Category Archives: Concert Reviews: Europe

Clutch – Lionize: Live at Metropolitan University, Leeds

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clutch tour poster

 

The second set of tour dates supporting last year’s highly successful Earth Rocker (Weathermaker) opus see’s Clutch riding a high having one again reaffirmed their status as one of rock finest live acts currently treading the boards.

 

The met is still disconcertingly quiet when support act Lionize begin their set, but their funk infected grooves impress punters early on. Chris Brooks and Nate Bergman deliver some rich vocal harmonies. Clutch’s Jean Paul Gaster even joins the band briefly on percussion yet while its clear their label bosses have been a forbearer for Lionize sound they retain a feel all of their own. Hell they even manage to get away with dropping a bit of reggae without sounding laughable or trite.

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When father Neil Fallon begins the sermon the congregation has joined us in full swing. ‘The Mob Goes Wild’ lives up to its name, with frantic dancing breaking out en masse. Such is the energy that the Maryland quartet inspire that the crowd keeps singing even when Tim Sult’s guitar cuts out half way through ‘Crucial Velocity’.

 

The charm and charismatic presence of Fallon certainly means he is the wide eyed focal point yet the musicians around him lock into a groove that is irresistible. ‘The Elephant Riders’ makes a welcome appearance, making good on the reputation Clutch have of keeping their lives shows fresh and invigorating. The acoustic ‘Gone Cold’ provides a break from the raucousness allowing Fallon to show off his soulful side before a storming ‘Struck Down’ picks the pace back up.

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Considering Neil Fallon was recently a whisker away from being unable to perform following an operation on his spine which meant a delicate operation which meant his windpipe having to be moved temporarily in the process his performance is, if anything even more driven and passionate.

 

A four song encore concludes with the one, two punches of ‘Electric Worry’ and ‘One Eye Dollar’ which leave many drenched in sweat smiling in unison. Tonight may not have gone without a hitch, but when you’re a journeyman act with a discography few can match and perform with such vigour and zeal you can do very little wrong.

 

Clutch on Facebook

Lionize on Facebook

 

WORDS BY ROSS BAKER

PHOTOS BY EMMA STONE

 


Within Temptation – Delain: Live At Wembley Arena, London

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Three particularly surprising things initially stood out about Within Temptation’s debut performance at the prestigious Wembley Arena. The first being the size of the venue they were playing, double the capacity of their previous tour, and while not completely sold out, closing in on 10,000 people had amassed to witness the ‘Hydra’ tour’s London stop. The second was the people themselves, or more specifically the demographic; the majority of the attendees being couples in their late 30’s and above. I’m not sure what this says about the future growth of Within Temptation, in the UK, at least, but it was interesting to see where the band falls in terms of audience.

The third was how popular the bouncy Delain are, obviously a phenomenon that has passed me by. Bounding on with a bundle of energy with ‘Go Away’ from 2009’s April Rain it seemed half the gathered had their hands in the air, clapping along. Followed up with ‘Get The Devil Out Of Me’, the Dutch quintet had the audience in the palm of their hand early, their mix of rock, lush pop and symphonic metal an ideal partner for the headliners. The main focus is on Charlotte Wessels and her candy-pop voice, and her excellent range allows her to nail darker more Gothic passages of ‘Army Of Dolls’ through to the sugar-sweet-summery tones of ‘Stardust’ from the much vaunted new album The Human Contradiction, though it was the folkier ‘The Gathering’ that was the standout track of a set that delivered in terms of songs, if not of variety. Delain will be back as headliners, maybe not at the Arena, but I wouldn’t rule it out as the UK seems to have taken them to their heart.

Pulling back, the curtain revealed a multi-level semi-sci fi themed stage set, centering on a huge video screen set between two of the hydra’s heads. As on the album, ‘Let Us Burn’ isn’t the strongest opener, but it is warmly met, but the set (and the video screen) spurt into life with the energetic ‘Paradise (What About Us)’ served up second, Tarja Turunen delivering her parts via the video screen, in the first of four guest appearances delivered that way.

