Into the festive season, what’s not to love about a chilly walk towards Digbeth in Birmingham straight into a heaving crowd of metalheads at the o2 Academy? Placed in the upstairs stage, about halfway through the “A Feast on Sorrow” tour of Urne which followed from the release of their sludge and sombre induced album of the same name earlier on in the year.
A truly stunning offering from the London trio, I was excited to be breaking away from some reality to go and catch some of the mesmerising ambience put on the album in it’s live setting. In tow with them is London’s progressive and doom-esque instrumental band Mountain Caller and the much loved industrial blending metallers Tribe Of Ghosts from Brighton.
I was last in this venue to watch Bloodywood earlier in the summer and as far as O2 venues go, the Institute was humble and tucked away – some air of mystery about it’s misleading size from the outside as inside boasts three floors of stages and masses of room!
Tribe of Ghosts enter the stage in an aura of maniacle laughs and maddening dark and light spectrums of sound. They master the energies between doom induced riffs and highly charged electronic harmonies to entwine with some of the best drumming that the underground music scene has in it today. Adam Sedgwick and Beccy Blaker use their difference in vocals to harmonize alongside eachother. Adam’s gutturals are intense and trembling that occasionally soften in the more sombre moments of Tribe Of Ghosts whilst Beccy has a stunning range she uses to dramatise that powerful sky high mood to encourage a different dimension of the industrial side of the band.
“Hive” builds into a frenzied mash up of absolutely insane drums and riffs with subtle electronic synth notes to maximise the moods. Drummer Danny Yates completely shines in this track. He switches between hurling blast beats and brief breakdowns that hammer into the kit in between technical drum dgent compositions that switch up the tempo and shapes of the track to flow with the stunning grinding and thundering bassnotes of Ben Kitching. I am a huge fan of the way that Beccy and Adam use their vocals together. New single “False Gods” exhibits Beccy’s range between beautiful high dark pop-esque styles and her ability to morph them betweek upbeat and really dark tones. Adam’s guitaring is monumentally ambience inducing and manic in places but heightens the experience of the dual vocals here. Adam’s gutturals and Beccy’s high notes are a wonderful yin and yang, though both have elements of light and dark feelings in them, they create intoxicating moods to create a the story of the track.
I will always recommend watching Tribe Of Ghosts, especially if you’re wanting a new take on how different genres can blend so well together.
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Next up, an interesting and wonderfully doomy – prog instrumental trio Mountain Caller were completely new to me so I was surprised to see that they were without vocals.
However… that did not make any difference. The vision they paint through their music is a wonderful and welcome change. As a viewer, you’re free to interpret what you see within the depths of their sound as your own and not so much visualised for you. For me, this band is a favourite new addition. Not just because of the lack of vocals but because the freedom to then engross yourself into as much or as little as your minds eye lets you – it’s a beautiful thing.
Where “Combat” starts off as a slow and sombre few quiet chords, it morphs without you even realising as it progresses into powerful doomy chords and bass with drum beats that enhance the slow and deep momentum of the track before lulling into light and gentle shades.
The layers of mood slowly swings, for me, between melancholy and airy light filled moods with shimmers of technical guitars. This, coupled with Max Maxwell’s drumming of intricate tempos, keys of the pace of this track – is utterly powerful and pulls in some pure catharsis. I see rolling landscapes and skylines of striking colours and auroras throughout.
Brand new single “March of the Goll” is a bass fuelled track that is empowering in it’s live setting. El Reeves displays an ability to range the striking bassnotes from sinister doomy chord work smoothly into a progressive style of layers to underline Claire Simson’s huge riffs and powerful dispositions.
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The anticipation for Urne grows huge as the stage glows red and the sound of waves crashing into choral ambient effects is churned out.
A sudden clash of blue hues and crunching riffs introduce the guys to the stage and we’re catapulted into a frenzy of drums and barking vocals with “The Flood Came Rushing In”. Joe Nally echoes a roar asking a key question themed to the album… “Where Do The Memories Go?” His vocals narrate an insight on dealing with the realms of old age diseases such as dementia and neurological struggles that slowly introduce a distorted version of life. His powerful vocals are fastened by Angus Neyra’s intricate guitaring – blistering riffs and groove infused harmonies smash through a thrashy and progressive dynamic to enhance the moods.
James Cook’s pummeling of the kit in places causes bitesize blastbeats to entwine with some doomy atmospheric tempos, which he weilds seamlessly. I’ve said it before but I feel a shift in a cross over between thrash and sludge elements here and thus really displays an idea of textures the live version of the album will deliver.
That said, we are treated to a wonderful cut from the last album, one of my favourite tracks “Serpent and Spirit” which falls in as a sludge infused but upbeat intro of winding epic guitars before pummeling into a crunchy riff of heavier notes and Joe takes all faces off with an earth trembling roar. James’ kitwork is absolutely exceptional in this track. Working the pace and depth of the song into a frenzy and melodic tone underneath the gravity of Joe’s mood enhancing vocals and thundering bass notes.
Joe then addressses the crowd: “We started off as 4 mates with some pocket money. We don’t fit into a certain circle or thing. It has to be about the music at the end of the day. There are proper bands out there missing out because they don’t fit somewhere so thanks for watching us…”
The Burden is dedicated to a friend of the band in the crowd for being with them since day dot and displays an almost thrashier turned doom side to Urne. It displays some heavy layered riffs and here, you can hear some deep and grating bassnotes working with the power of the kit. The chorus takes on an almost blackened doom element and Joe’s injection of gutturals shake the track up, giving another huge slab of heaviness onto it before melting into a stunning ethereal outro into a darkened stage echoing that same question through the album “Where Do The Memories Go?”.
Which is cleverly lulled into short and sombre track “Peace” to make way for ending the first of ending tracks “Desolate Heart” – a departing reminder that Urne are as heavy as they are raw emotion with threatening riffs and a gnarly solo to boot amongst the kicking of double pedals that tear through the atomosphere.
Final track is one of my very favourites from the new album and very fitting… “The Long Goodbye/Where Do The Memories Go?”. Joe talks here a little of personal struggles and how they give you choices in life, to step into who we are and to make the most of what we have. A beautiful melodic harmony fills the stage and moments of sombre though lifting guitar notes from Angus direccts so much catharsis and heavy feelings into the track.
This a huge insight into the album’s message and the feelings it portrays. Some heavy yet melancholy and strong emotions to absorb.
Ones to be humble and real, addressing real life obstacles and deep rooted emotions and twisting them into blends of genres that reflect darkened and wandering moods, Urne are one of the best bands that I’ve seen live this year by far.
Photos by Sheri Bicheno
