Roxoff Day 1

Saturday, May 2

The Brickmakers, Norwich

CTOAN

Blistering experimental metal warriors CTOAN light the touchpaper which not only ensures this year’s Roxoff weekend is gonna ignite. They could possibly end proceedings before the second band have had the chance to get on stage. Splintering, scratchy, screamy vocals, crushing riffs, death growls and an absolute commitment to their cause. Even when CTOAN give us a pause by slowing the pace they still punch the pit with sound. So heavy, this set has the potential to cause a bloodbath. 

Jehenna

The fucked up fantasy fairtytale sound of Jehenna fills the room and bubbles with heavenly harmonies, echoing over emotive instruments. Ethereal keys lead rock to get lost in and music to be mesmerised by. ‘Runaway’ (a fave with mums, apparently) rings out with crisp and clear vocals, and is made even more memorable by its inescapably dominant bassline. The vocals which bring haunting ‘The Preacher’ to life are tearjerkingly beautiful. Jehenna’s set is utterly absorbing from the first notes to the closing ones.

Planet Fatale

Blues rock with a pinch of groove, a smattering of psychedelic stoner and an insane amount of sludge. Seriously, what’s not to like??? Planet Fatale prowl around the stage chucking out tunes with earth-shattering backbones, neck muscle troubling riffs and deep dark vocals that glitter with that glorious age of classic rock goodness. Cathartic ‘Fight Club’ is a highlight – and the song that sticks in your head for days. As long as the super sweary chorus doesn’t come out your mouth though, you’ll be fine. Whether it’s a vocal showcase or a six string showdown, Planet Fatale proceed at full force.

Pryma

The vocal violence that is Pryma are possibly the most highly anticipated band of the evening. There’s plenty of Pryma tees, a full pit, and several people having a stiff drink at the bar which is either to celebrate the Bank Holiday weekend or to prepare themselves for the metal ferocity about to be unleashed. Frontwoman Gaby’s Queen of the Damned voice sounds like there’s a battle of good vs evil going on inside her. Twitchy, disturbed, feral growls alongside sweet, perfectly pitched, long-held notes. This is horns up, head banging rock metal. Pryma are a band who take away your inhibitions and fill the space they leave with their abrasive anthems which make you move, moooovvve, MOVE. You can feel the hate in new song, middle fingers in the air, ‘fuck you’ aural attack ‘John Doe’. ‘Freaky Fright Night’s’ utterly filthy instrumental intro leads to smouldering lyrics and a full on shout-along. Future headliners people…

The Soul Revival

Mr Saturday Night x 4 are here and they are known as The Soul Revival. Grabbing the Brickmakers with their gutsy, goodtime grooves which are soaked with a dose of blues and a dram of whisky, these boys are a power surge of tunes you catch on to quick. The venue buzzes with their banter, epic noise levels, energy and honesty (‘Raised by the Fire’). The Soul Revival are everything a live band should be. Dirty riffed call for redemption ‘Show Me the Right Way’ brings the set to a close but these boys could play all night if it was up to the crowd. Lead singer Ste Stetson tells us he’s recovering from pneumonia and wasn’t sure if he’d ever sing again. You’re back baby.

Until 9

Barnsley bruisers Until 9 are so damn loud they could turn most of your braincells  to mush. And then make the remaining ones work hard to process the band’s use of every single musical element known to modern man. Well, quite a few of them anyway. Nu-metal, thrash, prog, hard rock, soundscapes, lyrics spat faster than the speed of light… Their tracks twist and turn until you have no idea what’s coming next. Except volume. A shit load of loud, apocalyptic tracks that kick you to your core. Until 9 have not come to Norwich to play nice. But for all their rapid fire riffs, rattling bass attack and all out drumming destruction, brutal ballad ‘Skin’ is a standout sob-inducing song. Sniff.

