It’s hard to think that it’s been just under two years since I last saw Persefone. The Andorran metallers last came to town way back in August 2015 with One Hour Hell and Loch Vostok in tow. After having been very impressed at not only their skill in the live situation, but also how down to earth they were, I was heartily looking forward to catching the sextet play some new material from their critically acclaimed latest release Aathma (which of course we reviewed).
First up on stage were a band that I’ve heard a lot of good things about. Having first been introduced to Poem (7) inadvertently by their PR rep, Lars (cheers for everything by the way) last year around the time their second album came out, I was looking forward to seeing how the songs would stand up in a live situation. With a set comprised of songs from Skein Syndrome and their first album, the band set to work warming up the people that had come out that Easter Sunday evening.
Whilst initially the room was a bit quiet, by the time the band finished their third song, the room was awash with people who were having a great time. Frequently thanking the masses that had appeared, frontman Giorgos Prokopiou delivered a somewhat Joe Duplaintier inspired style of being able to switch between soothing cleans and face-melting ‘shrieks’ almost instantaneously. Deciding at the end to ditch the guitar and just go for the microphone, the frontman decided to ‘get down and dirty’ with the audience and this only served to elevate everyone’s spirits. Finishing to a thunderous applause, it’s safe to say the quartet earned quite a number new fans given the numerous comments of “They were really fun”.
After a reasonably speedy changeover, it was then time for the Andorran sextet, also known as Persefone (10), to make their way onto the tiny stage at the Underworld. Coming on stage to “An Infinitesimal Spark”, the room suddenly exploded into life and everyone began either nodding or head-banging along to the music. Opting for a slightly more varied set than last time, the band held no bars and mixed things up with tracks such as “Kusanagi” alongside “The Great Reality” and others.
At one point during the set, vocalist Mark decided to come down into the audience and join in with the first real mosh-pit of evening. Emerging even sweatier and with a huge smile on his face, it was clear that both he and the rest of the band were thoroughly enjoying themselves. The same can be said of the crowd as well, with applause that raised the roof after every song and smiles all around. Finishing as they did last time with “Mind as Universe”, the sextet delivered a truly mind-bending performance, unmatched by some of the greats I have seen.
Post set, the band stayed around to chat with the fans and at no point looked as though they were getting bored. At no point either did the fans and myself not feel welcome, instead it was as though we were almost like family. To me that’s what metal and concerts in general should be like. One giant family gathering where no-one is discriminated against and everyone is there to have a good time and to enjoy the music. Until next we meet, guys!
All photos courtesy of Bukavac Photography.