It’s clear from the outset that the majority of Within Temptation are not the most interesting of bands to watch on stage, with the spotlight firmly on Sharon den Adel throughout the entire performance, a performance that, a missed cue during ‘Paradise’ aside is flawless, note-perfect and album quality throughout.

 

Up and running and in their groove, the good times and momentum continue with a double-hit from the excellent The Unforgiving as ‘Faster’ and ‘Iron’ hit the spot. The remainder of the set is Hydra heavy, and the sound is possibly the best I’ve heard in the old Arena, a venue merciless in smothering bands in drums and vocals, a spotless mix fully showing off the band’s symphonic arena rock.

If there are criticisms, it is by using backing vocal tracks and click tracks, you really could just be sitting at home listening to the albums, with spontaneity removed from the performance, but in its stead is a true, slick arena performance, vibrant and well performed.

Highlight of the evening is the mid-set ‘Angels’, the song that helped the breakthrough of the band, but it’s only when seeing them live that you realise just how many good songs WT possess in their arsenal, with a closing combo of ‘See Who I Am’, ‘Stand My Ground’, ‘Covered In Roses’ and ‘Mother Earth’ is lapped up. A slightly sedate encore is a minor disappointment, with an odd cover of Lana del Rey single ‘Summertime Sadness’ sounding awkward, before staple and classic ‘Ice Queen’ finishes things off traditionally.

 

For an enjoyable night, with two crowd-pleasing bands, this double-bill is worth checking out if/when it rolls into your town. Delain certainly picked up even more fans by the end of the show (including yours truly), while Within Temptation served up another slick, professional slew of symphonic arena rock songs.

 

Within Temptation Set List:

Let Us Burn

Paradise (What About Us?)

Faster

Iron

Edge of the World

In the Middle of the Night

Our Solemn Hour

Angels

Dangerous

And We Run

Tell Me Why

See Who I Am

Stand My Ground

The Cross

Covered By Roses

Mother Earth

 

Encore:

What Have You Done

Whole World Is Watching (Acoustic)

Summertime Sadness (Lana Del Rey cover)

Ice Queen

 

Within Temptation on Facebook

Delain on Facebook

 

STEVE TOVEY


Red Fang – The Shrine – Lord Dying: Live at Effenaar, Eindhoven NL

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This time we traveled to Eindhoven in the south of the Netherlands for a blasting show with Red Fang, The Shrine and Lord Dying. All three bands I got very stoked about, as soon I saw the flyer I knew I had to review this and share this epic moments with the audience. The weather was nice, and after sitting in the sun for a while we hopped into the venue. Three bands on a European tour, the day before they were in Belgium. Now they are all ours! Lets see what they have to give to us.

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First on stage was the foggy and swampy band Lord Dying, after bringing out their first album Summon the Faithless I was already totally excited to see this band perform. I was not disappointed. They give a blasting and amazingly energetic show that blew my mind. You not often see a band that clearly has defined influences, but are absolutely doing their own thing. Their music is very heavy, but definitely in the louder register, it just shouts headbanging all over the place. Good groovy riffs intertwine with well placed solo’s, a deep bass ,and some good old-fashioned feedback. The venue was already getting pretty full with bearded men and women (?) and beer was richly flowing. It was a good opener but I wouldn’t mind at all if they would play a little bit longer or had another spot on the bill. Maybe next time. It was way to early when this band was done playing. I was left wanting more.

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The Shrine was the second band and you can describe them as Motörhead if they would play stoner with a little hint of some old-school punk feeling. The music gives you a happy vibe and are not dragging at all, a downside of this sound is that it began to nag in my head after a few songs, but hey. As soon they start to play they immediately pulled the throttle and smashed a squishy, but swinging vibe in your face. The Shrine gives you strong and simple lyrics that are pretty easy to sing along with, what makes it kind of enjoyable. I have to give the bass player a +1 for the Rickenbacker by the way, it is not that often you see one. The Shrine is a pleasant band to listen to, but it is a bit simple. I wouldn’t mind seeing them again, but I think this band will have a better vibe in a smaller venue.

