We are back at the Jericho Tavern ready to kick off heat four of M2TM and Oxford’s metal contingent are out in force for what promises to be a stellar round of performances. On the bill tonight are Maidenhead-based RE:O, newcomers to the competition who are stepping up against returning Bristol-based Radioactive Puppies of Chernobyl (RPC), and Basingstoke-based The Blade Itself who are also returning to the competition after making it all the way to last year’s final.
Four piece RE:O are up first, beautifully blending Japanese pop/rock with alternative metal which brings a unique and distinctive sound to proceedings. They tear into their set with style and put on a highly energetic, passionate, and charismatic performance that is guaranteed to leave a lasting impression on the crowd. Their sound is industrial with a myriad of electronic elements that fuse brilliantly, giving an atmospheric and emotional feel to their set.
Their front woman, Rio, is a born performer and truly commands the stage. She has a regal presence, clad in a striking stage outfit and works the whole space, interacting with the crowd and hyping the room in a way that leaves no doubt that these guys are built for big things. Rio floats across the stage like a katana wielding butterfly and the room erupts upon her command. Their musicianship as a band is beautifully tight and their songs are catchy, emotive and captivating.
This set brought so much energy and movement, from both the band and the audience. There is constant jumping, head banging and finally, a circle-pit to round off things off nicely. As a spectator, this was a memorable, attention grabbing and fun to watch set. As a photographer, it was an absolute dream. I took so many photographs of this set!
RPC are up next, returning to M2TM for the third time, and absolutely unleash as they explode onto the stage. This punk/thrash cross over is fraught, frenzied and absolutely brutal; with punishing bass/ guitar, and harsh, forceful, guttural vocals – the kind of vocals that make you wonder how it’s possible to sustain without injury. When the backing vocalist joined in and added yet another dimension to the wall of sound that was engulfing us, the crowd, instead of recoiling, opened up and invited him in.
The band had great chemistry on stage and you would be forgiven for not realising that tonight’s bassist is a stand in. He tore through the set with confidence and cohesion. The band were a high energy, symbiotic unit and it was obvious they were all enjoying themselves. As well as showcasing two new and unreleased songs, they also dropped a blistering drum solo that was well received by the crowd.
They actually powered through their set with such ferocity that they ended up finishing it early; giving them time to round it off spectacularly with a resounding, thunderous cover of Break Stuff that is an instant hit with the crowd. RPC bring a hardcore punk sound and nu-metal-esque attitude and the kind of energy that pulls you in and gets the crowd going immediately.
Closing out the evening are five-piece The Blade Itself who return to the competition and bring the utter chaos we know and love them for. They built on the already sky high energy and atmosphere in the room and took things up yet another notch. It seems that swords were a theme of the evening and before we knew it, inflatable swords and shields were flying through the room, and the pit erupted mere seconds into the set. This was an absolute annihilation of a performance, with harsh vocals, groovy elements, strobes, and great big grins on every face.
With five people on the (pretty small) stage and with such intense energy, their vocalist and bassist both decided at various points throughout the set to join the crowd. It’s not often you get to see a bass guitar floating around in the midst of a giant heavy metal washing machine of people, but with a pit this intense and this big; if you were in the crowd at all, you were in this pit.
The Blade Itself really showcased their experience both as musicians and performers, and radiated an immaculate sense of beautifully curated chaos from start to finish. From the opening notes of their set they set the momentum which only continued to build throughout; transforming the humble Jericho Tavern into a veritable battleground that left the crowd both delighted and exhausted in equal measure.
It is now decision time, and no one is going to envy the judges tonight. Whichever way this goes, this has got to be one of the toughest decisions of the competition so far. All three bands have put on incredible performances that are more than deserving of recognition and progression and no one wants to see any of them left behind. But such is M2TM and hard decisions still have to be made. After some deliberation time, RE:O take the crowd vote and The Blade Itself go through on the judge’s vote, meaning we sadly say goodbye to RPC. M2TM will be back for Heat 5 on the 21st of March!
Words & images: Kate Elfström
