Mallory Knox

I've been listening to the Knox for a few months and had had to miss their concert at the legendary Leeds Cockpit earlier in 2014. Now the 'Pit is sadly no longer I managed to catch them last night at the newly named LBU Students' Union.
Arriving after opening act Moose Blood had packed up and in the first song of First Hope's set we were welcomed with passable opening act fare, if a little overwhelmed with the frontman's insistence on operatic vocal acrobatics that even Brice Dickinson wouldn't claim to be capable of even prior to 30 years in the biz!
Next up was Frnk Iero & the Celebration. The new vehicle for the former My Chemical Romance guitarist certainly had its (very vocal) supporters but I just didn't get it sadly - it was 30 minutes of badly played out of tune noise....
Then almost on the stroke of 21:30 to the Champions League intro music came forth the Cambridge quintet of Mallory Knox.
What followed was a whirlwind tour of their 2 full studio albums and EP Pilot of melodic metal-lite. Mikey Chapman is almost (in my opinion) too polite to be a metal front man. Don't get me wrong, I've yet to meet a music fan that doesn't like to feel that a band really appreciates their turning out (and MK make their gratitude known) but British sensibilities can get the better of a band and they can become ineffectual in their politeness. It's great to know a band doesn't forget how hard the struggle has been though but I like a front man to have an ego - not be a douche/dick - but be self assured (Benji Webbe of Skindred or Bruce Dickinson of Maiden being great examples).
For his part Mikey was largely out of breath but battled on manfully! The mainly student based populace of LBU's Student Union worked the poor bugger hard last night out-singing him on tracks like Beggars, 1949, alongside newer tracks like Ghost in the Mirror, current single Shout at the Moon and the hauntingly sweet She TookHim to the Lake.
And in these tunes Mallory Knox have carved a niche out for themselves. A place in between the heaviness and brutality of bands like Machine Head, Skindred et al and the dire pop mediocrity of Fall Out Boy etc. Radio friendly, catchy yet still with that rock/metal edge to bring in a smorgasbord of fans. Keep it up and they could be the unfulfilled potential band in this sector. There's clear sing-along-ability in a Mallory Knox lyric (though maybe a few too many wooo-ooo-ohhhooo-oooos). Round it all off with a brief acoustic encore and a set-closing bravissimo performance of seminal song Lighthouses and you'd have to be the Grinch (it's almost that time!) not to at least nod your head and politely clap at at a very solid set... And a rapturous and well deserved thanks did they receive.
From a pure live performance perspective expect to bounce and sing along - don't expect to get battered and bruised in a mosh pit - Leeds was far too gentile for that. And the band themselves maybe need to develop that fine line elevation in ego that allows them to accept that place on stage as the worshipped . It can be a tough seat to fill but I think crowds need challenging. if they paid to come to see you, you should work them hard for their energy sweat and signing voices!
In fairness to MK I've seen Skindred and Rise Against this month already so comparisons can be tough, even if the bands are very different....