.::SCRATCHtheSurface Webzine::.: Live Photos

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Torche @ The Grand Social Loft | Live Review

Torche + Wizards Of Firetop Mountain + Dott @ The Grand Social Loft
21 August 2013 – Dublin, Ireland

Five years have passed since Miami, Florida’s Torche last dropped their anvil-heavy pop songs upon Irish heads. Whelans provided the setting and Torche made their appearance in support of instrumental post-metallers Pelican, and although they only had limited time to show what they could do, they left an indelible impression. This is why Torche’s long-awaited return to Dublin is not an occasion to be missed by those who caught the band live half a decade ago, nor is it an occasion to be missed by those who have since discovered the genius of Torche’s music. The Grand Social, positioned next to the famous Ha’Penny Bridge, is the host tonight and Torche may be the heaviest band to ever play at this venue which has the reputation for showcasing an eclectic array of artists across music’s multihued spectrum. The venue itself is situated upstairs in this hip bar and is festooned like the inside of a festival tent or a function room used for parties (appropriate when it comes to Torche), with light bulbs strategically placed along the ceiling to illuminate the crowd and the small stage.

Opening for Torche tonight are Dott and Wizards of Firetop Mountain; two native bands looking to get their name and music out there. Galway’s Dott have a hint of The Breeders about their ‘90s inspired alt. rock, but because of sound akin to a bass amp committing suicide, their sugary vocal harmonies are lost in the unnecessary rumble. Wizards of Firetop Mountain are no strangers to the Dublin support role over the years; most recently seen in support of Red Fang. The band play a similar set again tonight and there are moments where their bar-room doom ‘n’ NWOBHM entertain (“Fire and Stone” and “Sonic War”), but besides guitarist Hooly (who is a dead ringer for a young Brian Tatler of Diamond Head) and drummer Ror, the band rarely show any passion on stage. Vocalist Dunchee is by far the band’s weakest link, as his vocals are just not strong enough. In addition to this, the melodies he favours are too predictable and it takes until two songs from the end for him to loosen up and enjoy himself – an ailment that he seems to constantly suffer from.

...in order to really experience what this band is all about you really need to stand in front of the stage and be hit around the head and lungs by the rush of riffs pouring out of the band’s Orange Amps at a tsunami-like velocity.

Words like “enjoyable” and “fun” are often flung around when describing Torche’s music and live show; both of which are normally regarded as an insult when applied to music of the down-tuned variety. But Torche embrace fun just as much as they embrace thunderous rhythms and riffs big enough to build an empire on, and tonight the band’s collision of polar opposites attract a sizeable crowd for a midweek show.

On record Torche’s sheer force is only hinted at, and in order to really experience what this band is all about you really need to stand in front of the stage and be hit around the head and lungs by the rush of riffs pouring out of the band’s Orange Amps at a tsunami-like velocity. From the moment Steve Brooks (vocals, guitars) implores the crowd to “come closer” in a comical evil voice before adding the caveat, “we bite”, Torche have every patron in the palm of their sweaty hands. Adrenaline spiking renditions of “Kicking” and "In Pieces" receive a warm reception early on; the crowd obviously very familiar with the band’s latest critically acclaimed album, ‘Harmonicraft’. While the up-beat grooves of “Grenades” get necks flapping and “Snakes are Charmed" – referred to by Brooks as the band’s “disco song” – sets hips slithering. Both Brooks and fellow guitarist Andrew Elstner share vocals duties and considering the quaking bottom-end that bassist Jonathan Nuñez pulls from his instrument as he straddles centre stage, their melodious tag-team vocal approach (at its best during "Across the Shields") is surprisingly audible and clear – even when the sound goes through muddy patches.

Aside from Brooks’ whiskey-fuelled quips (which are funny as hell), it is drummer Rick Smith who provides the focal point in terms of eye-popping stage performance. Seated bear-like behind Nuñez and wearing nothing but boxer shorts and a beard, Smith is a terrifying rhythmic force. He adds such weight to each seismic riff and the sight of him swinging his sizeable arms and connecting with the might of a lumberjack as the wood splinters and sprays off his drumsticks is quite remarkable. Torche deliver an insidious set tonight; in that, the four-piece become deafening as the infamous “bomb-string” makes a head-rattling, floor-shaking appearance near the end. By tuning down to the extent that the guitar string flaps like a pensioner’s bingo wing, the impact on the ears from this gimmicky yet physically overwhelming sonic is colossal, especially during “Charge of the Brown Recluse” and the encore of “Mentor”; two of the songs played off Torche’s 2005 self-titled full-length debut.

