Massive Wagons, Bannerman's Bar, Edinburgh

Engines Of Vengeance have been regulars on Edinburgh’s metal scene for a couple of years now and fortuitously things worked out tonight so they were finally scene live (it was either that or the BBC’s fog-bound showcase at Edinburgh Castle so clearly no competition).

Technical issues apparently required their guitar to be plugged directly into the amp rather than via any sort of floor-based array but you’d never have known, such was the satisfyingly weighty distorted sound produced. Treading as they do the line between thrash and a more classically metal style things were hitch-free for the solid riffing and plentiful intricate fills & solos.

Fronted by the supremely entertaining Mercy (dressed tonight like the leader of a gang of female kickboxers from a Warriors remake) the crowd are under no illusions about the fact they’re here to enjoy themselves, with physical cajolery being employed at one point when verbal requests don’t at first work. A circle pit is not ever achieved but the fact of music of this quality still being produced is in itself very welcome, given the aging nature of those acts at the top of the metal pyramid.

Massive Wagons, tonight’s unsexily named headliners (try as I might no decent euphemism option has sprung to mind), were visiting from Lancaster to promote recently completed second album Fight The System (release date as yet undecided).

Led by a bloke the spit of bath-tub Jim Morrison in whose hands a wireless mike-stand took on the form of a deadly weapon, their brand of classic/stoner rock blend took a while to get going, with songs three & four in the set being a bit ponderous but as the set progressed it became impossible to see the join between the less engaging elements and the successful, crowd pleasing songs which ultimately made up the bulk of the performance.

They suffered from less than clear vocals throughout (low volume rather than muddy) but the crowd fully filled the space at stage front throughout so clearly the music and overall prescence of the quintet was enough to give people the level of entertainment they’d come out seeking. Rounding things off with a couple of well chosen covers, including ‘Nutbush City Limits’, theirs was a show with stacks of energy and enjoyment both given and received.

Massive Wagons' initial release Fire it up can be purchased here whilst Engines Of Vengeance's two EPs are available via bandcamp here.