Severenth w/ Karma’s Puppet and The Shuffle
The Swan With Two Necks, Macclesfield
3rd December 2021
Review by Robb Sutton
It’s been many years since I’ve been to Macclesfield, and to The Swan With Two Necks, which was a venue/pub I loved as it has an intimate and homely feel to it. Going back there was a proper blast from the past, and it still has the same friendly atmosphere and probably the best smoking area of any venue I have been to this year! I called it ‘Granny’s Shed’ as that was the feel of it: sofas, old décor and lovely blankets everywhere.
Tonight wasn’t about Granny’s Shed however! It was about 3 bands. First up was The Shuffle, an Alt Rock/Metalish band who I’m sure I had seen in their previous guise Monkey Shuffle. This was their first gig in a very long time. The band said they had been going for 19 years, and their longevity shows, as they offer up a very nostalgic, MySpace era feel, with the nod your head riffs and pop/punk style vocals. Mix these with a couple of cheeky screams and it all fits together very nicely. It reminded me of Alexisonfire, a band I used to be into as a teenager, it’s the mid 00’s vibes that really get you going. To me this is what The Shuffle are, a fantastic trip down memory lane, although I did feel like there was one song too many in this set. But that’s a minor setback for what was a solid and truly enjoyable set.
https://www.facebook.com/theshuffleuk
Next up was a band I have seen a lot of online but never managed to see in the flesh, Karma’s Puppet. They certainly had an air of professionalism about them, with the stage covered in their logos, and a cheeky box for the vocalist to stand on. Karma’s Puppet seem to take influences from many places in music, most notably for me was the Lamb of God influenced riffs, which offered the grunt and speed to their set, and this was backed up with some solid drum beats as well. They seem to take a lot of influence from the Metalcore genre as well, adding a mix of both clean and growled singing. The growling was really good, it fitted beautifully with the pace of the songs, the singing however was not so much to my taste. It isn’t bad, but it reminded me of Billy Idol. It does work with their sound, but just isn’t quite my usual go to style. Karma’s Puppet as a whole performed a brilliant set, and from this, I can see why so many people were wearing their t-shirts, myself included. They are carving a name for themselves in the North West, and performances like this will be a reason why I would see them again.
https://www.facebook.com/karmaspuppet/
Finally was a band I have seen many times over the last decade, as well as having the honour of standing on stage with them at this year’s Bloodstock! It is, of course, Severenth. Each time I’ve seen them this year they have only had a half hour set, but this time was a full 45 minutes. This meant we were treated to the usual tracks, such as ‘Reveal’ and ‘Two Mirrors’, but also some others, including a brand new as yet unnamed track. This was a personal highlight for me, as it gave a glimpse into what’s to come in the next year for this band. Although, the new song still kept to the Severenth ‘UK band doing a German Metalcore’ sound, it did sound fresh. This performance was filled with little gems for us to enjoy; from the blistering drums to the jaw dropping dual guitar solos. Top this all off with a delicious mix of clean and screamed vocals and you have the recipe for a fantastic set. We were also treated to a really old song from their back catalogue, ‘Age of Paranoia’, which was a song I used to jam to so many times as a teenager. Here it did feel dated, though it was nice to hear the old song again. Severenth are one of those bands you can sing along to, mosh to, but most importantly, really enjoy watching, just hope they remember to get the merch out! Until next time boys!
https://www.facebook.com/OfficialSeverenth
One thing to note about this gig was the absence of a sound tech, this meant all the bands tonight were adjusting their own sound or helping others do so, this really shows the many talents that are hidden in the underground scene. It was another cracking gig with good bands, good music and lovely people. What more can you ask for?
The Swan With Two Necks Links:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rob Sutton and Ever Metal. All photographic images the property of Sheri Bicheno. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
