Artists: SOiL, (Hed)PE, Nonpoint, The Union Underground
Venue: Wolverhampton: KKs Steel Mill
Date: 8th November 2024
"When SOiL finally took to the stage at 9.15pm the sold-out show looked to be just that, and I don’t think anyone was outside the arena as the band launched into ‘Breaking Me Down’"
I saw SOiL for the first time in 2006. A.J. Cavalier had just replaced original singer Ryan McCombs for the ‘True Self’ album, and I remember the show really well, as it was my first visit to the Club Academy venue in Manchester. I saw them last in November 2012, again in Manchester. McCombs had just returned after a spell in Drowning Pool, and the set was heavily focused on 2001’s debut ‘Scars’ album. This current trek around the UK was billed as an “All Scars Set”, which I think is what the fans want anyway. Although the band were playing in Manchester, which is closer to home, I decided a trip to the excellent KKs Steel Mill would be preferable.
It was a four band bill, so a fairly early start. First up were The Union Underground, who I was unfamiliar with. They originally formed in 1996, but went on a fourteen year hiatus, beginning in 2002. Returning in 2016, with only lead-singer Bryan Scott from the original line-up, they have undergone more changes recently, with Bones Elias (drums) and Diego Ibarra (bass) joining Todd Osterhouse (guitar) in 2023. TUU actually only have one full-length album to their name, 2000’s ‘….An Education In Rebellion’. Despite the early doors there was a sizeable crowd and many seemed to know the songs being played. The musical style was Nu-Metal, but the anthemic hooks were high impact and I was pleasantly impressed. So impressed I decided to track down their one album. ‘Killing The Fly’, ‘Bitter’, ‘Faith Collapsing’ and ‘Turn Me On “Mr Deadman”’ were the standouts in the thirty-minute set and it was the perfect start to the evening’s entertainment.
Nonpoint are a band I am familiar with, and I was looking forward to seeing them as much as SOiL. The Groove Metal five-piece hail from Florida, and have been around since 1997, releasing ten full-length albums in the process. They came across like a heavier version of Dan Reed Network, and the energy levels went up a notch or two during their set. Original members, Elias Sorlano (lead vocals) and Robb Rivera (drums), have been joined by Rasheed Thomas (guitar), Adam Woloszyn (bass) and Jaysin Zeilstra (guitar), who were all in constant motion, covering most of the large stage in the process. Sorlano prowled the front and took every opportunity to bring the audience under his spell. ‘Breaking Skin’, ‘Chaos And Earthquakes’ and ‘Victim’ contained great sing-along choruses and it was difficult to focus on my photographer role in the pit with songs so infectious. The first few crowd surfers appeared over my head, so it was nice to retreat to relative safety to take in the rest of the thirty-five minute set. The band closed with ‘Bullet With A Name’, a popular song for sure, which featured two thousand extra vocalists. My only criticism was that the guitars could have been higher in the mix, but that was obviously no fault of Nonpoint.
(Hed)PE (which stands for Higher Education Planet Earth) were another unknown, so I was interested to see just how they would keep the momentum going. Unfortunately (for me anyway) they couldn’t. It was also clearly noticeable that the audience energy levels dipped, and only perked up again towards the end of the set, when the band were clearly playing more familiar material. For some strange reason (Hed)PE played most of their forty-minute set in almost complete darkness, appearing as just vague shadows on the stage, with just one or two weak blue spots to light proceedings. Very little resonated and my interest levels waned as I became more restless as the set progressed.
When SOiL finally took to the stage at 9.15pm the sold-out show looked to be just that, and I don’t think anyone was outside the arena as the band launched into ‘Breaking Me Down’, the opening song from ‘Scars’. The album was not played in order, but still managed to maintain a great balance. ‘Need To Feel’ and ‘Wide Open’ followed in quick succession and it was something of a challenge to avoid the crowd surfers, who were appearing regularly over the barrier, whilst still taking shots of the band. Retreating to relative safety again, it was obviously a wise move to focus on the ‘Scars’ songs. The ever-youthful Tim King (bass) and Adam Zadel (guitar) were non-stop, with Zadel especially throwing some imposing shapes whilst belting out the riffs to the well-known tunes. Drummer TJ Taylor battered his kit relentlessly, whilst McCombs brought both menace and melody to his vocal performance. I may be mistaken, but I’m sure McCombs was not 100%, as his between-song banter hinted at a sore throat. SOiL’s most famous song is surely ‘Halo’, and this brought the main set to a close in rousing fashion, with the noisiest crowd reception of the night. The four-piece returned for a barnstorming run through Ram Jam’s ‘Black Betty’ then the lights went up. Only an hour, but I don’t think anyone was complaining.
A great value-for-money night for everyone, and despite my disappointment with (Hed)PE, a triumph of a show.
Review & Photos: Dave Bott
Gallery: All photos © Dave Bott (used with kind permission)
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