This Easter weekend just gone saw a merry half dozen of the E&D writers pack their bags & head to Leeds for the very first Strangeforms festival. We decided early on that it would be impossible to do a band by band review, so here are a few thoughts.

When I woke up that Sunday, I did not know I would be witnessing a mind blowing performance by the end of the day.  And possibly, for the purpose of this review, it would have been better if it had stayed that way.  Instead, I found that there was a performance happening at a venue famous for great experimental and avant-garde music, and that venue happened to be a short stroll away from me.  Someone couldn’t make it - and there I was, trying to save the day.  The ‘experimental’ and ‘avant-garde’ is the challenging part though - how does one translate such an experience into words...?

The first act of the night was a collaboration between Will Guthrie, an Australian experimental percussionist, and David Maranha, a multi-instrumentalist who performed on the organ.  I sat smartly in the front row, right in front of Guthrie’s drum kit.  What I witnessed can only be described as finesse coming through creative chaos.  There was little of what I’d call traditional drumming, with Guthrie utilising a range of self-made instruments – bowls placed on drums in various configurations, all kinds of drum sticks were very literally flying in and out of his hands.  The minimalistic drumming teamed up with ominous sounds of the organ, creating a mind space to escape into and contemplate.  If there ever was a specific music that created soundscapes, this was it.  The texture of sounds coming out of the percussion was enveloping.  Guthrie and Maranha performed only two compositions.  In their improvisatory nature, they certainly invoked thoughts about various faces of contemporary music, leaving me in complete awe.

Radian’s performance was more structured but equally avant-garde in terms of soundscaping.  The band has the ability to make the audience aware of every sound.  I found myself attempting to investigate where each tiny sound came from and how far away it was.  Guthrie’s percussion kit got replaced with the most impressive and elaborate set of looping pedals, effects and custom made electronics I have ever seen.  I also managed to get a glimpse of Martin Siewert’s diagrams mapping the sounds for each song.  The noises he created were all very individual and added to the texture, sculpting the sound with different levels of volume, intensity, distance and rhythm.  He used samples that incorporate everyday life into music – the sound of a light switch and a finger pressing a computer key.  Each song, and do forgive me as I did not have a set list and cannot come up with titles, induced a different state of mind – all of which were meditative.  Some quiet, encouraging you to look within yourself.  Others more alert, especially when the volume and density created a colossal wall of noise.

It is true that Radian are an incredible band to see live.  Describing the experience to those who did not witness the performance borders on impossibility.  The sheer finesse behind each intricate composition was apparent.  The thought processes they initiate are individual to the recipients, turning a concert into a very intimate experience.  I looked around the room and noticed many audience members sitting with their eyes closed, completely immersed in the sound sculpture.  Radian’s live acts are so elegant and complex that they cross the line between music and sound art many times.  And just as with reception of art, the reception of Radian depends on what emotions they resonated with on that day.  I went away lost in thought about what music is or can be.  Where does music end and art begin?  What differentiates music from a random selection of noises?  What is it that creates texture and how do sounds become sculptures?

I hope that this most abstract review - very much corresponding with the nature of the performance - will encourage someone to push their own boundaries with music and experience something unexpected.  If Radian perform anywhere near you, I strongly advise dropping everything and going.  I’m now listening to their album just to remind myself of the state of mind they put me in and I can’t help stopping to notice every few words. 

 The Crescent is my favorite spot to see shows these days here in Phoenix.  It is not a huge room, but the sound is always really superb.  A small, but warm space to catch a show.  I was thrilled to hear that Om would be playing there this month.

Edinburgh may be Scotland’s capital city, but for many years now it has been standing in the shadow of Glasgow when it comes to the live music scene and especially to the amount of touring bands visiting Scotland. It basically doesn’t happen very often that bigger touring bands play in Edinburgh. So when it was announced that the two Relapse Records ‘powerhouses’ Inter Arma and Windhand were going to play in Edinburgh and that this was going to be their only Scottish date on their current UK tour then this was a lot of reason to get excited about and local Edinburgh promoter Ewen of Pisschrist Promotions basically had his scoop of the year there.

Ewen’s own band Atragon kicked off tonight’s proceedings with a great set of slow heavy doom. Regardless of the fact that this 4-piece plays a lot of gigs in Edinburgh and surroundings, this was the first time I saw them since their second guitar player Victor left the band to fully focus on his sludge metal band DUNE. Based on the set they played tonight I can only say that this was a wise move as it benefits both DUNE and Atragon. Ewen’s bass sounds louder and a lot beefier and Ruaridh’s sole guitar playing fits the type of slow doom perfectly well. They played 4 songs, ‘Wallowing Wizard’, ‘The Sound in the Halls’, ‘And the Matriarch did Bleed’ and ‘I, Necromancer’, and I was pleased to hear plans are being made for the recording of their first full-length release, which no doubt will be a slab of the finest heavy doom!

By the time Inter Arma got on stage, Bannermans was getting pretty full, which was great to see especially since it was a Monday night. I suppose that’s what the label ‘Scottish exclusive’ does to a show. Last year Inter Arma released one of my favourite albums of 2013 and the sound on Sky Burial is a bit hard to describe as they are true metal genre benders, going from black metal to doom to more progressive metal passages. Seeing them live was high on my wish list though, so I was getting pretty excited when the band was getting ready on stage while what looked like discussing either the set they were going to play or how a certain song was going. The moment they started it appeared to be the latter as they opened the gates to hell with a new track, which can only be described as ‘blackened fury’. With some high speed drumming and amazing guitar shredding combined with Mike Paparo’s impressive growling whilst throwing scary, psychopathic looks into the crowd we were off on a very impressive start. I absolutely love it when bands show some guts and start their set with a new tune! Bassist Joe Kerkes told me later that this track hasn’t been recorded yet and I have no idea what it’s called (guys, why not call it ‘Blackened Fury’??), but it gives me huge anticipation to the upcoming release, which should hopefully be released later this year.

The rest of Inter Arma’s set included songs of their previous releases, which were the slower heavy riffing doom track ‘Epicenter’, taken of their first full-length release Sundown and ‘sblood’ and ‘Destroyer’ both of their latest release Sky Burial. All band members were pretty brilliant, but special credit does to drummer T.J. Childers, who played phenomenally well, especially during ‘God's blood’ (or 'sblood), a track that is built on the repetitive drum pattern and bass riff. They ended on the 10 minutes long ‘Destroyer’, one of the more interesting tracks on Sky Burial, which works a lot better live than I had anticipated.

