Hammer's Gigs of the Week: 26/1/15 - 1/2/15

You could stay in and watch TV. Or you could go out, throw some horns, drink some excessively strong alcohol, and have the best time you can possibly have without removing your underwear. The choice is yours.

Scotland

**Savage Messiah: **Aberdeen, Downstairs, Monday 26th January

We all love the big four, but why stop there? To be frank we want as much thrash as possible. Luckily this week British thrash revivalists Savage Messiah play Aberdeen to aid us in our quest to gorge on as much quick fire riffing as possible until we get a neck ache./o:p

###

Wales

Betraying The Martyrs: Cardiff, Clwb Ifor Bach, Sunday 1st February

French metalcore stalwarts and the band responsible for the best Disney metal cover we’ve heard with their take on Frozen’s Let It Go catch the Eurostar to play our shores this week. Catch them in Cardiff on Sunday and just cross your fingers that the aforementioned cover makes it into the set.

The North

Eye of Solitude: Liverpool, Bumper, Friday 30th January

Creating music that (in their own words) is inspired by emotional distress, inner pain and a cruel combination of negativity and grief, this may not be the gig to beat off January blues. What it is, though, is one of the finest doom metal bands our country has produced in recent memory.

The Midlands

Hayseed Dixie: Derby, The Flowerpot, Tuesday 27th January

OK, so banjos and fiddles aren’t usually our cup of tea and normally we’d run a mile from bluegrass until we were safe and comfortably head banging in a grimey club, but Hayseed Dixie are a hell of a lot more fun than your average bluegrass band. Head along to see their take on the likes of AC/DC, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Kiss and many more.

The South

Pianos Become The Teeth: Bristol, Exchange, Tuesday 27th January

One of post-hardcore’s most visceral bands play Bristol this week in support of last year’s Keep You. Noted for not holding anything back and delivering an impassioned raw sound both on record and live, this will be an emotional one, and not one you’ll want to miss.

London

Obituary: London, Electric Ballroom, Sunday 1st February

This week death metal pioneers Obituary head to England’s capital for a one-off gig that is sure to be a must-see show. If it wasn’t for them coming along in the 80s we’d probably all be left listening to Wham. Well, probably not, but this is still a rare chance to see one of death metal’s most important bands.

Northern Ireland

Portrait: Belfast, Voodoo, Sunday 1st February

For fans of King Diamond and Mercyful Fate, Sweden’s Portrait head over to Northern Ireland this Sunday decked out in leather and ready for a good time. With guitarist Christian Lindell describing last year’s album Crossroads as their “best album to date” and saying they’re “hungrier than ever”, now is the time to catch Portrait at their best.

Ireland

At The Gates: Dublin, The Academy, Saturday 31st January

We were so stoked last year when the band pretty much responsible for starting metalcore returned with the excellent At War With Reality. Expect a show equally as impressive as the band tear through material from their latest as well as their stellar back catalogue.

Latest in
Linkin Park 2024
Linkin Park launch "the best song we've ever made" Up From The Bottom
Vera Farmiga in 2021
The Conjuring star Vera Farmiga announces debut album with her heavy metal band The Yagas
'Emo' Ed Sheeran busking
Watch Ed Sheeran cover Chappell Roan's Pink Pony Club on the New York subway while disguised as an emo busker
A close-up shot of the Marshall Major IV on-ear headphones on a turquoise, blue and black background.
I’ve never seen the Marshall Major IV headphones this cheap before - get them for half price in Amazon’s big spring sale
Evanescence in 2025
Evanescence release new song Afterlife from Devil May Cry TV series soundtrack, have their next album in the works
Tony Banks
“You only have to hear the opening sweep to reach for your lighter and wave it in the air”: Tony Banks' greatest Genesis moments
Latest in Features
Tony Banks
“You only have to hear the opening sweep to reach for your lighter and wave it in the air”: Tony Banks' greatest Genesis moments
Rick Astley and Rick Wakeman
“Rick Wakeman’s solo albums were just brilliant… when I heard he was doing Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace, I bought 12 tickets”: Prog is the reason Rick Astley became a singer
Ozzy Osbourne, Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Jim Morrison and Joe Strummer onstage
The greatest gig I've ever seen: 24 writers pick the most memorable live show of their lives
Marillion in 1984
From debauched prog revivalists to pioneers of the internet age: The Marillion albums you should definitely listen to
Mogwai
“The concept of cool and uncool is completely gone, which is good and bad… people are unashamedly listening to Rick Astley. You’ve got to draw a line somewhere!” Mogwai and the making of prog-curious album The Bad Fire
The Mars Volta
“My totalitarian rule might not be cool, but at least we’ve made interesting records. At least we polarise people”: It took The Mars Volta three years and several arguments to make Noctourniquet