering lines If I could have it all, it wouldn?t be enough? prominent in everyone?s mind. 10/10

With all the 36CF merchandise sold out, it's a clear indication the tour has been a success for the headliners. Being the third last gig of the tour, the guys were in their stride and unlike most other bands they were still enjoying themselves after 23 dates on the trot. Opening with the epic Great Descent and its initial acoustic undertones that climax at all out metal but with a far more reserved structure underneath started the set perfectly. Brock's fury and pandemonium was spread from side to side of the stage and with him echoed his flawless voice that switched from heavy screaming metal to harmonic choruses full of heart and emotion. Singles At The End Of August, Bloodwork and I'll Go Until My Heart Stops were mixed among favourites like Kenai, Installing The Catheter and Felt Through a Phone Line, which were all perfectly duplicated from the albums.

Lindow's constant chat to the crowd about having music in our hearts and gratitude for actually coming out to spend the night with 36 Crazyfists was all genuine and his sincerity was obvious to be seen. During the set, birthday boy Brock was covered with silly string, party poppers and streamers and presented with a birthday cake and birthday card that the whole Belfast audience signed which was something unique and awesome to happen on the Belfast date.

As their 14-song set drew to a close, there were two final songs for the encore at what was definitely the funnest gig I've ever experienced but it was definitely assisted with thanks to Twelve Tribes opening the proceedings. As Destroy The Map with its groove-laden guitars and optimistic overtones drew to a close there was only one song left, Slit Wrist Theory, which for me is one of the best metal tracks ever made, and it was delivered with the integrity and emotion that its title would suggest. 10/10