The Defiled supported by Avatar at The Slade Rooms 2nd December 2014

Review by Emily Gould

Going to see Avatar at the Slade Rooms boiled down to one thing. We couldn’t get up in time to see them at Download… What??? They were on at 11am and we were recovering from the night before! Post Download, one regret was that we had missed them, so when I found out that they were supporting The Defiled later in the year for 11 quid, I bought the tickets.

I have been to the Slade Rooms a few times and I like the venue. As a short arse (5 ft 2”), I get to see what’s happening on the stage. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that there were two other bands playing too!

Birmingham born Sirens started the night off very well! I am a big fan of metal core and they had a great mix of melody and aggression. I could hear the likes of Bring Me the Horizon seeping through and Rob Clarke (vocalist) was keen to get everyone warmed up and head banging. A great start to the evening and I would suggest to any fans of bands like Memphis May Fire, Parkway Drive etc, follow these guys on Facebook.

Following Sirens, were Spanish industrial metal band Kill Us. When they walked on stage, they had everyone’s attention. Strong make up and eye contacts, very much influenced by the likes of Marilyn Manson, their look is striking and sound was awesome. Songs such as “Feel the Monster” and” Fuck’n’Roll” stood out to me. The Bassist was very entertaining and full of energy with his psychotic smiling throughout their set.

I had so much fun when Kill Us were on, I had high hopes for Avatar and they definitely did not disappoint. As soon as they appeared on the stage, (frontman) Eckerstrom made it clear we were in for a good time. Songs such as “Paint me Red” and “Torn Apart” were big hits with the audience and they saved “Smells Like a Freak Show” for near the end to get us all moving and ending their set with their lullaby “Tower” to reign us all in before announcing that they were going to be at the back to meet everyone. I queued up, put my arms around the very tall and sweaty singer for a photo and I had enough time to go to the bar ready for The Defiled. By this point, I was buzzing and was sceptical that they could keep my attention after Avatar.

I hate to be right sometimes. The Defiled were a come down in entertainment and sound. The AvD (keyboards) looked like he was having a great time but not a sound could be heard of it. These have been described as “the saviours of UK metal”??? I have to strongly disagree. There was something not quite right. My boyfriend and I just didn’t “feel it”.

All in all, a fantastic night! Two new bands that I have discovered and follow on Facebook and I finally got to see Avatar! Even though I was disappointed with The Defiled, cheap ticket prices and great entertainment, how can you leave feeling deflated?

The Slade rooms is an awesome venue and I highly recommend seeing bands play there. It feels almost exclusive because its small, the sound’s good and you get a close view of the stage.