PAEIZI, BANSHEE LABYRINTH, EDINBURGH, SEPTEMBER 19 2026

 Everyone's favourite Scottish/Persian crossover metal band.

Line-up:

INSULIN PUMP: I know nothing about these lads. They might be awful. They might not.

Turns out they're not awful. Not entirely sure what they ARE, actually. Sort of jazz-light, a bit of pop, a bit of post-punk, They do, however have a saxophone, for which I will deduct one point.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/EoIIVxtXzkQ   https://www.instagram.com/insulinpumpband/

REVELATION 23: Local alt-metal trio. Last time I saw them they were just two, and they had a different drummer. They've gotten a bit more 'metal' now, too.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/FPvGLtjSDlw   https://www.instagram.com/revelation23band

PAEZI: The aforementioned Scottish/Persian crossover metal band. Nice to see them in a venue that isn't one of the horrible upstairs rooms in Mash House. They are, I think, at their best when the 'Persian' bit is allowed out to play. Otherwise quite grunge-y and, indeed, start things off with an AUDIOSLAVE cover (Show Me How To Live). Nice bluesy jam late on in the set, too.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/MVqKVkBVTjg   https://www.instagram.com/paeiziproject

ACID REFLUX, LEGENDS, EDINBURGH, OCTOBER 24 2025

Sludge-metal, sludge-crust, sludge-doom and sludge-jazz. Sludge. Apparently 'The Kurgan' is the bad guy from the 'Highlander' movie. I know that because I looked it up.

Shamefully under-attended gig, despite heavy promotion from Ali at The Kurgan. Those of us who DO show up are treated to some good stuff.

LINE-UP:

AAC TRIO: Their first ever Edinburgh gig. Experimental doomjazz trio featuring Andrew Cairns of Acidsaurus Bong on baritone guitar, a drummer and someone playing an enormous saxophone. I expect some combination of bonk, thud and parp. I might even find out their names.

They are excellent, despite my initial reservations. After all, I like neither jazz nor saxophones. But they're less jazz and more kraut/psych, and that giant sax is more like a weapon of war than a musical instrument.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/DEpDVY9NZO4    https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579736272396

FOREVER MACHINE: Glaswegian 'funeral thrash' combo. Seen them before, but not for a wee while. I remember liking them. I still do, although their sound seems to have edged somewhat towards the 'post-metal'. Perhaps they have been listening to a lot of NEUROSIS in the intervening years.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/CeregGyejXU   https://www.facebook.com/forevermachine

A.V.L: Anybody's guess whether we'll get A.V.L sludge or A.V.L drone/noise, because they can do either. Or perhaps both. 

What we get is more like a set of turbo charged sludgegrind, and it's very very good. Not overly fond of our current government..

VIDEO:     https://youtu.be/F0681vZOU3s   https://www.facebook.com/avlband

ACID REFLUX: Somewhat enigmatic Glaswegians. Possibly sludge, possibly doom, possibly stoner. Definitely from Glasgow. Turns out to be tar-thick absolutely filthy sludge. Played by very young people.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/NKAAkb7jB6o   https://www.instagram.com/acid.reflux.band.official/

Well, there you go. Friday night in Edinburgh, a line-up of interesting new(ish) bands, and only a handful of punters show up. Ali is feeling a bit disheartened, as well he might, but the band folks I speak with are philosophical about it. '2 or 200, doesn't matter, ' says the lad from A.V.L, 'If one person leaves having enjoyed the gig, then I'm happy.' Or words to that effect. Fair enough.

QUADE, SNEAKY PETE'S, EDINBURGH, SEPTEMBER 25 2025

I have no idea who QUADE are, or what they do. What can possibly go wrong? Apart from mis-spelling 'SNEAKY'...

Line-up:

ELLIANA CRAIG: Apparently, ELLIANA CRAIG is not a person, but a band. Local lads. I'm finding it hard to describe what it is that they do. It seems to have it's origins in post-punk, but it went off the rails somewhere and hooked up with noise rock. And some kind of warped post-rock. There's quite a bit of instrument swapping, and there's a violin. Some of it is quite gentle, and some of it is a discordant scraping noise. I'm not sure if I like it or not. Probably I do.

Video:  https://youtu.be/EmnztJNNacw   https://www.instagram.com/ellianacraig_band/

QUADE: Like the lads above, QUADE are difficult to pin down. They are, as previously mentioned, from Bristol, but that's about the only thing I can definitely say about them. Let's try. They don't talk much, and most of what they do is very quiet. It's a bit folk, a bit ambient, a bit post-rock, a bit jazz, a bit prog. There's quite a bit of instrument swapping, and there's a violin. Wait, that sounds familiar... Well, yes. They are made from a kit of parts similar to the one used by Alliana Craig, but assembled in quite a different way. Less chaotic. The sensible adults to AC's unruly teenager.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/pfzr_-vB3tQ  https://www.facebook.com/quadebanduk

IDIOGRAM, THE CAVES, EDINBURGH, MARCH 22 2025

Stepping away from the Metal entirely, this time, with post-rock/prog quartet IDIOGRAM finally hosting the release show for their (very) long-awaited debut album, 'Reunion of Broken Parts'

Line-up:

SLY DIG: A twiddler of knobs, a maker of excellent hypnotic ambient electronic soundscapes. Mostly quiet, occasionally loud. Nice swirly visuals on the wall behind.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/pzEfcdZKxnU

MATILDA BROWN: Windswept folk/jazz/drone, visuals by Farhad Ahmed. Meatloaf/Streisand covers not included.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/n0XPTLZy3Es  https://www.facebook.com/matildabrown2

IDIOGRAM: Never been entirely sure how to neatly describe IDIOGRAM. They do instrumental, jazz-flavoured proggy post-rock. With bits of other stuff. Anyway, they're here to launch their 'new' album, an album which has been gestating since before Covid, at least six years, and tonight they're going to play it in full. And they do.

(Before I go on, I must relate a bizarre 'conversation' that occurred as I was waiting for Idiogram to come on. I was approached by an elderly man, who started the following exchange:

Old Man: Are you with the Drakes?

Me, baffled: Sorry, what?

O.M.: The Drakes. Are you with the Drakes?

Me, still baffled: I'm just a punter.

O.M. I'm just a punter too, but I don't want to get ripped off. Who owns all of this? (gestures around) Is it the London boys?

Me: Sorry, I have no idea.

O.M. I'll bet it's those London Boys. (wanders off)

Me: ???)

It's an impressive and ambitious show. The music is captivating, and the accompanying visuals - by SAM HEALY of BOARDGAME - fill the room with swirling, pulsating light. Idiogram look like a seasoned band who have been gigging for years, belying the truth that they've only played a handful of shows before. Also, I'd forgotten what a fine venue the Caves is. Great sound, great space. 

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/lWRQgKcWMWA   https://www.facebook.com/idiogram.band