[avatar =”James” size=”50″ align=”left” /]It’s hard to really classify this night other than to say none of the bands that played tonight featured any blast beats or shredding guitar solos. Then again, most bands that aren’t in my end of metal do. Either way, it was an interesting opportunity to hear some stuff that I don’t normally listen to.
Before the interview with Alunah, I got the chance to speak to the guy from Black Reach Promotions. We ended up mainly talking about metal bands and who we’d seen and who we’d like to see. He’s hoping to get Equilibrium here at some point and I for one would buy tickets in a heartbeat. He’s also the one who’s organizing the Omnium Gatherum gig up here on the 18th of Feb before they kick off their wee UK tour. I really recommend going to that if you’re a fan of melodic death and other related genres. Tickets are available from their site with NO BOOKING FEE, or Tickets Scotland.
It’s probably worth mentioning that it was the fourth time I’ve been in audio in the past 4 months. That averages at around one visit a month. It’s a good venue, and nearly always has a good sound for the bands playing there. There was only one real downside; they seemed to like using the smoke machines. Like a lot. Some times the entire front of the venue was enveloped in smoke. It was funny though.
The first band to hit the stage was Pyre of the Earth. Having an overall good sound, they seemed a little nervous at first but as their set went on they got more confident. Playing a mixture of doomy sounding music coupled with crushing riffs, they were certainly one of the better acts I’ve seen in a while. The singer mentioned that they have an EP out soon, it’ll be worth checking out if you’re into your slower metal music. Overall, they delivered a good set and suitably warmed up the small crowd.
Next up were Isak. Again having a good sound, they played a mix of doom and old school influenced music. They seemed to be more confident than the previous band, maybe due to playing more gigs. The singer/guitarist also had a bit of stage banter with the now slightly bigger crowd. Like Pyre, they are a band to definitely check out and keep an eye on. I can see them being a little bigger in the months/years to come.
Buried Sleeper then came on stage. It was pretty obvious from the outset that they were a doom band. Like the other two bands they had a good sound, but I couldn’t tell what the singer was saying. It just sounded like a drone. Whether that was intentional or not, I don’t know. I just sounded a bit strange. They played the grand total of 2 songs. Yes that’s right, 2 Fifteen minute long songs. The second song they played was from an EP/Album that they’re recording as you read this. Being one of the more established acts of the night I’d say, they did put on a good set. But I just couldn’t get into them.
Onto the headliners, Alunah. Having spoken with Sophie and Dan earlier they classified their music as “Heavy melodic with doom elements” or “Sexy Doom” (Sorry guys I had to put it in, it was too funny not to). Opening with a country style track, the band got straight into their element. Having a sound made up of a thick wall of guitars, with the bass grooving and the drums keeping everything together, it was hard not to nod or headbang along to their music. Playing a mix of songs from their third and second albums along with a song from their first, the band made the most of their one hour set with only brief moments of not playing which involved Sophie thanking everyone for being there or introducing the next song. They were clearly enjoying themselves and delivered an awesome set.
In short, the night was a bit different to what I’d normally be at. That didn’t stop me from enjoying it and all the bands from delivering good performances with a good stage sound. If you’ve never heard of any of these bands before, I advise you check them out. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see any of them at a festival in the future.