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And for the moment we were all be waiting for, Red Fang. We all know the album Whales and Leeches they came out with recently, and this definitely is the best material the band has made to date. I wasn’t the only one who thought about seeing this band tonight. The venue was pretty full at this time and you know you are doing good when the audience is completely smashed and are only shouting for more. Well, this exactly thing was happening at Red Fang. These bearded Portlanders are totally grooving all over the place and unstoppable. You can describe this band in very few words: awesome riffing and a huge feeling of groove. They really showed this time that they can totally enchant the audience and make them move all over the place. You could feel the heat and energy coming at you all over the place, a good thing if you ask me, since it is getting harder and harder to enjoy the Dutch audience. And for the seal on this review a little tip for the next time you are going to see Red Fang: hold on to your beards, things are going to get messed up!

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Red Fang on Facebook

The Shrine on Facebook

Lord Dying on Facebook

 

Words by Kaat Van Doremalen

Photos by Susanne A. Maathuis


Kvelertak – Empress A.D. – Wounds: Live at Academy 3, Manchester, UK

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Boisterous and full of life, Wounds youthful charm sees them gain some approving nods and yelps from the bank holiday crowd. These cheeky Irishmen have given us some catchy numbers that come across like a snotty Cancer Bats without getting the half full venue to liven up to much. ‘Dead, Dead, Fucking, Dead’ still packs a punch showing promise for the future but this clearly wasn’t their night.

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Main support Empress A.D. feel quite out of place on this bill. Playing a set of plodding mid-paced riffs and some vocals which are clearly out of tune, they also provide little stage presence in spite of singer/guitarist Ollie Loring‘s half-hearted attempts to get the sedated audience to participate in any manner. Bank holiday crowds can be notorious for ignoring support acts, but Empress phone in a performance that does little to impress. When a stream of punters are gravitating towards the bar that should say all you need to hear about this lacklustre performance.

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Thankfully the venue is packed for the arrival of Norse wrecking machine Kvelertak. Possessing enough energy to power a generator, frontman Erlend Hjelvik appears in his owl helmet as the band launch into ‘Åpenbaring’ but it isn’t long before he hurls himself offstage into the waiting arms of the rabid fans at the front of the stage. Their potent cocktail of black metal, punk fury and rock ‘n’ roll hooks soon shakes the crowd out of their slump and ignites frantic slam dancing. The infectious ‘Bruane Brenn’ and ‘Ulvetid’ scarcely allow room to breathe with the temperature soaring.

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Admittedly while sophomore release Meir (Roadrunner) was a decent effort, it is cuts from the band’s incendiary self-titled debut that inspire the greatest amount of audience participation. ‘Fossegrim’ pours more fuel upon the burning pyre with its gang vocal refrains being picked up by overjoyed fans who Hjelvik passes the mic to let them sing-a-long. The triumphant encore of ‘Mjød’ and ‘Utrydd Dei Svake’ demonstrate that these Norwegians embody everything which makes hardcore, punk and metal so vital. Another memorable performance from an act who prove that Norway has more to offer than just spikes and corpsepaint. Kvelertak don’t appear to be surrendering their stranglehold on the title of best live band any time soon.

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Kvelertak on Facebook

Empress A.D. On Facebook

Wounds on Facebook

 

Words by Ross Baker

Photos by Stuart Alexander Rees


Lord Of The Riff Tour: Monster Truck – Scorpion Child – Buffalo Summer; Live at Camden Underworld, London

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There’s something about double denim and classic hard rock that just go together. Tonight’s Lord Of The Riff tours is bulging with retro riffs and the crowd outside the Camden Underworld is heavy with beards, beer bellies and Canadian tuxedos. The Co-headliners Scorpion Child and Monster Truck have been taking it in turns to close the night, and tonight the Canadian Truck get the honour.

Openers Buffalo Summer provide a heavy dose of Led Zeppelin love. The South Wales boys aren’t afraid of a sweet melody, and it’s not hard why they’ve been described as Led Zep meets Free. It’s an energetic set played with confidence, and guitarist Jonny Williams is reminiscent of Slash both in playing style and on stage moves.

