IT'S ZERO HOUR IN SCOTLAND AS TRIAXIS LEAD AN ENGLISH INVASION Triaxis/Dakesis: Bannermans, Edinburgh 26th April 2017 Words and Pictures: Ian Sutherland Some English invasions of Scotland can be very welcome indeed and when two of our southern neighbour's finest young Metal bands made the trip over the border to play Bannermans in Edinburgh, MetalTalk just had to be there. Birmingham's Dakesis have come a long way not just to play here tonight, but in musical terms since their inception in 2008. They have added more complex arrangements and some prog-Metal influences to their symphonic Power Metal leanings and all that Metal maturity is on display tonight. Despite some niggling sound problems singer Gemma Lawler is still both a likeable, chirpy, talkative presence between songs and a full on Metal diva with a voice to match during them. Leading the band through a selection of material from their career she proves she has the power to soar over the heavier sections and the control to be as effective in quieter mode when the material gives her the space to do so. There is plenty to enjoy elsewhere too with the equally colourful Amie Chatterley looking nonchalantly, effortlessly cool on her six string bass. On the other side of the stage guitarist Matt Jones makes up for any lack of loud colours by putting in some astonishing axework. With fingers flying up and down his fretboard like a hungry spider on the hunt for prey, his playing is dynamic but measured, designed to push the songs on rather than highlight his obvious prowess on his instrument. All the progress that these guys have made is laid bare on final track 'By The Fading Light', a twelve minutes plus prog-metal epic which rises and falls and changes direction and builds to a suitably bombastic climax to a wholly satisfying set. Dakesis have laid all the groundwork and honed their sound into something which really grabs the attention. I think now all they have to do is get themselves in front of as many people as possible as they will inevitably impress. Keep an eye out for them coming your way. Triaxis have been championing good old fashioned Heavy Metal from their south-west of England base for a while now but keeping up with who is in the band has been difficult recently with a slew of line-up changes. The latest announcements were of the departure of guitarist Glyndwr Williams and drummer Gareth Arlett. All this change might leave some bands unsure of their future and direction but not these guys, what we got tonight was a lesson in how commitment and application matched with some serious talent can overcome any obstacle. The mainstays of this band have come to be guitarist Matt Chambers and bassist Becky Baldwin who pin the bottom heavy sound down with chunky riffs and pounding bass grooves from that giant Rickenbacker. Baldwin is also a bundle of energy all night and if there is a cooler sight in UK metal than her throwing that huge bass around while dressed in her own rock and roll style I haven't seen it yet. These two set the tone with Williams playing his last gigs with the band shredding away and stand in Marc Jackson on the drums doing a fine job of keeping up with all that busy bass playing. The stage is set then for the most high profile of the recent changes to make her mark. Singer Angel Wolf-Black has scarcely been in the band a few weeks and only has a few gigs under her belt so far, but it is obvious that there is already a chemistry developing on stage. The main vibe I get when I watch Triaxis is one of unity of purpose, whatever the line-up situation might be, everyone is fully committed to their craft and the sound and playing some damn fine Heavy Metal tunes right here, right now. This new singer with the quite brilliant rock'n'roll name looks very at home in that company and gives us a committed performance. She has the looks, she has the style but most importantly she has the vocal chops to hit some impressive notes over the powerful sound of the band behind her. She even manages to sound good on their cover of 'Don't Talk To Strangers'; covering Dio is a challenge for any singer. The audience communication part still has to develop some I think but plenty of time for that. Song wise the focus was on latest album, 'Zero Hour', with high energy riff monsters like 'Ministry Of Truth' and 'Stand Your Ground' showing they have real bite and attitude in a live setting too. The crowd lapped it up and it really felt like the start of a new and very promising era for the band, no matter what line-up changes and other challenges lie ahead. This was a terrific night of English Metal in a Scottish Metal bar. Whatever other stuff might be going on in the world the culture of quality Metal acknowledges no borders. 26th April 2017 Check out more of Ian Sutherland right here.