"Up first were KING CREATURE (8.5). Halfway through the set, the lead singer quipped:
"We may not be the heaviest band in the world, but we do have big dicks"
Be that as it may, Creature's rock credentials weren't up for debate as they lashed through a monster set of groove-driven rock songs, with a panache and quality that really took me by surprise. The riffs were as meaty as the Marks and Spencer steak section, and the singer had a hell of a set of pipes on him, despite looking somewhat like a bedraggled, even heavier-metal Bill Bailey. His vocals complimented the riffs with some gusto, and to my pleasant surprise his vocals were matched by another guitarist. They, between them, barely put a foot wrong on the vocal front, my only possibly criticism being that the vocals could have been a tad louder - I did feel that the vocals could have been more prominent, perhaps less insidious than they were. They made an impact, nevertheless.
Creature's brand of rock music took an almost metal, cavalier attitude to the genre, complete with metal-style breakdowns that hit you like a freight train. They also showed their more sensitive side towards the end of the set, with fingerpicking that had me thinking of Maiden's "Revelations" with the intricate fingerpicking. Make no mistake, big-ballsed, groove-driven rock is alive and well, and will continue to be so with bands like King Creature on the circuit."
"Metal-style breakdowns that hit you like a freight train."
"When the word got out that ‘this band is really really metal’ I’ll admit I was just a tad worried.
The boundaries around heavy metal have become so blurred with sub-genres and there are limits of metal beyond which I find it hard to tread and cannot get into at all. It’s probably an age thing.
Having grown up on a rock diet of the likes of Black Sabbath AC/DC and later bands like Metallica and Pantera, that’s about as heavy as I go, so when King Creature took to the stage I was ready to run for cover, moving towards the back of the venue.
There was a distinctive buzz about the place even before this four-piece from St Austell took to the stage and when they launched into In Hell one could hear the crash as collective jaws smashed onto the floor.
Blazing through a set that included Down In Flames, Fortune Teller, Beaten Up Broken Down, Power, and Wasted Life they just pummelled our senses, energizing us in a way that felt like we were being swept up in some weird centrifugal force, being sucked towards the stage. It’s the only way I can explain how I moved so quickly from the safety of the back to being directly in front of the stage – I definitely didn’t walk there.
This was retro-fuelled bar-room metal that grabbed you in a vice-like grip refusing to let you leave.
So riveting were the songs, all originals and self-penned, melodic and anthemic of a quality normally associated with mega arena-status bands, this was pure unadulterated kick-ass old-school metal of the quality I’ve not encountered since the first time I saw Metallica on their Master Of Puppets tour.
But while there was some stunning guitar shredding, crunching basslines and fierce grooves together with strong vocals, they don’t sacrifice song craft for guitar histrionics.
The songs have an undeniable quality of longevity about them – well-structured golden nuggets which elevate King Creature into a class of their own.
The four-piece only formed a year ago with Dave Kellaway on bass/vocals, Matt K Vincent on guitar/vocals, Dave Evans on lead guitar and Jack Bassett on drums. Together they’re akin to an eight-legged metal monster with an energy that flows right into the crowd engulfing them – this band are special, very special indeed. With a five-track EP on the horizon, I sincerely hope this band who took awesomeness to a whole new level become major players, moving out of Cornwall and onto the arena circuit very soon."
See the original review here.
"This band are special, very special indeed."
"Together they are akin to an eight-legged metal monster."
"Whoa. You don’t see many like these. King Creature’s hotly-anticipated Studio Bar debut proved to be both hot and well worth anticipating. The powerhouse potential that made the Par quartet a no-brainer for their recent ‘Band of the Week’ feature came roaring out of Pandora’s Box last night like a pack of raging hellions on an ether binge. From the moment they ripped into set opener ‘In Hell’, there was little doubt that any hype you may have read on this here website should not only be believed, but taken as gospel.
