Live Review: Forbidden – Rebellion, Manchester
15th August 2023
Support: Tortured Demon
Words: Dan Barnes
Photos: Tim Finch
Billed as the Massacre of Manchester, this is Forbidden’s only headlining show of 2024 outside the United States. After the successful set at Bloodstock Open Air last Saturday, this is the band’s first UK headliner since 2009, and the first time they’ve played in Manchester since supporting Death Angel back in 1990.
Local lads, Tortured Demon, have won the lottery and bagged the support slot tonight, which is the kind of event any young thrash band could dine out on for years to come. With only a compact stage to work from, the young lads sizzle with energy and enthusiasm, hitting with the sort of hard-edged thrashing filled with speed and darkness. It’s as though we’ve entered a time-slip and been transported back to the Eighties, when Thrash was king. Disfavour takes things in a slower direction, an obligatory thrash ballad, though not as egregious as some of the big boys offered back in the day. The Invasion speeds things back up again, as Jacob gives a shout-out to some of the attendant Xentrix lads, as well as plugging Tortured Demon’s own autumn headlining shows.
In Desperation’s Grip is a real whirlwind of a tune and offers some of the danciest thrash opportunities this side of Acid Reign. A widescreen Global Threat comes with the call for Manchester not to forget Tortured Demon which, on the showing of this, would be an impolite thing to do to say the least.
It’s a bold move to have the whole of Rainbow’s Stargazer played over the PA just before taking the stage, something you really have to know what you’re doing to pull it off and not be over-awed by the sheer majesty of the song. But this is San Franciso legends, Forbidden’s, show and they aren’t going to cede to anyone, regardless of whether it’s Dio and Blackmore at the height of their creative powers.
I’ve only ever seen the band on massive outdoor stages, so catching them in the environs of the Rebellion Bar, which is tailor-made for loud and sweaty gigs, demonstrates a fresh perspective on Forbidden and what they’re about.
From the outset, it’s stated that this is an Old-School Forbidden show and there’s nothing played that you won’t find on either the band’s 1988 debut, Forbidden Evil, or its 1990 follow-up, the imperious Twisted Into Form.
After a choppy intro, the set starts proper with Follow Me, the rock-solid thrasher from the debut, imbued with a power metal vocal style and some early audience participation in the shape of a few “whoas”. There are some piercing Halford-style screams during Off the Edge and, although filling Russ Anderson’s shoes is never going to be an easy task, Norman Skinner has shown himself to be more than up for the challenge.
Twisted Into Form lands early in the show, given a discordant feel as would be expected; Craig announces the source album to be thirty-five years old next year, just to make us all feel old, Marching into Fire is introduced by ex-Machine Head drummer Chris Kontos’ militaristic rhythms, later to be joined by sawing guitars and fat bass. Feel No Pain hasn’t been played in a long time and, as they smash their way through it, you get the feeling we’re watching a phoenix rising from ashes and the rebirth of a legend.
It's admitted that Forbidden Evil was nearly left out of the set tonight for some reason that even Craig was at a loss to explain, but madness is averted, and we get the trash classic in all its glory.
As was the case at Bloodstock last weekend, Chewy of Voivod - or Daniel Mongrain as he’s known by his mum – joins Forbidden, adding his jazzy flourishes to the set. A rousing chant of “Dan’s the Man” fills the Rebellion and, not one to go against prevalent thinking – after all vox populi et vox Dei – the public has spoken.
As Good as Dead opens a pit in the middle of the floor - and it gets me thinking as to whether all circle pits are affected by magnetism and will naturally flow in an anticlockwise direction? Step by Step rages with youthful bile, built on those tried and tested thrashing riffs. Twisted Into Form’s instrumental introduction, Parting of the Ways, is turned into a duel guitar piece as Craig and Chewy compliment each other’s playing; the obvious run into Infinite, followed by Out of Body (Out of Mind) just feels the right thing to do. It’s stripping the paint from the walls with it’s anthemic, fist-pumping, chest-beating rampage. Years are rolled back and tomorrow will take care of itself: all that matters is being here with Forbidden and the perfect trifecta of Twisted Into Form’s opening songs.
Through the Eyes of Glass leads us into the night’s final tune – the one dropped from the Bloodstock set due to time constraints – the monumental commencement of the debut: Chalice of Blood. Everything that is good about Forbidden is here in this tune: it’s fast, it’s thrashy, it’s layered enough to be able to support the insertion of a large slice of Motörhead’s Overkill with barely a change of pace. “It’s the last chance to dance, motherfucker!” announces Craig as the band rev the song back up to its frenzied conclusion.
Tonight was one of those ‘I was there’ nights – when the few attended the rebirth of a legend. It was everything Forbidden had promised it would be and more. This has now taken top spot on my Gig of the Year list, and I can’t wait to see what might know it off. That will have to be one heck of a show!
Photo credits: Tim Finch Photography
