What's better than a gig in a Friday night? A free gig on a Friday night? A free gig featuring spine of South Wales and South West's loudest bands? That what we got when I went to The Moon for the second time in a week.
It wasn't just me though, a big chunk of Cardiff's noise needers, doom mongers, riff worshipers, leaf lovers and those who like things loud, slow and angry packed into The Moon, alongside a lot of bewildered day wanderers as four bands looked to knock the hell out of the audience
First up were Inerrant, the two pronged vocal assault saw both of them in the pit screaming and shouting at people's faces and creating their own pit with anyone that dares to join in. Playing it fast and loose there's a huge level of professionalism from the instrument players (down on due to family bereavement), while Paul and Ben lived in their own little world of in jokes and political indignation as they deliver their counteracting but harmonious vocal shouts.
With a lot of love in the room they rightly have a confidence about them, something they have earned with their collective experience in various bands in the South Wales scene. Clearly having the time of their lives, this hardcore laced unit were an ideal beginning to what was to be a heavy night.
Next up were Cardiff doom trio Lung, a band who worship at the altar of Iommi, if Budgie took mescaline they'd sound like this heavyweight stoner doom trio. The hypnotic riffs, fuzzed up guitar/bass, powerhouse drumming and shouted/clean vocals made for a rhythmic journey through the their most recent album, including a new song which may have run a little longer than billed but had a psychedelic cleanly played middle section as all three men locked into a groove. Odes to mysticism, magic, extra-terrestrials and 'oregano' the likes of Sleep, Sabbath and Electric Wizard can be called upon when watching Lung live. This was my first viewing but it won't be by last.
Next something with a bit more aggression, the luxurious, lengthy tracks of Lung replaced by seething rage and ear bleeding noise from Tides Of Sulfur. Hardcore sludge trio blew whole through The Moon as they do whenever they perform, wide eyed screams of anguish from Chris who abuses his bass, while Tom wails on the drumkit, adding flashes of technique when they move towards the sparse quiet bits, Snake's riffs bit with heavy distortion and feed back. Another band trying out a new song, to me it sounded great but I assume only seeing them again will show how much it develops. Raw and visceral ToS always deliver live and it seems like new music is in the offing which is a major bonus
Closing out the night were ToS' APF Records bandmates Urzah who brough their intergalactic doom/sludge to Cardiff while supporting their latest record The Scorching Gaze. I was in awe of this record, to be honest most records on APF can't lose, but having watched Urzah in the build up to that debut, they are a different beast, very little chit chat, very little movement just four class players focussing in their instruments and making a colossal noise inside Cardiff's little bunker. By this point the alcohol had been flowing and god knows what else had been ingested so towards the back end of ToS and throughout Urzah's set there was the most movement of the night, warranted though as this was a very visible shift in Urzah's evolution as a live band.
Four great bands, lots of old faces, big dirty riffs, new friends made and an atmosphere that felt like home, gigs like this are always fun so the whole evening gets a big fat 9/10
It wasn't just me though, a big chunk of Cardiff's noise needers, doom mongers, riff worshipers, leaf lovers and those who like things loud, slow and angry packed into The Moon, alongside a lot of bewildered day wanderers as four bands looked to knock the hell out of the audience
First up were Inerrant, the two pronged vocal assault saw both of them in the pit screaming and shouting at people's faces and creating their own pit with anyone that dares to join in. Playing it fast and loose there's a huge level of professionalism from the instrument players (down on due to family bereavement), while Paul and Ben lived in their own little world of in jokes and political indignation as they deliver their counteracting but harmonious vocal shouts.
With a lot of love in the room they rightly have a confidence about them, something they have earned with their collective experience in various bands in the South Wales scene. Clearly having the time of their lives, this hardcore laced unit were an ideal beginning to what was to be a heavy night.
Next up were Cardiff doom trio Lung, a band who worship at the altar of Iommi, if Budgie took mescaline they'd sound like this heavyweight stoner doom trio. The hypnotic riffs, fuzzed up guitar/bass, powerhouse drumming and shouted/clean vocals made for a rhythmic journey through the their most recent album, including a new song which may have run a little longer than billed but had a psychedelic cleanly played middle section as all three men locked into a groove. Odes to mysticism, magic, extra-terrestrials and 'oregano' the likes of Sleep, Sabbath and Electric Wizard can be called upon when watching Lung live. This was my first viewing but it won't be by last.
Next something with a bit more aggression, the luxurious, lengthy tracks of Lung replaced by seething rage and ear bleeding noise from Tides Of Sulfur. Hardcore sludge trio blew whole through The Moon as they do whenever they perform, wide eyed screams of anguish from Chris who abuses his bass, while Tom wails on the drumkit, adding flashes of technique when they move towards the sparse quiet bits, Snake's riffs bit with heavy distortion and feed back. Another band trying out a new song, to me it sounded great but I assume only seeing them again will show how much it develops. Raw and visceral ToS always deliver live and it seems like new music is in the offing which is a major bonus
Closing out the night were ToS' APF Records bandmates Urzah who brough their intergalactic doom/sludge to Cardiff while supporting their latest record The Scorching Gaze. I was in awe of this record, to be honest most records on APF can't lose, but having watched Urzah in the build up to that debut, they are a different beast, very little chit chat, very little movement just four class players focussing in their instruments and making a colossal noise inside Cardiff's little bunker. By this point the alcohol had been flowing and god knows what else had been ingested so towards the back end of ToS and throughout Urzah's set there was the most movement of the night, warranted though as this was a very visible shift in Urzah's evolution as a live band.
Four great bands, lots of old faces, big dirty riffs, new friends made and an atmosphere that felt like home, gigs like this are always fun so the whole evening gets a big fat 9/10
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