The UK’s NWOTHM scene has always had its ups and downs, often missing out on many tours as bands tend to stay overseas these days. This is primarily due to the costs and logistical challenges of organising shows in the UK. Despite these hurdles, it’s always appreciated when dedicated promoters and bands in the UK find ways to overcome these obstacles and keep the scene alive!

Last year, I had the chance to catch Smoulder in Bratislava while traveling, so I was thrilled to hear they were coming to the UK for a tour! Unfortunately, Gatekeeper, a band I was looking forward to seeing as their support, wouldn’t be joining them on the UK leg. Hopefully, I’ll get to see them on tour in the future. On the bright side, I would finally get to see the mighty Wytch Hazel live, a band from the UK that I’ve yet to experience in concert!

This time around as there was no Manchester show on the cards I had to turn my attention to Newcastle and travel up North. Surprisingly a place I have only visited once and vaguely remember!

The trip up to Newcastle from Manchester was not smooth sailing in the slightest! A journey that was suppose to be 2.5 hours tuned into 5 due to delays across the network because of faulty power lines. Luckily we got there in plenty of time and was able to see the city before the show!

The Cluny is a venue I had never been to and I was impressed by how cool it was! The main room had a lowered standing area next to the stage and a raised area where a small bar was along with all the band merch!

Before i dig into the review I have to thank Byker Grave Bookings for trying to keep Nwothm alive in the UK. We do not have much of a scene and so promoters like Byker Grave are really appreciated! Seeing so many metal heads in one room sharing a passion for trad metal is awesome!

Sadly we did not get there in time to catch Risen Prophecy, however I am sure their performance was brilliant and got the crowed warmed up!

Arkham Witch

Second up were a band I had never seen before and that was Arkham Witch. It was a couple of songs into their set I could see the contrast of the bands playing. They were all very different and Arkham Witch were pushing towards more traditional heavy metal in my opinion. There set was powerful and they had a big crowd there for them singing along and pumping fists in the air! I loved the passion running through the crowd! A solid performance indeed!

Smoulder

Third on were the band I was hugely excited for and I travelled from Manchester to see for the second time. It was the one and only Smoulder! Now this time was a massive step up from seeing them In Bratislava. Mostly because of the venue (which was not a boat) and the amount of people that were there. Sadly Collin their guitarist couldn’t join the tour due to personal commitments but never the less the guitarist (apologies for not knowing the name of him) who filled in was a worthy choice with his exceptional skills! Touring drummer Tatu was also present filling the shoes Kevin who is home in the USA being a new dad!

It was a calm before the storm and the room was rammed full of people! Bear in mind that for Smoulder this was their first UK tour (second to their first European tour) and so it just shows how music resonates across the world. That fans come together for metal! So you can also imagine the room became quite hot and sweaty!

Smoulder came on stage for the final show of their tour and got themselves all psyched up. Soon enough their 9 song set kicked off and they opened with one of their newest songs “Violent Creed of Vengeance.” It wasn’t long before Sarah stepped into her stage persona and became possessed! Shooting the crowd big evil eyes, wrapping the mic cable round her neck at times and stomping around like a zombie. She became a demon and easily filled the stage with her big bold movements. Adam joined in playing to the crowd gunning down the audience with his bass and swinging about to their highly potent blend of epic metal and doom.

They belted through tracks like “Voyage of the Sunchaser” and the pounding and twisted “Dragonslayer’s Doom” before landing one of my favourites “The Talisman and the Blade.” This ultimately launched many of the crowd into a frenzy with the tracks feverish speed an sheer intensity.

They revisited the “Dream Quest Ends” album with the menacing, lurking pace of “Warrior Witch of Hel.” This track slithered down the spines of everyone in the audience, ensnaring them in its spell. It was a brilliant choice for a mid-set song! Following that, they launched into another fan favourite: the pummelling whirlwind that is “Bastard Steel,” taken from the “Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring” album.

By this time the stage was truly ablaze and the crowd was sweating it out to the unrelenting power that Smoulder were delivering! And as I mentioned earlier the room was rammed making this show something special.

