Ahead of their curated Beyond The Redshift festival in London on the weekend, Cult Of Luna have headed out on a small run of UK dates alongside a couple of other bands also playing the festival. This small tour saw the bands stop off at the Marble Factory in Bristol for a chilly evening of intensive music with all three bands all providing the intensity in their own unique style.
Opening up the evening were Belgian shoegaze band Slow Crush (7). This was my first time seeing or hearing this band and they definitely made a good first impression with their dense yet melodic sound. The guitars were both bright and shimmering as well as providing a thick wall of sound with the bass and drums also providing a barrage of intensive sound which were offset by the delicate vocals of Isa Holliday. The songs mixed shoegaze, dream pop and post-rock together ensuring a range of sonic perspectives from the calm and serene to the chaotic and dissonant. A nice sound mix ensured the band sounded at their full power and an impressive light show accompanied the intensive nature of the music. A good start to the evening.
In the main support slot were Dutch darkwave band GGGOLDDD (9) who took the music in a different direction but lost none of the intensity and if anything added to it. Dark themes are a prevalent part of this sort of music but the darkness and trauma on which this music is based has been very much lived by band leader Milena Eva whose experiences of sexual assault and the resultant trauma very much shape the band. It is very brave for one to bare their soul in front of an audience and relive their trauma through musical performance but GGGOLDDD do it in mesmerising style with Milena being an incredible performer with enormous stage presence.
Songs such as Spring, I Let My Hair Grow and I Won’t Let You Down are equally confrontational as well as heartbreaking and the emotion in the music and performance was breathtaking and ensuring that there were more than a few weepy eyes in the audience especially during the stark yet beautiful set closer On You. The heavy lyrical themes, impressive light show and impressive choreography and stunning vocals from Milena mixed with the harsh electronica, intensive industrial and post-rock sounds ensured that GGGOLDDD left a lasting impression on the crowd watching.
Headlining the evening were Swedish post-metal legends Cult Of Luna (9) who brought an intensity of the bludgeoning kind. Cult Of Luna have a huge sound which is not surprising considering they have six members on stage but a perfect sound mix ensured that the none of the multiple layers and textures which make up the Cult Of Luna sound got lost. A good deal of material was drawn from the bands latest album The Long Road North with the epic Cold Burn kicking things off but I: The Weapon, Lights On The Hill and Finland ensured others albums from the bands vast back catalogue were covered. The band were suitably animated on stage with frontman Johannes Persson passionately roaring into the microphone ably backed by keyboardist Kristian Karlsson.
Headlining the evening were Swedish post-metal legends Cult Of Luna (9) who brought an intensity of the bludgeoning kind. Cult Of Luna have a huge sound which is not surprising considering they have six members on stage but a perfect sound mix ensured that the none of the multiple layers and textures which make up the Cult Of Luna sound got lost. A good deal of material was drawn from the bands latest album The Long Road North with the epic Cold Burn kicking things off but I: The Weapon, Lights On The Hill and Finland ensured others albums from the bands vast back catalogue were covered. The band were suitably animated on stage with frontman Johannes Persson passionately roaring into the microphone ably backed by keyboardist Kristian Karlsson.
The duo of Thomas Hedlund on drums and Magnus Lindberg on percussion were both very active and playing with a passion and ferocity that was a joy to watch. The music was as devastatingly heavy as it was euphoric and life affirming and the sheer amount of lightning and dry ice were a spectacle to behold and ensured that the set absolutely flew by. Unfortunately to ensure I got the last train I very begrudgingly had to leave the show before the band finished but what I saw was an awe inspiring experience. This was my first time watching Cult Of Luna live and it is definitely an experience I want to repeat.
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