Helmet has Glasgow bouncing with a non-stop barrage of heavy riffs, infectious grooves and melodies, bringing back classic 90s alternative metal with a vengeance.

Opening tonight’s show are two piece band Local H from Chicago, Illinois. Comprising of guitarist and vocalist Scott Lucas, and drummer Ryan Harding; anyone who had never heard of this band before would not have imagined the sheer amount of volume and noise that these two musicians manage to throw at the Cathouse crowd.

One of the heavier two-piece bands you are ever likely to hear, Local H primarily has an alternative/grunge sound but with elements of Punk, hard rock and metal thrown in for good measure. They are loud, they are heavy, and their tunes pack a lot of punch and melody, with Harding playing thunderously on the drums, and some mighty fine riff work and guitar effects from Lucas. You would be forgiven for thinking you were back in the early 90s.

Helmet takes to the stage and immediately get the Glasgow crowd pumped up with the sultry groove and swagger of the classic “Give It” from the band’s early years. Helmet showcase several tracks from their recent 2016 album Dead To The World beginning with the energetic “Life or Death”.

Kyle Stevenson is a powerhouse and impresses with some of the slickest drumming on “Rollo” from their 1994 album Betty. “Bad News” sees the band in melodic mode and has Hamilton treating the crowd to some tasty intricate guitar licks. Another newbie “Drunk In the Afternoon” sees the crowd enjoying some serious head banging with its infectious groove, along with some awesome vocal melodies from the band.

There isn’t too much interaction between songs during the first part of the show tonight. It’s not until several songs in that Page Hamilton addresses the crowd at length. Hamilton has a great sense of humour and speaks about Glasgow being the last show of the European leg of the tour, and mocks how the band has a new President to look forward to on their return to the US. Page also speaks of his love of Scotland, his memories of Glencoe and the Highland Whiskey.

The fans lap up songs of old and new throughout Helmet’s high energy set. The show really starts to kick off during crowd favourite “Crisis King”. A mosh pit forms in the centre of the venue and the room is literally bouncing. There is room for one more new song and Helmet closes their main set with the “Life Or Death Slo”.

After a short break Helmet returns to the stage for a duly deserved seven-song strong encore with the pounding drums of Stevenson and highly energetic vocals on the popular “Rude”. Classic hits continue with “Unsung” and it’s infectious riff work and groove. Funky jazzy bass and blues guitar signals the start of “Sam Hell” which brings a huge cheer from the Glasgow faithful.

Fan favourite “Milquetoast” has headbangers, moshers and air guitarists all rocking along in unison; it is one of the highlights of the night. Hamilton jokes that it was even a “riff Marilyn Manson stole from us”. The energy is almost fever pitch at this point.

With hardly any time to catch a breath, the crowd are treated to “Tic” and “Turned Out” before Scott Lucas from Local H briefly returns to the stage to perform an impressive crowd surf from the stage barrier to the sound desk at the back of the room. Helmet ends on a high with the loud, heavy and in your face “In the Meantime”.

Helmet proves tonight that they have what it takes to rock hard and get the blood pumping through your veins. Helmet also highlights a strong back catalogue along with newer material from their most recent album Dead To The World. The band are tight and provide a lot of fun and a very high energy throughout the night.

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Helmet
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Event Date: 12-MAR-2017

About The Author

Contributor

Hailing from Northern Ireland and living in Glasgow, Scotland, I have been a lover of a wide range of different music for many many years. With a passion for photography I love combining writing about great music, with shooting great images of bands or artists, capturing the mood, atmosphere and painting an accurate picture of a gig for those who weren't there.