After a long time coming, Canada’s heavy metal titans Riot City are back in the UK with Seven Sisters ready to strike with their “Tyrants of the Stars” tour. I was lucky enough to catch them at their Manchester show and what a hell of a show it was!

Being based in the UK the Nwothm scene still feels very underground to me and even though we have a handful of notable bands like Wytch Hazel and Seven Sisters, It is rare to see bands come over from the likes of Europe and play.Usually it feels like we get the odd exclusive show here and there. Last year after the cancelation of Manorfest, I was fortunate enough to catch the mighty Eternal Champion here in Manchester which felt like a rare occurrence!

And now one year on, one of the Canadian big guns in nwothm – Riot City is on tour here in the UK along with our very own Seven Sisters. After watching numerous live performances on Youtube of both bands in Europe I was clamouring at the hope that that Riot City would return to the UK. Both bands are two I have been wanting to see for ages and when I heard that they were embarking on their ‘Tyrants of the Stars’ tour I had to get my ticket.

Manchester is known for having a thriving music scene, and I wasn’t surprised when the Star and Garter next to Piccadilly train station was chosen to host these amazing bands. The last time I personally visited this venue was back in 2016/17 when the mighty Cauldron graced the stage with support from Ascalon.

So it’s bank Holiday Monday and I arrive early in hope to grab some Riot City merchandise before the bands kick off. A few people have already gathered outside the venue eagerly waiting to get in. A couple of familiar faces and of course some of the band members hanging around having a chat to people before the show. I always love that ability to talk to bands in such a casual way which I feel helps with creating that connection with fans. Unlike the big arena shows where the bands come on play and go most of the time.

After grabbing myself a cold one, I head on up stairs and make a stop of at the bands merch table. To my disappointment there were no Riot City T-shirts available. Eventually who strolls over but Riot City’s guitarist Roldan Riemer. Manning the merch table he had a chat with a number of us, revealing that a lot of the t-shirts were stuck in France due to customs and Brexit etc. So they bought over what stuff they could! It was also interesting to learn about the album covers being a kind of running joke, as the band are apparently fans of Power Rangers. Who knows we might see even more creatures with laser eyes with an eventual cover being some sort of megazord?

In the end I grabbed myself an amazing backpatch featuring the Burn the Night eagle, “Tyrants of the Stars” tour t-shirt which came in a cream colour, Seven Sisters patch and a Riot City Flag to hang on my wall. I even bagged myself some free mini tour posters the bands were giving away!

Heavy Sentence (Manchester, UK)

Originally the opening band of the night was supposed to be Eliminator but sadly they had to drop out of the event. Luckily a band of equal magnitude stepped up and took their place. It was my first time seeing and hearing Heavy Sentence and I was surprised at the fact they were based in Manchester. The band took to the stage at around 8.15pm with a nicely sized crowd ready to welcome them and as soon as they started playing, they caught my attention.

What I loved about all three bands playing is that they each had their own distinctive sound. None of them sounded the same to one another and that was really a good thing. Heavy Sentence felt like they were touching on the more classic heavy metal side of things with a more, raw and aggressive vocal style which was something I was not expecting. So if your a fan of classic heavy metal then these guys are a perfect go to band in my opinion.

Songs like “Protector“ and “Give yourself to the Night” proved to be popular having members of the crowd singing along and throwing themselves around having fun. I loved the mix of hard hitting heavy metal combined with the driving harmonies that many of their songs featured! And as I watched them play, I could see how incredibly passionate they were about what they did. They even dedicated a song to someone who they lost in recent years which I thought was a really touching and decent thing to do. And as they reached the end of their set, the band finished with the song “Broken Hearts.” The crowd by this point was warmed up and raring to go, prepared for what was to come from the next two bands!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heavysentence

Bandcamp: https://heavysentence.bandcamp.com/

#heavysentence @heavysentence

Seven Sisters (London, UK)

Another band I was eagerly waiting to see was London’s Seven Sisters. I had only started listening to the band last year and so I was looking forward to seeing how they were like live for the first time! The interesting thing that had struck me through discovering them was that every song of theirs pretty much felt like an intricate, woven tapestry of ideas. And with the addition of the unique vocal tones from frontman Kyle, it all adds up to making Seven Sisters a band that really stands out from the rest. This was one of the main reasons why I was curious how they were in a live setting!

After a warm and welcoming intro with “Andromeda Rising” they dropped into the storming track known as “Beyond the Black Stars.” Straight away I felt like I was a journey through time and space heading into the great unknown with this epic opener. Next up were tracks like the the huge stomper “Blood and Fire” and the scaling, uptempo beast known as “Once and Future King.” It’s clear that Seven Sisters are a band that know how to grab your attention with their captivating and thought provoking music.

Following up next were more enormous riffs and glorious melodies with the belting track “Commanded by Fear.” Just like Heavy Sentence, I was blown away by their performance, which was fired up with lots of melodic mayhem, classic poses and deep moments of connection with the crowd.

One of their most recent songs featured in the set was the beautiful “Shadow of a Fallen Star.” Echoing out through the venue with its mid tempo bounce and somewhat magic feel I felt like a spell had been cast on me. And as the band headed to the last three songs of the set, they chose to bring out their epic fifteen minute masterpiece “Cauldron PT 1 & 2.” It almost felt like a grand voyage across a vast sea of stars at moments, but then you are thrown into a mighty adventure across the lands prevailing everything that is thrown at you. Cauldron Pt 1 & 2 both have variation in speed, dynamic and of course some kick ass guitar work, especially in the solos. It was a real treat to see Seven Sisters play both parts live!