After the show when leaving to check whether the Ha’Penny Bridge survived the dreaded “bomb”, this scribe overheard one satisfied reveller ask another, “Do Torche ever play a bad show?” Possibly the best compliment that could be afforded to Torche came with the response given – “Do they fuck!” After the embrace of melody and heft tonight, Scratch the Surface has to agree with this eloquent reply. (8.5/10)

Photos by Rachel Connolly

Dean Brown is a metal scribe based in Ireland. He is currently a contributing editor to the North American cultural magazine Popmatters and he regularly throws words for a number of other reputable loud noise publications such as About.com/heavy metal, Soundshock.com, MetalIreland.com, MoltenMagazine.com, amongst others. He has a strong affinity for music that shakes souls and leaves debilitating tinnitus in its wake and such obsession has left him financially and medically crippled, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Follow Dean on twitter @reus85

Red Fang @ Whelans | Live Review

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Red Fang + Wizards of Firetop Mountain @ Whelans

25 June 2013 - Dublin, Ireland

Tuesday nights are notorious black holes for musicians visiting Dublin City: A statement that an unknown American country singer drawling out world-weary songs to a handful of souls looking for redemption at the bottom of a pint glass in the pub adjacent to Whelan’s Music Venue will surely attest tonight? Whatever the reason is—the lack of an urge to step outside the drone of a weekly routine; the effort of travelling from outside the bounds of Dublin—unless you’re a band that strokes the ego of the mainstream or has a sizeable following underground, you will be swallowed by the black hole, never to return again. In light of this and due to an under-estimation of the band’s Irish fan-base, the debut on Irish soil of Portland, Oregon’s Red Fang seemed doomed. But as time passes by, what was initially a sparse crowd gathered outside the venue has, quite surprisingly, turned into a hungry queue eager to hear what this grizzly group has in store.

...Red Fang removes us from the realities of a Tuesday and transposes us to a sweat-drenched Friday night where no holds are barred.

2011 was the year that Red Fang really stepped up and announced their arrival as a force to be reckoned with. With the release of ‘Murder the Mountains’—the band’s first LP for Relapse and second in total following their 2009 self-titled debut—Red Fang’s raucous sludge ‘n’ roll displayed song-writing acumen not unlike prime Queens of the Stone Age. That is, of course, if Josh Homme had suckled for inspiration at the hairy teat of the Melvins and ‘Meantime’-era Helmet. The songs were catchy, blue-collared rawk written with no ulterior motives; just weather-beaten musicians riffing hard and singing straight from the pit of their stomachs. And maybe this is the reason why Red Fang connect with people and draw such a diverse crowd tonight. First up, however, are Wizards of Firetop Mountain who take a couple of songs to let loose, but when they do the band’s Budgie-esque NWOBHM paired with up-tempo doom is a decent starter, even if their set ends without warning.

Hauling their own gear onto the stage, there are no airs and graces surrounding the four members of Red Fang. After their pre-gig ritual of shaking hands with each other ‘Bird on Fire’ lands with a bang and from here, Red Fang removes us from the realities of a Tuesday and transposes us to a sweat-drenched Friday night where no holds are barred. The vocal trade-offs between bassist Aaron Beam and guitarist Bryan Giles are packed with grit and spit, melody and maul, and as ‘Wires’ and ‘Hank Is Dead’ whip the crowd up into a tailspin, the volume of cheers that greet the end of each passing song grows louder and louder. On record Red Fang excel at finding the balance between loose, quaking grooves and taut rhythmic jives but such moves when heard booming through PA are much more impactful, especially during the early-outings of ‘Dirt Wizard’, ‘Number Thirteen’ and a wall-rattling rendition of ‘Malverde’. ‘Humans Remain Human Remains’ offers a respite by dropping tempos to a Sleep-like crawl, and by the time the last notes of ‘Prehistoric Dog’ snarls, the small stage has been invaded by a string of stage-divers (even the embarrassing back-packed kind) and sweat drips profusely from all and sundry. Returning to a wall of roars for an encore, ‘Throw Up’ is delivered with swagger by a humble band that appears legitimately shocked by the reception afforded. With album number three almost ready to drop and the rapturous response from the Dublin crowd tonight, Red Fang’s murderous trek of up the metal mountain looks set to charge onwards without losing any steam. This is a live band worth rooting for, even on a Tuesday night. (9/10)

