Review:'Heat Inc.,The with Bite Of Karma and Maziac' 'Live at The Dublin Castle Camden'
- Genre: 'Rock'
- Release Date: '22.5.22'
Our Rating:
This show is part of CMDN live's Zombie Horse gig series and had 12 bands on the bill for this all dayer, I arrived in time to catch a couple of the other acts playing before The Heat Inc. who I had been asked to come along and review. The Heat Inc. were playing to promote the bands latest single Little Knuckle Charlie.
Being the sort of event, this was the bands were rather varied and I walked in to see the last couple of songs of Maziac's set, It appeared that they had brought their parents and possibly a girlfriend along to see them, the room was more or less empty. The first song I heard was a long proggy metal tune that the trio played well enough, the only things missing was any spark of originality or charisma.
They closed the set with Resolution that was rather epic and had a decent enough guitar solo in it, as they tried to sound like Pendulum but without the dance elements so ended up reminding me of Immension. With enough practice and some song writing advice they might end up as a decent enough live band.
Having spent some time in the main bar talking to The Heat Inc. I wandered back into the gig room part way through Bite Of Karma's set, I don't think it would have mattered when I went in, my views of them would be the same, they were a truly dreadful four piece. The bass player had trouble staying in time with the drummer, the singer lacked a good enough voice to be anything more than a backing singer, the three songs I stayed for seemed to make sure anyone in the room got as far away from the band as they could, the back wall had about a dozen people glued to it. On the plus side the guitarist played a couple of pretty good solo's and in the right band could do well enough, but he needs a different band to play in.
By the time The Heat Inc. came on the room had filled up a bit and during the bands set the gig room filled up and no one walked out on them. They opened with Down In The City that was the opening song on the bands debut EP that came out in 2020 and they roared out of the traps, this had some great crunchy guitar from Marco Simoncelli who was playing a really cool Gretsch White Falcon as Jon Dodd's vocals really helped to stir the audience who started dancing before the first song was done as he kept screaming The Heat The Heat The Heat at us.
Polaroids was the perfect song to take a few bad pic's of the band too and I think it was after the second chorus Jon Dodd picked up a camera and jumped off the stage and walked through the crowd snapping a few pictures while Nicolas Rigot gave everything he had while playing some furiously fluid bass.
Draw Blood For Proof was the first song I wasn't familiar with, it had a crushing riff and Maurizio Vitale's pin sharp drumming that was at all times in sync with Nicolas bass, this saw some pretty wild dancing in the audience as Marco made good use of his effects pedals.
Get Wild certainly had that effect on parts of the audience in a now more than half full room, and everyone seemed to be getting into this full-on hard rock sound that wasn't wasting any time or any notes for that matter.
The new single Little Knuckle Charlie was next and I still can't quite figure out if it's about snorting powders off of someone's knuckle or about a fight, either way it sounded really good and had plenty of splenetic energy as Jon howled the lyrics at us.
Ms Willie Mae was next and played like they were trying to hit us over the head with a baseball bat so they could bludgeon that riff deep into our brains, this was hard and heavy and not sure if it was about the baseball legend or not, either way that bass sounded like it was always going to make fourth base in record time.
Your After Love Song was if anything even more bittersweet than the version on the debut Ep as it packs a huge punch of distain for the newly ex-lover as it slowed down the pace a bit and it seemed to open out and become a bit more epic, I think this was also the song that Jon doused himself in water to try to cool down a bit, not sure it worked.
98 I think was more about the year 1998 than it was about my local bus route, either way the band were playing at a furious pace as if they wanted to sound like they were all speeding as this careened around the room and the dancers seemed to get even crazier with at least one drink sent flying.
When in Camden you always have to watch out for the attack of any stray or unaccompanied Raptors and tonight was no exception as those Raptors circled above us and ripped at out flesh through the power of hard loud and heavy Rock & Roll and they were playing like there lives depended on nailing the song.
Then it was time for the bands one cover version, only they way they have re-arranged Suicide's classic Dream Baby Dream to almost make it sound like a different song, so this was more of a re-invention than cover and damn it sounded great and the heavy rocking version worked a treat with a frazzled at the edges guitar freak out from Marco that was almost like one of Marty Rev's keyboard annihilations, and although they were loud they still weren't Suicide loud, but this was great.
The band then asked everyone present one important question Are You Incorporated, well are you and if not why not? well by the time this song has hammered it's way into your brain you should be more than happy to sign up to The Heat Incorporated's brand of hard heavy rock.
They closed the set with Sammy Swing Easy that's a gritty down at heal rocking Obituary for someone whose time came far sooner than he would have liked, this had a blistering guitar freak out and Jon ended the song lying on his back howling as the sound man did his best to get them to wrap things up as they had run over a tiny bit, it was a great way to end a very tight and cool set that got everyone in the Dublin Castle going and on their side.
I'm afraid I didn't bother with the two bands that followed The Heat Inc. whoever they were, not sure they would have sounded better on the night. The single is out now on all your favorite digital platforms.
