My first metal gig of 2022 was one within the black metal genre covering five bands. Venturing onto public transport is not something I tend to do for gigs, preferring the comfort of a car. However, it was a Saturday night and I fancied an alcoholic beverage or two so, the bus it was.

Unfortunately, like travelling by car the bus had its problems too as my intended target bus was cancelled meaning I arrived towards the climax of Aubzagl’s set. I’d seen them before during 2021, but was keen to see them again and the last track I witnessed saw a band battering the packed crowd in the cramped room into submission, courtesy of the charismatic Amara on vocals and acerbic riffing of Jamie and Phil on guitars.

My thirst got the better of me as I vacated just before they finished to obtain said first alcoholic beverage only to be greeted with what looked like all of the Leeds Universities students at the bar and in varying costumes, seeing as it was fancy dress night. There was a sort of pleasant culture clash on the night as the students mingled with the metallers and vice versa to create a kaleidoscopic mix of people in varying stages of drunkenness, though the metallers were less drunk it has to be said.

With beverage in hand it was time to return to the venue’s gig room to await Gospelheim, and here I am going to lay a criticism of the event. A five band line up always means time is going to be tight, especially with changeovers, but with the first band starting at 7:15 this is made even more so, especially when band members take an age to sort their gear out, whether they have technical issues or not and it impacted on the rest of the night, though Gospelheim weren’t the only act guilty of this. Five minutes extra here and a few minutes there soon add up to making bands start well after their scheduled time and Gospelheim practically started towards the end of their allocated time as I do wish promoters would stamp their foot down to tell bands to get on with it. This might seem cruel if the band hasn’t got the desired sound but it creates impatience in the crowd and it definitely did for Gospelheim. Initially the blackened goth metallers started well with ‘Into Smithereens’, the narrated intro piece set the tone as their music also possessed an avant-garde touch within the melodic riffing.

‘Hope Springs Infernal’ followed and I was enjoying what they had to offer but the strain on the vocal arrangements were a tad cringing to say the least, noticed immediately by crowd who weren’t exactly the most tolerant of their music so much so that some departed, but I stuck it out… for a little while anyway.

By track three of their set, which had a title of ‘Schism’ or was shortened for the setlist on stage, the vocals seemed ridiculously off key, labouring in the song even though musically it was decent stuff, but the damage had been done as the attention of the audience was dissolving and I too departed for a seat and a beer. The consensus surrounding Gospelheim was one of utter crap on vocals but decent enough musically as the short break gave the opportunity to dissect their performance with my shooter and friends.

Queuing for a drink was insane so I bought two and headed up to watch Aklash. I wasn’t too keen on this band at Northern Darkness last summer, they had a pretentiousness I found really irritating and to some degree the same applied here, but less so, as the band at times seemed not to know what was going on when setting up. Trying to tune your guitar up and it isn’t plugged in, is just comical, bordering on farcical. However, once they were underway the crowd absorbed their grim black metal with ease.

Their balance of brutality and melody was excellent at all times as their trademark violin accompaniment was certainly different if a little gimmicky to me, but the crowd loved what they had to offer. They were an amiable bunch too, engaging with the audience which had swelled further to the point of being crushed to one side, as the clean vocal insertions also added another dimension. Did Aklash win me over this time, maybe, I did enjoy their music, their riffs were potent and addictive but the extraneous clean vocal and violin just seems unnecessary, despite it making them a tad different to what you’d expect.

With the bar beckoning, and the pub being rammed, it was still a scrum at the bar as my shooter braved it whilst awaiting Trivax. I saw this three-piece last year and wasn’t wholly impressed I must admit, but here they were a veritable black metal war machine. Adorned in hideous corpse-paint making them look the part they also started late but were forgiven once they launched into their bombarding set. As the temperature rose so did the incendiary assault that Trivax subjected us to.

Their caustic riffs had a slight black thrash approach but absolutely annihilating as they blended the ferocity with subtle atmosphere. Saying Trivax are purely black metal does them a disservice as the songs veer from one riff style to another, with the second tune being a typical example, with its crust filled depravity. I think they aired ‘Set The Torch’ from their debut EP as their tuneful catchy intensity was lapped up by everyone, complementing the intensity and melodic inserts brilliantly.

‘Hysteria Mania’ I also think was played as they used this longer track to entwine the crowd in its miasmic wrath, though I’m not sure asking for audience participation worked or was actually relevant. They covered ‘Motörhead’s ‘Mean Machine’ in their own cool fashion, before ending in true fieriness and left everyone with no doubt that Necronautical had an abyss to overcome to beat their performance.

On album Necronautical are breath-taking, they may be deemed as straight black metal but they inject so much more into their music that doesn’t always come off in the live environment. Necronautical started extremely late which meant having to cadge a lift from a friend or get a cab or even walk home, which I wasn’t keen on. With the band starting so much later than scheduled some people had obviously left as they got on with their show just as I arrived back in the gig room.

Their faultless display was absorbed by all, as I really enjoyed their soaring clean vocals. They really work with their music, so quite why I couldn’t appreciate the same in Aklash is beyond me. Telling us thanks for sticking around as they play the graveyard shift, as they called it, then asking for the crowd to step forward ensured a close-up affair for those that did. The coarse and harsh blackened throat shredding married nicely with the deviant riffs as I certainly enjoyed the band far more here than at Northern Darkness last year.

There were no female vocals for this set, unlike Northern Darkness, and truth be told I was glad as I didn’t like them as the band’s vicious intent washed over the crowd. They were excellent on stage too, energised and pumped with vigour they completely hooked the crowd in. Unfortunately, with the friend I cadged a lift off due on at work very early the next morning I had to vacate, but I will definitely be checking out Necronautical and the other acts again at some point if they venture around my neck of the woods.

A fine start to 2022’s gig adventures with people turning out in good numbers in support.

Review: Martin Harris
Photos: Andy Pountney