What makes King Creature so great? Point your pointy head in this direction and we’ll tell you what is. First up, in just over a year together they have already fine tuned a set that clearly identifies them as one of the finest exponents of heavy rock to come down the pipe in many a long year. This has largely been achieved by virtue of the group being comprised of four individuals that lock together to create something that is even greater than the already considerable sum of their parts. Each member of the band is supremely adept at what they do, and while technical excellence can often open the door marked ‘self indulgence’, there is a complete absence of that here. These people are steeped in rock’n’roll. It seeps forth from their pores – they do not ‘do’ it, they are it. And they embody the same joyous spirit of abandon that infuses all truly great rock’n’roll with its essential excitement.
Particularly impressive is twin guitar leviathans Dave Evans and Matt Vincent’s almost telepathic interplay – they switch from lead to rhythm with spectacular dexterity and to bewildering effect, imbuing numbers like ‘March Of The Creature’ and ‘Wasted Life’ with deeply rewarding layers of intertwined sound that shimmer and roar. This can be complex, but is never masturbatory, as the band retains an unshakable focus on delivering their material with enthusiasm, energy and no little wit, ensuring that their technical excellence is subsumed in the service of the song. These tectonic plates of overlapping guitars gouge valleys and raise mountains borne aloft upon the mighty beats generated by Jack Bassett. His flailing precision comprises one half of a consummate rhythm section completed by Dave Kellaway, whose awesome (and I use that particular over-used term advisedly here) bass mastery is matched only by the magnetism he brings to his role as the band’s frontman.
With their debut EP, packed with blistering behemoths such as the suitably entitled ‘Power’ set to drop on 5 July and a forthcoming high-profile gig at the Bloodstock Festival fast approaching, King Creature’s momentum is about to reach escape velocity. Get the EP. Go see them live. Take your place at the court of the Kings."
"One of the finest exponents of heavy rock to come down the pipe in many a long year."
"The band retains an unshakable focus on delivering their material with enthusiasm, energy and no little wit."
King Creature, fresh from recording their debut album at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, announced a gig in their home county. A mile from their hometown of Par lies The Band Rooms in St. Austell, Cornwall.
It was almost a homecoming gig after the bright lights of London, coming home to hundreds of adoring fans in the West Country. The minute your eyes focus on the band, it's plain to see that they just ooze Metal. The most down to earth guys offstage, but the ultimate showmen on it.
There aren't many bands around who produce such a wide array of material and still sound like themselves. Taken from their forthcoming single, tonight's opener 'Down in Flames' had the crowd moving in an instant. A nice straight Heavy Rocker that really gets you going.
The versatility of the band is shown early in the set, 'Everything' has a punchy chorus yet possibly the funkiest riff imaginable. Dave Kellaway's bass playing to harmonise the guitarists is phenomenal. From Funk Metal into the melodic, almost NWOBHM like, 'Fortune Teller', guitarist Dave 'EV' Evans shines as his melodies ripple over the top of the tune.
Matt K Vincent had a real stand out moment with his solo. A guitarist who is influenced by the likes of Zakk Wylde and Dimebag Darrell, his playing ability live, is as close to the aforementioned as I have seen in years. Matt seems to make his guitar an extension of himself, making it sing, cry and wail with absolute ease. Jack Bassett on the drums played out of his skin. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) The guy never dropped a beat, even when he posed for a quick photo. His foot-work on the kick drum was particularly top notch, playing little bass para-diddles on drum fills.
The performance of 'Forgive Me' which is from the band’s forthcoming debut album is an absolute gem, nestled rightly in the centre of the set. Dave Kellaway and Matt K Vincent produce the most spine-tingling harmonies which you would not generally expect from a Metal band. However, this is King Creature. Audience interaction to 'Lowlife' is one of the best I have witnessed outside arena venues. The band and fans in unison, as one. The band finished their set with a blistering rendition of 'Power', a song that is as loud as it sounds.
The crowd were going ballistic by this point, not a single person was not head banging or moshing. The only downside to the night was the The Band Rooms had to turn nearly as many away, as who had already bought tickets. The club was that full nobody else could get in. A fantastic SELL OUT!!! homecoming show from the band, welcomed home in style.
"[The band] had the crowd moving in an instant."
"Not a single person was not headbanging or moshing."