Daxx & Roxane

If you’re not holding anything containing alcohol, go get a drink and dance, dammit, because Daxx & Roxane have returned with their rock n roll dynamite. Blending Led Zep, ram jam glam, killer chords, blazing vocals and utter chaos, this set is a sight and sound to behold. With a guitarist standing on and leaping from most available surfaces, the boys sling their guitars around like lethal weapons. Holding the Brickies in a chokehold of slamming riffs, in yer face vocals and no nonsense drums, this is a full throttle showcase of fast paced songs and powerful party-bringing bangers. A setlist consisting of songs including ‘Fast Lane’, ‘Get To It’ and ‘Hard Rockin’ Man’ tell you pretty much everything you need to know about tonight’s headline heavyweights. Daxx & Roxane pull what shall now be known as ‘An Until 9’ and also drop a less tempo, more truth, all the feelings track (‘Heal’) to add depth to proceedings. It adds another layer to this lush set.

Day 2

Sunday, May 3

Epic Studios, Norwich

HeKz

Weaving prog metal-folk-fusion with strings and operatic story-telling vocals, HeKz create a spellbinding tapestry of sounds and concepts. This set is haunting, mystical, and utterly engaging. Sounding like the future while having influences from the past, HeKz kick off Roxoff Day Two with a captivating set.

This House We Built

We love This House We Built. And so do a lot of those who have made it down to Epic Studios too by the looks of the loaded barrier. It doesn’t matter if these guys are opening, headlining, or somewhere in the middle – they bring the stage to life with their big sound, shattering beats and guitar-led, funk-fuelled songs made for drinking, thinking, loving and laughing. Scott runs onto/across/around the stage, and has the potential to knock out a couple of laps of Norwich with the amount of energy he brings to Roxoff. The band don’t begin until he’s happy with the crowd’s volume. This House We Built tackle serious topics in their set tonight (‘Rain’, ‘Coming Home to You’) – always in their own unique and light-hearted way. And they bring the heavy too - ‘Crash n’ Burn’ is an absolute lowdown groove fest of shocking proportions. Smashed it lads.

The Midnight Devils

There’s bringing the party. There’s being the party. And then there’s The Midnight Devils. Smacking Epic Studios around the face with glitz, glam and muscle rock all the way from the U S of A, smothered in glitter, feather boas and make-up. Sooooo much make-up. The Devils throw insane shapes, plectrums, light-up horns, pink balloons, and, erm, their lead singer into the crowd. Seriously, you turn your back for one second and he’s in the pit, standing on a chair, wearing a some form of sparkly coat and a light-up hat. Tight trousers, even tighter tunes, this is highway-hitting high octane carnage. Where are The Mindnight Devils driving us to? Straight. To. Hell. Fuck yeah!

Juliet’s Not Dead

The unenviable task of following the complete lawlessness that was The Midnight Devils is handled with ease by noisy northerners Juliet’s Not Dead. The boys were gonna shine, regardless of who they came on after, with their glossy, catchy, classic rock with a bite, bright lit backdrop and confident, standing-still-for-exactly-zero-seconds stage presence. If The White Stripes had just played a comeback show at Roxoff, JND could’ve followed them just fine, to be fair. Possibly. Opening their set with ‘Sinner or Saint?’ the band bring yet more energy to Epic Studios tonight. ‘Don’t Play Nice’ is an infectious flurry of hair, harmonies and hard rock euphoria. Slightly slower-paced ‘Battle Scared’ gives everyone a chance to catch their breath. ‘Feeding Frenzy’ ends JND’s shift with a mass singalong. It’s been a short, sharp set, but the boys made it sound massive and leave their mark.

Marisa and the Moths

Post-grunge, alt, subtle-to-screaming-at-terrifying-speed Marisa and the Moths turn out to be the night’s headliners, after an accident shortly before their set left Wolfsbane sadly unable to perform. Ranging from sultry and delicate to sinful and delicious, Marisa’s voice is both ready to tear flesh from bones and soothe the aching within. Heart-wrenching, heart-aching and bruatally honest, she rips her wounds wide open and gets as close to the bone with her music as she does to her crowd. Both by standing right up by the barrier and by baring her soul in her songs. Looping her vox around the lyrics Marisa makes them stand out from behind crashing guitars by soaring through her range and adding in the odd sweary snarl. Set opener ‘Needy’ rises from tense strumming to towering riffs. ‘Skin’ doubles down on the skull-rattling angst rock. Marisa and the Moths perform their set under what seem like the brightest lights of the night. There’s nowhere for the band or fans to hide. These songs are their truth that needs to be told and heard.