The headliners were Windhand, similarly to Inter Arma from Richmond, Virginia, and it was pretty clear that the majority of the crowd were here to see the masters of ‘modern’ doom metal. I like Windhand. Their last release Soma is a doom masterclass, and their split Reflection of the Negative with Cough is a fantastic release. I haven’t listened to their first self-titled release yet, but no doubt this will be a great listen as well. Some people criticise Windhand for being too much like Electric Wizard and similar sounding doom bands, but in my opinion there is nothing wrong with this. Aren’t all current doom bands not influenced or at least inspired by Electric Wizard, Sleep or even the mighty Black Sabbath these days? If you provide the loudness and the riffs, slowly putting you in a trance-like state, then it’s pretty much what I’m after when I go and see a heavy doom band. And this is exactly what Windhand does. And they not only play heavy doom, they also incorporate a lot of heavy metal in their music, which adds a nice change at just the right times within their songs.

Their set consisted of songs taken of all their releases, with personal highlights ‘Winter Sun’ of the self-titled album, ‘Amaranth’ of Reflection of the Negative and ‘Orchard’ of Soma. The sign of a good doom gig is when the band played for nearly an hour and it only feels like they played 5 minutes, and the Windhand gig was no exception to this. I don’t think the band anticipated the crowd demanding an encore as singer Dorthia Cottrell had made her way off stage towards the back of the room already, but we got an encore ending this brilliant night on a massive high note.

It was pretty special to see a packed Bannermans on a Monday night, demonstrating nicely that it can be done in Edinburgh!

Special mention goes to Ross McKendrick who designed the awesome poster. Check out RDM Visuals for more of his brilliant work!

This year sees the inaugural Temples Festival in Bristol; with a top draw line up featuring a lot of bands that the crew here at Echoes And Dust absolutely love. We sent Andrew Rawlinson to have a chat with festival organiser, Francis Mace.

(((o))): Thanks for your time Francis, first of all congratulations on the amazing line up you have compiled, just how big is the smile across your face right now?

Fairly big, though there’s still a lot of work to be done before an accomplished smile can be earned!

(((o))): Going back to the beginning how did you get into booking and promoting shows and what was the first show you put on?

I started promoting shows for two reasons; 1) Extreme frustration that no-one was booking the underground bands I knew would pull a big crowd if given the chance, and 2) I wanted to bring the bands I liked to Bristol so that my band at the time (Shadow Law) could support them in our hometown.

The first show I promoted was for Shaped by Fate, Decimate and a bunch more at The Croft, Bristol; a venue I continued to promote in until it closed last year (RIP).

(((o))): Is Temples the first festival you have created? What was the inspiration to create it?

I’ve organised numerous weekend events and all-dayers over the years, but this is the first ‘official’ festival I’ve managed. It was an idea that was bubbling away for a while, but with all major projects timing is a key factor and it wasn’t until recently that the timing felt right.
The inspiration behind Temples Festival was simply to bring a diverse, well programmed heavy music festival to the South West of England with the ultimate goal of booking high-calibre international artists alongside smaller, more underground acts and establishing an annual UK event that will continue to grow year after year.

(((o))): What is the origin of the name “Temples” itself and what does it convey to you?

The festival itself is based in the ‘Temple’ Quarter of Bristol which has historical ties with the Knights Templar. Myself and Jimbob (Temples designer and Hark guitarist) discussed the festival as a whole and we settled on ‘Temples’ as it was relevant to the city and had a staunch feel about it.

(((o))): Since its inception back in June 2013 the organisation and planning on the surface has run incredibly smoothly and efficient, has this been the reality "backstage"

Absolutely! As you would expect, there have been obstacles to overcome but we’ve got a solid team of people working on the production and operative side of things who are helping me run the festival better than I ever could have imagined, which in-turn has enabled me to focus on the promotion of the event itself.

The Temples team know their trade, having booked, promoted and toured with some of the biggest acts in alternative music at the moment, so working on this festival has been a walk in the park for them.

(((o))): Why have you chosen the Motion venue for this festival?

It’s a versatile, interesting, independent venue that features both outdoor and indoor facilities, it has great transport links and above all a supportive attitude towards start-up projects like Temples Festival.

There are very few venues in Bristol that have the right feel for an event like this, but Motion started out hosting DIY hardcore shows and was full of skate ramps when I used to go there as a teenager, so it seems only right to host Temples in a venue that has evolved over the years in the same way that I have.


(((o))): What booking(s) are you most pleased at securing and who are you most excited to see play yourself?

Neurosis and Clutch! I’ve been chasing both of them as a promoter for years now, so to have them both on the same bill is a huge personal accomplishment and I’m excited about seeing them both perform. I’m also really excited about seeing Brutal Truth’s last ever UK show, Tombs, Doomriders, Repulsion, Wolfbrigade; there are too many to even mention.


(((o))): According to Facebook you will be confirming that Temples 2015 will be happening, just how do you plan to top your first year?

I can’t really divulge too much right now but my plan of action is well underway... I’ll be programming a line-up of equal strength to this year’s offerings & perhaps this time introduce a few genres we didn’t have the opportunity to cater for this year. We’ll be giving everyone a little teaser of what’s in store for 2015 VERY soon though so keep your eyes peeled…

(((o))): Is there a long term plan for the Temples ‘brand’? If so what is the “dream” Temples if money etc was no object?

I do have a five year plan for Temples Festival, but as a ‘brand’ we’re simply interested in further establishing ourselves as a festival that caters for the underground music scene and anyone who has an interest in an eclectic range of heavy music.

As for a ‘dream’ line-up, it’d probably feature Black Sabbath, Queens of the Stone Age, Immortal Technique, Doug Stanhope and Led Zeppelin.

(((o))): Many thanks & good luck for the festival!

I love Supersonic festival, and I've even put on my Supersonic festival t-shirt to write this Supersonic festival preview. You can guess how happy I was when the news broke that Capsule have returned from a year off doing various stuff that wasn't Supersonic festival with something that is Supersonic festival. 2014 brings a more streamlined affair than the usual sprawling four-festivals-in-one vibe they strived for in recent years, but that doesn't mean the line-up isn't as impressive as ever. Across the past ten years there's been some truly historic performances - Corrupted playing a rare date outside of Japan, Bohren & der Club of Gore playing a rare date at all, Thorr's Hammer reuniting for a one-off performance, Lash Frenzy laying waste to a warehouse full of fans, and one of Turbonegro's first live dates with new singer Tony Sylvester - every year something new and special happens. There's only 400 tickets available for the two day event, taking place at the Custard Factory in Birmingham, so consider yourself already perilously close to not getting a ticket. Best just close this page and book one, or two, or more, then come back and read this next bit in which I talk about the line-up.