Hailing from Austin, Texas, Scorpion Child have recently had to switch from a quintet to a quartet after a band reshuffle, but seem no worse for it. Their psychedelic rock is performed with a swagger, and songs such as ‘Polygon of Eyes’ and ‘King’s Highway’ means they come across as a metallic take on all those Swedish Rock revivalists, which is no bad thing. Compared to the 70’s flairs of Buffalo Summer and the shaggy appearance of Monster Truck, Scorpion Child look positively dapper, and you sense on a bigger stage, they’d make a big show of things. Frontman Aryn Jonathan Black is the band’s vocal point. His hypnotising movements and Robert Plant wail hold the attention and hold much of the front row in rapture.

But as good as Scorpion Child were it’s hard to see why Monster Truck haven’t been closing every night on this tour. Back in the UK after support Vista Chino last year, the volume and energy levels of the audience have multiplied before the band have got into the first verse of the opening ‘Old Train.’ Dealing in big sing-alongs, meaty guitars and lashings of groove, the truck are reminiscent of early Black Stone Cherry but with bigger riffs, better songs and less soppy ballads. The Browning EP gets a good showing, ‘Seven Sea Blues’, ‘I Am Freedom’ and the massive ‘Righteous Smoke’ have the audience singing along to every word.

Guitarist Jeremy Widerman is the band’s energetic rabbit, running, jumping and jiving all across the stage and only staying still when he has to provide the backing vocals, while Bassist/vocalist Jon Harvey’s commanding presence means the energy levels hardly drop throughout their set, and numbers cut from debut album Furiosity, such as ‘Sweet Mountain River’, ‘Oh Lord’ and ‘Call It A Spade’ just keep sending the crowd crazy. And when they do slow things down, it’s hard to be impressed by Harvey’s vocal range and control on the soulful blues of ‘For The Sun’ or ‘My Love Is True.’ The crushing closer ‘The Giant’ almost sends the crowd into meltdown as the pit explodes from the front few to almost the whole crowd.

If there’s any justice, all three bands will go onto to bigger things. SC have the compelling frontman, but MT are tonight’s big draw and have the songs and the report with the audience. The band’s motto is ‘Don’t Fuck With The Truck.’ On the strength of tonight’s performance, it’s hard to see anyone fucking with their rise to the top.

 

Monster Truck on Facebook 

Scorpion Child on Facebook

Buffalo Summer on Facebook

 

Dan Swinhoe


Anneke van Giersbergen : Live At 013, Tilburg NL

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Establishing her beautiful voice with The Gathering in the nineties and noughties, Anneke van Giersbergen went solo to be able to spend more time with her family. She has collaborated with Devin Townsend and Anathema, among others. Having seen the lady with the crystal clear voice before last year in a solo acoustic set, I’m looking forward to seeing her perform with her full band this time. The gig is sold out to capacity and a decent local and very loyal following arrives so early there is a significant line outside the greenroom of the 013 venue.

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Before Anneke takes the stage Kinkobra are to warm up the anticipating crowd. This dutch rockband had been working on it’s career with two albums under their belt and a “working your ass off” mentality. The first things we notice is the heavy sauce of 90s rock. Flashes of Skunk Anansie, the dutch Kane and U2 all change and mix in the sound. Personally I find the vocalists vocal style somewhat grating after a while, as he skips between registers a little much, but since he drowns in the mix, especially in his higher registers, or the louder parts of the music, it doesn’t bother to much. The most enjoyable parts to me are definitely the general show, though it suffers a little as they’re all 5 cramped on the front of the stage. It’s obvious they wish to move more than they can. Also the bass and drums are nicely done, which really moves the whole show along. It’s an opener that makes me feel like a teenager again, but I’m not sure how many of the older crowd in tonight can appreciate these youngsters making the music of their youth.

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And then after a brief changeover it’s time for Anneke herself to take the stage. First the band emerges and an intro is played. From the corner of the room I’m standing I can see the door to the side of the stage and see Anneke herself compose herself before she gets on stage. The butterflies and joy are visible on her face, and as she walks out on stage she is just a complete natural. The show moves fluently from big rock songs, active and happy power anthems to eventually a darker tone and even a few acoustic solo songs. The set is speckled with some older work from the Gathering, in a new coat of varnish. That Anneke’s voice is impeccable is something I don’t need to express more, and tonight is no exception. Her charming and disarming banter between songs is well timed and never too long. The chemistry of the band as a whole is itself wonderful, especially the harmonies with their key player.

