My Ruin
Godsized, Sanctorum & Long Day Fear
The Hydrant, Brighton

Doors have barely opened but the venue’s already packed, there are some hefty amps onstage and the merch guy seems to have escaped from a steampunk novel – it’s official, My Ruin are back in town. However there’s an impressive support bill to get through before the US heavyweights descend, with the task of opening proceedings left to the hearty, hirsute Long Day Fire. A cynic would say that there’s little remarkable about their groove-heavy blend of riff ‘n’ roll but they’re pretty good value tonight, their obvious passion making them a decent choice as support.

Sanctorum have been honing their craft for a while now and as a result their high-octane thrash sounds tight as fook for the most part, even with them missing a member. Though like the first band up they don’t bring a great deal of new stuff to the metallic table (hey, it’s a busy table), they impress nonetheless, largely through the precision and ferocity of their delivery. We’ll bet they’re even more of a force to be reckoned with on full strength – definitely worth checking out.
The next band to hit the stage are Godsized. This UK outfit’s live shows are fast becoming the stuff of legend and they’re on fine form tonight, doing their very best to ensure that everyone in attendance goes away just that bit deafer. It’s big, beer-swilling fun of the highest calibre and the completely rammed room nods along accordingly, enduring a tsunami of mighty riffage that threatens to sweep away the faint-hearted. Everything about this four-piece sounds massive and that’s just what you need on a chilly evening like this ‘un. Great stuff as always.

The night’s getting on by the time My Ruin take to the stage, but that only enhances the excitement in front of the stage. Often dismissed by so-called tastemakers but adored by their dedicated fanbase, Tairrie B and Mick Murphy’s southern death machine continues to roll ever onwards, and that’s well worth celebrating. The riffs are as dirty and crushing as they ever were and Miss B is in good voice, a sometimes menacing, sometimes seductive dynamo at centre-stage: Tairrie has enough stage-presence to fuel a thousand pretenders. The energy rebounding between the stage and the audience is truly remarkable this evening, songs from latest record ‘A Southern Revelation’*, such as the pounding ‘Tennessee Elegy’ greeted with almost as much fervour as the classics. My Ruin shows often feel like a gathering of all the freaks, misfits and weirdoes for miles around (ourselves included – that’s anything but a negative comment) and as such the atmosphere is amazing, particularly when they bring out the big guns like ‘Beauty Fiend’ and ‘Stick It To Me’. It’s a typically powerful performance and a poignant reminder that, whoever happens to be grabbing the headlines, the bands who put in the hard work and reward their fans often can’t be beaten. Here’s to next time.

*Which you can download for free on their website. What the hell are you waiting for?

http://www.facebook.com/MyRuinOfficial
http://www.facebook.com/Godsizedband
http://www.facebook.com/SanctorumUK
http://www.facebook.com/longdayfear

Review by Rob Sayce