Metal 2 The Masses London returned to The Unicorn in Camden on Sunday 8th November with four more self-signed and unsigned bands battling it out for the opportunity to play at Bloodstock Open Air Festival; the UK’s biggest independent metal festival. This was the first Metal 2 The Masses show I had attended since the Grand Final in July 2018, and it was great to see so many familiar faces.
Kicking off proceedings were heavy metal band Metal Castle, who brought a good dose of humour (as well as musical talent) to the evening. Lord Malcolm on guitar and lead vocals had an absurdly deep and gravelly voice, and was joined on stage by Admiral Neville on bass and backing vocals (complete with pirate hat), Clive Anderson MP on drums, and Lady Sallyhorse Weatherspoons III on keys, who sported a chef’s hat. The band played a lively set featuring songs about their love of tea and baked beans.
A completely different musical direction next with Tides Of Ire, who had a much heavier sound. Mark on vocals was joined by Matt and James on guitar, Sam on bass and Leonardo on drums. I really enjoyed their sound and the five guys were both tight musically and had a cohesive look – all largely wearing black.
Next up were Elysian Divide, with Atashi on vocals sporting a white outfit with a skeletal mask covering her nose and mouth. All five band members had great energy and their set went down well with the crowd. Jon and James provided some groovy and heavy riffs on guitar, accompanied by Troy on bass and James on drums.
The fourth and final band to take to the Unicorn stage were hard rock / metal band Enquire Within from Sidcup. I really loved Jacob’s thundering vocals, which were matched perfectly by Daniel and Phil on guitar, together with Jon on bass and Henry on drums. The band played a belter of a set to a packed room of excitable metalheads.
After all four bands had played and the judges had deliberated, this week’s winners were announced as Tides Of Ire and, Enquire Within. Huge congratulations to both bands, who will now progress to the next stage of the competition.
M2TM London is back at The Unicorn next Sunday as four more bands battle for the chance to play Bloodstock festival 2019. Get all the details here.
Words and photos by Katie Frost Photography
