Aesthetic Perfection + Paresis + Thir13en
Legends, Newcastle

UK tours with Combichrist and Grendel have done Aesthetic Perfection no harm at all.  They may have a good arsenal of albums, topped off with new album 'All Beauty Destroyed', but touring the UK has helped show British fans the quality of their releases and showcase their live show.

Opening tonight is Cumbrian duo Thir13en who were hoping to use tonight to celebrate the launch of their debut album. Unfortunately the albums arrived a touch too late so there was nothing to sell to the queue of people asking about buying an album after their impressive performance.

Compromising more at the 'metal' end of Industrial-Metal, Thir13en combine the harder edge of Nine Inch Nails with hints of Simulator and a pinch of Big Black.  They may be a band in their early stages, but they're already very tight and looking very promising.

Whilst a name very new on the scene, Paresis is not one that anyone at this show will forget for a while.  Armed with a guitar, a laptop and a keyboard, Simon is a one-man army primed to nuke the dancefloor.   Taking electronic and industrial influences and fusing them with hints of death and extreme metal; it's like he's the referee in a battle to the death between Combichrist and Morbid Angel.

A highly responsive crowd seems to lap up every minute - and he's barely left the stage before people are asking him when he'll come back.  If you want to see one of the future UK stars - look no further than Paresis.

It's a Tuesday night, it's November, it's cold and it's the wrong side of payday; not the ideal set of circumstances for your debut headline performance in the UK - but all things considered there's a respectable turn out of people eager to see Aesthetic Perfection - including some that have travelled the length of the country and plan to attend a few dates on the tour!

Whereas acts like VNV Nation, Covenant and the likes are almost institutions within the scene, it's acts like Aesthetic Perfection that represent the next generation of alternative electronics fans.  They have the new album, 'All Beauty Destroyed', as a staple of what they're capable of and there's hype about them as they gain popularity.

The stage is laid out quite compact, with plenty of smoke gushing out around the pulsing halogen lights to help create a tight, dark and gritty atmosphere.  There's still enough room to pace and bounce and leap into action as Daniel pours himself into the hour long performance.  Snappy tracks like 'Schadenfruende' and 'Motherfucker' keep the performance lively, but 'The Ones' and 'Filthy Design' take the tempo right down - without really losing momentum.

Whilst it's no surprise tracks like 'A Great Depression' get the biggest response from the crowd, there's enough enthusiasm for the newer material to suggest there can only be better things for Aesthetic Perfection in the future.

Kevin Morris