Review by Damien Doherty for MPM
It’s a busy night for rock music at The Limelight complex. Next door Michael Schenker and Night Demon are getting ready to take the stage, while in Limelight 2 a healthy crowd have assembled for the launch of the new Slomatics album “Strontium Fields”, with support from Skypilot and Space Shepherds.
Space Shepherds are a 5 piece Psych/Prog Rock Jam band based in Belfast with 5 albums under their belt since the release of their self titled offering in 2020. Band members Gareth Hill, Dave Ciggs, Maeve Mulholland, Peter Hunter and David Malone fill out the Limelight stage with a mixture of synths, guitars, bass and drums and their prolonged instrumental jams are part planned, part improvised.
While jams are not always my thing, they manage to keep mine, and everyone else’s attention with a spacey aural soundscape full of clever phrasing and hooks. I’d definitely love to experience a longer set from them in the future.
Next up are the Doagh riffmeisters Skypilot. It’s been a busy year with a new album and an appearance at Bloodstock in August 2023. First thing i’ve gotta say is I love their cleverly choreographed band shirts, 2 small and 1 large box emblazoned across their chests to denote their stage positions, very crafty. Waffledust – the opener from their latest album “Simple Beasts”, has a tense groove that builds and builds in energy.
Drummer Garry McConnell pounds into Whatever He Hits He Destroys from 2020’s “Monument” with it’s clever call and response chorus. Octofuzz combines a memorable Dave Hall riff with a cool bassline from Gareth Ruddock tied nicely together with Garry’s cymbal heavy drumming, while Through the Window is reminiscent of Infernal Love era Therapy?. Knifed on the Beach is a headbanger full of caveman tom fills, and final tune for tonight 5 Movements from 2019s “The Affront” quickly kicks up a gear from its clean guitar intro as it marches to a frenetic crescencdo. Super performance from the Skypilot lads, be sure to catch them the next time they roll by your town.
Things are now about to reach peak heaviness, low frequency tremors are surely felt in the feet of all in the general vicinity of the Ormeau Avenue venue as Slomatics kick off with Kaän from 2021’s Split album. An unusual configuration as bands go, Slomatics comprise of drummer and vocalist Marty Harvey, and twin guitarists Chris Couzens and David Majury.
Next up is the first of 3 songs from Strontium Fields. I’ Neanderthal, commences with an initial stomping intro, then progresses to a relatively faster tempo for the lads before dropping to a quietly pensive zenith. Buried Axes on Regulus Minor is an atmospheric tour de force as it moves between hard riffing from David and Chris to a reflective mezzo-piano interlude before kicking back up in intensity to the end.
Tunnel Dragger off 2014s Estron has a really spacey feel and Marty gets a chance to showcase his drumming talents throughout, but especially in the middle and outro sections.
And while we are speaking of Marty, next track Voidians really shows off his distinctive haunting vocal talents, surely one the most talented and unique voices on the scene. Like A Kind Of Minotaur bursts into a solid head-nodding groove, it’s a really catchy tune, one of the highlights off the new album.
Cosmic effects laden Tramonthane from debut album “A Hocht” raises the bar in energy, before final offering of the night Electric Breath solidly kicks everyones ass with sonic power and sends us home with wide smiles and ringing ears. Strontium Fields music and merch is available on Slomatics Bandcamp page so do yourself a favour and go grab yourself an early Xmas present.
