By Monk
Sure, what else would you be doing on a dark, blackened Sunday evening in the dark, blackened side streets of a dark, blackened city but sitting upstairs in a dark, blackened venue enjoying some dark, blackened heavy metal? Not much, really… which is why I’ve uncurled myself from my sleeping bag under the bench in the corner – well, I do feel like I’ve been living here for the weekend, as this is my third gig here in as many nights – dusted down my battered leather jacket, hit the bar to drain the remains of last night’s left over JD and adopted my usual pose beside the sound desk for what promised to be a special collision of black metal forces with one of the Celtic giants of the genre riding into battle with his English counterparts…
Setting the scene as they have done on the previous two nights of this triptych of Irish dates are Domhain, who build the atmosphere in suitably bleakly nihilistic style, their dense atmospherics slowly building to crushing crescendos and then ebbing back again awaiting the inevitable sonic tsunami to come. Their use of twin male and female vocals, botn conjoining and contrasting, adds to the overall effect, which is highlighted on a new song (‘Footsteps’?), which is truly epic in its ambition, feel and projection, as the quartet weave a rich aural tapestry of huge, sweeping soundscapes filled with a mysterious deep warmth.
This is the sort of performance that feels more like being part of a ritual than merely watching a band on stage. I had been waiting to see these guys ever since the release of their ‘Nimue‘ EP back in October 2023, and I was not disappointed. Enthralled would be the most apt adjective to describe my reaction.
- Domhain support SAOR at The Classic Grand, Glasgow, tonight (Saturday 8 February).
Now, I know there are people (hi Marty) who hate it when journalists write this, but I’ve never been the biggest fan of Winterfylleth, especially in the live arena: I recall being so bored the first time I saw them I retreated to the bar next door until the end of their set, and the second (and only other) time I was like many others and only in Bloodstock’s SOPHIE Tent because of the torrential downpour outside. But, I always like to keep an open mind – especially as I really enjoyed 2020’s ‘The Reckoning Dawn‘ opus – and so I approached tonight with just that: and, holy hell, was I in for a very (un)pleasant surprise…
What we get tonight is raw, visceral blackened metal, played from the heart with no airs or graces, no OTT histrionics – and, above all, no fucking stupid corpse paint: just five guys dressed in black doing what they believe in, to enervating and energizing effect, delivering rich, luscious soundscapes that intrigue and entrance on every level.
Forty-five minutes into the set comes the moment most of us have been waiting for, and if I’m brutally honest the main reaso I dragged my battle weary carcass along… Alan Averill climbs on stage in the most nondescript of manners, the total antithesis of his usual Nemtheanga character, like the band he is joining stripped back to the bare essence of his being. What follows is seven minutes of the most intense, powerful and captivating blackened metal I have witnessed in a long time, as we do find ourselves in a state of silent grace as we cross that imperious horizon into another realm of rapture.
Overall, a dense and hypnotic show and a masterclass which demonstrated the band’s experience and ability to challenge preconceptions, both my own and those of the genre as a whole.
And so drew to an end my first real weekend of 2025 with three shows and eight bands covering the entire metal spectrum, from the classically-infused through sludgy stoner vibes to the dense, darkest aspects of mien… let’s do it again soon \m/
- All content © Über Rock. Not to be reproduced in part or in whole without the express written permission of Über Rock.