Carnage, chaos and crowd interaction at a whole new level were the appropriate phrases to sum up last night at The Talking Heads. It played host to LA Metal quintet BUTCHER BABIES who are one of the freshest talents to hit the metal scene, they received epic support from Canada based SUMO CYCO and local endowment GUILTY AS CHARGED.

It was encouraging to see the venue reasonably full up for the opening act GUILTY AS CHARGED, they are a Metalcore quartet who formed in late 2015.  They're influenced by the likes of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and TRIVIUM, which could be heard throughout their solid set. The brilliant fuse of harsh and clean vocals worked well with the aggressive riffs and solid drum work. Their tight sound and energetic stage presence proved that they were the perfect choice to open up this brutal but brilliant evening.

Canadian Ska Punk piece SUMO CYCO were next to hit the stage as main support. If NO DOUBT and SKINDRED somehow conceived a love child then SUMO CYCO would fit that description. Their thumping beats that encouraged hips to shake and heads to bang. Vocalist Skye Sweetnam was the first to take crowd interaction to a whole new level; from dancing on the bar to starting a mosh pit, her performance was unique and mindblowing. Their interesting yet brilliant cover of RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS anthem "Give It Away" was welcomed with open arms.

 

Over the past several years BUTCHER BABIES have become one of the freshest, hottest talents to hit the Metal scene. It was Heidi Shepherd's and Carla Harvey's extraordinary vocal talent that draws punters in to find out more, one minute they have you enticed with their beautiful singing voices and the next they pack punches with their aggressive growls.

Mosh pit after mosh pit, headbanging that could break your neck and fist pumping were various the responses from the more than attentive crowd. They performed a brilliant selection of material from across their discography; from the back catalogue "Mr Slowdeath" to latest anthem "Monster's Ball" it seemed there was something for everyone to enjoy that evening.

 

Throughout their set BUTCHER BABIES provided a no-nonsense, dominant stage presence that let us know they meant business and their infectious energy spread throughout The Talking Heads. Even through their ballad "Thrown Away" that toned down the aggressiveness for a few minutes it was evident they were in control of the crowds.

 

Ending with "Axe Wound" marked the cherry on top of a fantastic evening.

If you ever need to let off steam or need some kind of stress relief, party with BUTCHER BABIES next time they're in town.

*Photography by Megan McMillan