Words & Photos: Dean Brown

Dragged Into Sunlight + Wound Upon Wound + From The Bogs of Aughiska | Live Review

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Dragged Into Sunlight + Wound Upon Wound + From The Bogs of Aughiska

24 May 2013 - The Pint - Dublin, Ireland.

A room shrouded in almost-darkness. The flicker of bare candlelight illuminates the macabre visage of a pair of antelope skulls resting upon two amplifiers. A statuesque, three branch candelabra sits centre-stage from which the skull of a ram hangs; an ominous totem. Five men stand with their backs to the small congregation gathered. These men form the collective, Dragged Into Sunlight.

Prior to these striking scenes at the Dublin bunker known as The Pint, From the Bogs of Aughiska immersed the crowd in percussion-less drone-scapes. The Irish duo dressed, rather bizarrely, in shirts, ties and slacks and wearing executioners’ masks, unfurled blackened feedback and morphing, ambient noise from a lone guitar and a laptop. Stark black-and-white handheld video footage, projected onto the screen behind the duo, accompanied the swells of sound that washed around the venue. Scenes of eroding coastlines, dilapidated stone buildings and crumbling crosses stressed the repetitious, layered drones that built and collapsed like the visuals they underscored. It was a performance from one of Ireland’s more interesting underground acts that allowed for some serious thought and reflection.

Wound Upon Wound provided the direct support to Dragged Into Sunlight, and the band’s post-black metal snapped the crowd out of their trance-like state. Tribal rhythms and sludgy riffs were punctured by vocalist S.M’s high-pitched shrieks, and the diminutive frame of the dreadlocked frontman betrayed the sounds that came from his throat. When the band’s tremolo attack arrived it did have the requisite bite, but the transitions between the two worlds lacked certain cohesion. Interestingly, when the band worked with slower tempos they were much more effective, and ultimately that’s where Wound Upon Wounds’ strength lies. If the band cut the black metal ties and fully embrace the other side of their sound, great things may come.

"Dragged Into Sunlight, on the other hand, have no problem picking the bones of every extreme metal genre to flesh out a mongrel beast."

Dragged Into Sunlight, on the other hand, have no problem picking the bones of every extreme metal genre to flesh out a mongrel beast. Last year’s ‘Widowmaker’ demonstrated a wider vision as cinematic post-rock and Integrity-esque hardcore met the band’s visceral sound, perfected in filth on their 2009 full-length debut, ‘Hatred For Humanity’. Laying their debut to rest tonight, the melodic textures explored on ‘Widowmaker’ are absent. With drummer J taking his seat facing the crowd, the remaining four members continue to keep their back to the audience and remain unturned. Running headlong through fast, blasting passages, moments of soul-sucking doom, the confrontational power of hardcore and death metal’s sonic demolition, Dragged Into Sunlight are relentless tonight. Vocalist T’s pained delivery wretches up boil as he tightens his grip on the microphone stand for greater emphasis. The sparse crowd is constantly battered between the eyes with every malicious note hitting its mark, and the strobe light placed on the floor erupts with intermittent blasts of white light. The entire band looks as if they are moving in slow motion as the lights pulsate with the same intensity as the music, causing nausea and disorientation. At times, the strobes are syncopated with the pulverising rhythms, but when they land off-beat, the effect is the near meeting of apoplexy and epileptic shock. This combined with the force of the music, the darkness and the rejection of all standard showmanship makes for a visceral live show. The dramatic peak of which occurs when vocalist T momentarily turns from the dark to scream facing the crowd, a beam of light catching the white of his eyes just before he turns away again in disgust. It’s a distressing image that stays long after the nausea subsides. Tonight we have witnessed Dragged Into Sunlight’s audio-visual violence at full force; too bad there wasn’t as many victims present for this sensory bombardment as there should have been. (8)

Words & Photo: Dean Brown

Cult of Luna + Process of Guilt @ Paradise Garage | Live Review

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Cult of Luna + Process of Guilt @ Paradise Garage