Finally to end their fantastic set was the tasty and tantalising track know as ‘The Artifice.” I loved how the song played between soft passing sections of acoustics and vocals to the uplifting and passionate mix of mesmerising vocal lines and heavier guitar work. A perfect song to end a brilliant set. And I can safely say that after seeing Seven Sisters for the first time I was really impressed. So if you get a chance to, go and check these guys out be it live or on line! You will not be disappointed!

Bandcamp: https://sevensistersheavymetal.bandcamp.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevensistersheavymetal

#sevensisters @sevensisters

Riot City (Alberta, Canada)

The moment I had been waiting for all night had finally arrived and I was pumped. The crowd had built once again after a quick break following Seven Sisters and now everyone was ready for the almighty Riot City. We all knew that something truly special was about to happen in this small and cosy venue. The band greeted the crowd and kicked of the show with their epic track “The Hunter” and as soon as they started, it felt like I was standing behind a jet turbine. The sheer electricity from their stage presence and performance literally jolted right through me. It felt like a massive blast of wind pulling the skin back from my face. The music was blistering and instantly I could not help but have a grin on my face from how positively overwhelming everything felt.

Like a rocket soaring through the sky, the hundred mile an hour masterpiece “Steel Rider” from their first album kept the metal machine roaring full steam. Another prime example of Riot City’s sheer explosiveness when it comes to song writing and seeing this live simply left me speechless and out of breath. Third in line was “Beyond the Stars” taken from their newest album “Electric Elite” and in similar fashion the band dealt bolts of lightning upon the crowd with their unrelenting musical force. Considering I was only three songs into their set, I was throughly impressed by how incredibly good their performance was and that I still had a massive smile on my face. That is how I want to feel when I go to metal shows and it is rare to find that these days in my opinion.

One of the first singles from Electric Elite “Ghost of Reality” was next on the set and to me this is the “In the Dark” of their latest album. Its dark and mysterious intro only helps to build the excitement before everything detonates and throws you into more g-force speeds. Like everything else before this is another exhilarating song and a perfect setlist choice.

But then, as soon as they said “Warrior of Time” I knew we were in for a treat and I could not help but get overly excited for this song. One of my favourite tracks, I knew straight away that the room was about to rumble violently from sounds of a fighter jet taking off towards the skies. Somehow, something happened to one of the speaker stacks (I think it fell over) but this did not stop the band tearing through this high calibre number with such ease. Jordan continued to cry out to the gods and extend out to the crowd getting people to join with the words and metal screams. It’s clear that is true frontman who knows how to connect with the fans.

They continued their set leaving a trail of smoke behind them with the likes of “Paris Nights” and their classic metal epic “Burn the Night!“ I really felt by this part of the set that the eagle and Jaguar from the bands album covers had escaped and were causing havoc, shooting laser beams from their eyes! And a clear example of this feeling was from watching the explosive and insane drum solo delivered half way through the song by the bands newest member and drummer Jake Gracie. As soon as he started his solo, he was in a world of his own pumped with power and adrenaline. It was like watching some of the most notable drumming greats of all time playing. He style of playing was colossal and smooth at the same time, with all the classic facial expressions of a talented drummer thrown in. At moments it felt like watching animal from the muppets destroying his kit. By the time they launched back into the rest of the song I am surprised there was anything left of his kit!

I have seen hundreds of bands live over the years, but for the first time in a long time, I was given that holy **** feeling. The small but loving crowd went nuts fist pumping and headbanging along to the thunderous sounds that were shaking the surroundings. The gigantic sounding “Tyrant” was up next and I love how It sounds being driven with so much passion and heart felt feelings, I am not surprised that everyone was chanting along! When “Eye of the Jaguar” was played next I instantly felt like the walls of the venue were going to crumble and leave a dust cloud from the epic metals screams of Jordan and the shattering sounds delivered by Dustin, Cale, Roldan and Jake!

Closing their set was the fan favourite “In the Dark” taken from their first album “Burn the Night.” A personal favourite of mine, I was really pleased that they chose this song to end the set, in my opinion a perfect choice. You can see from the video above that even from the start all the way up until the end of their set that their energy never stopped. Every member had put their heart, sweat and soul into the show! A band who really knows how to put on a show for their fans!

After an hour of truly mesmerising, burning face melting heavy metal the fans cheered the bands name eventually tuning it into the words “One more song, one more song.” Riot City stepped up to the mark and gave the crowd an encore of not one but two songs, one of which was the feel good anthem “Lucky Diamond” and the classic “See you in Hell” by the late, great Steve Grimmet of Grim Reaper. Everybody broke into a sing song and Jordan sang along with the fans fist bumping and shaking the hands of everyone. This set delivered on everything you could wish for. Like a burning furnace the show had the fire and intensity, energy, epic harmonised guitar solos and sing along moments.

#Riotcity @riotcity

I must say that after such a long wait, I was blown away by how incredibly awesome Riot City are live. They brought their “A” game and put on a show that will stand as one of the best small gigs I have attended in years. So if your a big Nwothm fan like myself and get the opportunity to see these guys live, do not hesitate to buy a ticket, as it will be worth every penny!

It is worth mentioning that all three bands put on strong performances and considering it was my first time seeing all three of them live and I am glad I did. If they come round this way again or if If I see them on a festival bill I am attending I will be upfront watching them, that is for sure!