(((O))) Live: Blackwater Holylight – The Hug and Pint, Glasgow

There are few things more frustrating to music lovers than a clash, with two beloved bands swinging past the same city on the same night and leaving you wondering who is more deserving of your time and money. Sometimes though, some mastermind behind the scenes will have the clever idea to roll both shows into one and thats seems to be what has happened tonight, with Portland doomgaze trio Blackwater Holylight sharing the stage with like-minded souls Labyrinthine Oceans for an evening of doomy, dreamy and emotionally devastating tunes.

The task of warming up the room, that even at 7:30 pm is already beginning to look pleasingly full, falls to Glasgow’s own Half Time. Having spent much of last year picking up a succession of noteworthy support slots and recently releasing their debut EP Guide The Way, they’re primed to deliver the goods, said goods being a warm but angsty hug for everyone who spent their teens in ridiculously baggy jeans and Spitfire bowling shirts. There are certainly a few nods to the golden age of nu-metal but their sound leans more heavily into the emotional and experimental side of the movement – hints of Deftones’ soaring emotionality and the textural richness of Incubus cutting through the heaviness and delivering something more balanced than the usual down-tuned stomp. The title track from their latest EP stands out admirably; a woozy wedge of nu-gaze (their term, not ours) splendour that pairs chunky, bass-driven riffing and waves of distortion that lap against the eardrums like the most insidious of tides to transport the room to early noughties Nirvana, but the bruiser swagger of final cut ‘Low Light’ isn’t far behind.

Half Time. Photo: Demelza Kingston

Making their first appearance north of the border, Labyrinthine Oceans have evidently pulled in a fair few of tonight’s attendees on their lonesome, and they waste little time in establishing why. They pack the visceral punch of grunge at its most immediate, those big hooks and moments of raw vulnerability scratching that itch for “music to cry to while nodding your head to”; yet they often find themselves veering off to the extremes, Julia O’Neill-Walton’s vocals rising to a barely-contained roar at one end and Ellie Bunker laying down sparse and delicate guitar lines at the other.

There is no room for complacency, all four players throwing body and soul behind each hit and note, meaning opener ‘Pinch’ possesses the same fire as every moment that follows, with ‘A Trap’ proving a particular highlight as Bunker’s solo proves that there is more to their sound than wave after wave of glorious reverb. Despite having only recently joined the band, bassist Laila Riley already feels like an integral cog in the operation, her grooves adding a sense of stillness and depth to ‘Home’ while her energy and presence make her a perfect argument against the adage that bassists should be heard and not seen. It is impossible to find fault in their performance, a balm for the soul and for the heart, and with any luck they’ll be back before long.

Labyrinthine Oceans. Photo: Demelza Kingston

It would probably be fair to say that Not Here Not Gone is a strong contender for album of the year, so people here seem a wee bit pumped to watch Blackwater Holylight attempt to replicate that same alchemical mastery on stage. Opening naturally enough with ‘How Will You Feel’ it almost feels like the recorded counterparts were lacking in some way – not quite summoning the same density of sound that they do in the flesh. Allison Faris’ voice has a raw, earthy tone and, matched with Eliese Dorsay’s decisive drumming, the whole thing packs more grit than one might have expected. ‘Mourning After’ feels a little more in line with preconceived notions – a shimmery haze of fuzz, reverb and not-quite-on-this-astral-plane moans – but a technical hitch means that samples will be absent for the entirety of the performance. Is that a deal-breaker? Not even close, as performing without embellishment allows more of their innate fire to blaze through.

‘Involuntary Haze’ and ‘Heavy, Why?’ both benefit brilliantly from this sense of clarity, with the former’s smooth bass runs and hulking riffs swamping the room in a sense of smoky gloom, while the doomy vibes of the latter become even denser, Mikayla Mayhew’s bass-work dominating the sound from start to finish. A mid-set switch-up sees Mayhew and Faris trade places and instruments before slinking into ‘Poppyfields’. It’s a tense song at the best of times, Faris and Mayhew both laying down swirling melodies that hover and dissipate under their own weight, but as things progress the heaviness becomes more suffocating. Dorsay launches into a flurry of blast-beats, furious yet tightly controlled, and as her power nestles up against the spectral voice of Faris, it feels like something truly transformative is occurring.

Blackwater Holylight. Photos: Demelza Kingston

Obviously determined to see the night out on a high, the set closes with ‘Bodies’ and ‘Spades’, two prime examples of why Not Here Not Gone hits so damn hard. Both sound colossal, the riffs somehow punch the gut and whatever part of the brain is receptive to solid grooves with equal force, and either one alone could have left the room thirsty for more; trotting out both in quick succession just feels like showing off. There’s a little part that maybe wonders how tonight would have sounded had everything worked and gone off without a hitch, but that part is lame and doesn’t recognise game. Portland’s finest absolutely killed it tonight and, judging by the blissed-out smiles on folk as they leave the room, no-one could say otherwise.