Grinding Halt (NL), The Leif Ericsson, The Freezing Fog and Volition - 28/04/08

I'll get a flyer up here as soon as I've done one. I want to get one done before the Manatees gig, but it depends if I have a decent idea for one and enough time to get it done.

Grinding Halt are ex-Shikari and The Last Mile, two of the greatest bands to come out of the Netherlands this decade, so I'm extremely happy to be having them play in little old Lancaster. They're not just a mix of those two bands though, they're something else entirely. Well, not entirely, but they're not just re-hashing the same riffs and rhythms they've already given us. Sure, they have fast bits as you'd expect, but they also take it down to some slow, brooding, heavy bits too. In short, these guys are gonna be incredible. I never got to see Shikari but from what I've heard, their live shows were pretty frenetic, let's hope they've brought that with them too.

The Leif Ericsson, I have to admit, aren't my usual bag. Gruff punk just doesn't grip me in the same way it seems to get a lot of people. However, when The Leif Ericsson sent me their album asking if I could get them on a gig at some point, I gave it a listen and something struck me. It took a couple of songs, but I really started to like it. I haven't managed to get into anything else from the genre before or since, which is a marker for just how good these guys are.

The Freezing Fog seem to be well liked round here so I won't waste too much of your time describing them. They're ex-Beecher, but that's not really important, they sound nothing like them and they're carving their own path, shrouded in a mysterious mist. It's prog rock, and it's awesome. They have a split with Manatees coming out at some point soon too, on Roadkill Records.

Volition are "doom from the other side of the bay" as I called them last time I put them on here, about a year and a half ago. It's been way too long, but they're finally going to be playing here again. They have an album out now on Total Rust, and although I've been super-slack and not actually got myself a copy of it yet, the stuff I've heard is fucking heavy. Make sure you arrive in time to see them!

Doors are at 8, so don't be late. These bands all have fairly long sets so it'll definitely be kicking off not long after that. Usual price: four quid in.