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The crowd this evening is mixed in ages and backgrounds, some are clearly previous Gathering fans, some are younger people taking their first steps into alternative rock and others are more of a spunky middle aged variety. The crowd clearly enjoy the show, and even the occasional wanderer who came to see the show if thoroughly convinced. The only pity is that a small clique of young people who clearly came with the first band end up in the back of the room goofing with the member of Kinkobra. But this minor nuisance cannot kill the pleasure that is hearing Anneke sing, with her deep timbre in her lower registers and the crystal clear bell sound of her high registers. The music itself is touching and very emotional, the only thing missing was some songs of Anneke’s children’s project De Beer die Geen Beer was (The Bear Who Wasn’t a Bear), but it’s a minor thing I only noticed because the songs touched me at her 2013 acoustic show.

If you can catch Anneke on her tours the rest of the year, it’s sincerely recommended.

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Anneke van Giersbergen on Facebook

Words and Photos by Susanne A. Maathuis


Behemoth – Cradle of Filth- In Solitude – Inquisition: Live at The Forum, London UK

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Kicking off a long evening with a double-shot of generic but competent black metal, Svarttjern and Inquisition inspire a healthy response from early attendees, despite support-band sound and a lack of engaging stage presence. The former bring more of a DM touch to their songs, while the latter’s uncanny Immortal impression and two members draw the most attention.

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In Solitude know they’re on the wrong bill, but they launch into their first track of atmospheric classic heavy metal with total enthusiasm. A muddy, over-loud sound robs them of some subtlety and grace, and this was never their audience, but their professionalism and energy wins them some new fans. Watch out for them headlining their own shows.

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Playing to a large audience of hard-core fans, one time British black metal royalty Cradle Of Filth take to the stage like headliners. For a brief time tonight it’s possible to overlook the last decade of over-long, unspectacular “come-back” albums and ironic mugging, as they thunder gloriously through a set-list of old classics and a few newer favourites as if everyone in the venue had come to see them. The pit is filled with people screaming every word and greeting old classics with the kind of howling you’d expect for a headliner, and the band remind us how good they truly were before hype and backlash got in the way. As surprise encore ‘Funeral In Carpathia’ crashes to a close they leave the stage to many fans still shouting for more, and my inner 18-year-old finally stops grinning. Thank you, Dani – those long years of goth clubs and Never Mind The Buzzcocks appearances were hard to bear, but we’ll always have Paris. Or Kentish Town.

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You know a band are big beyond usual metal terms when a literally-packed-to-bursting Forum explodes into excited cheers every time a roadie picks up a mic-stand. After a long and unusually well-received soundcheck, Behemoth take the stage to a level of theatrics and professionalism that make their peers look like pub bands. Trading in their leather man-skirts for a tribal-paint-and-leathers style that makes them look like a pack of Chaos Beastmen, the band dominate the elaborately decorated stage with movements so precise and commanding that you suspect they’ve rehearsed them.

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Musically they’re even more precise, a stunning sound supporting a mercilessly tight, martial delivery of songs from their new album The Satanist (Metal Blade) alongside older classics. Behemoth are a band that have never entirely worked for me on record, their albums polished but a little superficial, but live it makes sense. Nergal is a genuinely masterful front-man, leading the band and the audience with an absolutely commanding performance of pure Metal arrogance, but between songs displaying a more human side, talking about his joy to have survived his recent health scares. Shining through their stern stage-manner and martial theatrics is genuine enjoyment and pleasure, and they communicate this to the fans – the packed audience go crazy, welcoming every track like a classic, and if their material still lacks a certain depth, absolutely no-one here cares.