“Ilian of Garathorm” was up next and I couldn’t’ help but smile at how many kick ass songs they were delivering in this set! The devilish tones and sky rattling lyrics of the chorus “Fate calls a Champion! Warrior of many forms” got everyones fists in the hair and heads shaking.

We were down to the last two songs of the set, and they were definitely awesome choices! Next up was “Victims of Fate” from “Violent Creed of Vengeance.” I love this song because it has a lot of swing to it and really makes you want to move. Sarah filled the stage with more demonic eyes and jigs, while Vincent and the rest of the band captivated us with their masterful riffing and infectious playing. Finally, the huge-sounding chorus featuring the word “Tanelorn” filled the room, getting everyone to sing along in a trance!

To close their set, they finished with the slower, riveting sounds of “The Sword Woman.” The crowd showed their appreciation in countless ways, leaving Smoulder with huge smiles from the warm reception. Their gratitude was evident, and Adam decided to go out with a bang, getting everyone to huddle together so he could crowd surf with his bass!

I can safely say I think the last show of their tour was a spectacular one and it was clear that they felt that! After seeing these guys for the second time I can safely say the 5 hour journey up to Newcastle was worth it just for these guys alone!

Wytch Hazel

It was time for the final band of the night and that was Wytch Hazel! For me I had not heard much of their music to be honest and this was also the first time for me seeing them live so I was curious what to expect. Many people will know that Wytch Hazel are one of the leading nwothm bands in the UK and know how to put on a show. So t, as part of their image hey came on in their stage attire which was a mix of long white robes and crosses.

Soon enough they kicked of their performance with The Fire’s Control lifted straight from ‘IV: Sacrament’ before following it up with “I Am Redeemed” from Wytch Hazel III: Pentecost. It did not take long for me to get a good feeling of what they were all about. You have this hard rock, heavy metal feeling running through their music combined with sounds that make me think of Thin Lizzy.

Next up they gave the crowd the rather catchy and infectious “Still We Fight” which got the crowd going with plenty of woahs and singing along! “Archangel” soon followed with its softer yet still hard hitting glaze. Imagine drifting across an ocean on a boat with a gentle breeze. That kind of feeling!

The powerful choruses of Dry Bones” and the electricity of the epic journey that is A “Thousand years” soon enough reached the ears of crowds shaking the ground they stood on and provided plenty of crowd participation. One thing I noticed and loved about the bands performance is they have loads of great harmonising where they really do dig and play to the crowd. And even though they are a young band they display musicianship that gives of the impression they have been going for years and years!

Next up was the short yet exhilarating “Chorale,” a piece packed with cascading harmonies and relentless drum patterns that kept the energy high, leaving no room for relaxation. The momentum continued with tracks from ‘II: Sojourn’—“Slaves to Righteousness” maintained the rocking pace, while “Wait on The Wind” provided a much-needed breather, slowing things down for the fans.

As we approached the final segment of the bands set, they showed no signs of slowing down with the anthemic “Spirit and Fire” and its sing along choruses followed by “We Will Be Strong” which combined bold guitar work and powerful vocal lines! Considering this was the first time seeing them live I was impressed by their performance and would love to see them again in the future.

Finally we reached the last two songs of their set. “Wytch Hazel” sailed in nicely keeping that hard rock momentum going, again presenting even more glorious licks. Then came the song that I did know which was the one and only “Ride On”. This is one of those feel good songs with its uplifting guitar work that at moments rockets towards the clouds. Its beautifully written and is not short of melodies and energy! What a way to end the set!

Conclusion

I have to say the extended journey I ended up taking from Manchester to Newcastle was totally worth it. Seeing Smoulder for the second time with an even bigger and more electric crowd only made me more of a fan. Packing their set with loads of great songs certainly left me with a smile on my face!

Then seeing Wytch Hazel for the first time was certainly a great experience! Considering the UK has only a handful of nwothm bands, Wytch Hazel are certainly a band that shows quality and outstanding musicianship, which in my opinion are a perfect fit for raising the flag high for the UK! I will certainly catch they again next time they are up my way!