Sunday night gigs are never a favourite unless you’ve got the Monday off work, but despite Leprous having rolled through Bristol under 24 hours earlier, a sizeable crowd made their way to one of the coldest venues in the West for an evening of dark melancholy and introspection. This gig was initially scheduled for exactly 12 months earlier, but it appeared that a sizeable portion of the audience had held those tickets tight whilst waiting for a very appetising bill. It proved to be a night where a few surprises popped up as well.
Bathed in a fog of greens, blues and reds for their entire set, Boston’s SOM were greeted by a healthy and curious audience. Their 30 minute set afforded them limited opportunity to get into their full stride, but what they delivered was roundly appreciated. The Americans deliver a hybrid style that switches from post metal shoegaze through to doomy pop, all with jangling guitars edging throughout. Their measured, serene delivery caught the breath, the songs drawn from their three albums to date including most recent The Shape of Everything. Honest in their appreciation of the early turnout, SOM, who comprise members former members of Adai, Junius and Constants, were assured and confident, providing the perfect swirling mist of emotions to stir the crowd and the interest. By the time they had finished “Youth // Decay”, there were a few new fans in the room.
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Apart from one show in 2019, it’s been over four years since Sólstafir has visited these shores. They’ve grown into an astonishing outfit in that time. It’s been eight years since I saw them on the second leg of the Ótta tour in 2015. They were great then but tonight they bring another dimension to their performance, in an evening stealing show that leaves many wondering how Katatonia could follow. The Icelandic quartet are another band rapidly arriving at their 30 year anniversary, and they demonstrated their quality with a 70-minute show which at times find me clutching myself in awe.
Somewhat surprisingly, Sólstafir relied heavily on their earlier works with a solitary “Rökkur” drawn from their rather pandemic buried 2020 release Endless Twightlight of Codependent Love. They omitted anything from the rather fine Berdreyminn altogether, although it was less surprising that breakthrough release Ótta provided three songs. This allowed the band to flex their darker, heavier muscles, which they did to great effect.
Blessed by the best lighting of the evening, the band roared through ten songs which whizzed by in a flash. Huge riffs, bursts of blastbeats combine with post metal and art rock segments. It’s captivating from start to finish. Vocalist/guitarist Aðalbjörn “Addi” Tryggvason is an animated character, ranging across the stage, drum riser and even on the front barrier during “Fjara” where he relies on the strength of the front row to maintain balance whilst still singing. He’s got a good sense of humour as well. “Do you want new stuff or old stuff?” he asks the crowd. “Both” shouts one person whilst another adds individual song titles. “Do we look like the kind of band that play requests?” he jests.
It’s inevitably “Ótta” that draws the most recognition. It remains their anthem and a towering masterpiece. A sonic soundscape of brilliance, it’s a song they could have played five times, and no one would have cared. Tryggvason introduces the band, with bassist Svavar “Svabbi” Austmann referred to as the winner of the most handsome man in Iceland for five years in a row! It’s a lovely warmth to the sometimes cold and raw music. By the time they leave the room is entranced. And that question. How do you follow it?
Sólstafir may have had one album to promote, but Swedes Katatonia have two albums released since their last visit to the UK. They start with “Austerity”, one of five from the recently released Sky Void of Stars. It’s a setlist shorn of older classics, with only a few dips into the back catalogue, the furthest back being set closer “Evidence” from 2003’s Viva Emptiness. It means that the set is slightly blended together, with the band’s more recent output containing similar styles. It can be hard for the non-fanatic to distinguish which are which.
Whilst Sólstafir are a photographer’s dream, Katatonia hide in the mist, fuzzy clouds of green, red, and blue creating atmosphere and tension during songs, but obscuring any clean view of singer Jonas Renkse and band mates. The occasional burst of light reveals the other members of the band although drummer Daniel Moilanen remains shrouded at the rear of the stage for much of the show. Such is the melancholic nature of the band’s compositions; this is likely the correct course but it’s not until penultimate song “July” that we get clearer views of the main members of the band.
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Renske is in fine form. His vocals soar from the heart, his dark range wrought with emotion as he guides us through “Behind the Blood”, one of two from the almost Covid smothered City Burials. The band throw a much heavier edge to their live sound, with newie “Birds” resplendent with its crunching edge. Older tracks include “Forsaker”, whilst Renske’s tongue in cheek intro to “our hit” leads to a storming version of “My Twin”, one of three from The Great Cold Distance.
Anders Nystrom is his usual blur, switching sides as he churns out riff after riff, allowing Roger Ójersson to play some searing lead breaks, as well as adding some strong backing vocals. This unit is tight and cohesive.
Renske thanks us for coming more than once. He checks we are having a good time more than once. Rest assured; we are. “Untrodden” closes the main set and sees a good number leave the room, no doubt aiming to get ahead of the departing crowd. Those that stay get two older number in a high tempo “July” followed by “Evidence” which sees the crowd singing along. As the band take their bow, we exit into the cold night. An evening where three excellent bands provide fantastic value for money. Overall, Sólstafir shaded it for me, but there were no duff performances here.
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