I don’t have a history of liking heavy rock/metal, but when the band is so good, you can’t help but enjoy it!
Described as a 5-piece melodic metal band, Renegade Twelve, have only been going since 2014, which is a surprise as they are a very tight group, professional, experienced… and yet relaxed enough to enjoy themselves which fed into the crowd to all have a really good time. I guess that’s what happens when you get talent together.
Each band member had a personality that worked in a way to give Renegade Twelve a unique character, with a fantastic presence, even in a pub setting – what would they be like on a bigger stage? Quite likely amazing – they have got everything right, they ooze a level of confidence which can easily be up scaled to arenas and they would no doubt, still have the whole audience head rocking with them every step of the way.
Initially, I thought the lead singer would be a screamer, but no, this guy can actually sing. Proper singing – which makes the connection with the band being described as ‘melodic metal’.
The first half was plenty of old school metal classic covers: AC/DC, Metallica, Iron Maiden, all that you would expect but then with a level of charisma that you wouldn’t expect. The extended instrumental sections were enjpyable – when you have talented musicians that clearly have a bond together, of course, it’s going to be entertaining for others.
The second half was heavier and many of their own original tracks – glad to hear they have released their debut album. They went on longer than expected, but no one minded in the slightest… didn’t really want them to end to be fair.
Totally solid sound and proper loud… but it really was proper music! All the guitar riffs were shiny sharp, the sound mix was spot on as you could hear all the instruments. The balance between the heavy guitar and the others instruments was perfect – not the usual mash of noise you tend to get with heavy rockers. There was clarity throughout, but not in a clinical way, in a “we know music” way.
They had brought along their own crowd, as a good band it would be expected they had a following and this nice they would have added to their fan base. If I had one teeny tiny criticism…. The Guns N’ Roses track ‘You Could Be Mine’ could have been heavier – and that’s coming from a funk girl!!
This review first appeared on GrapevineLIVE
Link:
Renegade Twelve