Vended US modern metal maestros land in Belfast this bank holiday Monday with two killer bands in support, The Gloom In The Corner and the mighty Profiler.
Vended is famously known for two particular band members, who are sons of members of Slipknot: singer Griffin Taylor is the son of Corey Taylor, and drummer Simon Crahan is the son of Shawn “Clown” Crahan. That being said, Vended has carved their own path thus far, no doubt advice on how to make an impact in a heavily saturated industry will go a long way, but these guys can play. So this will be an absolute killer evening of brutal metal and delivered the only way these guys know how. Tonight we are gathered once again at The Limelight in Belfast for what kicks off a killer few weeks of metal shows locally, across the pond festival season will kick off with Download first and foremost and when the hordes descend on the UK, we will benefit with bands landing on Irish shores to maximise their time on this side of the pond. So we have stellar gigs coming up and tonight’s show is a taster of what is to come.
I am looking forward to seeing what Vended are all about. The guys thus far have only released one EP “What Is It/Kill It” back in 2021 and a few singles in 2024, gearing up for new music on the horizon. So no doubt this will be a warm-up for the festival season ahead and a busy summer on the road.
In tow we have two killer bands, The Gloom In The Corner from Melbourne, Australia. These Metalcore giants have been banging at it since 2016 and are due a follow-up to their highly regarded 2022 album “Trinity”. Alongside TGITC we have Profiler who dropped their debut album “A Digital Nowhere” back In Feb of 2024. A band on the way up is gaining real attention so it’s a pleasure having them coming through this fine city and of course making their mark in a small compact venue where you can say you saw them their first before they explode!
Let’s do this!
Profiler kicks things off at 7:30 and with a few technical difficulties in the opening track get it all under control and rock the fuck out! A blend of modern metal, rap, hardcore and old-school grunge fused with electronica it’s a feast for the senses! They have their own thing going on for sure, slamming it as a good power trio should! The building is shaking to its core, the angst coming off the stage is intense, every track heavier than the last, the intensity cranked to the max, the frustration of the opening technical issues spilling over into a brutally angry performance, just what the doctor ordered to blow off the cobwebs on a sleepy bank holiday Monday night. A killer set the lads invite me up on stage to capture a few shots of them doing their thang with the Belfast crowd! A blistering set and a band to watch for sure. It was great to have the guys here in the city for the first time, a blistering set packed full of high-intensity, balls-to-the-wall tunes that melt your face.
Up next are Aussie Metalcore monsters The Gloom In The Corner (TGITC).
So what starts off a fairly interesting set with the vocalist and guitarist sharing vocals in a relatively straightforward bit of metal turns into a brutal Metalcore set that I honestly wasn’t ready for. I’ve said a million times before I love that first ethereal experience of a band live, so I avoid listening to the artists before I see them on stage, Jesus H Christ TGITC are lethal! Savage would be an understatement! Gargantuan breakdowns, and killer stage presence, these guys are slaying it! The sound is massive, thunderous on the breakdowns with the floor literally shaking beneath our feet. one of the most brutal performances I’ve seen in a while, these guys nailed it from start to finish, killer vocals, and guttural and wailing screams they threw in the kitchen sink! Belfast was eating out of the palm of their hands and by the end of the set they were sad to see them exit the stage, now can Vended top that? We’ll soon find out ….. You have to give it to the guys for their stage presence alone, everyone was so into it you could just feel it down below and the plethora of fans who approached the band after wearing Vended T-shirts praising them for their killer performance says a lot about how well received TGITC was. Their frontman really was enigmatic and all eyes were fixed on him throughout with a stellar vocal performance matched by the band’s brutality, a killer from start to finish.
A bit of a breather to allow the stage to get cleared and the patrons to get some oxygen in their lungs and go again. It’s been a killer night so far and the headliners are only around the corner. in touching distance as they say and literally as we stand here in touching distance of the stage. It’s a warm sweaty one, just how the metal community love it!
The lads from Vended hit the stage at 9:30 and Jesus H Christ takes no prisoners, unlike the two support bands who have their sound and genre locked in, Vended is a brutal, manic-sounding band much like their fathers in Slipknot, it’s a total in your face, assault on the senses. Frantic and fast, intense is an understatement, it is a relentless sonic assault. The crowd below are lapping it up, the mosh pit is in a frenzy and does not need any encouragement from the guys on the stage. The beauty of the LL2 is the fact that it is a decent size yet intimate all at the same time, the stage defo needs an overhaul, there’s barely enough room for these guys to maximise their angst, held back like prisoners in a cage they have to unleash all that angst over a small footprint. But somehow they do it, they toss out all that rage and Belfast takes it right in the chest.
It’s uncanny though how much like his father Griffin reminds you of Corey, his stance, planted centre stage, buckled over as he bellows out the most terrifying vocals, a powerhouse singer like his father he has all the qualities to do this all day long. Simon’s drums are behemoth sounding and the riffage coming off the stage and the glorious breakdowns that land occasionally are felt in your bones.
As expected Vended did not disappoint, it’s was an eclectic crowd, packed with young fans, carrying the flag of the next generation of metalheads and old warriors who just appreciate great music regardless of genre, sub-genre, they just love the heaviest shit that anyone can throw at them and we got it in spade tonight. A killer line-up, 3 killer bands. One magnificent spectacle.
If you are lucky enough to have these guys landing on your doorstep you have to check them out, you can thank me later.
Photos + Review: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
