David Krohn

Circle of Rage, Purple Turtle, Mornington Crescent, 7th Oct 2009

Wedged between reportedly rocking punkers “3 black dwarfs,” who turned out to be 4 tallish white boys from Chorley, and up themselves prog-rock band “Enochian Theory” promoting their bad latin grammar with new album “Creatio ex Nihlio” was a gem of a band “Circle of Rage.” The lads from Kent played with a passion sorely lacking from a lot of metal-core bands these days and it was truly unbelievable that they could summon such a high level of energy when playing to a crowd of less than 10 people. Mixing the hardcore  sounds of refused with the politicized lyrics of anti-flag or propaghandi, Circle of Rage have forged their own sound with the screaming rants of Tom fusing perfectly with the truly talented Scott’s melodious guitar overlay. Although, I have never thought that screams were the best way to convey political message, COR manages to do just that, delivering on the rage promised in their name with their potent delivery, inter-song rants and clever titles. FTSE Fetish is about “the paper we use to buy things” while Pork products pokes fun at the police and their powers. Since, I first saw the Purple Turtle opposite KOKO, I’ve been wanting to compare it to that grimiest of rock venues in Cape Town of the same name. I have to say, minus the massive outdoor balcony, the London version measures up. With a huge sound system, dreadlocked bartenders and a barely functioning foosball table, the two are barely distinguishable! The major difference was that I have rarely since the long street rock joint anything but jammed to the rafters while the Mornington Crescent venue struggled to maintain a one man pit for more than a few minutes. With the skill and fury that COR brings to their live act, I can’t believe there will be many more empty floors in their future.

Tags: 3 black dwarfs, circle of rage, enochian theory, ftse fetish, metal-core, purple turtle