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Voivod, Midnight And Cryptosis Dock At The Thekla, In Bristol

A co-headlining tour is always an interesting prospect. Fans get to experience plenty from either headliner they wanted to see, and if they’re a fan of both, then that’s even better. Sometimes, the pairings are obvious, such as when Alice Cooper toured with Rob Zombie in this fashion, other times, they’re less so. The combination of Quebecois progressive thrashers Voivod and Cleveland black ‘n roll kings Midnight may not have fallen into the former category, but knowing how exciting both bands can be in the live setting, it did appear be a good match. So, when it was announced that they would trek across the United Kingdom, and make a stop in Bristol, performing on a boat no less (The Thekla venue,) there was no way in Hell I was missing out.

As it turns out, there was one way this would have happened, as myself and friends very nearly ended up taking the wrong train, which would have taken us to Wales, but thankfully we realised our mistake at the last second, poured out of the train door and boarded the next one to Temple Meads, a mere ten minute walk from the Thekla. We arrived shortly after the night’s openers Cryptosis got underway. Despite not being familiar with their music, for some reason the cover art of their debut, “Bionic Swarm” has always stuck with me, so it was interesting to give them a proper go. I’m glad I did, because the Dutch trio proved that they weren’t just there to make up the numbers.

For those unfamiliar, Cryptosis plays a very fierce style of thrash metal. One that doesn’t sacrifice heaviness for speed, and there’s plenty of technical and progressive elements too to really pepper the steak. As one might expect, most of their set was dedicated to their latest album, “Celestial Death,” which was released last year through Century Media Records. Cuts like “Ascending” and “Absent Presence” sounded absolutely superb and they were helped by a really strong stage presence. Frontman Laurens Houvast frequently held his guitar aloft or pointed it towards the audience in a successful attempt to get them going. It’s also worth mentioning that of the three bands on the bill tonight, Cryptosis had the most impressive backdrop, utilising a video screen featuring clips from their music videos. This was a really impressive display and I’m eager to check out a longer set from the band in future.

Celebrating an album’s anniversary is always special, though the decision to perform it in full can be a divisive one. I’m usually in the camp that says, “Why play a full album when I could just listen to it?” but given how long Midnight albums run for, it’s not so bad this time. The record in question is “Satanic Royalty,” which this year turns fifteen years old. It does contain some of their best known songs such as “You Can’t Stop Steel,” which was definitely a highlight of the set, plus plenty of other awesome tracks that don’t get played so much, including “Violence On Violence” and “Black Damnation” and it all came together to remind the crowd just how good “Satanic Royalty” is.

Anyone who’s seen Midnight before will know that few bands can match their energy, and the three piece once again delivered a full on black ‘n roll attack with a great vibe. It’s impossible not to have fun watching Midnight and that’s not just from the music, but from the rapport they build with the audience. From jokes about drummer Iron Possessor being a glorified hat rack, to giving a shout out to Bristol’s best New Wave Of British Heavy Metal band Jaguar (and leading me to really hope for a cover of “Axe Crazy,”) there was nothing but love between the stage and the floor. Plus, given that “Satanic Royalty” clocks in at just over half an hour, there was still time for a few other numbers, which came in the form of “Fucking Speed And Darkness” and the ultimate “fuck you” anthem, “F.O.A.L.” As much as I love Midnight’s albums, seeing them live is another level and witnessing their sets will remind you why you fell in love with heavy metal to begin with.

Taking to the stage after such a memorable performance requires a band with enormous talent and confidence. Fortunately, Jonquière’s own Voivod has built a unique metal legacy for themselves over the past forty four years by doing things their way and knowing that it would work, so neither of those requirements would be an issue. They really are a law unto themselves and that was exemplified from the off as they tore into “Experiment,” which itself is the opening song from their beloved 1988 album, “Dimension Hatröss.” Snake is a masterful frontman, coming across very endearing as he made goofy faces and awkwardly moved around the stage, like an artfully used marionette. All this while his comrades Away, Chewy and Rocky beat their instruments like they owed the musicians money, bringing a punk rock approach to progressive metal that most bands can only dream about.

It must be really difficult to condense four decades of music into a relatively short setlist, but Voivod picked a great variety of tracks. Of course, their first album represented with the eponymous song, “War And Pain,” but they also included “Obsolete Beings” from their 2018 release, “The Wake,” which was their most recent album to be given some airtime tonight. You also can’t have a Voivod show without a song from “Killing Technology” and this time it was “Tornado” which was featured, going down as one of the highlights of the show for sure. Meanwhile, their sophomore album, which has one of the best metal titles ever, “Rrroooaaarrr,” was spotlighted via a great rendition of “Korgüll The Exterminator,” and the band even dipped into the Eric Forrest era by performing “Nanoman” from the album, “Negatron.” It’s hard to describe Voivod’s music at the best of times, but much like Midnight, seeing them live adds another layer to the experience, and one really gets to appreciate what’s made them last for so long and still be adored so much. Tonight was an absolute treat and I implore anybody reading this who hasn’t picked up a ticket for this tour, or indeed any other upcoming show from any of these three, to do so right now.

Ollie Hynes has been a writer for Metal Underground.com since 2007 and a metal fan since 2001, going as far as to travel to other countries and continents for metal gigs.