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Set List:

Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel

Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer

Conquer All

Decade of Therion

As Above So Below

Slaves Shall Serve

Christians to the Lions

Driven by the Five-Winged Star

The Satanist

Ov Fire and the Void

Alas, Lord Is Upon Me

Furor Divinus

At the Left Hand ov God

Chant for Eschaton 2000

Encore:

O Father O Satan O Sun

 

Behemoth on Facebook

Cradle of Filth on Facebook

In Solitude on Facebook

Inquisition on Facebook

Svarttjern on Facebook

 

Works: Richie H-R

Photos: Ian Cashman

 


Apocalyptica & The Avanti! Chamber Orchestra: Live at Tampere-talo, Tampere, FI

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I remember hearing about Apocalyptica back in the mid-90’s when everyone thought Metallica could do no wrong and that an orchestra/cello group had paid Metallica to cover their songs. I was thinking, yeah…ok. (I will keep my opinion of Metallica out of this for the sake objectivity). Soon after the news of the Metallica/cello crossover I forgot all about Apocalyptica as in Tennessee, you don’t really have access to a lot of cello metal bands. Fast forward 20 years, and I am now living in Finland and was given an opportunity to interview Apocalyptica and photograph them for their Apocalyptic Symphony show, playing material from their recent album Wagner Reloaded.   As I said earlier I never kept up with the band over the years much like I never did with Metallica, who Apocalyptica by their own admission, would not be where they are today without doing those covers. So career wise Apocalyptica hit the right time cover the Metallica songs when that band was riding high. But for me I had no idea what their other material or compositions really sounded like and if they could stand on their own. So seeing them live was going to be a new experience for me as I was going in blind.

web20 As for the venue, Tampere-talo was a great place for the band to play in, as it is specially set up for performances just like this and as a result the sound put forth sounded great and very professional. The venue itself is very pristine and elegant while also being minimalistic in its décor. This night Apocalyptica were performing with the Avanti! Chamber Orchestra instead of just cellos, recreating a lot of Wagner’s classical pieces in a more metal tradition. The show was split up in two parts with an intermission halfway through. The first half of the show seemed to be a set list that was more bombastic, aggressive and something that should make a lot of metal heads very proud. The band sounded very sharp, the orchestra was spot on and of course it was very theatrical with a great light show. The band really sounded great here and showed that they could play aggressive, hard music but still sound grounded in the classical music. web1

When the band stopped for intermission the audience was allowed to go out in the waiting areas of the concert hall and purchase beverages and snacks while they waited for the second half of the show. As the second half began, it was a very slow and emotional arrangement. This seemed to mark the trend for what the second half would be, a more slow and moody type set. In my opinion I thought Apocalyptica really showed off their musical talent in playing these instrumentals as they really helped capture a more emotional theme in what was being played. Great job here.   Apocalyptica are a force to be reckoned with and they have a musical niche that belongs to them alone and that is why they are one of the most popular bands in Finland and abroad. This was made even more evident by the fact that people in the audience were of all classes of people, metal heads, young, middle aged and old. When you have a musical appeal such as that and are also genuine in what you do, you have a recipe for success that enables the band to no longer have to rely on Metallica’s success.  [slideshow_deploy id=’5449′]

Set List:

Čohkka

Burn

Quutamo

Fight Fire With Fire (Metallica cover)

Peace

Birth Pain

Ural

Cortége

Rage of Poseidon

Psalm

Lullaby

Bittersweet

Creation of Notes

Path

Ludwig-Wonderland

Grace

At the Gates of Manala

Inquisition Symphony (Sepultura cover)

 

Encore:

Nothing Else Matters (Metallica cover)

I Don’t Care

Hall of the Mountain King

Apocalyptica on Facebook

Words and photos by TJ Fowler/TJ Fowler Photography


Alcest – Hexvessel – The Fauns: Live At Islington Assembly Hall, London

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Anticipation is palpable inside the magnificent art deco interior of the Islington Assembly hall. The grandeur and opulence of this listed building seem fitting for the inaugural performance of material from the controversial new album Shelter from Alcest, which has seen Neige and his colleagues dispense the metallic aspects of the band’s sound and embracing a collage of dreamy indie rock.

Prior to the unveiling of the new material, enter Bristol quintet The Fauns who enter the fray with a sound centred around the breathy vocals of Alison Garner. While the majority of their set is, a delicate and enchanting experience there remains the odd moment of mediocre indie pop. New album Lights has seen them grow from their humble beginnings. Its lush electronica meshed with atmospheric chords to provide a seductive backdrop of haunting ambience.

