True Steel Promotions – Traveler/Hanowar/Terminal Force
It’s been a while since Pompey has had a regular underground live metal scene. There’s always been a steady flow of punk rock bands and hardcore was certainly thriving once upon a time – but when it comes to straight-up metal, True Steel Promotions are keeping the dream alive with a steady run of gigs.
Termination Force
The Edge of the Wedge was thriving for a Monday night, and each band was more than worthy of a packed venue.
As for openers Termination Force, you could almost imagine what it must have been like to have witnessed Samson in their early days before a young Bruce Dickinson went on to join Iron Maiden. There were some classic 80s metal vibes, with a voice that often ventured towards King Diamond territory.
Hanowar
If you don’t already know, Hanowar are Pompey’s budget tribute to the mighty Manowar… and if you don’t know Manowar, you’ve probably already missed half the joke.
Alas, that shouldn’t matter, for the scantily clad metellars will leave you entertained regardless. There’s a lot of silliness, with toy swords being handed out ready to hold aloft during the likes of “Hail & Kill” and several “pyrotechnics” being set off in the form of a few party poppers.
There may be forgotten lyrics, plenty of banter and a few missed notes during what should be technically challenging guitar solos, but no-one minds. It all adds to the fun and by the end of the set (along with the band being held together by Traveler’s drummer), you find yourself forgetting this isn’t meant to be taken seriously.
Traveler
Arriving all the way from Canada, there was already a level of expectation that these guys would be worth seeing. After all, it’s a long old journey if you’re not already planning to kick ass.
Although if you were to judge a band on appearance, then visually Traveler appear a bit of mismatch. The bass player had a Dying Foetus shirt, one guitarist looked as though he should be in Hawkwind and the other jumping around in a hardcore band.
Then there’s the singer, “a zombie Freddie Mercury” to quote my friend Danny. However, collectively they certainly lived up to expectations. There were plenty of rip-roaring guitars and the drummer had already proved what a powerhouse he can be.
Intricate guitar solos mixed with solid riffs and vocals that switched effortlessly to coincide with whichever direction the song took. While Traveler are very much old-school metal, the longer tunes and outside influences make for some intriguing twists and turns along the way.
As of the time of writing, True Steel Promotions don’t have any more gigs lined up but give them a like on those socials ahead of the next batch. Especially, if you want to keep supporting live metal that remains both hard and indeed heavy.
