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There’s a silly amount of things on this time of year and simply not having funds or energy to go to much means picking and choosing very carefully. I had been looking forward to this show as soon as I saw it announced and typically it felt like I was coming down with some horrible lurgy; the day of it finally came and I felt awful. The irony of having a virus for Virus was not lost. Looking up Mondvolland who I thought I had never heard of prior to the show had me realising that I actually had reviewed the Dutchmen’s only album ‘d’Olde Roop back in 2010. Well that gave me a chance to dig it out and give it a spin rather than sit around moping; just the tonic.  Fast forward several hours and lots of cold fog outside and the band were about to take the stage to a somewhat sparse audience. What they lacked in crowd though they certainly made up for with enthusiasm and instantly threw out some jagged guitar riffs and feudal heathen furrows that had us stomping feet along to the beat helping us warm up no end.  This was a bit different from what we encountered on that album, most noticeably due to the fact that folk etched parts such as violin and flutes were not present. Previous drummer Ask also of Kampfar was now in the next band to play having left this lot too. The pagan and barbarian groove about things was very solid and even if this lot may not be a household mane they went down well. The six string bass also made its presence felt and rumbled suitably. Forget song titles and lyrical content it was all literally double Dutch to me but one thing that was not was the call from the lead singer for those here to move down the front. Normally reticent for openers in London it was nice to see people doing just that. Nice austere vocals and slow pounding drums opened the next one and suddenly the song exploded into a seething black melee with rasped out gravid vocals. All in all Mondvolland may not have conquered our Isles but they certainly left their mark.

New album ‘diin’ by Krakow had on the whole failed to engage me and indeed our reviewer who covered it. I was hoping that live they were going to win me over. I knew they had an uphill battle and was expecting more in the way of long drawn out post-rock soundscapes from the group. That is exactly what we got too. The rugged and bloody loud riffs were complemented by two singers, one growling and the other delivering higher croons which I am afraid I really did not get on with at first. The bass and drums plodded and the guitars hit some shimmering peaks but I was not alone in standing still, the audience were unmoving like frozen statues, letting it all wash over them. We needed some energy here and to be fair we got bursts of it but they were few and far between. Moving right to the front and nearer the speaker was a good idea as the intensity followed. The first number reminded a bit of Pink Floyd in places albeit the heaviest version I have ever heard. ‘Termination Of Origin’ followed with shrill guitar cadence and remorselessly pounding drums. It had its heavyset Neurosian peak about it and when it hit a groove it impressed. I think ‘Possessed’ was the last song that was announced and was the last break. I am sure it was not the one song played as it went on forever. Starting messily it took a while to gel and settle down. When it did it was left down to playing the same riff endlessly, this really was the sort of thing for either the serious muso or a heavy bong smoker, certainly not for the ADHD inclined. I admit I was feeling really rough now and might have enjoyed it more if not so but I really needed something more immediate and uplifting. Luckily we were about to get that in spades.

Vulture Industries were perched to go on and as the carnival crazed intro music played out members shed shoes and socks and got in position looking like deranged funfair barkers about to hit their marks and take their money. Once they started it was a frenzied blur of motion as they swapped places and charged around not standing still for a second. Biggest loon of the lot is undoubtedly vocalist Bjornar. He may not look quite as nuts having had a bit of a trim since we last caught him on stage but he made up for this by stamping feet, pounding chest and cackling like a madman. It has to be said he is one of the most theatrical front men around and considering that all the other bands tonight were somewhat static this lots performance was always going to stand out. There were harmonic croons, bursts of prog noodling and delirious ever changing avant-garde passages keeping everyone on their toes. The venue was still criminally unattended but everyone here was right down towards the front giving the band back as good as they were getting. The singer paused after a number and asked how everyone was doing and were the band doing well? Yes was the obvious answer. ‘The Cursed Flesh’ was one of several aired from most recent album ‘The Malefactor’s Bloody Register’ and it seemed like many here knew it. I thought I had seen a kettle on stage which was odd, it turned out to be a big iron spotlight which the singer picked up making things all eerie and trippy as he shone it in his face. Next it was time to really embrace the Gothic as Frankenstein was saluted with ‘Blood Don’t Flow Streamlined’ the performance took on ever more flamboyant and theatrical flair but luckily there were no burning pitchforks from this audience who were lapping up every bit of it. The keyboard programming may not have been live but the grimly fiendish tinkle of it was the icing on the cake taking us off into a bizarre cartoony waltz. A last song had to come unfortunately and that was ‘The Path Of Infamy’ a dark debauched pantomime perfect for the season and indeed the fog bound streets outside. You could almost imagine the Ripper stalking this path and the Victoriana fuelled show had been a great one. Only problem was it was going to be near impossible to follow.

I was on last legs, this Virus was gripping hold but luckily the band did not keep us waiting too long to make an appearance. Obviously there was never going to be any dashing around the stage from Carl-Michael Eide aka Czral aka Aggressor (getting along with Aura Noir his second review today). He was sat on his stool to sing and play along whilst it was left for the rest of the band to stand around him and add to the thick set strumming sound that was identifiable the second they swung into things. The bass tones were great and in fact the clarity of the sound through what I caught of the set was fantastically pronounced and defined. The group made it sound completely effortless as well as they jived about on stage and laid things down. A small roar of applause and recognition met old Carheart cut ‘Be Elevator.’ The convoluted gyrations hit the mark and had heads nodding appreciatively as this was true innovative stuff following on from the style created by Ved Buens Ende before them. Sure there maybe others who touch upon it, at times I was reminded of Dutch band Kong and some of Jim Plotkin’s latter Old here but this lot really put Norwegian avant-garde on the map. There was a new song, it was instantly identifiable again by sound giving off a seasick swagger like being in a small boat and tossed about on unruly waves. You would not want to be gripped in a fever and feeling sick listening to this, unfortunately…. ‘Chromium Sun’ injected things with verve and vigour with everything going up a notch including the vocals and Einar Sjurso’s tribal drum bombast. Those around on the dance floor had plenty of space to move in and jerked away spasmodically caught in the grip of the riffs. I am afraid that was pretty much it for me, not one to leave a gig early or for once be forced to sobriety for it I was forced to cut the set short in hope of fighting another day. A very enjoyable show all round though even if those pesky vultures plucked the flesh from the bones of the other bands by a margin tonight.

(Review and Photos © Pete Woods)