Emma Scott Presents....

Sworn to Oath/Twisted Species/Dauntless/2nd Side Made

The End, 51 Dale End Birmingham 6th November 2011

Sundays used to be known as a day of rest and reflection. Well you can forget all that because with the chance to see 2nd Side Made, Dauntless, Twisted Species and Sworn to Oath all under one roof, Sunday just became the new Friday!

With an abundance of rock and grunge lined up for  our enjoyment, local boys 2nd Side Made started tonight's entertainment off with dynamic vigour. With no shortage of thunder felt drums and growling bass, this four piece band have a sound that jumps off stage and grabs you. Treat of the evening was the opportunity to grab a copy of their debut EP which contains the songs 'Backburner', 'Gemini', and 'Been Too Long', all of which were covered tonight. These guys certainly cut loose some solid sounds and I take my hat off to bass player Kyle Tierney, who gave his all despite being plastered - in medical terms of course!

Next band up were Dauntless, who are a three piece band hailing from the Dudley area. Line up is Ste Rowley on drums, Andy Parsons on vocals and guitar and newest member Josh Hammond, on bass. These guys have a well rounded Black Country sound, with strains of hard, yet melodic rock and showed no fear whilst throwing a ballad into their set. It took a little time tonight for the audience to creep closer to the stage and it was interesting to see the impact this had on the band as Dauntless took on a new lease of life and boy can these guys bounce. So, lesson learnt here is don't hang back, get up front and hang out with the band, 'cause these guys just love it.

The penultimate band up on stage tonight were Twisted Species and these guys are definitely no strangers to the Midlands music scene. Hard work, grim determination and talent are just three of the ingredients that go into their music and with some new songs coming through in their set tonight, this unique animal just keeps on rocking. Their grunge infused sound has a trademark quality of enduring guitar riffs and well defined guttural vocals, which certainly makes them worthy of a comparison to some of Seattle's finest. Their set list tonight offered up some prime time tunes including 'Here I Stand', 'Slip Away', and Divide, some of which you can check out for yourself through their Facebook page. Without doubt,Twisted Species are my guilty pleasure so keep those gigs coming guys!

Having already had the opportunity to see and review Sworn to Oath earlier this year, tonight's set was one which had been eagerly anticipated. With word spreading fast about this band, they are evolving away from greatness into metal godliness, and you simply know these guys will own the stage. With a sound that sits in both heaven and hell, their first song exploded into a cacophony of rock and produced an astounded intake of breath from me. With all eyes forward, the audience lapped up every riff, beat and utterance that came off stage, and 'Last Call' left no prisoners standing. With an immense tour rolling out through November into early December, make a date with Sworn to Oath and prepare to howl, wail and RAWR your appreciation.

Well my Sunday evening will certainly take some beating, how about yours?

Words and photography by Sue Wardle