229, Great Portland Street, London
Friday 23rd May 2025
The small room at 229, The Venue, is a nicely laid out space with great sound, and even better, a mere stroll from my mainline train station. Following some decent grub in a pub away from the noisier hostelries nearer the venue, a tranquil early summer’s evening stroll saw us arrive at the venue suitably refreshed and ready for some rock action!
THE PARADOX TWIN
The Paradox Twin have been a staple of the prog circuit for a while now, but I admit they are not a band I am too familiar with. I am told that the more direct, prog-metal sound they are deploying tonight is a new direction, and initially it works well, Pixel Shader grabbing the audience’s attention from the off.
It is immediately apparent that this band is the baby of the keyboard/guitar playing singer and laptop manipulator stage centre. This is Danny Sorrell, who established the band a few years back. I always feel that putting a keyboard player stage centre is not the most engaging of set ups, the nature of the instrument meaning that its occupant is obscured by it for the duration. I would have thought a better idea would be to have the more than capable female singer as the focal point, flanked by the guitarists with the keyboards to one side?
That, along with minimal audience interaction isn’t exactly helping establish a rapport, and the reception is, shall we say polite.
Singer Sarah Bayley in her AC/DC t-shirt shares lead vocals with Danny, and the second guitarist Alistair Bell, while contributing some nice lead runs, seems a tad underused. As far as t-shirts go, that competition is won by drummer Graham Brown. “Normal People Scare Me”. I want one! The other half of the rock star rhythm section is bassist Steve Mills. Graham and Steve certainly look the part.
Personally, I felt the dynamics were a bit flat later into the set, which seemed to level out, and while it is all very polished there seemed to be something lacking. Perhaps it’s nerves, or maybe the band hasn’t settled fully after some recent personnel changes?
[Photos by Roger Trenwith]
Pixel Shader
Prism Descent
Wake Vortex
Planeta
Sea of Tranquility
I Am Me. I Am Free.
Moonblood
Danny Sorrell – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Keys
Sarah Bayley – Lead Vocal
Graham Brown – Drums
Alistair Bell – Guitar
Steve Mills – Bass
O.R.k.
After the requisite half hour (or so) break, this multi-national prog metal behemoth make their unassuming way to the stage, giving away little of the sheer power of the music about to be laid upon us. They launch into Hello Mother, from new album Firehose of Falsehoods, and we instantly see and hear that this band are of a different level. Dynamics will not be a problem here!
As we look to our stage left we have a masked Carmelo Pipetone, apparently “born on the side of a volcano”, which explains a lot, his corkscrew hair flying around as he delivers topnotch six string sturm und drang. Next to him is his compadre Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari (aka LEF), whose fabulous pipes deliver everything you hear on the new album, and more. Stage right as we look is rocksteady Colin Edwin, powering it all along. Behind them is Pat Mastelotto, nigh on invisible in the glowering and growing murk. You can hear him though, fuck yeah, feel that pounding rhythm!
It is immediately apparent that this band exude class and are tight as a nut, and they are as heavy as a boulder, and it’s gonna crush you unless you get outta the way!
Oh, by the way…In case you were wondering, later on, during the band intros, LEF pronounces the band name as “O-ar-kay”, not as one word.
The new album features heavily of course, with only one song omitted. The songs, not that they need it, get that extra special live buzz. Not least Blast Of Silence, which becomes a towering prog metal epic in these capable hands. The dynamic between the Anglo/American rhythm section and the Latin top line sizzles its perfect alchemy all night.
Seven Arms threatens to get funky, as it swaggers along, and I can feel my limbs stirring. Next up, Pat precedes No Need with a short but effusive drum solo. It is good to see this exemplary drummer playing a real kit, too. By now the crowd are enthralled, and every number is cheered enthusiastically.
Epicness abounds, especially with a song like 16000 Days, and impressive as it is on the album, live it develops a terrifying intensity, moving mountains with its brooding atmospherics. “Afraid to fall asleep”, indeed!
Of the older songs played tonight, the mid-set pairing of Time Corroded and Kneel To Nothing, from 2019’s Ramagehead are highlights, both delivered with precision and power.
The triumphant ballad Mask Becomes The Face is one of a few numbers to feature an odd-looking box of tricks in the guise of a mini keyboard, played by LEF (see photo), as well as fabulous harmonies from the two Italians, and a scorching guitar break from Carmelo that falls off a cliff before taking flight at the last second. Then the song leaves the stratosphere on LEF’s wordless vocals. Marvellous!
O.R.k. are high quality, featuring four top notch musicians whose telepathic communication makes for some captivating music, and it saddens me that an earlier gig in Southampton was cancelled because of poor ticket sales. They should be playing the larger downstairs room at 229 tonight if there was any justice at all, but it seems that very few people in the UK know who they are. WAKE UP, this band are MASSIVE!
[Photos by Roger Trenwith & Sam Smyth]
SETLIST
Hello Mother
Don’t Call Me A Joke
As I Leave
Deadly Bite
Blast Of Silence
Seven Arms
No Need
16000 Days
Time Corroded
Kneel To Nothing
Mask Becomes The Face
Dive In
The Other Side
PUTFP
~ Encore:
Some Other Rainbow
MUSICIANS
Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari – Lead Vocals
Colin Edwin – Bass
Pat Mastelotto – Drums
Carmelo Pipetone – Guitar, Vocals, “Robin” Mask
LINKS
O.R.k. – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
