By Monk
It had been almost four months since I last climbed the steep, narrow stairs to my favourite venue, but, hell’s bells ring loud, it had definitely been worth the wait, as here I was for the long-awaited launch of the debut album by thrash groovers Nømadus. As it turned out I, along with everyone else, would have to wait a tad longer than originally planned, as a few last minute technical problems forced proceedings to run behind schedule… ah well, time for another bevy, then (all in in the name of preparation, you understand)…
Tonight could be seen as something of a “Bloodstock reunion”, as all three bands have strong connections to the event, not least our openers, Fornoth, Ireland’s representatives at last year’s iteration and called in as the last minute additions to this evening’s bill following pull-outs by not just one but two originally billed opening acts.
As the audience slowly files past the bar and into the body of the venue, the self-styled “bog metallers” start off at a similar pace, the neat guitar intro to their titular opener leading into a proggy, winding riff before they put the foot on the accelerator and really kick into building levelling top gear. Over the course of their allotted half hour they deliver big dense slabs of groove infused with thick DM dynamics and topped off with angry vocals from Ed Byrne lookalike Daire that perfectly counterpoint the rich textures of the underlying sound, which is dark and foreboding while at the same time infectious and, dare I say, pleasing.
With some neat BM touches thrown in for good measure, the Dublin quartet deliver a hugely impressive set, and are rewarded by a great response from the gradually building crowd. Their closing track (sorry, I didn’t catch it’s title) is absolutely fucking HUGE. The only downside is that they didn’t have any CDs for sale, but I definitely look forward to giving their next one a spin or several when it becomes available.
Next up, one of the fastest rising bands on the Belfast scene, and one of the few standard-bearers from trve blackened DM in this wee corner of Überverse, Insidious Void, another act with strong Bloodstock connections as two-thirds of its members once formed part of previous Metal 2 The Masses champions Shrouded, a fact that demonstrates why, despite being a relatively young band per se they are also some of the most experienced musicians on the local circuit. This is clearly evinced in how quickly the band has developed its reputation for consistently delivering in-your-face, no-holds-barred stage shows, attracting a fanatical fanbase along the way (the latter demonstrated by the way in which their new T-shirt range is virtually flying off the merch table).
As has come to be expected, the trio are taut and tight, not straying too far from the traditional BM/DM tropes but concentrating on keeping their audience enthralled, which they, in turn, are from the first chord to the last. Shane is both confident and declarative in his role, into which he has naturally evolved over the past few years, while John really has settled into his, complete with the full face paint and cowl. With nihilistic blast beats combining with melodeath inspired winding riffs, suitably gruff vocals and dense rhythms, result is another series of unapologetic blows to your heart which leave you both reeling in shock and demanding more of the same… This is a band that has come on leaps and bounds during its short career and will continue to do so as long as the gods smile upon them \m/
- Insidious Void play heat four of Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses Belfast, alongside Asphyxiation, Dohain and Sikottic, at Voodoo on Friday 10 March.
Due to the earlier delay, the changeovers are typically as tight and precise as the performances, so there’s only time for a quick call of a nature and an even quicker visit to the bar (how do the guys know my regular imbibement?) before our headliners hit the stage with the impact of a runaway bulldozer. The tone is set with the opening riff, which is BIG and crunchy, underpinned by a legitmately MASSIVE rhythm sound, which only ask one question: is that my head that’s rolling down the stairs, ‘cos it’s just been ripped clean off?
Yet again, Nømadus are doing what they do best, and that is delivering ‘banging grooves guaranteed to ignite any pit which even dares to stand still after they take the stage – and they do just that, with the first surfer flying over everyone’s head within seconds of that opening riff cascading from the speakers. Having said that, the audience does seem genuinely torn between laying it down and just standing there in open-mouthed admiration as the band deliver another hypnotic performance that energizes and enthralls in equal measure.
Underpinned by rhythms with more concrete solidity than the nearby building site, the quartet combine thrash, DM, groove and prog to tremendous effect, taut and precise in its practised delivery but rammed to the gills with passionate belief in what they are doing. Frontman Freddy Miota is a commanding presence, but also knows when to step back and let his band mates take centre stage, as they do with consistent ease, bassist Carl Vaughan in particular a suitably commanding counterpoint stage left.
Another hugely impressive set from yet another band who prove that Norn Iron has one of the richest seams of metallic ore in the Überverse at the moment \m/
- ‘Axis Primordial’ is out now via The Distortion Project. You can get your copy HERE.
- Nømadus undertake a co-headline tour with Secreum later this month:
- Über Rock paid to get into this show.
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