Review by Richard Henry for MPM
Stacked line up on a roasting Tuesday night in Belfast, off to the big city again, and a decent enough queue for this early doors gig, which is great to see, up first….
If Not for Me
First on tonight are the 4 piece from Harrisburg Pennsylvania, early start but a half decent crowd already in here tonight, the guys hit hard and batter you right from the off, they are a real mix, when they are heavy they are crushing but unlike the rest of tonight’s line up, when they get melodic they are really melodic, frontman Patrick has a great set of pipes, and joined in on some tracks by Hayden and Zac as well it was a really punchy set from the guys, Demons, Say it to my Face, No Thanks to You all get an airing tonight, they seemed genuinely stoked to be over here, and the crowd response was really good, which is great to see for an opener, great band to kick off proceedings tonight!
Conjurer
The English lads are up next from Conjurer, they get described as sludge metal, for me they are a mix of Black/Death and then yeah, a bit of sludge, but absolutely brutal live, the mix of vocals from Brady and Dan are well suited, from Death metal growls to really harsh highs, the guys are technical in parts, constantly shifting tempos and feels through the set tonight, 5 songs in total and a set heavily drawn from the Mire album from 2018, it was my first time seeing these guys and I was really impressed, if you like the sonic equivalent of having your face taken off with a sander then that is what you are in for, again a decent reaction from the crowd and definitely the place was starting to fill up a bit at this point!
Resolve
Well, you will know where these guys are from when you hear the intro tape roll, the French 4 piece are on support of the 2023 album “Human. Kicking right off with the title track its rolling slab of a track that immediately gets the crowd bouncing about, seems to be a few technical problems with the sound for the guys on the stage, having to change mics at one point, “Bloodlust” hits next and it’s a real groove monster of a track, immediate bouncing around me in the pit to this, “Death Awaits”, well it does for us sort of atmospheric intro till the screams kick in and this is a real bouncy number, great energy coming from the guys on the stage, love the pull of riff in this track, the drummer Nathan is an absolute beast, I spent half the night just watching him alone, “Of Silk and Straw” from 2019s Pendulum Single next, that’s a seriously hard drop into it, Anthony demanding more from the crowd at all points!
It’s being like hit with a “Molotov”, so the song title is pretty accurate, a disgusting bass line and tone comes up before an almost dancy part comes in, nice vocal melody part on this one against the chords, but it’s a slamming track, “Emerald Skies” seems appropriate for an Irish gig, back to the previous album for this one and that’s a proper Djenty riff right there for this one, a real heavy syncopated groove on this, definitely has woken the place up and the crowd are all up for these guys, the middle section has a real cut and paste double kick groove that is sick, “Sandman” next, not to put you to sleep but to batter you from the off, a real rolling groove to this and the energy is just intense from the stage, love this track, then all of a sudden it breaks to the cleaner vocals and it just seems to open up, “Smile” comes in next and it’s a real sort of happy synth pop almost feel from the off and it’s a really nice change from the songs so far, I absolutely love this track it’s so uplifting, these guys where incredible and I have to be honest, I hadn’t listened to them before but I am certainly going to rectify that immediately!
Make Them Suffer
Australia is in the house, the weather certainly makes it seem that way, hailing from Perth these guys have been about since 2008, 1st time in Belfast tonight so let’s see what they have got!
Epitaph
Straight in with the new Self-Titled album, rolling double bass and a slab of a riff greets us first before the song takes off and straight away the intensity picks up, then when Alex hits the clean vocals, it opens the whole track up, such a nice balance from Seans vocals well done, fast and heavy!
Bones
Off to the 2020 album “How to Survive a Funeral”, that’s like a Rob Zombie type of groove like a real two step vibe, the crowd are going mental tonight, it’s definitely one of the best atmospheres in a while with everyone getting involved in the pit, again you have that nice balance between the all-out brutal and the melodic parts, the energy is immense from the stage and back to the band!
