Metal & Prog picks: December 2016

It’s all gone a bit quiet after that November onslaught, mainly because a brace of shows have been rescheduled. Ace melodic rockers Tyketto now play the Thekla on Jan 28, while Star Wars metallers (no, really) Galactic Empire’s show at the Fleece has been put back to Feb 6. Check out the coming soons for plenty of tasty new gigs, including Anthrax at the Academy, ‘Voice of Rock’ Glenn Hughes and Latin metallers Il Nino at the Fleece, Monster Truck at the Marble Factory, and Hellyeah and The Quireboys at the Thekla. And who could fail to be overjoyed at the prospect of a band named Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard? (Guess what kind of music they play, pop kids!)

Black Stone Cherry

Colston Hall, Dec 2

With precisely zero support from the mainstream media, Kentucky’s Black Stone Cherry have come an awfully long way since they first played the Fleece as fresh-faced youths back in 2007. Their blend of southern rock and metal has won them such a huge audience in this country that they now normally headline arenas. So naturally this intimate Experience Kentucky: An Evening with Black Stone Cherry show at the Colston Hall is long sold out. If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket, you can expect two sets. The first comprises acoustic reworkings of some of their best-known songs. It’s followed by a full-on hard rockin’ electric set. See our interview with BSC bassist Jon Lawhon here.

Daniel Lioneye

Thekla, Dec 13

Essentially HIM without Ville Valo, Daniel Lioneye were launched as a side-project in 2001, permitting dreadlocked guitarist Linde Lindström to take the spotlight. Playing a mix of what they describe as “extreme rock’n’roll” with black metal influences, their three albums have received rather mixed reviews. But the title track of the first one, The King of Rock’n’Roll, was adopted by HIM-worshipping skateboarder Bam Margera as the theme to his TV show Viva La Bam, giving the Finns something of a career boost.

Boris

Fleece, Dec 14

Prolific Japanese sludge/avant-metallers Boris are named after a track on The Melvins’ Bullhead and put out the first of their 24 studio albums on their own fabulously named Fangs Anal Satan label 20 years ago. They’re best known for 2006’s Pink, released on Greg Anderson’s Southern Lord label, which was more melodic than some of their more experimental stuff. The good news is that they’ll be playing the whole bloody thing in full tonight to celebrate its 10th anniversary, along with outtakes that were recently released as Forbidden Songs.

COMING SOON

Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.

Meshuggah, Academy, Jan 12

Tyketto, Thekla, Jan 28

Oathbreaker, Exchange, Jan 29

Mare/Sonance, Stag & Hounds, Feb 1

Glenn Hughes, Fleece, Feb 2

Evil Scarecrow, Thekla, Feb 4

Galactic Empire, Fleece, Feb 6

Anthrax, Academy, Feb 11

((OHHMS))/Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Stag & Hounds, Feb 15

Devin Townsend Project/TesseracT/Leprous, Colston Hall, March 12

Monster Truck, Marble Factory, March 15

Black Star Riders/Backyard Babies/Gun, O2 Academy, March 16

Sonata Arctica, Marble Factory, March 18

Gojira, Academy, March 18

Suicide Silence, Marble Factory, March 23

Ill Nino, Fleece, March 26

Blackberry Smoke, O2 Academy, April 6

Acid Reign, Exchange, April 9

Hellyeah, Thekla, April 14

Bristol Deathfest: Vader, Immolation, etc., Bierkeller, April 15-16

The Quireboys, Thekla, April 27

Steve Hackett, Colston Hall, May 4

Skunk Anansie, Academy, May 25

KMFDM, Fleece, May 25