Pharmakon: New York-born Margaret Chardiet has been making music as Pharmakon for five years. As a key member of the Red Light Collective she has been a key driving force in the experimental underground with her personal brand of power electronics. Fresh off last year's Abandon, Pharmakon's in the midst of a tour with such luminaries as Godflesh and The Haxan Cloak. She's a formidable force live, constantly striving to make ever more challenging and provocative work using both conventional instruments and devices of her own creation, which sit surprisingly well against her agonised, screaming vocals. She likens her performance to an exorcism and, as a pretty big fan of exorcisms, I and the people of Birmingham and the surrounding areas are excited to see what she'll get up to.

Felix Kubin: The utterly unique synthetic electronic pop of Felix Kubin is magical, bizarre, and just plain weird. He is a bringer of insane beats and half-broken disco, each song sounding like a German rave in a collapsing toy shop. He's been a pioneer of cult electronic music, melding an avantgarde approach with an irresistable pop sensibility, for over twenty years, first getting his start with noise outfit Klangkrieg before going on to release his debut solo album, Filmmusik, on his own Gagarin Records in 1998. He's also an engaging performer on the microphone, bring a magnetic presence to the stage and his various lectures, radio plays, and theatre productions. He is nothing if not memorable.

Matmos: Recent Thrill Jockey signings Matmos have been peddling their experimental brand of electronic music for nearly twenty years now now, gaining rave reviews and artistic acclaim in the process. They've collaborated with Bjork, Marina Abramovic, and have made a name for themselves with unusual samples of non-traditional sources including "freshly cut hair" and "the amplified neural activity of crayfish" on their self-titled debut, and "the snips, clicks, snaps, and squelches of various surgical procedures, then nipped and tucked them into seven remarkably accessible, melodic pieces of experimental techno" on A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure. Enough of the Wikipedia bollocks though - their experimentalism never feels academic or shoehorned into a track, nor is it ever towards any purpose other than servicing the track. So they're good, is what I'm saying. My personal favourite of theirs is The Rose has Teeth in the Mouth of the Beast - it's sumptuous, decadent, but also fucked up. It sounds like the best bits of Portishead played backwards.

Sleaford Mods: Sleaford Mods are grime in the true sense of the word, as in dirty. Covered in dirt. They're raw, working class Nottingham chav hop making the most baldly political music since Crass. In fact, I'd be amazed if Crass wasn't a huge influence, so strong is their driving sense of rhythm and spastic drums. The Streets would be the obvious comparison to make to MC Jason Williamson's ranting free verse, but there's a bit of Jello Biafra in there too. He's great at reproducing the turns of phrase people use in day to day life and twisting them to acheive a further meaning. It's impressive. If ever you wanted an insider look at the realities of working class life in Cameron's Britain, Sleaford Mod's first vinyl LP Austerity Dogs will give you a comfortable wormhole to look through. It's urgent, it's immediate, and it's vital. It's now. They're worshipped by Wire Magazine, Uncut, and they're making waves across Europe, so get in on the ground floor. They played a storming set at Capsule's mini fest Bring To Light last year so there's no excuse really, unless you have other plans.

Basic House: Basic House are a K-pop band, but that Basic House is not this Basic House. This Basic House is Stephen Bishop, throat for transcendental sludgers Drunk In Hell and head of Opal Tapes, through which he releases his work as Basic House. At its mellowest I'd call it ambient-as-landslide, slowly shifting beats and garbled vocals vying but never quite succeeding in acheiving dominance over the track. When it veers into straight staticky noise it's impenetrable, an arctic tundra of mixed up frequencies. There's always a beat - be it the aforementioned garbled vocals or the chug of grinding interference, there's always rhythm, which I suppose is an aspect it shares with Drunk in Hell. No matter how violent it gets, there's always something to draw you in. He was just on tour with Gnod but will be coming to Birmingham Gnodless, but no doubt still in fine fettle.

Jenny Hval: She's a Norwegian singer, composer, lyricist, and also provocateur. She's playful, kinky, and also a published novelist, columnist, and writer whose subject matter in all media is the female body as object of desire, affection, hatred, and violence. Her music straddles the worlds of folk rock and more abrasive fare but is always saying something; getting in your face, challenging orthodoxies. She occupies the same sort of dramatic space as Kate Bush, if Kate Bush had a sudden meltdown. She sounds at turns naive and knowing; intimidating and acquiescing. She's both dominant and submissive, childlike and yet so, so very old. Imagine Joanna Newsom and PJ Harvey in Kate Bush's bathroom and you'd be edging close to a fun-sounding but ultimately meaningless visual metaphor for her sound. She's just great, and she'll be at this festival, what the fuck more do you need?

Agathe Max: I love it when people with classical training and a shitload of natural talent decide to go against the usual circuit of pantomimes, musicals and orchestras and try and investigate the outer limits of what is possible with their instrument. Agathe Max is a violinist who plays with Jimi Hendrix's tone and Derek Bailey's imagination, creating soundscapes with just a simple string instrument and an array of effects pedals. She dwells and meditates on feedback and melody, creating a magical chaotic sound, cast as a lone figure on a darkened stage. What you expect when you see a violin player is absolutely not what you get, which sounds like just one part of a grand tragedy being played out in front of you. It's dramatic and operatic, but you're not quite sure why, like magic.

Wolf Eyes: Detroit noise legends Wolf Eyes don't really need an introduction. I've never seen them live, and wasn't that keen on their most recent album No Answer: Lower Floors (although it did get rave reviews in the specialist music press), but their vast body of work is so strong that I can't help but be drawn to them again and again. I'm sure they're pulverising live, and fully intend on being front row centre for their performance. They'll no doubt be further investigating the sound they were prodding on their most recent album, which I may grow to love, one day. Hopefully they'll turn it up to ten live, just cut the crap and let rip. Noise has always been an important part of Supersonic - I distinctly remember Merzbow destroying my ears with what looked like a 4-way plug socket - and Wolf Eyes will surely carry on the tradition the genre has at the festival.

