Dendera/Toledo Steel/Death Head/Screaming Steel

The Joiners,Southampton

Fans of heavyweight metal outfit Dendera had been waiting for this headline gig with anticipation for some time, especially as itís common knowledge that there is new material in the pipeline, with the band currently writing album number two. It’s also always a pleasure to go to a gig at the Joiners and it was a bonus when we found out that instead of two bands, we were actually getting four, in a bill that promised to be a bit of a chug-fest.

On a proper hot summer’s night, it wasn’t too bad in the bar, warm but bearable, so we made our way in to find a spot near the stage. In front of a moderately sized crowd, the first band on went by the name of Screaming Steel. Singer Joe has a unique voice and the second track “Deathclaw” saw him throwing a barrel of inflatable swords to the eager crowd. There was a tidy cover of Dio’s “Holy Diver”, followed by the ever-so-slightly tongue-in-cheek track “Hammered”, which made me chuckle. A competent cover of “Breaking The Law” rounded off a chaotic, amusing and slightly bemusing set. The band were sweaty, the crowd was sweaty and by then even I was starting to get hot and I hadn’t really moved; it was that hot in there.

Screaming Steel 

After a quick trip to the bar and outside to cool down, speed metal three-piece Death Head took the stage. Highlights included the bruising track “Inner Self” and although they had a few people moshing at the front, there didn’t seem to be so many people watching by that point. It wasn’t my thing, but those that stayed to brave the heat seemed to be enjoying it.

Death Head 

By this point I was melting, so I was forced to catch the Toledo Steel set from outside; I can’t tell you what their stage presence was like, but from outside the music sounded okay. Obviously influenced by bands such as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, they have big some pretty riffs; although I feel they are worth a proper watch, I didn’t feel drawn to go back inside in the searing heat to take a closer look.

At last, we came to the headline act of the evening. Dendera have been steadily building a concrete reputation locally as a big band with some big songs and I was interested to see how they would fare tonight, given that vocalist Ashley was suffering with throat problems. The set kicked off with the mighty track “The Killing Floor” and straight away we were left in no doubt that they were hungry to make this a good gig. The crowd were appreciative and Dendera chugged through their set, with the highlight being “In High Tide” – a new track that sounded absolutely blinding.

Illness or not, I certainly can’t criticise the vocals, as Ashley reached a fantastic range of notes throughout and there was some nice banter with the crowd. A competent and accomplished headline set ended with the anthemic “Bridges Will Burn”, which saw the diehards committing carnage down the front. It was a solid performance, with the band obviously enjoying it, however I was a little disappointed that the set was only seven songs long, as they were headlining. My friend was particularly impressed with Andy’s drumming skills – he turned in an impeccable performance, coming off the stage absolutely dripping with sweat at the end. I really can’t wait to hear the new stuff from these guys – the new song seems to mark a bit of a departure from the older material and it translated really well into a live set.

Dendera 

Dendera will have a supporting slot on the bill for Phil Campbell’s All Star Band at the Joiners on 29th August – they are well worth a watch so get your tickets whilst you still can.

Links
https://www.dendera.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/toledosteelband
https://www.facebook.com/deathheadmetal
https://www.facebook.com/screamingsteel

Review By Vikkie Richmond.