Cauldron and Volture at Maywood

(Cauldron)

(Cauldron)

Last was the first time I'd seen Richmond NWOBHM lovers Volture in a while -- and it just happened to be their second show with a brand new lead singer, Jack Bauer. I was a fan before, but the new singer seriously has taken them to a new level, and I loved the new stuff that they played. You can hear a new song with Jack here. They'll be at the Gwar-b-cue if you're thinking of making that trip. 

I was eager to see Toronto trad-metalers Cauldron live. I honestly wasn't into their latest album, and I thought they just might be a band that would work much better live than on record. I was not disappointed at all. They sounded great, and I'm eager to hear what they do next. Here's video (not by me) of "All or Nothing." See more photos. 

It was also my first trip to the Maywood. For those of you who haven't been there since the switch from Volume 11, the former stage area is now a pool room, and the stage is now in the same room as the bar.  It's a much smaller space, and very reminiscent of the Dive Bar -- which makes sense because Robby from the Dive Bar is now involved with Maywood. I thought the space worked well, but I can see how it will get really crowded when a larger band plays. 

Volture and Twisted Tower Dire at Kings

Since I'm old enough to remember the original NWOBHM movement, I really appreciate the fact that this style of metal is getting renewed attention. I checked out Richmond's Volture when their album "Shocking its Prey" came out, and while I liked them, I didn't really love them. But last night at Kings they totally sold me with their high-energy live show. Can't wait to see them again.

I had a few technical difficulties last night. First off, I forgot my camera battery, and had to run back home, thus missing most of Twisted Tower Dire. Once I got back, I had various troubles just getting the camera to function, which is why this video starts after the band had begun playing. Unfortunately, since I was up front, you don't hear exactly how powerful vocalist Brent Hubbard's voice is.

As I said, I ended up missing most of Twisted Tower Dire, which was a shame because I hadn't seen them in a while. Also looking forward to seeing them again soon.