Ex-Easter Island Head: Even for Supersonic, Ex-Easter Island Head are pretty fucking weird. Musically, they don't sound all that bizarre, but the real genius of the group is in the conception of their live form - they perform solo, as a duo, a trio, and in groups that can reach as high as thirty members. Their sound is part of the modern experimental compositional orthodoxy, like Glenn Branca or Steve Reich, and the power of their music combined with the joy of seeing an unexpectedly large or small group of people playing a piece of beautiful music is joyous. After all, their line-up changes would be just a gimmick if the music wasn't so strong, and luckily the music is strong. So strong. Strong enough to justify what would, in other, less talented hands, be a bit of a gimmick. EEIH are brilliant.

Swans: Who are Swans? Only one of the greatest live bands in the history of extreme music. They've been going for hundreds of years and have never been louder, more extreme, more grinding. They've played Supersonic in various incarnations (as Swans; Michael Gira by himself; and former member Jarboe played in 2011) and will be making something of a victorious return to the festival after the triumph of their most recent album The Seer. They are a crushing live act, who have to be seen and heard to be believed, and only get more extreme with age. They've got another album coming out just before their appearance this year, To Be Kind (scheduled for the 12th of May), so they'll probably be mining that release for live material, along with older stuff.

It's not all about the music though, oh no - they also hold artist's workshops, panels, a massive art project featuring The KLF's Bill Drummond doing various crazy things, and homegrown experimental audio lecture/workshop team If Wet will be parading their wares for all and sundry at the Custard Factory, along with various other workshops and kids gigs.

I thought about writing this preview as a series of haikus, but I didn't in the end, and now I regret it. One you thing you won't regret, however, is going to Supersonic festival. You'd be supporting a fantastic organisation that does great work for the local area, and a valuable artistic concern. Just buy one, it's only fortyish quid, it's (probably) not going to break the bank.

It was time for another gig at one of Edinburgh’s smallest and sweatiest venues, The Banshee Labyrinth. And this gig was going to be interesting from the start with two out of three bands only using drums and bass guitar, demonstrating very nicely that you actually don’t really need anything else to make some good music and produce a big pile of noise.

First up tonight was Aberdeen based two-piece [ ] wall [ ], or actually just [ ], but pronounced as wall. Having seen this duo before I knew what to expect: ferociously played drums and lots of heavy bass playing with the use of multiple effect pedals. This band is the closest I’ve ever seen to Lightning Bolt and if you are familiar with Lightning Bolt you know what I’m talking about. If not, educate yourself! Basically they play some impressive drum rhythms and jaw dropping fills combined with some heavy riffing bass guitar work. Oh and apparently they are heavily influenced by tonight’s headliners Beehoover. Among the songs they played was their fantastic cover of Aphex Twin’s ‘Come To Daddy’, which always goes down a treat. Unfortunately the future of [ ] wall [ ] is slightly uncertain with bass player Alistair now living in Glasgow and drummer Chris still living in Aberdeen. I hope they will keep going on, as this is some impressive experimental noise!

Next up was Edinburgh based psychedelic stoner band Lords of Bastard, a “full” band sandwiched in between two drum/bass duos. These guys are creators of spacey fuzz, combined with a brilliant rhythm section (Chris on bass and Tam on drums) and some added warmth in the shape of a classic Rhodes piano. This band has been active for many years and each time I see them they get better and better. Tonight featured a new member in the band on the Rhodes piano. I think her name is Louise and she did an outstanding job, not only in playing the right sounds on the piano without practically not hearing herself on the small stage, but also in getting severe tinnitus by sitting right next to guitarist Mike’s double cabs! Ouch! They played a solid set that consisted mainly of material from the in 2012 released second album Cuddles, but we also got treated to a rather brilliant new song called ‘Whoosh’ (?). If you ever get the chance to see the Lords of Bastard, don’t miss out!

Finally, Beehoover, who came all the way over from Germany, was ready to take over the Banshee Labyrinth. As said, Beehoover plays drums and bass with added vocals. However, Beehoover plays both drums and bass very loud and very well. Ingmar on bass is like a sitting version of Les Claypool (of Primus) mixed with Rob Wright (of Nomeansno). Yes you read that right, Ingmar was sitting on a drum stool balancing his bass guitar on his right leg and somehow still managing to get all the effect pedals pressed on and off at the right time with his bare feet while riffing away on the bass like nothing else. I initially thought he had a reason to sit and play but a quick YouTube search tells me this is basically the way he performs on stage. It makes sense though being a two-piece as it provides the best communication between the two band members. The fact that Ingmar had a spare bass guitar standing right beside him on stage tells me that he’s perhaps no stranger to breaking the occasional string, but tonight there was need. Ingmar’s hands were flying from one end of the neck to the other, playing cords and open notes interchangeably, giving a great demonstration of what can be done on the bass guitar.

Combined with Claus-Peter’s extremely tight drumming it was hard to stand still as Beehoover’s music really has that effect on you. Based on the fact that a bunch of people were dancing uncontrollably towards the end of Beehoover’s set (including the promoter Ewen) meant that either the beer was doing a great job or people just felt the Beehoover vibe just perfectly, but it was probably a combination of the two. Ingmar and Claus-Peter are the nicest guys too, visibly enjoying themselves on stage and they happily returned for a brief encore to finish off the set. Afterwards everybody just smiled and was genuinely happy after a great night of live music and a lot of people. It’s one of the great signs of a successful gig!

Gig going can often be full of missed opportunities. The list of bands that I've followed for a long time but have not seen live is longer than I'd like. Various factors contribute to this, lack of funds, clashes with work or other commitments. Whatever the reason there's always a sickening feeling at missing out. So despite having many opportunities to see 65daysofstatic live, this was to be the first time everything fell into place. That sickening feeling still came up though, sickened that I hadn't done so much sooner.

Things got underway with the excellent Thought Forms in support, however. Signed to Invada Records and having supported Portishead amongst others I already expected them to be no slouches live although I was still unprepared for just how good and loud they actually were. For a three piece the intensity of volume was something else, approaching Mogwai levels of deafening roar. They aren't all about volume though. They shift between early sub-pop indie grunge sounds and a heavier almost ethereal doom sound.

The barefoot Deej Dhariwal reminded me of Effrim Menuck, who I'd seen recently with Thee Silver Mt Zion. He hammered at his guitar and almost seemed to be conjuring notes and wails of feedback from it. Charlie was also impressive, her vocals contributing to the atmospheric vibes. They have a split release due for record store day with Esben & the Witch and hopefully it'll not be too long before they're back.

