It’s been a little over a year since Chaos Theory last put Latitudes on at the Black Heart as part of their five year anniversary celebrations, so it seems only fitting to bring the Hertfordshire five back to promote the release of latest album ‘Old Sunlight’.
P S O T Y (formerly known as Pet Slimmers of The Year) open the show with slow, sprawling landscapes of post rock and metal; much like the headliners, vocals are used sparingly and they produce both a sound and atmosphere that’s reminiscent of a subtle blend of Isis, Russian Circles and Cult of Luna. Their 30 minute set encompasses soaring, intense highs and quieted interludes – while delicately inoffensive, P S O T Y are able to combine heaviness with melodic riffs and harmonious, polished drum patterns for a thoroughly enjoyable performance.
Next up, Telepathy juxtapose beautiful mellow and hideously brutal passages with an execution which is remarkably technical. Enormous riffs break off into more prolonged time signatures from time to time, flitting between a low-end punch and diminished chords perfectly. Occasional discordant, Mastodon-esque progression rear their head occasionally, which makes for a set that keeps the entire audience on their toes, as it’s almost impossible to predict the dynamics of the music and the direction it will take.
Finally comes the time for Latitudes to take to the stage and perform a selection of meticulously crafted songs from ‘Old Sunlight’. It’s wonderful to see Adam as a permanent addition on stage, although his keys are difficult to hear over the pummelling roar of the guitars and drums – his vocals more than make up for this, however, and the rest of the band are so potent and mesmerising that the sound levels don’t pose much of a problem, due to how enjoyable it is to listen to. Their formula for playing live is clearly well honed and urgent feeling tremolo passages lead into shimmering prog riffs for an intricate and delicate yet genuinely crushing performance. Latitudes have the rare ability to be able to make otherwise pretty music sound absolutely beastly, which is just one of many qualities that makes them such a pleasure to watch.
(Review by Angela Davey)
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