Live

Future Of The Left, The Quiet Kill, October All Over

Kev Eddy 01/09/2006

And tonight's theme is… bands which have been made from bands that were ace but have now split up. Future of the Left used to be bits of Welsh noise merchants Mclusky and Jarcrew, The Quiet Kill used to be some of UKHC supremos Million Dead.

In fact, the only band who don't appear to have gone through some kind of substantial life changing split-and-realignment trouble is highly-rated openers October All Over. Which makes it doubly annoying that we walk in as they play their last chord. Good chord, mind.

No such timing problems with The Quiet Kill. Their heritage as a purely instrumental band is obvious from the outset, and their frankly quite brutal metalcore is bruising enough. Add in the Patton-esque vocals of John McKenzie, though, and the assault becomes almost unbearably furious. Fans of Dillinger Escape Plan and Faith No More's less musical moments take note. This is a band who will fuck your ears. And you'll love them for it.

And onto the main event. Future of the Left have been hotly anticipated in those circles that like noise, shouting and funny song titles ever since… well, ever since the first rumours surfaced of Andy Falkous making more noise. But who is that skinny, hairy man onstage? Surely not! Yes. Falko has indeed lost weight and grown his hair, and is practically unrecognisable (until he opens his mouth, that is). But who really cares? This isn't Heat magazine, after all. What do they sound like live?

Erm - well, they sound an awful lot like Mclusky really. The first half of the gig is quite strange. It's almost as if nothing had changed: that if you squinted there'd still be Jon Chapple on bass, rather than the looming yet chirpy Kelson Mathias. Which is wonderful, but slightly dissatisfying. Then, about halfway, through the gig, it does seem to change. Harder. Nastier. More bite. Still recognisable, but moving away from the template into virgin ground. And the transition continues. By the end of the gig, after quite frankly storming set closers 'Exit Strategy for a Bitch' and 'A Dead Enemy Always Smells Good', Future of the Left don't sound like Mclusky or Jarcrew any more. They sound like Future of the Left, and they sound utterly amazing.

The noise is dead. Long live the noise.