65daysofstatic took to the stage with the familiar "No one knows what is happening" intro of 'Heat Death Infinity Splitter'. Pretty soon we all knew exactly what was happening though, witnessing one of the best live bands on the planet. I'd heard many times that 65dos were special live but it still didn't prepare me for the assault on my senses.

Lights flashed, synths resonated and beats pounded loud enough to derail the nearby trains. 65dos have found a way on record to perfectly blend the electronic and rock elements, it's equally impressive how this is taken further live. Their latest album is probably their sound perfected but also one of the best examples of how to push boundaries in creating instrumental music.

Live the tracks are performed with vigour and stunning effect. Every stab of synth or tweaked beat is amped up, guitars set to stun, bass and drums like a rhythmic beast. All combined it encapsulates the reasons we love their music and unleashes it in a sustained attack. Of course there are subtle moments, performed meticulously and creating many jaws to drop and eyes close in awe. The subtle build ups of 'The Undertow' or the dizzying highs of 'Unmake the Wild Light' would probably be highlights for any other band, but 65dos had plenty more in their locker.

What makes 65daysofstatic such a great live band is the enthusiasm and energy on stage. Paul and Joe crash and collide as much as the beats and guitars, with a genuine look of enjoying every minute. I haven't seen another band perform so well while either churning the riffs out or all hunched over synths/samplers.

Sometimes bands incorporate effects or synths and it feels almost token-ish. Or said effects are lost in the mix, not 65dos though. The performance in equal parts makes you want to rave like a lunatic and headbang like a maniac. It's testament to them that all the elements of their sound are performed seemingly with ease.

This year of course sees the 10th anniversary of The Fall of Math. London had seen a full performance of it a few days previous to tonight. As great as that would have been Wild Light is still the main focus for touring however. So I was more than happy to witness a bulk of the latest album live. Hearing and watching those tracks preformed brought a huge smile to my face after multiple listens to the album. Of course there was a frantic performance of ‘Retreat! Retreat!’ The vast majority of fans joining in with the sampled cry of "this band is unstoppable" before losing their shit. 'Radio Protector' as well pleasing the long term fans and another highlight of a night crammed with them.

65daysofstatic are one of those bands I'd recommend to anyone to see live. If you appreciate live performance, few do it better.

Thanks to Simon Glacken at Ilikepress for arranging. Pictures provided by Dani.

The East Village Arts Club in Liverpool is a venue that harks back to the glory days of sweatboxes with grimy floors. Not that this is visible as the clean up of what was The Masque has resulted in a rather formidable little place with a great intimate atmosphere.

That intimacy is on show tonight as Brooklyn noise makers The Men bring their chaotic show to Liverpool in support of new album Tomorrows Hits. A crowd of around 150 people gather to witness a band who show sheer abandonment in playing and create an absolute maelstrom of noise.

First up though are The Floormen who greet the early arriver’s with a set of out there psych which trades in on The Verve and Lucid Dream without ever taking off. They're an interesting proposition although there are certainly some rough edges and maybe the singer would want to calm down on the yelps which raise a little laugh from this reviewer.

That said, their music is suitably psych enough to get heads nodding as they perform wild tricks on their music with huge doses of echo. They may be band to watch out for in the future.

A band who are certainly gathering up a head of buzz at the moment are Baby Strange who's short set demonstrates why the critics are chomping at the teeth to write about them. Like a cross between The Cribs and very early Manics, they serve up a heady stew of punk anthems and more esoteric fare which shows a band in grip of their future. Lashings of attitude and a symbiotic relationship with their playing shows that Baby Strange will soon be headlining venues like this before going stratospheric. You heard it here first.

The venue filled up for The Men and amid swirling feedback and grinding riffs they churn out 'Lotus' like it's going out of fashion. 'Another Day' brings in the keyboards as the three pronged vocal attack shows why this band should be your new favourite act. It's an incredible start and one that knocks the crowd for six.

A lot of this is down to the sheer volume that they play at and a semicircle forms away from the stage as the wall of sound cascades down on you. Visceral, punky and turned up to way past 11, it works perfectly in melding together the rather disparate styles that The Men use on each album. From the noisy experiments of early songs to the Americana dripped sound of new, the cracks are papered over to form an amazing sound.

But what of the songs? 'Animal' is sheer power and one of the many highlights of the night, 'Dark Waltz' brings in the dance floor as the melodies manage to fight out of the tremendous noise and 'Pearly Gates' is suitably chaotic. They may not have the horns on tour with them that feature so much on Tomorrows Hits but you would never have been able to tell as they substituted guitars in instead.

Gigs like this are what rock and roll is all about and tonight is life affirming. Sloping off after an hour of playing with no encore, the crowd are suitably dazed at what they have just witnessed. If the result of a good gig is the amount of grins on people's faces after then tonight is up there with the best. It was like rediscovering your love for music all over again and regressing to that state where all that matters is the song.

The Men are on top form at the moment, catch them while they're hot.

Take a look at that line up and then see that the weekend tickets have sold out… And be amazed that it’s the very first year of this festival's existence!

Appearing seemingly out of nowhere in August 2013, the initial press releases promised the world and with a history of booking acts in the region such as Eyehategod, The Melvins and Corrosion Of Conformity, certainly gained the required curiosity, the very first announcement of the one and only Neurosis certainly proved they were not messing about!

Set in Bristol’s famed Motion art venue there are two stages which will run alternately meaning that the more hardcore attendees can watch ALL 46 bands on the line up! (which I will attempt to achieve)

With so many amazing bands on offer it’s hard to choose a definitive ”must see” moment but here is a smattering of the personal highlights I am looking forward to.

So let’s start with the Friday night headliner, the one and only Electric Wizard - a band so monstrously heavy that the last time I saw them in 2012 I lost all sense of balance for at least thirty minutes after the set!

Proceeding this monolith of doom we will have two out and out grindcore legends form different sides of the pond that will cause all manner of chaos with Brutal Truth playing their final ever UK show and Anaal Nathrakh simply being one of the most intense and consistently amazing British live acts on the circuit.

Providing intensity on an entirely different scale will be the triple threat back to back performances of slow punishing catharsis provided by  Amenra, A Storm Of Light and Conan; the latter are gaining a lorry load of buzz and hype right now and rightly so meaning this show is not to be missed.

Doom by name but not by nature, these punk legends will once again show the “kids” how it’s done properly, while the “kids” will be represented by War Wolf from Brighton and will show that they have been taking notes….

Provide respite from the chaos and intensity will be the Apocalyptic death-rock of Beastmilk and occult rock of Black Moth, the former being another band surrounded with buzz and hype to spare, so make sure to see them before they go stratospheric!

So after three days of crushing high intensity heavy metal how do you close the show? Why you only go and book the one and only CLUTCH! The best rock band on the planet with an unparalleled collection of hip shaking RIFFtastic anthems!

Any concert is a unique moment in time, a singular experience that ripples through our individual consciousness to be remembered or forgotten in as many different ways as there are witnesses. Hundreds of threads come together to weave a tapestry that then unravels into hundreds of other threads, each unlike any other, to live on as memories and experiences that form part of the next works of art. The tapestry itself will appear different to anyone who sees it, and instrumental music frees the mind to take so much more control over how it appears. Sometimes the harmony between those threads and the balance with which they interact creates a brief shared experience of such beauty and richness that you can almost slice off a small patch of it and hold it in your heart, knowing that your life will now always be better for having been there.   

Up first were local post-rockers Fourteen Nights at Sea, who threaded the first needle with the thread that was ‘Glass Monster’, a slow-boiling and shimmering affair that opens their fine album Great North, and which showcases their skill at creating slow-building tension with enough moments of release just to keep you on the edge of resolution. 

Early signs were that the crowd was there to listen tonight rather than talk, and so another piece of the tapestry was woven in – one of music lovers ready to give their imagination over to the music.   

The tension moved up a notch with the tremolo of ‘Country Victoria’ before a great new tune, ‘House Red’, and by this time the crowd was reaching good strength as they acknowledged the delicacy and precision on stage. ‘Ghost’ shattered the atmospheric tone of the first three songs before dropping back and leading into closer ‘Chiltern Justice’. The deeply textured tracks had created the perfect atmosphere for the night.   

They kicked off with the crescendocore of ‘Room 3327’ with its compounding layers, building drums and explosive guitar that hang off a flowing bass line. ‘Pilot’ from their re-released EP Absence of I provided their trademark chiming guitar and tension in a song that really rocks out before the bass groove led them through ‘Cusp’ and into the new track.  

‘Cursed’ perhaps best sums up the Meniscus sound and provided the screaming conclusion to their set as Dan hammered his guitar into submission against a backdrop of driving bass and drums and the flowing images spread across the back of the stage. The pace had been lifted and the crowd was now at its peak as these threads converged and the picture expanded its depth and colour in preparation for the visitors.   

The intensity gave way to the sprightly bounce of ‘Malacoda’, establishing the interplay between the heavy pull of gravity and soaring lightness as a major theme for the set. What was so staggering was the way Caspian were able to engage in periods of such ferocious intensity without ever losing a backdrop of joy and hope. There was nothing so clumsy as an on-off switch. This took you everywhere at once.   

Digging deeper into the past was the impossibly beautiful ‘Some Are White Light’ from their first album The Four Trees further showing off the richness of sound three guitars and synth can produce as they built to a crescendo that saw Joe Vickers smacking the skins off his kit, and not for the last time. ‘Concrescence’ danced lightly into ‘Gone in Bloom and Bough’ - clearly a favourite from Waking Season with drums pounding out the footsteps of the sludgy march.   

Most instrumental bands indulge in little or no verbal communication with the crowd, and in that context Philip Jamieson was a veritable chatterbox as he thanked punters for coming and heaped praise on the venue. By contrast chatter on the floor was virtually nil – there’s a reasonably-sized underground following of post rock in Melbourne who turn up to hear the music rather than talk, and I can’t overstate how much that contributed to the night as a whole. At one point Jamieson invited everyone to hang out with them after the show – “It’s Friday and back home on Fridays we like to relax and hang around after the show and talk with you guys” (or words to that effect).  He also told us that they would be back in Melbourne the minute they had finished their new album. Let’s hope they play two nights here on their return.   

Continuing with picks from all three albums with ‘ASA’, ‘Halls of Summer’ (with its sudden cut-off end) and ‘The Raven’, the main set concluded with the trilogy from their debut You Are the Conductor EP – ‘Quovis’ / ‘Further Up’ / ‘Further In’ – Jamieson acknowledging those who had been there with them at the start. Returning for a single encore, Caspian launched in to ‘Sycamore’, and instead of ending with the post-rock standard of fading pedals, they went out with a volcanic eruption of drums and loops as they lay down guitars and took up the sticks beating the absolute fuck out of a cluster of toms that had been sitting there waiting.   

With that they were done, although there was a real sense that without noise restrictions we might have got another couple of tunes. The set had no flat spots and strangely the peaks and troughs didn’t feel like peaks and troughs even though they were clearly there. This was the opposite of verse/chorus which is built around shit bit/good bit/ shit bit/ good bit. This was just great from start to finish and was both intense and uplifting all at once. It wasn’t just that they played louder than they do on record – after all a normally quiet person who yells out is just a person yelling. 

I spoke briefly to Jamieson and asked how they did it, and he pointed out that they were edging towards 700 live performances and yeah, that’s a lot. It shows. It’s the years of experiences that are in the threads they brought with them to weave into the tapestry. And when joined with the threads brought by the other bands and by the great crowd, for a brief moment in time a perfect work of art existed before dispersing into the night.

That’s how it should be.

I’d spent the last 2 nights of this weekend seeing Nine Inch Nails & Queens Of The Stone Age and I can genuinely say that I was more excited for this gig, and for good reason. Sometimes when you go to see a band you can feel a palpable ‘something’ in the air that is generated sometimes by the band, and sometimes by the fans. This night was both. The Corner is a Melbourne institution that has had many, many sublime acts grace its stage but it’s been a while since I’ve seen a band sell out a gig there.

Smith Street Band sold out two. And could have sold out more if they’d had more time on this tour. This is a Melbourne band that has reached ‘adoration’ status in a short period of time and it’s very, very clear why. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a show with so many punters singing along to every word, cheesy grins abounding, beer flowing and bodies flying everywhere. If I could bottle a moment of Melbourne/Australian music to show to international punters I’d be hard pressed to go past this one – sublime, honest and real.

And you know what? NO ONE was happier to be there than them. That ethereal, valuable quality that so many bands seem to lack these days, being too cool to care or pretending that they’re not insanely lucky doing what they love? Not here. The boys were smiling more than the crowd, and genuinely thankful to have this opportunity. Wil told a heart warming story of when he was a schoolkid passing The Corner and imagining how cool it would be to play a show there…..

And now they are. And that’s so fitting, because they deserve it. I could wax lyrical for days about this band (firmly smitten here), but I’ll begin and end with this: this band are the best slice of Australiana I’ve heard, with some of the most personal, delicate and flat out honest lyrics about life, love, loss and growing up. Or not growing up. Wil’s distinctive vocal delivery lends itself to a troubadour style, and the band embrace this, yet give it a rock/punk edge that counterpoints the delicate nature of the words. Just about every song has a line that flat out kills me, forcing introspection, reflection and musings on my own situation, hopes, dreams and desires.

So there was sweat dripping off the roof, bodies crushed together and beer in plastic pots being spilt everywhere and not a single person gave a shit – check your ego at the door. Every song was an exercise in crowd singalong, with the chorus and buildup of ‘Don’t Fuck With Our Dreams’ simply goosebump inducing. Hearing a full venue scream out ‘We know what happened we were there’ would convert anyone to this group, I swear to Odin, and the bittersweet lyrics of ‘Young Drunk’ resonate with anyone that’s stumbled down a suburban street as the sun begins to rise, knowing that they’ve kept their evening promise of drinking away their problems with friends.

And that’s what this band is about – life affirming music. Even in the depths of their saddest moments they somehow manage to remind you that it’s all going to be ok… and I love that. And live was even better. I got to see one of the most Melbourne bands, in one of the most Melbourne venues, and I’m incredibly spoilt and lucky to have been able to see that. And I want to see them every night. EVERY NIGHT.

Now, I request everyone who likes a bit of a singalong to go and listen to this – you’re welcome.

EDIT: Sadly Altfest has now been cancelled. 

“MORE THAN JUST A MUSIC FESTIVAL - AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE”

I will admit that I was very VERY dubious when this festival began life, after all, announcing in August 2012 that your first edition of the festival will take place in August 2014 and promising “Welcome to Alt-Fest THE largest Alternative Festival in the Universe!” is not your everyday move.

But I’m happy to take that back as they have delivered what they promised and it is shaping up to be an incredible adventure with one of the more diverse and eclectic festival bills in the UK covering the Metal, Gothic, Industrial and Steampunk spectrum they have certainly pulled out some prestigious names.

With a six music stages, 3 performances stages and a 3am music licence they have definitely come out all guns blazing!

A major coup for a festival headliner and a UK exclusive, Marilyn Manson's reputation has taken a battering over recent years due to poor performances and recorded material. Will he use the pressure/platform of a headline performance to dazzle us once again?

Festival co-headline choices are often an interesting mix but The Cult / Arch Enemy is probably one of the most bizarre out there. British Post Punk and Swedish Melodic Death Metal? Still the anthems are undeniable. Also both are UK festival exclusives as well. Meanwhile Gary Numan, Killing Joke and Fields of the Nephilim on the main stage undercard show the festival certainly haven't burnt their budget on the headliners. 

A nostalgic blast for the past in Amen, can Casey Chaos and co recapture the intense visceral thrill that made them such a potent live force? Combichrist, Nachtmahr, Front 242 and Suicide Commando don’t even scratch the surface of the abundance of industrial talent that has been booked!

They have certainly not skimped on the big names on the metal stage either, with Satyricon, Cradle Of Filth and Paradise Lost all making an appearance. The S.O.P.H.I.E stage covers the alternative underground British scene and as expected they have nearly all bases covered with bands such as Senser, Godzied and Die So Fluid.

This doesn’t even scratch the surface with the music and I haven’t even mentioned the stages dedicated to Steam Punk and Goth!

And it’s not just about the music either. Alt-Fest will also have a full size circus big top with all day circus, side shows, burlesque and theatre, art, workshops, activities and many other attractions including a dedicated children's zone. 

Back in the year 2000 when I was 17 I saw Queens of the Stoneage at Reading Festival, which changed my brain forever and I became obsessed with riffs. I dug deeper and started listening to bands like Kyuss and Monster Magnet and since then my musical landscape is firmly set in the world of ‘Stoner Rock’. I believe I’m not alone on this journey, there is seemingly an army of riff worshippers from my generation who became aware of this kind of rock music through exposure to Queens of the Stoneage. This is maybe why we’re at a point where we can have our very own festival and two years ago London promoters Desertscene stepped up and delivered just that, nice one lads.

Now only in its third year, Desertfest has become a legendary and unmissable event for any stoner rock fans in the UK and even the world. Seriously, I met Americans who travelled over for it last year and I believe people made the trip from Argentina, which shows how special and unique this is. The venues are great too, the Underworld is stoner rock headquarters for the UK, the Black Heart is an amazing independent boozer boasting excellent beers and the Electric Ballroom is more than passable for a big venue.

What I like about Desertfest is the variety, outsiders think there’s very little of that in this kind of music but just look at the main headliners. Spirit Caravan featuring Scott Weinrich is more than a great booking for fans of classic stoner rock. But then you have Kvelertak, a modern cutting edge ‘black‘n roll’ band who are constantly touring the world over, they aren’t really part of this scene but heavily influenced by it and it’s hard to argue they aren’t the best live band in the world right now. There is also Japanese avant doomers Boris, who will keep the most dedicated music snob more than happy. Look a little deeper and you have Ed Mundell and his space rock band, Monkey3 who never play the UK and will bring a unique blend of psychedelic rock and Weedeater who I believe are one of the greatest doom bands in the world. The line-up is already ridiculous.

Desertscene also give stages to outsiders to curate, which also helps provide the variety. The Quietus, one of the most respected music websites there is whose ethos is around boundary breaking bands have a stage and they really know what they are doing too. Every band playing their stage is simply unmissable… Slabdragger, Hey Colossus, Arabrot, 11 Paranoias, The Body and Dragged into Sunlight are some of the most brutal live bands in existence. Each one not traditionally stoner rock but simply in their own worlds and creating music filled with innovation in 2014.

DIY London promoters When Planets Collide also have a stage. It’s fantastic to see passionate and dedicated people who only put on shows because they want to see their favourite bands on stage together being allowed to do their thing. If that’s not the way to run a musical event then I don’t know what is. WPC will be bringing a tsunami of doom to the Underworld on the Sunday to destroy what’s left of your mind featuring ridiculous bands including Kongh, Eagle Twin and Warwolf.

The entire event is also laced with smaller bands too, Glaswegian psychedelic rockers the Cosmic Dead will transport you to a wonderful place in the universe and  London based grunt sludge duo Ghold will fire all kinds of riff combos directly into the nice bits of your brain.  So as you can see Desertfest has everything from founding heavy weights to cutting edge smaller bands who are breaking down musical barriers in 2014, perfect! Basically your brain will get blown over and over again and will leave you a crying, laughing, wanking mess.

There is a wonderful vibe around Desertfest, some of the music can be argued to be the heaviest and most punishing in the world but everyone is just so damn friendly from the fans to the bands. You truly feel blessed to be into a scene which is so damn special. On top of that you can get smashed for 3 days straight which we all than more than deserve once in a while. See you all there, come and say hi… I’m the guy without a beard.

If you've been to the Asylum in Birmingham, you'll know the place is a fucking sauna. Deep in the bowels of Birmingham, is it the best environment for doom, or even the best place for fifty sweaty, beardy men to be at one time? Alas no, it's not. I arrived midway through Hagstone's set, whose brand of muscular, riffy doom rock, was complemented nicely by the occasional blastbeat. Would I pay to see them play again? No, but I would be interested in hearing them in a couple of years, when the obvious Wino-era St. Vitus influence turns itself into something more substantial, and unique. Talking of unique, Victorian Whore Dogs were immediately engaging, with their giant vocalist making sure to get close and sweaty with the crowd. He also won the prize for best t-shirt of the night, a Dismemberment tee with "Behead those who insult slam" printed on the back. They offered a theatrical brand of dirty, grinding doom with a sense of glee and joy in being as offensive as possible. I even made out a Terminator quote in one song. That, combined with twerking, top-notch stage banter and finishing with two songs that felt like a heavier Envy, made for an early highlight. Awesome. 

In the lull after they pack up their stuff, it becomes blindingly, painfully clear that everyone is here for Conan. You can see it in their eyes, and on the myriad shirts through the crowd. When the vocalist for Victorian Whore Dogs points out that he doesn't even think Conan are here yet, a palpable sense of disappointment runs through the room. It fell to Geordie power groovers Witchcharmer to pick up the baton, who do so while sounding exactly like a female fronted Kyuss, which is no bad thing. The triple vocal attack with second guitarist & drummer is an inventive touch, even if the interplay between the voices sounds a bit Lacuna Coil-y at times. They do provide intricate riffs and tons of swagger, but very minimal stage presence. Their occasional spacey interludes and epic song lengths probably justify inclusion in a day of doom - "I Am The Fire" and "Born A Slave" rattled along pleasantly enough. They have good songs, but nothing outstanding, although this could be due to having to follow Victorian Whore Dogs. I will say this though: Witchcharmer would be ten times better if they went a little doomier, and took everything much more slowly. They were followed by Greenhorn, whose bass heavy throb shows a good ear for pacing and atmosphere, even though their singer is posessed of the strangest vocal of the night - a really breathy black metal-ish scream that doesn't carry very well. I bet it sounds killer on record though. They do have a phenomenal drummer, who administers well-placed blast beats, and "Kingdom by the Sea" is so doom it hurts, like wading through sludge. Their sound is utter misery, and they get big kudos for overall dedication to the sound. I don't think anyone has ever played that many triads and lived to tell the tale.

Now, if you're bringing a laptop on stage with you at a doom festival, you better have some big fucking balls to justify it, and Khost got lucky. Normally you'd think "guitar duo with laptop? Fuck off", but their atmospheric orchestral industrial doom (clumsy but accurate) is crushingly heavy. They just sounded plain evil, there's no other word - two sixes in search of a third. Where the other bands failed to draw the crowd forward, Khost managed it with no crowd interaction whatsoever - no banter, no lights, no eye contact, and they were phenomenal. You might think it all sounds a bit po-faced, and I suppose it was a bit, but they didn't half do a good job of rumbling a belly full of Newcy Brown. My only issue was the pre-programmed biscuit tin drums - I'd love to hear them without any percussion at all, but that might push their sound to breaking point. Imagine Justin Broadrick meets Stephen O' Malley and you're most of the way there.  Next up were My Silent Wake, who started off with some tasty blackened hardcore, like the stuff Southern Lord is putting out at the moment. Much better than their awful name would suggest. They were formed by Midlands doom pioneer Ian Arkley with Martin Bowes of Coventry goth outfit Attrition on glitchy noises.

As My Silent Wake finish and pack up Conan's huge speakers arrive, causing much excitement amongst the roadies. They're huge, and the entire stage is reconfigured around them. First up to use them is current Conan tour support Bast, a three piece Kingston-based doom/black metal band. Think Sleep meets Wolves in the Throne Room - when they get fast, they get really fucking fast, and their bedreadlocked drummer is a fucking machine. For such a young band they come across as a lot more focussed than you'd expect, and they make sounding this heavy look effortless. In the slower bits there's a definite earth influences, both early and late-period - chiming open chords mixing with crushing barres as it cranks back up again. They're really heavy, but such a tight unit, and excellent musicians. By the time they let rip as their set comes to a close it's all a hair's breadth from falling apart, but sounded all the better for it. A chaotic, joyous, and above all heavy racket.

By the time Scouse scene heroes, the mighty Conan - the prefix "mighty" is required in all Conan reviews - get on stage, anticipation is high. Can they be as good as they sound on record? Can they be as heavy as everyone says? Suffice to say, they sound incredible. Can you worship tone? The mammoth sound that Jon Davis creates from six strings, a T-shaped headstock and a wealth of chrome is simply out of this world. My bowels have never collapsed before, but then I've never seen Conan before. They didn't collapse. 

Really, they didn't. 

Much.

Their sound works better live than on record, which I suppose is the point of this whole genre - you can't listen to one Conan song and get to the nub of what they are. Their albums are just a blueprint of the sound that they create on stage. It's all about the experience - seeing them with their hoods up even though it's sweltering hot inside, riff after almighty riff plunging deep into your stomach. Current hit single "Foehammer" sounds like the end of the fucking world through those new cabs, and I thought my heart would explode once it got going. In fact, the sheer girth of tone is such that in parts it sounds like a foghorn. I see a guy at the back with his fingers in his ears, which is impressive after Bast's performance. They're so loud, so powerful, the music is so simple but devastatingly effective.