author: Guy
The Atomic Bitchwax, The Killbots in Tijl, May 20th
CONCERT REVIEW
When The Atomic Bitchwax played in Belgium last year, they were the kind of band that did have more
to lose than to gain, so to speak. Their previous release – the Spit Blood EP – was already two years
old, Ed Mundell had left the band permanently and replacement Finn Ryan had only been in the band for just a
short while. However, despite the fact that the trio’s morale could have been much lower, they managed to
deliver an excellent show, displaying an admirable dedication and energy, while those who were hesitant
about Ryan’s capabilities were probably convinced by the guy’s humble attitude and admirable skill. Now, a
year later, the band has a third album out (simply called 3) and another string of gigs behind ‘em, so that
Ryan should feel at ease with the band on the meantime. They didn’t disappoint, although the sound wasn’t
nearly as good as last year (the high-ceilinged venue just isn’t up for the task). From the first song
onwards, they again proved they could be considered a Cream for the nineties. Of course, there’s been
happening quite lot since the late 60’s and early 70’s, but essentially, they’re also three extremely gifted
players playing with an awesome aplomb, throwing genres into a melting pot and coming up with a brew that’ll
blow you off of your socks. While it seems that Ackerman keeps getting better and better – the guy may be one
of the most gifted drummers I’ve ever seen in this kind of band – Kosnik and Ryan aren’t slouches either.
Plucking away against manic speeds, Kosnik lays down grooves Jack Bruce would be proud of, while Ryan’s
ecstatic playing that works like an encyclopaedia of hard rock, blues rock, psych, soulful jazz touches and
stoner fuzz. At any given moment during their most energetic songs, it seems as if all three of them are
soloing at the same time. It certainly causes the concert to be a dense listening experience, but it
never progresses into hollow wankery. While the band’s jamming-mode used to be dominant during their earlier
years, it seems that the presence of Ryan had caused ‘em to tighten up the songwriting. On stage, the new
songs (they played more than half of their latest album) fit in perfectly with the older ones, but it
wouldn’t surprise me if listening to the albums back to back you’d notice more discipline on 3. Last year,
the band played a rather short set because the new member had only had so much time to get to learn the
songs, but this time around, they tore through Bitchwax’s entire catalogue with a gluttonous fervour,
kicking off with a few oldies: “Forty Five” from II, followed by “Hey Alright” and “Kiss the Sun”
(originally written by Ryan’s former band, Core) from the debut album. By the time they reached this one,
the sound was in pretty good balance and the intensity didn’t let up as they alternated new material
(“You Oughta Know,” “You Can’t Win” and 3’s magnificent opening song “The Destroyer”) with more
familiar tunes like “The Cloning Chamber” and “Stork Theme.” Another thing about Ryan, besides the fact that
he obviously felt much more at easye with his playing mates now, was the fact that he also has his share of
vocals, taking a care of a few of the new ones, as well as a few older ones that Kosnik used to sing.
The guitarist has a softer and higher voice than Kosnik, but he did admirably well, staying away from the
gargling drunk grunt all too many similar bands seem to prefer nowadays. Since his entrance, the band also
seems less prone to do instrumental jams (the latest album only contains one), while the vocals are usually
more melodic, bringing the band a bit closer to Kosnik’s other project, Black Nasa. Next up, the band also
did a pretty impressive version of Deep Purple’s “Maybe I’m a Leo” and then moved towards the end of the
set, which consisted of a string of songs that would set any place on fire. “Getting’ Old,”
“The Passenger,” “Going Guido,” “Shitkicker” and “Birth to the Earth,” - is there anyone who can
resist such an adrenaline-rush, such a high-powered bunch of charged rock ‘n’ roll songs that are driven
by the force of a Mack-engine and a heavy dose of tough ferocity? I already thought so. The band played
their goddamn asses off, promised to stick to the set and disband with doing encores altogether, but in
the end, the crowd just cheered and whistled and hollered and screamed their heads off, until the band
returned (twice) to do two unrehearsed songs that were the icing on the cake. Because of their particular
style, refusal to do things the easy way and lack of a silly gimmick, this band probably will never reach
a huge audience, and never be hip, but believe me… as far as the rockin’ thing goes, they completely
destroy 99% of the rock bands out there. With their fingers up their noses.
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Since they won the 2003 Limbomania rock concourse, The Killbots had the opportunity to hone
their craft on the road, by playing dozens of gigs and in the meantime trying out new songs. The first album
has been recorded in the meantime, and will hopefully see the light of day soon. If this particular concert
was any indication, the album’s gonna be a treat for those who like their rock ‘n’ roll energetic, dirty and
from the gut. They still don’t know the meaning of the word “subtlety”, but The Killbots do know how
to craft nitro-fueled retro-rock and insert it with a healthy disregard for good taste and snobbishness. Many
of their songs are built on in-your-face riffs that are updates of the AC/DC–Nashville Pussy-Grand Funk
Railroad-axis of booze-blooze, and while some might argue the riffs themselves aren’t enough to
carry the respective songs, most of their efforts work surprisingly well, especially when the beer’s flowing
in generous gulps. Still spearheaded by the duo of Stöffbot (Kristoff Martens) and Strotbot (Frank Homolka)
and propelled by the local Animal (Patrick Remans) on drums, The Killbots now also featured interim bass
player Danny Czekaj (Mr Mama), who seemed to be entirely caught up in his enthusiasm, providing the band
with muscular rumblings as if he’d been doing it for a few years. With nothing to lose and a lot to gain,
they tore out of the gates with “Whirlwind Pussy” as if hellhounds were on their trail. Remans almost beat
himself a hernia behind the drum kit and Czekaj banged to the groove even though he hasn’t got the haircut
for it, while the front men banged out some full-frontal rock ‘n’ roll. As the set progressed, the band
alternated “older” songs with a few newer ones. “Shake Your Steak,” which already appeared on their first
demo, still stands out – part boogie, part instrumental work-out session -, “Sister” is a simple,
unapologetically boys-will-be-boys rawk, while the newer songs (a.o. “Dirty Kind,” “Planet Rock”)
basically continue the same direction, although the band’s not afraid to inject a dose of melody into the
songs as well. About two-thirds into the set, Homolka unfortunately broke a string, and even though the
remaining three grasped the opportunity to kick off a breezy jam, it seemed to have brought them out of
balance a bit, as the boundless energy and self-confidence got somewhat of a blow. Still, “Cuda 69” and
“Nuevo” convinced and led the way to colossal set closer “Tantra,” a 10+ minute beast that lives up to its
title. The Killbots didn’t deliver the best show I’ve ever seen them play, but they were more than just a
worthy warm-up for The Atomic Bitchwax, which has me hoping their first full-length will live up to my
expectations, so they can join the cream of the crop of tough Belgian rock ‘n’ roll really soon.