HELLRAISER NIGHT, BANSHEE LABYRINTH, EDINBURGH, APRIL 10 2026

 Edinburgh's semi-regular metal night at the Banshee

Line-up:

OBSIDIAN SAND: Excellent instrumental sludgy post-metal from  relatively new locals. Keen-eyed observers will notice that their guitarist is Lukasz from sludge/noise terrorists A.V.L. Not that this is particularly relevant, it's just interesting. 

Some of the subtleties were lost on part of the audience, who chatted through a few of the more Pink-Floydy bits. Philistines.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/wT09gjLXURQ   https://www.facebook.com/ObsidianSand
 

RAZOR SHARP DEATH BLIZZARD: Grizzled veterans of the Edinburgh punk/metal scene. Featuring a new drummer. As sharp as ever, and as resolutely anti-fascist. Will not be voting Tory/Reform at the upcoming elections.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/R-Rgv4Y2mTY  https://www.facebook.com/razorsharpdeathblizzard

SOULS OF JACK KETCH: Death/thrash from Newcastle. This is their first gig of the year, apparently, and my first time seeing them ever. Also their bass player's last ever SoJK gig. Great fun, especially when their guitarist failed to remember the riff for the new song. They got there eventually. allegedly just doing it to build up the tension. Yeeesss...

For those who don't know, or who can't use a search function on their computer, Jack Ketch was the 17th century inventor of tomato ketchup. Or an English executioner. Perhaps both.

VIDEO:    https://youtu.be/QGloV3b52g4  https://www.facebook.com/SoulsofJackKetch 

PRIMITIVE VICES: Doom/sludge from that hotbed of Scottish metal, Penicuik. Featuring an uncertain number of new members, and playing an uncertain number of new songs. Chunky.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/qJCwHOFUw5Q  https://www.facebook.com/PrimitiveVices

ORA COGAN, SNEAKY PETE'S, EDINBURGH, MARCH 24 2026

 Something a bit different. Definitely not metal.

Sneaky Pete's is STILL excessively smokey, though. I don't know why they feel it necessary to pump so much smoke into the room. There's no need for it.

Line-up:

ATTICUS MERCREDI: Canadian/native American singer/songwriter and percussionist in ORA COGAN's band, going solo with songs exploring his childhood and Native American roots. He's never done this before, so maybe that would explain why he seems a little nervous.

VIDEO:    https://youtu.be/yrk8GMHLSFQ  https://www.facebook.com/jeffrey.mercredi

ORA COGAN: Hard to pin down, this. Part country, part folk, part Americana, part psychedelic and part goth. But not as goth as I expected, to be honest, apart from her bat-winged boots. Also Canadian.

She seems a little bemused by the tiny stage in Sneaky Pete's, and is prone to frequent fits of giggling.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/cR7hMtlOkO8     https://www.facebook.com/oracoganmusic

RIPCORD FEST, NICE'N'SLEAZY, GLASGOW, MARCH 21 2026

Hefty new post-metal, etc. festival from those nice folks at RIPCORD RECORDS. It's the last gig of the month (It's not, as it happens. Got a short notice one on the 24th), a Saturday, a 70 mile drive away and I've got work tomorrow. This might kill me.

LINE-UP:

WOLVES:  First up, post-hardcore noisy boys from...oh, I don't know. Somewhere grim in England, probably. Fine stuff.

VIDEO:     https://youtu.be/59GwlEXhx74   https://www.facebook.com/theycalluswolves

SOLARS: Sturdy post-rock from Birmingham. 

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/JxLL5qHgxRE   https://www.facebook.com/solarsuk

CIVIL SERVICE:  First band of the day that I've seen before. Synth/sample heavy post-rock from Manchester. Their recent new album is called 'DARK', which is appropriate since they play, mostly, in the...dark.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/zucXqGDBa68  https://www.facebook.com/CivilServiceBand

HELVE: The heftiest of post-sludge, from Leeds. Massive. And that bass players tone is pure filth. Been waiting for aaaaages to see Helve. Totally worth it. Oh, and Andy from WOLVES pops up for a song.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/42fCnMSe4BQ   https://www.facebook.com/Helveband

MILLION MOONS: Last of the day's post-rockers, atmospheric and joyous. That stage-left guitarist can't half throw some shapes, though.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/zWKq-Es6RUs   https://www.facebook.com/millionmoonsband

BENEATH A STEEL SKY: Local lads, post-metal of the most subtle kind, until it isn't. And then it kicks your head in. Singer Greg's first appearance of the day. 

VIDEO:     https://youtu.be/6N-oqQ_ftL8   https://www.facebook.com/beneathasteelskyband

INDIFFERENT ENGINE: Intense and chaotic math-punk. How they can play whilst being dragged around the stage by their singer, I don't really know. Practice, I guess. (Don't try this at home, kids)

VIDEO:        https://youtu.be/dJ8vFcMQ_q8         https://www.facebook.com/IndifferentEngine

CODESPEAKER: Greg's back! His other band, notorious retina-destroyers and ear-damagers, and one of the finest post-metal bands in the country.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/JmckmI-JflQ   https://www.facebook.com/codespeakertheband

HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN: Post-metal again, but the absolute best post-metal in the country. New material, new members, but still the same emotionally and physically devastating noise. Also, still as hard as ever to photograph, with their smoke and their ultra-hostile lighting, the little tykes. Including Greg's third and final appearance, albeit a brief one right at the end.

I can't add a video right now because they need to check any footage before allowing it to be released into the wild. Fingers crossed. I've seen it and it's awesome.

EDIT: Thumbs up from HYOM! Video added.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/XXgpbGcDiGI      https://www.facebook.com/hundredyearoldman

Well, it didn't kill me, but I was good for nothing at work on Sunday. And Monday, to be honest.

As a first attempt at an all-dayer, there can be no complaints here. Nine bands, all killer, no filler, as the young folks used to say. Hefty bits, subtle bits, turbulent bits, intense bits. Well organised, no messing about, totally sold out. RIPCORD will be back on 10th October. You should watch out for it.

Hopefully, the Glasgow roadworks will be finished by then, but I doubt it. Getting to the carpark was a fucking nightmare.