Mancunian progressive metallers Collibus have a great many things in their favour. Dr Brian May of Queen considers himself a fan, having praised both their “scary musicianship” and the “passion and power” of the group’s singer Gemma Fox, and last year they became the first metal band to perform live at the House Of Commons.
A slot at this summer’s Download is already confirmed. You’d expect them to pitch a sound that’s several notches above the ranks of British hopefuls, and that’s exactly what they do on an independently released debut album that reeks of future promise.
Favouring a cleanly delivered vocal style, Gemma is a superb mouthpiece for the band’s finely chiselled mix of metal, hard rock and classical-tinged influences.
Despite the ambitious nature of certain selections – Spite and Leave It All Behind are nine and seven minutes long respectively – choruses are another key element of this band’s appeal and the likes of Insurrection, The Fallen and the lighter-waving Break The Silence are bold, confident statements that leave a long-lasting memory. Watch them fly.
