Continents Prove Their Worth In Exit 7
Due to a surprising lack of information regarding directions, the newly opened Exit 7 music venue was difficult to locate, coming across it by sheer dumb luck while wandering the perimeter of the Cardiff Motorpoint Arena. Making headway upstairs however, it appeared the level of promotion for the show itself left something to be desired. Counting ten to fifteen heads with noticeable empty spaces, there was no telling what to expect.
Jaws of the Guillotine opened the evening with an interesting combination of a female singer/guitarist and a male screamer, but minus a bassist and an unwavering predictability surrounding their song structure left their set mundane. The Swansea-based Revelation soon followed, bringing with them a similar level of conventionality, but with a few alterations in technique which seemed to set their bar slightly higher.
After a brief interlude, a Maesteg valley quintet named Truenorth adorned their instruments and gave a classic taste of hardcore metal. The act was filled with a mixture of continuous cymbal riding, strong vocals and a healthy measurement of stage charisma.
On roll the second but last act, This Concept. A well-weathered band with exciting riffs, interchangeable drum beats and what felt like a bond between the musicians tighter than a photo finish. It was a smart decision to have this progressive five-piece on the evening’s bill to liven up the audience before the headliners made their appearance.
The climax of the show was then reached, as Continents ignite the fuse to their odium-induced Hardcore Metal and show their worth to the small turnout. The tracks played included their heavy punk-esque “Life of Misery” and beefed-up beauties such as “Trials”, leaving the crowd hypnotised as well as a few enthusiasts throwing shapes and flinging limbs in the corner of the venue.
What should be taken note of with bands such as Continents, is the ability to entertain and satisfy even the smallest handful of on-lookers. In this case however, it seemed slightly more intimate to know the crowd consisted of first-class friends and fervent followers of the band instead of a hundred nameless faces.
Ending their set with “Pegasus Pegasus”, Mr Cross gives no quarter and continues to target every square inch of the walking space he is given. Slamming trainer to carpet between mounting his raised cage step and roaring at the spectators, he proves himself as a solid front man as the remainder of the group soldier on behind him, hitting note for note in adrenaline-fuelled unison.
Before the show, I caught up with Continents vocalist Philip Cross regarding the tour up to now, the themes of their new album ‘Reprisal’ and their up and coming European tour alongside Kingdom of Giants.
COMMENTS
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You were so close!
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Yeah man the stage was low and like i mentioned, it was fairly easy to make it to the front in regards to the small crowd.
