Live Review: Caligula's Horse, Alithia, Orsome Welles, Kettlespider

Kettlespider effortlessly spruce up the stage which up until this point has been used just to soundcheck.

Their technicality and composure-filled performance is equally as impressive as their songwriting ability and musical proficiency. With an instrumental sound that is equal parts Animals As Leaders and Between The Buried And Me, the young group are a beacon of onstage enjoyment.

How can musicians have so much fun while flipping so frequently between odd time signatures and difficult measures? Orsome Welles impress a loyal crowd with their distinct brand of groove metal that features crunchy riffs and bass work that will have your eyes flitting to every corner of their sockets trying to follow the fret board. Their singer has one of the most distinctly original voices in metal, one that weaves storytelling with defiance in a matter of fact way.

Alithia melt the atmosphere sonically with a visually heavy and booze-fuelled set. Cherry wine and whiskey bottles make their way out into the crowd as the stage barely contains the band members themselves, who never fail to stomp and wildly flail around for the duration of their performance.

The all-encompassing voice of singer Sparky flies through the air on a wave of particles similarly charged by the audio-visual representation behind them. Keys and drums swell in unison and percussionist Jeff Ortiz riles the crowd up so much that, as their final note rings out, his extensive set-up of timbales and cowbells is strewn all over the stage.

Caligula’s Horse gallop through a powerhouse set that results in a super-energetic crowd reaction. The band really know how to lock down a groove and their method is tried and true, boasting originality and variance that other bands simply don’t offer.

The creativity lends to ultra-dynamic progression and some great tension drop moments, not to mention that the guitar tones are all very well-calculated, providing a worthy platform for Jim Grey to let his majestic voice thrive. In the prog-sphere Caligula’s Horse are a very impressive band. Sam Vallen’s guitar solos have this scribe bewildered to this day.