Fatal Smile

Wanna be entertained? I mean really entertained? Well, then look no further than the next Fatal Smile gig, because when it comes to entertainment, these guys go all in. With their “new” look, they’re a killer mix of Mötley Crüe, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson and when it comes to the show, they never hold back on anything. And they don’t give a rat’s ass that they are playing in broad daylight and that the sun is burning hot – there’s smoke, fire and bombs. The light show is probably impressive, but it was hard to tell because of the daylight!

The band kicked off with their first single and opening track off their latest album 21st Century Freaks, Welcome To The Freakshow. The song is a perfect show opener with its somewhat industrial groove mixed with a heavy sleaze melody. Right there and then, the guys totally wiped any doubts that might had presented itself at the odd punter. Me, I had my jaw on the ground. I have no problem confessing that I was never much of a fan of this band, until they released their latest album, that is. It’s a superb album that blows away everything they have ever done before, without mercy. But I had yet to see them live. Live, they really deliver the goods, not just their show, but musically as well. Firstly, all of them are really good musicians so the songs stand on a really tight foundation that brings singer Blade’s deep and thunderous voice up a notch or two. Secondly, they are tight as brick wall, a real unit. That makes older songs like “Run For Your Life” and “S.O.B.” grow a new life and stuff like “My Private Hell”, “Judgement Day” and “Raising Hell In Heaven” from their latest album shine even more. We also got a ourselves a heartfelt moment when the tribute to Ronnie James Dio, “For The Last In Line”, a ballad, was played. To the sound of a sampled piano, Blade really showed us what a gifted singer he is. To say that Fatal Smile were impressive is to put it mildly. This is how the big boys do it. As performers, singer Blade is natural focal point and he is a brilliant frontman! Guitar player Mr Y is more laid back, but the guy is really an underrated player. I never knew he was that good. Bass player Alx (awesome name!) has a lot of Nikki Sixx in his stage presence and with his white-painted face he also manages to look like Tommy Lee. But if you gotta steal, then steal from the best. The guy is a joy to watch on stage, no matter how you see it – very charismatic. The only negative thing I can say about their gig is that they should have played later, when the sun had set. This kind of show works better in the dark, when they can use all the lights and pyro properly. Fact is, Fatal Smile could actually have headlined the whole festival, as far as I’m concerned. Good luck, going on after this display. While some people like to be all grumpy and grumble about “image bands” and “I like bands who are all about the music”, I say this; This is how you do it. I can’t see no reason what so ever to watch some dude moaning in his t-shirt while looking at his feet when I can watch this. Rock music is visual and as Nikki Sixx once said: “A great show can’t make a bad gig good, it can only make a good gig better”. Amen to that!

9/10

To read the review of Fatal Smile’s latest album 21st Century Freaks – click here >>> Do it: