Here we are back at Bannermans for the second time this week to catch the International Women of Rock tour featuring two bands I have not seen before: Slovenian band Hellcats and Franco-Italian band Attractive Chaos.
First up is Attractive Chaos, whose set is divided between last year’s atmospheric The Fire Between Us EP and their upcoming Tame & Conquer EP, due out on 14th August. The band opens with “As You Are,” one of the stronger tracks from last year’s EP. There is no denying the quality of the band, and Emma’s voice is simply stunning live. They also perform the slightly heavier but no less melodic “Before You Hit the Ground,” featuring some tasty guitar work from Clement. Pietro throws some mean bass shapes, ably backed up by Thomas on drums. There are hints of Within Temptation in this band.
The band fires into “Come To Me,” which has a more full-on sound on the EP but is no less intense live, really showcasing Emma’s vocals. The bouncier “Won & Lost,” the last song from last year’s EP, is a gloriously hook-laden joy to listen to and watch the band bounce around.
We hear a few tracks from the upcoming EP tonight, with “Finally” being my favourite of the new set of songs, all in a similar vein and boding well for its release. I thoroughly enjoyed this band tonight, as did the busy venue, and I will be watching out for them coming back around again. Catch them if you can and give their EP a listen, as it is very good indeed.
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The headliners tonight are Hellcats, a band formed in 2003 by sisters Sasha Zagorc on bass and Sonja Zagorc on drums. Their debut album in Slovenian, Divja Pot, was released in 2013, followed by the English version, Warrior Princess, the following year. Tonight, they perform the entire album.
Hellcats are heavier than the openers, kicking off with the heavy, melodic “Demon Dreams,” featuring great guitar riffs from Mia Marinic and fabulous vocals from Sara Simeunovic. The crowd is immediately captivated by the band’s energy. They continue with a couple of tracks from the debut album, including the bass-heavy “Heavy Metal.” Sonja’s tasty drumming supports Sasha’s bass playing, complemented by Sara’s strong vocals, reminiscent of early Girlschool.
“Stillness In Time,” a slower, sing-along melodic ballad with a riff-laden sound, really gets the crowd going. The first cover of the night is Warlock’s “I Rule the Ruins,” which the girls execute impressively—Doro would have been proud. “Master of the Night” is a real thumper with a strong chorus, followed by last year’s heavy rocker, “Black Thunder.”
My highlight track of the night is “Proud To Be Loud,” which has a nod to Warlock with very strong vocals. The set includes another couple of covers: a good version of Priest’s “Breaking the Law,” which really gets the crowd going, and a lively rendition of AC/DC’s “TNT” that sparks a fun “Oi Oi Oi” moment with the audience.
The girls conclude with “Warrior Princess” and another favorite of mine, the hook-laden “Now is My Time.” Judging by the crowd’s reaction, it indeed might be their time to shine.
This was a great night of music featuring two class acts. The melodic symphonic melodies of Attractive Chaos balanced nicely with the heavier but equally melodic Hellcats. Give both of these bands a listen and catch them live when you can—you will not be disappointed.
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Photos by Gary Cooper
