So, after a wee cheeky week off, chocolate coma and Irish Revolution of 2026 (Fuel Protests), I am back in Belfast for the craic and the second semi-final of M2TM 2026.
Tonight’s SF is tasty on paper, a blend of genres, a blend of experience and varying degrees of all things beard.
Up first Microtonal,
These guys are a ballsy, youthful gang of lunatics who love all things Thrash! Their own genre of a fusion of modern styles, but they hit hard, always deliver a hefty show, and do it all with a smile on their faces. They may be young, but they have been busting their balls over the last few years, building up a reputation on the local scene, and have rightly earned the opportunity to be here and on bills now sharing the stage with their peers. So fair play, you always look at bands who come back through the competition, and you want to see growth and maturity when they return, and well, one outta two ain’t bad! I jest, I jest, I do see these guys are more focused this year, tonight especially, they have an army of fans losing their minds up front, headbanging as their lives depend on it. What more could you ask for?
Up next, Sludgy, Grungy, Doom-laden Psychodelic rockers El Toro. Back again to lay down a seriously thick soundtrack. Their sound is monstrous, the drum work sublime against the hefty, thick wall of modulated guitar work and thick, droning vocals. These guys have a lot going on, tracks like ‘Country Funk’ are a mind melt as they take you on a sonic rollercoaster, dragging you through psychedelic desert rock vibes and back through slamming grungy riffage all in the same track! It’s chaos, baby, but I dig it, yeah baby yeah! The guys laid down a solid set for sure. It’ll be interesting to see how it all plays out over the evening, with the various musical styles on display and trying to gauge who’s here for one band or another.
Next, we have Mourning Of The Heretic, a black metal band that played a blinder in their heat when they brought a wealth of experience to the stage that night and right off, you can understand why. They just deliver; all five band members are totally focused on stage, slaying it, lining up there. Now, the genre, I’ll be honest, is lost on me, but I can appreciate any genre when it is done well, and these guys are savage. A blistering performance from start to finish, if you are a fan of the genre, then Mourning Of The Heretic should be right up your street with their fresh take on all things Black Metal.
So this is it, the last band is setting up, and we’ve had a real contradiction in terms of musical styles and flavours tonight. A real mixed bag for sure, up last we have Muted Tweed, self-confessed Mogwai for people who lift weights! As they say …..
I really enjoyed their Heat set, so it’ll be interesting to see if they have the same intrigue and magnetic charm…. yup! There are droves, the thunderous wall of sound coming from the stage, interspersed with brief melodic breaks, that capture the imagination and squeeze your balls at the same time. What’s not to love! I’ve just clocked that the bass player from Mourning is the bass player too … double shift tonight, boss! I tip my hat to thee …. These guys are epic, I love the energy, the riffage, the ups and downs across the set, never mind in the same song, a lot like The Boat Sank, one of our fave M2TM bands, they crush their set and everyone standing in front of them.
Pics By Flash Art Mark
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The 3rd and final semi-final of the 2026 Metal 2 the Masses NI competition is a mere 7 days away. This final round will give us the last 2 bands for the Grand Final and is your last chance to vote this year! Pack the room and make your choice! Ticket link and details below.
Tickets: https://wegottickets.com/event/689299