Uncharted
Venturing back further in time to 2017s “Worlds Apart” album, nice arpeggio passages on the keys from Alex to start this one off, now bear with me on this, there is something about this track in the chorus sort of part really reminds me of Devin Townsend when the keys come in and the atmospherics happen, it just sort of hit me there listening to this live, probably just me but there you go, loved this track in particular!
Ether
Still heading backwards, this time to 2016s “Old Souls and Lord of Woe”, the tempo has dropped a bit more on this, mid paced sort of groove at the start of this one, hang on spoke too soon and the riff changed to a nice twisty part, then it changes again and again when the cleans hit, lots of people bouncing about to this one, again the reaction to the band tonight is really incredible, last time i saw a crowd this active was Lorna Shore in the big room at the Limelight, what a welcome these guys are getting from the crowd!
Mana God
New album again and an almost punk sort of vibe to the rhythm of this one, rally head down bouncing sort of riff and the crowd surfing has begun, not only is the pit mental, but they are also escaping over the top, really dissonant riff, great vocal interaction on this one as well between the two, the thing is, all the songs are like 3 mins so they in and out before you know it, the pace of the set is pretty frantic but that is what is keeping the intensity up so far tonight!
Ghost of Me
Staying on the new album, that’s low and rumbly for this one and then these insane drops along with the riffs for texture, I really like the little build ups between the sections, there is a savage syncopated guitar and drum part after the twin vocals, then all of a sudden a break and the synths come in and a really melodic section comes in on the double vocals to lift everything before we are slammed with another brutal riff!
Oscillator
Again, on the new album, screamed vocal over a synth part and then bang into another tight riff, really groove heavy and the floor is just jumping round me, the bouncers are saints, honestly, they have had constant people coming over and they have been brilliant with all of them, this song has a wall of people coming over, love the clean vocal part that hits on this one, the contrast really lifts the tracks when it comes in, another one flies by!
Weaponized
Thats a stonking riff right there to kick this one off, that’s a groove right there and straight away there is a lot of action behind me in the pit to this one, again the change of tempo and the clean vocals just lift the whole track up and give you a great balance from just heavy, but the groove in this track is just infectious!
Hollowed Heart
Belfast, we are from Australia and its hot there, what is going on in here tonight, Saen says, and I know where he is coming from, it’s a total sweat box in here, released a single, this one is a track of a riff, brutal sledgehammer of a groove as well, there we go the crowd surfers are in full force now, just a pile of bodies coming over the top, nice blast beat part there going into a slamming breakdown, energy the whole night is so intense, what a show!
Soul Decay
Back to the 2020 album, and it’s a welcome slower number, just a grinding syncopated riff to come in and it’s a real pit song, there is a good few guys getting threw about behind me on this one, it’s really cool for the slow melodic bit to have Sean lead it with the screams, I think this one might actually be my favorite track of this evening??
Erase Me
Staying on the same album, nice piano intro to kick this off and then we have blast beats, and double kicks, yeah, we are an hour in, and God help the drummer, love the tempo twists and changes in this one, then there is a tribally drum part and there is really cool keys part before it switches to Alex’s clean vocals and then the blasts hit you all over again, no reprieve no letup, just insanity, and the that’s not just the band, that’s the crowd in here tonight!
Doomswitch
What a bouncy riff, the energy has never stopped, the band has been giving 100% all evening and the crowd have defiantly reciprocated, I love that atmospheric break before Alex takes over on the vocals with Sean screaming over the top, before the title is screamed and that riff comes in again, it’s just constant bodies I motion all evening, there is a really sick guitar riff I the middle of this, just crazy energy, that’s all I can say!
Widower
All the way back to the 2012 first album “Neverbloom” for the closer of tonight’s set, nice creepy piano part lingers along the verse of this one, it’s definitely more mid paced some really nice kick work in there as well before it opens up a bit and the crowd are just going nuts, constant bodies over the top, that middle section is just punishing, what a track to finish!
That was one of the most intense gigs in a while, the crowd made that tonight and i think the band where genuinely surprised at the reaction, I loved the whole night, what a great lineup!
