Rockfreaks.net

support Forever Still
author TL date 12/03/15 venue BETA, Copenhagen, DEN

York quartet Glamour Of The Kill are no strangers to Danish shores, having played in Copenhagen in support of both Alesana, Yashin and Papa Roach, yet this Thursday evening at Beta marks their first trip here with their own name at the top of the bill. Their mixture of modern metalcore and vintage hair- and glam metal has been explored on two full-length albums at this point, and most recently with the EP "After Hours" from last year, and in collaboration with the local support band Forever Still, a modest crowd estimated around forty in number has been drawn and is found spread out across the small venue as we arrive, just after Forever Still have started their set.

Forever Still

Judging from the empty semi-circle in front of the stage for Forever Still's show, the audience are potential fans in the making more so than loyal followers already, yet the band handles this unfazed, as their approach seems to be putting on a show fitting of an arena show no matter what. Singer Maja Schønning, guitarist Dennis Post and bassist Mikkel Haastrup all put up powerful stances that fit the punch in their dark, heavy rock expression, which aligns squarely with the style of more famous groups like Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation and Evanescence. The guitar and vocals battle for supremacy in the loud mix, yet it's clear how confidently the group wields their separate instruments, with plenty little tricks being flashed both in the singing and the shredding.

The band's main obstacle is the lack of variety in their expression, especially rhythmically speaking, as most songs stomp ahead at a stagnant mid-tempo while Schönning belts and bends pathos-filled note upon pathos-filled note. The group has a good grasp on how to set up a leap from verse to chorus, but lack the strong hooks to give their songs personality and make them stand apart, as indeed their band's overall challenge seems to be in defining what about their expression sets them apart from their influences at the international level. They sound and look professional enough to go down fairly well with an early crowd that seems in good spirits though, so it's a shame that Schönning seems a bit awkward and rushed on the few occasions when she addresses us. Their active stage presence during songs is commendable, but it would do them wonders to meet an audience like this a bit more on eye-to-eye level and establish a "let's make the best of it" mood on what is in reality just a laid-back Thursday night.

Setlist:

• 1. Break The Glass
• 2. Awake The Fire
• 3. The Last Day
• 4. The Key
• 5. Scars
• 6. Your Light
• 7. Wish (Nine Inch Nails cover)
• 8. Once Upon A Nightmare
• 9. Breathe In And...
• 10. I'm Out

Glamour Of The Kill

If people watched Forever Still and tried to put a finger on why exactly they didn't feel as impactful as they could, it at least becomes clear that the impression is solid when comparing the support to the tonight's headliners. Glamour Of The Kill may at a glance be pigeonholed easily as your poppier little-brother to Bullet For My Valentine, but if takes no time at all for them to establish that they wield a wider arsenal of popular metal influences in a confident, super focused songwriting. Songs start with good tempo and often with bits of blazing, harmonised riffage that bring to mind the band's self-professed idols in Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy, and the audience is consistently imbued with the feeling of drive and direction towards the next chorus or breakdown. As usual, the members' solid efforts in their relatively intricate vocal arrangements betrays a more careful and precisely singing group than your average sloppy metalcore band, and the professional attitude is reflected in bassist/lead-singer Davey Richmond's rowdy attempts at convincing the crowd that Thursday be damned, this is a night to get wasted.

Considering that Glamour Of The Kill have been around, it looks good on them to give a solid performance to tonight's modestly sized audience, and the frontmost dozen look like they're loving the band for it. However, as the set progresses even the group's qualities begin to suffer from some of the same problems of predictability as Forever Still had, and while Richmond wields his flat, Billboard rock -type voice with proficiency, his limited reach leaves something to be desired in terms of how impressive the band can really sound. However, it doesn't stop him from convincing a fan to order and shoot tequila with the band towards the end of the set, or from introducing every member of the touring crew with humorous lies about them having appeared in famous films like Braveheart. Overall, the set displayed the band's positive attitude and clever grasp of songwriting, but also the limit of their expression and the lack of truly great hooks which are the likely reasons that the group has yet to break through in the same way as the bands they are often compared to.

Setlist:

• 1. Out of Control
• 2. If Only She Knew
• 3. Second Chance
• 4. Earthquake
• 5. Break
• 6. We Are All Cursed
• 7. A Freak Like Me
• 8. Blood Drunk
• 9. Live for the Weekend
• 10. A Hope in Hell
• 11. Lights Down
• 12. Love Gun (KISS cover)
• 13. Feeling Alive