Devil Sold His Soul, The Defiled, Gojira and Ghost at O2 Academy Bournemouth 22/3/13

Post-hardcore band Devil Sold His Soul opened the show, and with their energetic stage performance they definitely set the tone for the rest of the night. The harsh vocals from lead singer Ed Gibbs were outstanding and blended well with the harmonic guitar riffs. Devil Sold His Soul bring a fresh take to post-hardcore music and they received a great crowd reception in Bournemouth.

After recently getting signed to Nuclear Blast Records and having finished recording their album new ‘Daggers’, the past couple of months have been great for metal band The Defiled. Their performance proved exactly why they were chosen for the third time to play on the Jagermeister tour: their energy on stage is contagious and it’s almost impossible to stand still whilst watching them perform. ‘Call To Arms’ was definitely a crowd favourite and it will be interesting to see what musical direction they take when their new album is released later this year.

French metal band Gojira are well-known for being an incredible live band, and tonight in Bournemouth was no exception. Opening with ‘Explosia’ from their latest album ‘L’Enfant Sauvage’, Gojira definitely rocked the O2 Academy. The crowd reception was incredible, there were mosh pits and headbangers everywhere. The heavy riffs and harsh vocals from lead singer Joe Duplantier were amazing, especially in the metal anthem ‘The Heaviest Matter Of The Universe’. Gojira are definitely one of the best live bands in the metal scene at the moment and I’d highly recommend that you see them at least once!

Swedish heavy metal band Ghost have always been somewhat of a mystery to many, mainly due to five of the band members wearing hooded robes, whilst lead singer Papa Emeritus wears a cardinal outfit. Despite their identities being a secret, Papa Emeritus managed to interact with the crowd perfectly, instructing them when to sing and clap, whilst the crowd obeyed him as if he was the real pope. With a backdrop of a church, lots of smoke and incense being burnt, it almost felt as if you were in a real church, apart from the metal music and hundreds of metal fans. They played classic songs, such as ‘Satan Prayer’ and ‘Ritual’, as well as their impressive new song ‘Year Zero’.  All in all, it was an incredible night of metal music for only £5! 

Check out Devil Sold His Soul here: http://www.facebook.com/devilsoldhissoul
Check out The Defiled here: http://www.facebook.com/thedefiled
Check out Gojira here: https://www.facebook.com/GojiraMusic
Check out Ghost here: http://www.facebook.com/thebandghost