Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

If a main act can be surmised by the company it keeps in the type of support it has on before them then Medina Lake should be lauded for being one of the most energetic, most lively and physically demanding bands of the last few years. The invisible energy that had been building up from the start with the outstanding Buckle Tongue, through the Fearless Vampire Killers and Pavilions and culminating in a cacophony of sweat, blistering power and a mutual admiration between rock act and Liverpool audience.

Such is the intensity of the music by Medina Lake that the room inside the Academy on Hotham Street shook and vibrated with the power of a missile hitting its target over and over again. The grinding notes set out by bass player Matthew Leone gave the music the drive, the heroic stance of a man who has been through so much and yet plays with a drive that is contagious and likeable and when coupled with his brother’s towering vocals and enthusiasm, the group can be seen for what they are, four musicians who give all to the performance and who insist, that no matter what, their fans deserve to have the best of nights.

In that they succeeded, not just in their own set but with the abundance of talent that shared their stage and the glory throughout the night. It had all built up to a crescendo by the time they appeared on stage and whilst there was a visible disappearance of some patrons leaving after Fearless Vampire Killers departed the stage, the huge majority of those who stayed were given a thrill ride, the musical equivalent of a non-stop roller coaster losing its breaks and careering headlong at full speed, not into a brick wall, but rather into the welcoming arms of a crowd who took them to their hearts.

In a set that shone, there were always going to be those that were favourited above others by the audience as they bounced and moshed as if Zebedee had found that a certain type of battery was able to push him further than ever but in the tracks In Another Life, Pandora and the heart thumping Welcome To Oblivion this was rock at its greatest edge and if it is indeed a real farewell to the U.K. tour, then at least they went out on an extreme high. They will certainly be missed.

Ian D. Hall