PETBRICK / THE DEATH OF MONEY | LIVE REVIEW
Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, Fri 1 Nov
There’s a special vibe to tonight’s gig, in the intimate surroundings of the downstairs bar at Clwb Ifor Bach. A smattering of people in the know have assembled to watch Wayne Adams from Big Lad and Iggor Cavalera from Sepultura, in their ultraviolent noise project Petbrick. It’s not for everyone, but the chance to witness one of metal’s greatest and most influential drummers smash his kit apart less than two metres away from me is a chance I – and the people assembled here – are not going to pass up.
Before that, we have local heroes The Death Of Money to warm up the crowd. Now featuring Jimbob of Taint/Hark in their ranks, the trio have never sounded as good as they do tonight. Doom metal with lashings of drone style vocals and layers of continuous riffing make for an intense and slightly unnerving experience – just what is required before Petbrick hit the floor.
Now I fully admit to fanboying out a bit here, as Iggor is a bit of a hero of mine. The guy has played on several of my most influential albums and continues to push boundaries in the drum department. Petbrick, his latest project, combines live drums with Wayne’s sampler/keyboard/computer combo, the result sounding like early 90s Ministry or early Skinny Puppy. There’s not much in the way of vocals – any that are on the album are in sampled form here, and Adams himself will occasionally have a snarl at the mic – but that’s OK, as the focus is purely on the noise element. Cavalera effortlessly slams his way through breakbeats, blastbeats, tribal beats and everything in between, while Adams rocks back and forth at his workstation like a psychotic Roddy Bottum.
The front row dance furiously as tracks from the new album I are rolled out in quick succession, including Some Semblance Of A Story – featuring the (sampled) vocals of Integrity’s Dwid Hellion, indicative of Petbrick’s punk side. But it’s tracks like Roadkill Ruby that really show the duo’s talent, as they regularly drop in and out of tandem while making the whole thing look easy.
Before you know it, it’s all over and with a polite smile and a thank you, they vacate the stage, leaving you to pick your brain up off the floor. Harsh, mesmerising and an utter pleasure to behold, Petbrick are a force to be reckoned with.
words CHRIS ANDREWS photos NOEL GARDNER