On a crisp evening in Glasgow, the air was thick with anticipation as fans gathered for the much-awaited Heathen Neverland show, featuring the formidable acts of Unto Others and Green Lung. The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the dense array of fans from all corners of the metal world coming together. I saw Metallica shirts, Paradise Lost shirts, one lone Pig Destroyer shirt, Tool and A Perfect Circle fans, black metal fans, death metal fans, trad goths, hippies, thrash heads, old school metal OGs, metalcore kids and new wee baby bats. One of my favourite pastimes at a show is “shirt spotting” and I couldn’t help but notice there was a larger variety of “alternative folks” than usual. That in itself is a testament to how incredible both bands are; being able to speak to the souls of anyone and everyone, no matter their background or musical preference.
The atmosphere was further heightened by the careful selection of music playing through the speakers before the show began. Melancholic melodies and haunting harmonies filled the space, setting the tone for an evening that promised to blend the mystique of the gothic with the raw and brooding energy of rock and doom.
I’m not going to lie, I lost my faculties completely during and throughout this show. All sense of professionalism and ‘reviewer head’ quickly disappeared. There was a certain aura in the Glasgow Garage that night where I knew the audience would be transported to an otherworldly realm where the ancient spirit of music reigned supreme. For that reason, I will be putting a personal spin on this review in order to recount my experience in the rawest form possible.
First off, I need to mention the act and with all due respect, they weren’t for me. Satan’s Satyrs were an acquired taste for sure and I’m sure fans of Electric Wizard would have appreciated their craft. Mick Jagger had time travelled from the 70s complete with bell bottom jeans, healed boots, floppy hair and furry waist-coat. The sound was akin to a fuzzy, psychedelics 70s bop-de-wop with a thin veil of doom. The guitar noodling was quite exceptional to be fair but the general vibe seemed a bit off and their tracks did blend into one. However, the band seemed to warm the crowd up into a mild and comfortable frenzy so maybe I’m just picky.
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A further 30 minutes es between Satan’s Satyrs departure and the imminent arrival of the gloomy gothic gathering that is Unto Others. The venue starts to fill out and there’s an excited buzz in the air. Finally, the venue is bathed in deep shades of twilight as Unto Others glide onto the stage to a roar of approval. Launching straight into material from their latest album Never Neverland, the band open their act with “Butterfly” and certainly made it known that they would be bringing a palpable sense of dark revelation and gloomy, addictive ambience to the night. Their sound, a potent mix of old school goth rock and heavy metal resonated deeply with the crowd as the band continued on with tracks such as “Momma Likes The Door Closed,” “Suicide Today” and “Raigeki” from their new album.
But of course, it wouldn’t be a show without its crowd pleasers. Launching into the beautiful and somber “Can You Hear The Rain” and the harsher “Heroin” from previous albums, Vocalist Gabriel Franco is haunting and powerful in equal measure. His vocals seemed to pierce through the darkness with a velvety summoning, drawing the audience into a shared experience of cathartic release. The band’s performance wasn’t just a gig but a journey into the depths of human emotion. The crowd, lost in the music moved as one entity, their collective elation evident in the waves of applause and cheers that followed each song which seemed to grow in strength following the performance of “Pet Semetery” (a Ramones cover) and “Dragon, Why Do You Cry?”
At this point, I didn’t think it would get any better. I knew Green Lung would be on par with Unto Others and I was excited about that. However, I was wrong. Completely and utterly wrong. Green Lung brought with them an aura of ancient mysticism and a potent energy which infected every single person in attendance. Known for their unique blend of doom metal, occult rock and catchy hooks, the spirits of the ancients seemed to awaken and brought forth an energy like nothing I have ever experienced before; their stage presence wasn’t human, it was possessed by something intoxicating. Erupting into “Mountain Throne,” “The Forest Church” and “The Ancient Ways,” Green Lung didn’t hang around, recounting their stories of myth and legend infused with addictive melodies, catchy, groove-laden choruses and rich, doomy essence.
With each track the band performed, their presence and power grew. The guitar tone was incredible, not one note was out of place and the energy which would otherwise be lost in a studio setting had been gathered tenfold. Tom Templar’s vocals echoed throughout the venue, calling us all forth and capturing as in a mass ritual of darkness and mystique. Throwing out tracks such as “Woodland Rites,” “Hunters In The Sky” and the incredibly catchy “Maxine (Witch Queen)” whipped the crowd into a frenzy however their musical prowess was proven when they brought the atmosphere down with the ethereal and sacramental “Song of the Stones” before charging forward again. It was game over for me personally when they started playing “Oceans of Time.” A personal favourite of mine both musically and lyrically as a long-time fan of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, hearing Green Lung tell the sorrowful tale of Dracula and his obsession with his beloved Mina (the Gary Oldman movie, not the original gothic novel of the 19th century) was an experience I will never forget.
As the final notes faded into the night and the crowd erupted with rambunctious applause, they lingered, reluctant to leave the magical world that had been created within the confines of the venue. The Heathen Neverland show in Glasgow was not just a concert; it was an experience that transcended the ordinary, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended. The echoes of the evening’s melodies stayed with the crowd as they departed, a reminder that, for a few hours, we had been a part of something truly extraordinary.
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Photos by Alan Swan Photography
