We were invited down to Bournemouth’s popular rock bar, The Anvil for the last Heart Of A Coward show on their 2018 tour. Playing in venues such as London Boston Music Rooms, Birmingham Asylum 2 and Manchester Rebellion. Before all the action started, we caught up with Heart Of A Coward for an interview on Bournemouth Beach which you can check out below!
First to the stage, were Glaswegian band Lotus Eater, who’s heavy tunes made the crowd move energetically around The Anvil’s tiny basement. Songs such as Dead to Me and Kin were ripe full of the chuggy djent sounds, dramatic silences followed by a double peddle percussion concussions and a barrage of belting vocals. A band that breaks the mould on the stereotypical metal genre as they mix in a few mellow and groovy elements. The lyrics were so full of passion and creating the emotive gloom and grungy vibe to tonight’s first set.
Next up, another Scottish take over, From Sorrow To Serenity. These guys were a nice addition to the HOAC line up, from the first second they started they portrayed a striking and dogmatic presence. Engaging with hardcore notes hammering down into the crowd, followed by numerous breakdowns that would melt your face off. Playing a few songs from Remnant Of Humanity along with 2018 single Supremacy, the vocals were top notch and the band gave an amazing performance that night with such gusto, passion and aggression. The gritty vocals and roaring screams accompanied by polyrhythmic beats, alternating tones and fleshy riffs make this band a pleasure to watch live.
Headline act, Heart Of A Coward took centre stage dominating the sold out evening and first hitting the crowd with their hardcore song Hollow from the Album Deliverance. New vocalist Kaan Tasan filled the shoes of Jamie Graham, as he growled and roared each note like a beast. Other songs played that night from the 2015 Album Deliverance, were Miscreation, Turmoil l – Wolves and Skeletal l – Mourning Repairs. The crowd lapped up the aggression and revelled in the passion that the band gave off which created mass circle pits and walls of death where only the very brave stepped up.
They played several songs from the 2013 album Severance, Deadweight, Monstro and Distance the dynamic range in vocals was prominent, melodic yet heavy hitting at the same time. They even went back a little further and played a couple of songs from 2012 album Hope And Hinderance such as Shade (my all time favourite) and Nightmare. Rounding off the evening with the ever expected newly released 2018 single Collapse, the real in your face riffage and such a powerful song with a catchy rhythm dropped March this year, shows us what Kaan Tasan is all about.
Overall a brilliant heavy hardcore night filled with head banging tunes and new bands added to my Spotify list. If you like bands such as Architects, Parkway Drive, Thy Art then these bands will get your ear holes tingling.