Evoken-flyerThis was our reward for not making it to Hellfest, a night of long songs and tortured riffs to soak us in misery. Of course that started with the normal weekend tube shutdowns but we are used to these and with the gig brought forward to start and finish that bit earlier many were eagerly arriving on time to see the first act of the night Evadne from Spain.  This lot were new to me although last solitude album The Shortest Way obviously passed through my hands before going out to review. We were instantly beset with atmosphere from their keyboard intro and although a player was not present for this guitarists were and as their crystalline sound wept out the audience immediately moved forward toward their warm caress. Humongous and craggy, the slow ponderous riffs burst out the speakers soaking us in a cloying morass of deathly doom. The bass tones filled the room and in contrast the gothic shimmering guitar shards sparkled. After a brief equipment snafu they powered into ‘One Last Dress For One Last Journey’ biting in with jagged teeth before slowing and oozing forth like a tarry pit of horror. Vocalist Albert really had a gruff and commanding delivery that worked perfectly with the stygian mood of the music and some clean tones came as a bit of a surprise shining like a ray of hope through the stormy darkness of the song. I found myself mesmerised by this lot’s funerary burial and the four songs they had time to play really left their mark.

I had immersed myself in the massive ‘Effigies Of Desolation’ compilation from Ophis for review elsewhere recently, so was certainly more familiar with the German band. After a quick change over my first thought as clean harmonic and Middle Eastern sounding intro started was again no keyboards live. As ‘Dead Inside’ started up that thought was obliterated as the weight of it ploughed straight through the rib cage. This was driven with plenty of neck cracking thunder behind it and the drumming was particularly mighty. Vocalist Philipp Kruppa rasped admirably and the song moved into a twilight shroud of moribund darkness, enforcing nihilism perfectly. Taking back to last full length ‘Withered Shades,’ ‘Suffering Is A Virtue’ slowed things down somewhat with the throaty rasps and beefy chugging riffs drawing us in and not letting go. I had hoped to hear Pazuzu but although denied this we were treated to a brand new one from the next album called ‘Among The Fallen Stones.’  These stones were monolithic, plateau shifting and other bad journalistic clichés, heavy as very heavy stones basically! In a way the lumbering movement behind this was virtually prehistoric and certainly bode well for that next album .

It’s been too long since I last saw Indesinence and as with Evoken I have completely missed their latest album due to it being on a label that we don’t get promos from. I should address this immediately as from what I heard from ‘Vessels Of Light And Decay’ tonight it sounded phenomenal. What was even more impressive was that this was the first show for their new drummer Paul Westood who many no doubt know from Fen, to say he hit the kit hard and nailed things would be an understatement.  Playing to a home crowd is always good but the place was a lot busier now with everyone cramming towards the front, the band even responded throwing out some rock star poses but it was the huge riffs and cymbal battering crunches that dominated along with a big build up of suitably morbid riffs. The layered sound had mighty presence and the feral assault quickly established just why this lot had got the position of main support here. Guitars shredded and a psychedelic intensity built up that was not so much doom as ultimate deliverance! It was a tumultuous seething cauldron of sound that blew me away from the off. The next number had what I described as nasty impaling riffs running through it and a blood soaked Godfleshian anger about it. Vocalist Ilia Rodriguez spurred the ferocity on and I was so distracted watching things that I even completely forgot all about going to the bar when my cup ran on empty. Old gods were brought out in the stygian necromancy of the set and as the hammering assault continued it was like the band were possessed by the spirits of Bathory, Celtic Frost and aged Morbid Angel. When it was over it was finite despite the audience craving more, Ilia slammed down his guitar, grimaced and stormed off the stage! This was going to be a tough one to follow.

Luckily we had for the first time on UK shores Evoken to come and the Americans had the power to do just that, hell they had even thought to bring the keyboard player with them.  Epic and windswept from the off as ‘Atra Mors’ spreads its rugged roots through us. It was like attempting the longest walk of your life and most of it uphill, it was a torturous affair but one that comes with great rewards for any that complete it. At first I thought the imposing bass player was going to provide the vocals due to the sheer unmovable granite size of him realising that the much shorter John Paradiso was standing next him. Stature aside he made up for it on unleashing leonine vocal roars. Mammoth and labyrinthine and with a palpable atmosphere about them the band were intriguing to watch even if they were not moving much, the sound had us swaying, there was no dancing for this sort of show but the audience trembled along to the powerful furrowing sound.  Keyboards and guitar tones were suitably lush and as we moved forward I was gripped by a sudden watery feeling that flowed from the music. We were submerged into the depths, gasping for breath but not wanting to rise due to the oceanic wonder around.  It may sound like bullshit but then again you would understand if you were there witnessing the sound of numbers like ‘A Caress Of The Void.’ The music transfixed and completely mesmerised had us gazing into that very void itself taking us to another new one ‘Descent Into Chaotic Dream’ and all it held within. Like looking into your own nightmare this was another powerful trip. One that was full of sorrow and contemplation. It was an hour where we all found ourselves submerged in complete despondency but it was a wonderful place to dwell in. Songs blended into each other and you simply found yourself going with the flow wherever it decided to take you. This was doom of the most funereal kind but the guitar work really had a gothic grandeur behind them that took me beyond and found the words The Cure and The Mission scrawled on my notepad the next day. As for falling out of the venue, homeward into dreamless sleep it’s a blur but it was night of rare delights and obsidian treasures.

(Review and Photos © Pete Woods)