29 January 2013

The proof that post-metallers Cult of Luna have a loyal and committed fanbase in Portugal is that, despite being a working day and the cold temperatures felt outside, Paradise Garage was fully crowded to watch the return of the Swedes to these shores.
Opening for Cult of Luna was Portuguese doomsters Process of Guilt, who put out a great record last year entitled “Faemin”, so their set was unsurprisingly dominated by tracks from that excellent album. As expected they delivered an impressive performance, their combination of ire and gloom was tight and perfectly synchronized, and provided a great set-up for headliners Cult of Luna.
But the night clearly belonged to the Swedes, whose vast line-up currently includes no less than seven active members, which means that they can recreate live the complex and heavily layered songs created in the studio with impressive accuracy and energy. Their performance started off with “The One”, the instrumental track that opens their latest album “Vertikal”, quickly followed by the powerful “I: The Weapon”. Short on words, Cult of Luna delivered a set to remember, which drew heavily from their exceptional new record, though they also played some old favourites, including "Finland" from “Somewhere Along the Highway” and "Owlwood" and “Ghost Trail” from “Eternal Kingdom”.
For many people, it was one of the best gigs they'd seen this year and possibly even one of the best they'd ever seen and that applies to me as well.

Photos: Francisco Cordeiro
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Meshuggah + Decapitated + C.B Murdoc @ Paradise Garage | Live Review

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Meshuggah + Decapitated + C.B Murdoc @ Paradise Garage

28 November 2012

Despite being a very cold night and the innumerable gigs scheduled for Lisbon this week, the Paradise Garage room is surprisingly packed with metallers eager to witness the return of Meshuggah to these shores.

It is up to fellow countrymen CB Murdoc to open the hostilities with a technical death/thrash metal not too far removed from tonight’s headliners. The sound is not the best, the vocals in particular sound a bit buried behind the guitars, still they play with the kind of conviction and ability of a group that know their shit.

The sound quality gets infinitely better when Polish metallers Decapitated hit the stage to punish us with their furious and heavy death-metal. The four-piece stirred up the crowd by playing new highlights like “Homo Sum” along with classic hits like “Spheres Of Madness” and “Day 69” proving that they’re on top form, especially the charismatic frontman Rafał "Rasta" Piotrowski, who barks and screams like a possessed man.

But even Decapitated’s solid performance is outshined by the triumphant Meshuggah, who deliver a stunning and flawless performance. The band are totally imperious tonight, cranking out blistering tunes like “Bleed”, “Rational Haze” and “Future Breed Machine” with razor-sharp precision. Once again, Meshuggah have proved themselves as masters in this game, and it’s hard to think of anyone else who can rival them.

Photos: Francisco Cordeiro

Kylesa | Circle Takes the Square | KEN Mode

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Santiago Alquimista - Lisbon

19/01/2012

Although tonight’s show isn’t exactly crowded, the excitement surrounding these shows is clear to see on the faces of the few ones that decided to go down to Santiago Alquimista and watch psychedelic rockers Kylesa in action. After all, not only this is the band’s first time in Lisbon, they’ve also brought with them two enthralling and distinct groups, Ken Mode and Circle Takes the Square, as support acts.

The evening starts with the Canadians Ken Mode, who delve straight into the belligerent and compelling sounds of “Obeying The Iron Will...” from their latest effort “Venerable”. The three-piece play their entire set with the lights out, which helps create a dark and mysterious ambience that totally complements their intense and emotional charged performance. It’s a great shame that a large portion of tonight’s crowd is acting with indifference towards this talented bunch.

Second up are Circle Takes the Square, who are a guitarist short tonight, but play a fierce and highly convincing show nonetheless. At times bordering Today is the Day levels of frenzied volume, the band engages in an experimental melange of raucous punk, abrasive noise and rapid-fire blasts of grind throughout nearly 40-minutes. Their set is divided between rabid numbers like “Crowquill” and “In the Nervous Light of Sunday” from their debut album “As the Roots Undo” and schizophrenic and plain puzzling songs like “Way Of Ever-Branching Paths” from their recent EP “Decompositions - Vol I”.

Next is Kylesa, and the crowd goes loud when the band walks into the stage to perform “Said and Done” from their mind-blowing album “Static Tensions”. Despite a few problems in the vocal department, the five-piece are on glorious form tonight playing all the crowd-pleasing tunes like “Tired Climb”, “To Forget” and “Unknown Awareness”. Phillip Cope and Co. doesn’t do much in the way of audience interaction, but that doesn’t seem to irk the crowd, who shows their appreciation for every song very loudly.

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