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Hexvessel’s magical, majestic prog folk is truly awesome. Drifting from the atmospheric epic of ‘Woods To Conjure’ into the doom folk dirge of ‘No Holier Temple’, they are truly unstoppable. Vocalist Matt “Kvolst” McNerney has a truly astounding voice and the combination of shimmering guitars and elegant trumpet allows the smoky atmospheric of this Anglo Finnish outfit to whisk you out into an enchanted wilderness. Ending with a seductive rendition of Yoko Ono’s‘Woman Of Salem’ the venue has truly been bewitched by their pagan magic.

For many following such an otherworldly display would be née on impossible. Yet in the case of Stéphane “Neige” Paut and company, putting on a clinic of ethereal beauty is all in a day’s work. New opus “Shelter” may have stripped away any residual metal influences Alcest previously had, yet tonight’s performance is delivered with utter conviction and an air of confidence only gaining from sticking wholeheartedly to your creative muse. Opening with new single ‘Opale’, Neige and company seem immediately comfortable and clearly unconcerned with the audience response. As it stands the band, choose to strike a delicate balance between their new direction and the older material.

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Paut sports a beaming smile throughout much of the performance, yet no one could accuse him of turning in a half-hearted performance. When ‘Là où naissent les couleurs nouvelles’ rears its head Neige delivers the harsh vocal parts with gusto and vigour despite his apparent tiredness for composing them and ‘Autre Temps’ is greeted like a long lost lover with the hall taking up the soaring chorus vocal.

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A perfectly balanced mix of material sees Neige and company seduce and soothe with the odd flurry of blasts and harsh textures of old thrown in. Bravely soldiering forward Alcest elect to conclude the evening with the spinetingly ‘Délivrance’ Credit must certainly go to the open-minded nature of tonight’s audience but also to the bravery and integrity of the headliner for following their hearts while remembering how their fans supported them.

Set List:

Opale

Summer’s Glory

L’eveil des muses

Là où naissent les couleurs nouvelles

Voix Sereines

Shelter

Beings of Light

Autre temps

Sur l’océan couleur de fer

Percées de lumière

Souvenirs d’un autre monde

Encore:

Délivrance

 

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Alcest on Facebook

Hexvessel on Facebook

The Fauns on Facebook

Words: Ross Baker

Photos: Ian Cashman

 


Ulver: Live at 013 Tilburg, NL

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The show we have planned for tonight was meant to have an opener. Meant to, mind you. For some mysterious reason there is none, and only the Norwegian Ulver will play after a very lengthy period between the doors opening and the show starting. The great hall of the 013 venue is separated into two parts: below seats are put in for the seated part of the show, and on the balcony are standing places. With Ulver you’re never sure what kind of a set you will get and when the vocalist and electronics man step up to a big square block with effects, to start the show we’re thrilled. The visuals start with an old man in a bed and a crow flying over him as an almost religious sort of heavenly, yet eerie mix of sounds fill the room.

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After a while the percussionist joins in dropping chains on drums and even whipping them dramatically over a huge gong set beside him. Then after a few minutes the whole band joins in and the atmosphere explodes into a much more intense thing.

 

Throughout the show the visuals stay incredibly captivating, the low lighting on the band itself helping you focus on the different visual stories being told. These images really manage to add a new depth layer to the emotional message of the music. The set seems to be mostly newer work, with more vocals involved and hardly any traces of the bands black metal roots. The sound is balanced surprisingly heavy yet not loud, Conversation of people a few feet away can still be heard, which is surprising.

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Sadly the strong voice of vocalist Kristoffer Rygg sometimes skips and wobbles a bit on the high ends and the vocal lines seem a bit disjointed from the music in general, like someone improvising over an instrumental piece, instead of vocals written for said piece of music. This doesn’t bother the crowd though, who are clearly enjoying themselves so much that by the encore a good deal of the people on the seated area get up and start dancing in front of the stage, much to the baffled appreciation of the band. It was a wonderful gig and night out to remember.

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Words and Photos by Susanne Maathuis