Forbidden / Tortured Demon – Manchester Rebellion

Tortured Demon

First up are Manchester’s own – Tortured Demon. They’re local and proud, but seasoned enough from the road to know how to put on a good show, having already toured with fellow UK thrashers Evil and Xentrix (who are watching the gig tonight).

They rip right into high octane tracks from their debut album ‘In Desperation’s Grip’, immediately ramping up energy levels in the room. Ahead of the song ‘The Invasion’ guitarist and lead vocalist Jacob Parkinson exclaims “We wrote this one back when we were 14”! Given their youth it’s not nearly as far back as when tonight’s headliners were 14, but they bang it out like veterans nonetheless. For performers still so young and early in their journey, they’ve got all the tools and aren’t afraid to show them. After 30 relentless minutes, the set finishes with ‘A Knee To The Face Of Corruption’ and any thrash purist in attendance is surely left smiling with a whetted appetite for whatever comes next from these stars of the future – and present!

Forbidden

Last year Craig Locicero – guitarist and conductor in chief – broke the news that thrash legends Forbidden would be reforming, much to the worldwide metal scene’s delight. Having played a couple of warm-up gigs, they are back to touring proper, and have played a slew of festivals this summer. Tonight’s gig at Rebellion is the only UK headline show, and attendance is high. Last time they played Manchester was 1990 with Death Angel!

Craig makes the introductions to the band between songs as we plough through the set. Most notably, we have Norman Skinner on vocals, after Russ Anderson’s retirement. This reviewer has often struggled with Forbidden’s vocals – certainly on record at least, often production related. Live on stage – no problem. Norman has the pipes and then some – from shrill falsetto shrieks and wails, to deep growls and all in between. In Craig’s own words, he was ‘born for this gig’. Founding member Matt Camacho is on bass as always, and drums are now handled by Chris Kontos (mainly known for playing on Machine Head’s debut album and metal classic ‘Burn My Eyes’). Joining them on tour to bring them up to a five piece is Voivod’s Dan ‘Chewy’ Mongrain’. They look like they’ve been playing together all their lives, and Kontos strikes the kit with snappy precision – he has inspired me to check out his other musical output since his 1994 stint with Machine Head.

Not afraid to acknowledge he’s in his mid-fifties, Craig certainly doesn’t act it, looking revitalised as he charges round the stage. They’re clearly having fun – recalling stories about garden party gigs back in the Bay Area where the local crowd were moshing so much they knocked down all the fences.

The band has spent a few days in Manchester having had a couple of days off between shows. Engaging with local fans, attending last night’s Armored Saint gig at the same venue, and Chris Kontos has even got himself a Manchester United shirt – a risky move perhaps but no-one in attendance seems to care. It’s thrash metal ffs!

Tonight’s setlist comes exclusively from their faster, thrashier first two albums. It’s raucously received with the crowd feverishly chanting their way through classics ‘Feel No Pain’, ‘Forbidden Evil’, and ‘Twisted Into Form’. Set closer ‘Chalice of Blood’ gets a special nod to British influentials Motörhead, with a quick cut to ‘Overkill’ in the middle of the song.

Despite having a number of classic albums to their name, and an alumnus featuring some of the biggest names to ever hit a thrash metal stage, with their fractured history and hiatuses Forbidden are a band often viewed as never quite breaking through when compared to their bay area counterparts (Testament, Death Angel, Exodus etc). Well, if you’re a fan of any heavy, fast music then you couldn’t fail to be thrashed and thrilled by tonight’s performance. A great gig by guys who just know how to do it well!

Forbidden currently has new material in the works, slated for a 2025 release.

Setlist:

Follow Me

Off the Edge

Twisted into Form

March into Fire

Feel No Pain

Forbidden Evil

As Good as Dead

Step by Step

Parting of the Ways

Infinite