It had been a long time since I'd seen French atmospheric proggers Klone (9) play. Last time it was with their seismic countrymen Gojira but this time around they were out with the Polish prog masters.
Strangely though they played an unplugged acoustic set, chairs arranged on the stage as if it was a Westlife *shudder* show they took to the stage assumed their positions and started out with stripped back but just as emotionally powerful renditions of songs from thwir back catalogue.
What happened next was simply magical, two guitars in beautiful unison, scrubbing rhythms and classical melodies, the acoustic bass present and a keystone to keeping the 'heaviness' vocally breathtaking, the power and resonance was remarkable, even the screams were welcome as way of cathartically releasing the build up. The lights in sync with who was playing unveiling each member in the slow beginnings before building to a bigger light show towards the end.
When I wasn't entranced by singer Yann Ligner it was their drummer Romain Bercé who caught my eye, from the way he utilised a small kit, using beaters and sticks, it was clear he's a percussionist and not just a drummer (there is a difference).
A set the ebbed and flowed beautifully they attempted two brand new numbers which will sound higher when fully amped up and the cover of Black Hole Sun was brave but pitch perfect paying tribute to the genius of Chris Cornell only days after the anniversary of his death.
The only issue with any sort of 'quiet' performances in this venue (which I actually really love) is that they have the loudest hand dryers known to man. So that does impact the shows a little. Still it's was beautiful and brilliant and I can't wait to see them amped up again soon.
Next though it was the main attraction. Polish prog marvels Riverside (8) still touring their 2023 album ID:Entity, they began in earnest with a couple of new ones following #Addicted and 02 Panic Room that prompted singalong with Riverside.
With these out of the way the longer songs could begin Big Tech Brother putting modern groove riffs with screaming Gilmour-esque guitars. It was punctuated by a bit of chat from Mariuz Duda where he explained what the album was about and that it was a rebirth that took the band in perhaps a different direction.
Before Lost (Why Should I Be Frightened Of A Hat) they talked about how they struggled with the prog metal tag, especially being compared to Dream Theater, however I will say that the song sounds a lot like something that band would have put on Octavarium but I digress.
Not that Duda is hung up on comparisons as he spoke, again, at length, before the heavy industrial punch of Post Truth. It's a benefit to the band that musically they are very diverse and gifted as these speeches did sort of kill the momentum a bit as personal as they were.
From then on thankfully the music did a lot of the talking, extended jams as all four men moved into Floudoan realms several times. I'm sure Pink Floyd comparisons are welcome, even throwing in a bit of Riders On The Storm by The Doors on the extended middle section of The Place Where I Belong, which yes is less Dream Theater much more Steven Wilson, another artist who has audibly maligned the prog tag for years.
From my vantage point, at a show where the crowd seemed a bit sparser than their previous one in Bristol, it was the older songs from their catalogue that performed the best and while I'd never compare them to Dream Theater or indeed prog metal to be honest it seems that this most recent album proved divisive in their fanbase. Though I really liked it.
I hope they do keep the emotive, melodic Pink Floyd/Marillion phrasing of tracks such as Egotist Headonist though as they evolve in this mould of Riverside 2.0. Its this that brought a lot of the veteran fans here and while they'll continue towards this more focussed/rebranding these tracks from ID:Entity will become like old friends but there will always be voices baying for the 'classics'.
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