Soundclash 2011 - February 16th

Soundclash returns with a heavier sound again this week, but sadly it seemed to lack something that previous rounds have had. Maybe it was the pure energy of last week’s bands that saw a room full of appreciative fans that the bar has been raised and so we are expecting so much more. First up was Koss (don’t ask where the name came from) who were a two-man band trying to take the lead in this competition. Now there was nothing wrong with their tracks, in fact, there were a couple that were particularly strong, but the lack of stage presence and energy made them look like they were the pre-warmer. The instrumental skills of these two men were impressive but not enough to grab your attention. The crowd did warm to them, but if they were to go through, more was needed of them. Following Koss was Doktors Rendezvous, which contained members from week one winners The Death of Johnny Alpha. Now there was definitely more of a stage presence, and quite a rocky set was delivered. Not enough wow factor as Johnny Alpha, but definite contenders to go through to the next round. I assume it’s the pressures of being in more than one band, but hey, if you want to win Soundclash… Some enjoyable tracks and the crowd seemed to like these more. What happens if it is a Johnny Alpha versus Doktors Rendezvous semi final will make very interesting viewing, but they had Sanctified Torture to compete with as well before a guaranteed round two place. Sanctified Torture had recovered from their bout of flu, which saw them drop out from a previous week, and was here to show that metal rock is here to stay. These guys had what you expected, with impressive skills on vocals and instruments. They were definite crowd pleasers with some dedicated followers vying for their success. Only the votes would decide if they had done enough to secure entry into round two. Check out the latest podcast to see which band did triumph, and tune in live on Wednesday from 8pm for the next lot of bands battling it out to get that coveted Soundclash title. Just one word of warning, standards and followers need to be high.