Metal 2 The Masses Quarter Final 2 – Rebellion, Manchester – 23/03/2025

No time for games now as we were approaching the business end of the competition. Same rules as always: arrive, get a token (but don’t lose it), and vote for the band you think deserves to go through. One band would go through this way, as well as a judges’ vote. With two bands already through to the semis, which of the 4 hopefuls tonight would be joining them?

 

Dwingle

Dressed for the occasion in formal shirt and trouser attire, it was almost as if the lads had come straight from the office and directly to the stage. Or were they going for a wedding band kind of look? Though this show was anything but gimmicks. They meant business and sounded huge on that stage. The packed-out venue screaming for the band was a clear indication of where the crowd vote would most likely end up. 

“Can we have a circle pit, please?”

Perhaps the most formal manner in which to initiate a pit. It worked, though, and this red hot crowd was moving in no time at all even though it was so early. We’ve seen some cold opening crowds for the opening bands, but not this time round. 

Covert

I have spoken of my admiration for the young Preston outfit born from their performance in their heat. I have also spoken of how something very special was brewing here. Words I still stand by and words that were reinforced by what we witnessed last night. A furious industrial-spiced metalcore assault in a performance way beyond their years! The addition of background visuals certainly enhanced the spectacle this evening. Though once the pits had opened, not many would have seen these as Rebellion at times, became absolutely feral with the crowd totally absorbed in the crushing breakdowns and general savagery of it all. I wonder what this would look like on the New Blood Stage this summer. 

All Out Of Bubblegum (AOOB)

Time to slow things down for AOOB. This was just simply a fun set! The first band of the evening with major hooks, melodies, and choruses that were so easy to join in on. Whether it was ‘Venomous’ or the band’s self-titled song, their set encapsulated these elements all wrapped into a neat alternative rock style with electronics. Though it was always going to be tough to follow up the bands that preceded them, and it sadly felt they were lacking in much needed stage presence to rival what we had seen earlier. 

Lantern 

Having missed their opening round set, this would be my introduction to the band. Anything with Jonny Harding-Smith is worth watching, having seen him perform in the likes of Archetype and Zebedy. Lantern continued with the progressive rock theme of the other aforementioned projects, though with a heavy twist. Heavy and aggressive vocals, chunky, venomous riffs to rival Mastodon or even the likes of Obituary. This was going to give the judges something to ponder. 

 

Rhabstallion

A band that the 0161 had had their eye on for a while. Having seen the heavy metal act in the flesh on this night, it was easy to see why! This felt a throwback to the good old days of British heavy metal. Soaring lead vocals, a good choppy and galloping rhythm section as well as a powerhouse of a lead vocalist; no reinventing the wheel but rather just sticking to what works. This represented a more mature act that appealed to the older heads in the crowd mostly though I’m sure the younger people in the crowd would have appreciated this. 

 

Verdict

Crowd: Dwingle

Judges: Covert 

This felt like the correct result, as, with no disrespect to AOOB or Lantern, Dwingle and Covert were simply much stronger tonight and rightfully secured their place in the semi-final.