Duri + Apnia + K'Junga + Satartia - Messclean @ The Frog On The Front. 27/01/06.

A bit of a sad night this as headliners Duri have announced that they are splitting up and this will be their last gig but on the other hand we have a sparkling new band making their debut going by the name of Satartia. This fresh faced trio may lack that stage finesse that only comes with time (I remember seeing Duri a few years back when they looked almost embarrassed to be on stage!) but they do possess some promising sounds; there's a nice alternative rock feel about them, a hint of metal every now and then but the tunes are well put together, nice and catchy with a decent sound and once they have played live a few times the songs should start to grow and take on a life of their own as long as the band continue to let them flow. One minus point for the particularly horrid jumper the bass player was wearing; remember we have to look at you so unless you are going for that geeky look, throw the jumper out!

I've knocked K'Junga in the past for for their 'local band' name and I still don't like it but tonight, musically, they left their mark on me which is a step in the right direction. They are a band that have that chugging guitar thing going on, crunching metal with a hint of hardcore and rap metal, think along the lines of Faith No More in their heavier moments. While not particularly original, they play well and get the crowd moving with some decent grooves and heavy riffage. Yeah, tonight I enjoy them, perhaps I have my metal head on, sometimes you can see a band a few times and not really get them and then one night it just hits the right spot. Still hate the name though!

I have always enjoyed Apnia, their dark brooding metal having etched a little scar in my soul, so it is with some interest that I watch them tonight as they have added a male vocalist into the mix. Needless to say, the music is as grand and heavy as we would expect from these black hearted beings; the mellow sections now seeming quieter while the heavy segments appear to thrash out more, but a dark heart still beats behind it all. The vocals of Laura are still spine tingling and cold, very powerful and the melodic verses sung with Dan are working well, however you get the feeling that the male vocals are working only as a back up to Laura at the moment as you are waiting for a big male vocal to impact at any moment but it never really arrives and I hope that they exploit this more in the future and I really hope they drop the 'standing in the middle of the stage gazing at each other' thing when duetting as it smacks of The Carpenters (not that there is anything wrong with The Carpenters, quite like them but not in the middle of an Apnia gig!), I would rather see them at opposite ends of the stage but it is a minor gripe and I am sure things will progress the more they gig with the dual vocal thing. A fine gig anyway and the sounds are developing in an interesting manner.

So, here it is then, the final gig from Duri whom I never felt got the praise they deserved, probably because they were not trendy enough and went for the rock route with decent tunes. It almost brings a tear to the eye as you see Jaye taking to the stage with her now familiar war paint splashed across her cheek and tonight they deliver probably the best set they have ever done and it makes you wonder why they are jacking it in though there is no doubt in my mind that we will see them all back on the stage in one form or another before long as there is an obvious love for performing up there. It is always great seeing a band that just get you going, tunes that click instantly and that is/was the beauty of Duri, a coupling of heavy grinding riffs with big gorgeous pop hooks that stick to you like super glue and it is no surprise that they are called back for a couple of encores, they do look genuinely upset that it has come to an end and I'm sure they have their reasons but it is a shame to see a quality band bite the dust. So, thanks for the good tunes that you leave with us and the memories of a few cracking gigs and we hope to see you around making music sometime soon.