By Bona Pjarren
It’s Wednesday night and I am at the Corporation in Sheffield to review Svalbard, CLT DRP, Heriot and Sobriquet. We are in the small room which has surprisingly few punters at the moment; hopefully it will liven up as the night goes on. I know that some people prefer to miss the support bands for some reason.
Sobriquet are a five-piece post-hardcore band from Sheffield who have recently released an EP and singles such as ‘EVA’ and ‘Birds of Prey’. It has been a while since I have caught up with Sobriquet, pre-lock down in fact. They are just as compelling as I remember them to be. Heavy riffs supporting hard core intoning. There are some nice rhythmic changes to keep the audience’s attention engaged. Ludo Fahey has a decent mix of clean, grunted and screamed vocals which really add to the ambience of their songs. Some of the tempo changes could have been a bit smoother, but nevertheless they make for a solid opening band and a real treat for those who made the effort to get to the gig early.
Heriot are next to take the stage and, as I suspected, the room is beginning to fill up nicely, and there is much more of a crowd in evidence. According to reviews, Heriot are a triumphant new group, fully focused and with a razor-sharp edge. Now a four piece with the addition of guitarist/vocalist Debbie Gough, the group have already started to turn heads in the UK metal scene and beyond, weaponizing metallic sludge and hardcore with their terrifying singles. Consequently, I am intrigued to see them live. A big doomy soundscape delivered with a backing track heralds the bands appearance on stage,
They immediately launch into their first song. It is an assault on the senses with double kick drums pounding out relentless beats. They ease into sections of sludge metal before picking up the pace again with expert ease. This is definitely a band to watch out for in the future as Heriot are a truly accomplished hardcore/sludge metal band. The bass guitar (Jake Packer) has distortion added and the guitars (Debbie Gough and Erhan Alman) each have their own unique sounds which combine to make Heriot one of the heavier bands of the night. They have obviously spent a lot of time honing their sound. They deliver massive slabs of riffs skilfully interwoven with feedback. One reviewer said they are not for the faint hearted, I can see why. In parts they reminded me a little of Crowbar in their absolute brutality. A truly great show from a fantastic up and coming band.
CLT DRP are Brighton-based electro-punks whose debut album, ‘Without The Eyes’, steps into the bull pen of punk rock and challenges society, patriarchy and femininity. Vocalist Annie Dorrett opens the set (after a brief intro exclaiming the band’s name is pronounced “clit drip!“, just in case anyone was unsure) with ‘I Don’t Want To Go To The Gym’ – a fuck you to diet culture and female beauty standards delivered with an ironic Kardashian drawl. And indeed, CLT DRP have probably the strangest and most intricate sound of the night. They are an incredibly talented three piece with drums (Daphne), guitar (Scott) and vocals (Annie), this somehow feels like there are too few instruments considering the music they play onstage.
Scott provides the synth, bass and distorted guitar sounds all in one, this is no mean achievement in itself. Scott has probably one of the biggest effects boards I’ve witnessed in recent years. Daphne is a technical powerhouse on drums, and I suspect may add to the overall sound with the judicial use of triggers. And then you have Annie who has a massive stage presence and very distinctive vocals. Overall, they have quite an avant garde feel to their music. The speed and precision of their riffs between guitar and drums is breath taking, they are such an exceptional group of musicians. Annie really works the crowd as she delivers songs such as Sea saw, which really displays her impressive vocal range. If Heriot were the heaviest band of the night so far, CLT DRP were certainly the most unusual. I absolutely loved this band and would definitely recommend catching them next time they play live.
Svalbard are the headline band. Their style integrates disparate influences including post rock, black and death metal. I get the feeling that Serena Cherry, the lead singer is a major driving force for the musical direction of the band, as she has quite diverse musical tastes, Svalbard are consequently quite a difficult band to pigeonhole.
And so, the intro starts up heralding the entrance of the mighty Svalbard to the stage. Now Svalbard are marketed as hardcore punk which belies the rich and varied influences of their music. They wear their hearts on their sleeves when it comes to death and black metal, both are evident in their unique music. With sampled orchestral sounds adding another dimension to their set, complimenting soaring guitar notes hung over solid slabs of riffing, backed by the tight rhythms of an exceptionally talented drummer. Serena graces the stage wearing a Heriot T-shirt, which I thought showed class and respect for the other bands on the roster. Svalbard are an extraordinary band in so many ways. They have well written and cleverly arranged songs that are as atmospheric as they are heavy. They are not phased at all by the tremendous set that CLT DRP had put in before them. They are a true metal band at the top of their game and their craft is on full display tonight. Serena barks out the lyrics in conjunction with Liam Phelan’s vocals; also, these two combine beautifully on guitars. Alex Heffernan grinds out growling basslines while Mark Lilly thunders away on drums. With all this wall of sound the drops add a nice breathing space to their set, a moment for the listener to compose themselves before the next inevitable sonic onslaught. With gutsy renditions of ‘Disparity’ and ‘Click Bait’ they bombard an attentive audience. Amongst all this grinding heaviness there are also some lovely melodic guitar lines that really complement their tunes, I feel it’s a bit of a nod to some of the melodic death bands out there. But these melodies are carefully thought out and structural rather than an outright lead guitar part. They finish the set with ‘Greyscale’ and ‘Open Wounds’, and what a finale it is. Svalbard are a quality and classy act, and I would definitely consider seeing them again.
And so, the night comes to a close but there is still time for the bands to come out and mingle with their fans. I have to say I love to see this. Sobriquet, Heriot, CLT DRP and Svalbard are all very fan orientated and there is obviously a very special relationship that has formed with each band and their fans. I think I managed to chat with at least one member of each of the bands and it was an absolute pleasure to meet them all.
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