Gig Review: Meshuggah / Zeal & Ardor – Royal Albert Hall, London (3rd June 2022)

It was a night of firsts for me. First time photographing at the Albert Hall, first time even being in the capital after the pandemic and shamefully, the first time I’ve seen both Zeal & Ardor and Meshuggah. I had no expectations and an open mind.

The Royal Albert Hall is iconic around the globe. The venue is sat opposite the Royal College of Music where there was a street party and light classical music being played for passers by. Yet, across the road, thousands of people adorning black clothing piled inside to watch something quite different. Oh, and before I continue, the sound quality inside the venue was outstanding.

Zeal & Ardor (c) Watchmaker Studios

Zeal & Ardor combine influences from blues, gospel, spiritual and black metal. It’s a hell of a mix for first time listeners. For the tour, they had a full band including 2 backing singers and together they sounded nothing short of incredible.

Ultra-tight harmony in the vocal layers gave texture and depth to the thumping heartbeat of the rhythm section. The drumming was simple throughout most of the set but every now and then would become polyrhythmic and would incorporate crazy technical fills. The set had so much groove and Zeal & Ardor are an incredibly refreshing band. I thought to myself a few times during their set that I would have been more than happy to have just them as the headliners.

They were immaculate.

They created an almost post-apocalyptic atmosphere at the Royal Albert Hall and their music was massive and cinematic. Here’s where I start my campaign for Zeal & Ardor to make the next Bond theme. I loved it, the crowd loved it and it certainly looked like they loved it too. Their stage charisma was contagious and although they didn’t address the audience until halfway through the set – they had us in the palm of their hands. Manuel Gagneux is a hell of a vocalist and he has created something stunningly unique.

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After Zeal & Ardor I would have been more than content to have gone home, satisfied that I got to witness such an incredible band perform. But. No. That wasn’t even that half of it. My first time seeing Meshuggah was about to happen.

Meshuggah (c) Watchmaker Studios

Appearing in front of big lit boards the band held their pose. It looked amazing, but for a photographer it was back lighting galore. It was either red light or no light. Honestly though, seeing this display was an amazing sight.

It didn’t take long before the London crowd was sent into a frenzy. Continuous mosh pits, circle pits and crowd surfers in this prestigious looking venue was a show in itself. The room was absolutely electrifying. Jen Kidman’s voice was consistent and barbaric. This is a band on top of their game. With myself not being too familiar with their music, it was a bit of a “guess the rhythm” game and they kept surprising me and winning. The constant shift in music made it other-worldly. A band who tries to out-rhythm rhythm itself.

As I was sat watching this display of mathematics, I could hear various groups talking about particular sections of the music. Their fan base is more like a hobby club and they are incredibly loyal.  By the time it got to “Born In Dissonance”, even those of us in the stalls were up on our feet. I can’t stress enough just how incredible the atmosphere was at the Albert Hall, I really don’t think I’ve experienced anything like it. Something I don’t think I’ve seen before is a set where after each song, the crowd getting this much more and more pumped.

By the time the encore came round, there were pits going during the breaks. “Demiurge” had a continuous stream of crowd surfers and I thought this must be the apex of the night. Nothing can top this. Then “Future Breed Machine” kicked in and everything went up another notch.

I feel like I’ve seen one of the best, most intense and musically proficient shows I will ever see. An unforgettable night at the Royal Albert Hall.

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Photos by Watchmaker Studios

Set Lists:

Zeal & Ardor.

  • Church Burns
  • Götterdämmerung
  • Ship on Fire
  • Row Row
  • Blood in the River
  • Gravedigger’s Chant
  • Run
  • We Can’t Be Found
  • Trust No One
  • Death to the Holy
  • Don’t You Dare
  • Devil Is Fine
  • J-M-B
  • Feed the Machine
  • I Caught You
  • Baphomet

Meshuggah

  • Broken Cog
  • Light the Shortening Fuse
  • Rational Gaze
  • Pravus
  • The Hurt that Finds You First
  • Ligature Marks
  • Born in Dissonance
  • Mind’s Mirrors
  • In Death – Is Life
  • In Death – Is Death
  • The Abysmal Eye
  • Straws Pulled at Random

Encore:

  • Demiurge
  • Future Breed Machine
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