The Moshville Times - Gig Review: Eulogy (opening for Unto Others)

Opening the night in Cardiff were local band Eulogy, a four-piece outfit who comprise Neil Thomas on vocals and bass, lead guitarist Mike Williams, rhythm guitarist Brian Perkins and new drummer Josh Bird. The band has been in existence for around five years with the members veterans of the local music scene. I’d been able to see the band for the first time since their 2020 EP Memento Mori when they opened for NWOBHM legends Sacrilege at The Patriot in Crumlin in October 2021 and they were raring to pick up for lost time. Having had drummer Darren Godwin step away from the drum stool for health reasons, the band have also had to locate and induct Josh Bird to fulfil a slowly filling gig diary.

If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!

A 30-minute set didn’t allow them much time to really get into their stride but they ensured they filled every one of those minutes with another excellent set which included a new track from their forthcoming album which Thomas revealed would be coming later in the year. Kicking off the evening with “Corvid”, which unsurprisingly has confused some of the less sharp members of the fanbase – “how did you know it was coming?” was one question I heard someone ask them once (it’s the name given to the genus of birds such as crows, magpies and ravens), Eulogy’s hard rocking music soon got members of the slowly growing audience up and attentive. Their “eighties” track “Blood Red Skies” is a firm favourite and a few around the room were singing along as the track was played. The band have a couple of secret weapons, the first being Thomas’ superb melodious vocals which always impress. It’s a sound that many who see them for the first time are surprised at, for it’s not the way you’d imagine Thomas would sing but he does, and he sounded great. Williams’s guitar work also impressed, with some very fluid solos. Perkins and Bird anchor the band with reassuring solidity.

Opening for a band who were clearly the main attraction is never easy, but Eulogy earned warm applause and by the end of their seven-song set, people were very much engaged. I’ve seen them several times in the past five years, and this was another confident set. The band play the first heat of the South Wales Metal to the Masses competition on 1^st April and look set to give the judges a bit of a headache. A good start to the evening.

Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!

Setlist: