Curious melange this: three bands occupying similar territories but, for almost indefinable reasons, one is rather more successful than the others; in this case it’s not the headline.
As always, preparation is entirely inappropriate so the preamble to some hopefully gruesome death metal type action is a salmon sandwich, a glass of sauvignon blanc and some tennis in the pub round the corner: hardly the norm, but then a young, short-wearing and dreadlocks-sporting fellow is spotted heading in the general direction of Glasgow’s estimable Audio in a “The Afternoon Gentlemen” sweatshirt so perhaps we have it bang on.
Turns out the afternoon gentlemen in question are not in fact straight out of Gatsby by way of pressed slacks and cocktails on the lawn – not unless it was being anachronistically soundtracked by something shouty called ‘Grind In The Mind’ – but still.
First up in the pleasingly dark and damp space is a growly set by Ageless Oblivion and it’s fine; metally, hairy, but outwith some actually quite beautiful but all too brief breakdowns that are almost out of place – always a good thing – it’s quite conservative and safe.
It’s by no means overtly flawed, but does it actually add anything?
Next up are the duo comprising Seattle band Bell Witch – now this is a more interesting affair.
Despite parts of it not sounding vastly different from the trains rumbling overhead, in amongst the otherworldly and devilishly bestial vocals from enthusiastic drummer Jesse Shreibman, there’s an odd sexiness about it all: a building intensity of oppression and doom from slow and calculated, but nonetheless powerful, beginnings to something occasionally quite loin-stirringly dubious… in a good way.
Should the zombie apocalypse ever occur – and here underneath the station in the dark arches seems as good a place as any to kick off proceedings – then procreation issues, should they be part of the chaotic masterplan, could easily be helped along by the ominous groove from on stage.
Makes a change from Barry White anyway.
Which leads us on to Ulcerate who are perhaps unfortunately a bit more generic, a bit more genre even: by no means bad, but hard to know what they add to the sullen, noise, fast bits, not so fast bits… ouevre.
Most successful are the more open linking sections where the distortion is allowed to breathe, become less compressed and actually sounds almost like an electronic soundtrack at points.
Perhaps that takeover by the undead – indeed, the crowd are a tad too attentively static and enthralled tonight, rather than batshit mental – has already begun?
What we do know is that the sound system used by the venue gains huge favour with the bands tonight; indeed the aforementioned member of Bell Witch is overheard describing it as the best on their tour during a tactical fag break outside.
Carving out a well deserved little niche for these kind of events, Audio.
All in a mixed bag of controlled and slightly less so aggression: the observation that space in music is equally as important as the twangs and clangs filling the void when the players are actually called into action is thoroughly and emphatically verified.
Words: Vosne Lepro
