The day before Easter, Jesus is firmly in the grave, the disciples are crying, Mary is distraught, and doom rules over the earth. Today I saw five top notch doom bands, and though I won't be able to go to Doomed Gatherings Day Three (I'll be on the plane to America for a quick vacation) I must certainly recommend anyone with the funds to go. Today's groups were simply mindboggling, exciting and passionate, getting at the true spirit of the genre in a way few of their peers do. With a whole mess of industrial themed groups and some of the loudest bands I've seen to date, this was a show to be remember.
Huata were the first band up, and by god, do they bring something exciting to the table. Their live show is more like a sort of dark ritual. The bands singer wears a strange wizard cloak giving the band a strange and otherworldly vibe. They don't hold anything back, and instead just turn up louder and louder. This is the sort of doom that comes out and crushes skulls with the sheer might of the riffs behind it. Yet, shockingly enough, they were among the lighter bands of the night. Still, their ethereal set and mystical stage show bears seeing again and again. Their tunes were very tight and I think it will be exciting to get an opportunity to dig more into their sound!
Pombagira came up next, right away, I knew that I was in for something special, doom two piece's always impress, especially when stripped down to just a guitar and drums. After a quick dedication to Huata, the band dove into some incredibly heavy tunes that made use of an incredible bottom end. The guitar riffs are simply top notch, they have a sort of single minded crunch that few of Pombagira's peers could hope to match. I really want to check out some more of their music, it doesn't seem right that a band made up of only two people could be so darn loud. Yet Pombagira pull it off with aplomb, taking the world by storm and capturing the heart.
After Pombagira came my personal highlight, Year of No Light. Now, I've listened to a few of these guys records, and I thought that their unique, instrumental take on doom was really interesting and exciting. It pays homage to the core tenets of the genre, but does something really interesting on top of that. Well let's just say, Year of No Light live is out of this world. These guys crush you to a pulp with three guitars, and an extra percussionist complimenting a destructive rhythm section. The sheer layers of sound here is impressive and speaks to the songwriting talent of the guys in the band. Seriously, how can a band go so far beyond their peers just by cutting out vocals? I don't know, but it certainly lets Year of No Light stand tall as true masters of their craft.
Necro Deathmort had to follow this incredible set and so they seemed to take the doom concept and run in the total opposite direction. Their industrial influenced sound was really interesting to see in a live setting. I was especially intrigued by how they put the computer in the center stage, I'm still trying to decide if this was an artistic statement, or merely a matter of convenience. Either way, these guys are certainly interesting to watch live and I think that they have a lot of fascinating ideas. There is no other band in the world quite like Necro Deathmort and their industrial blasts and punishing loops are the kind of thing that would make Justin Broadrick proud.
The ultimate band of the evening was The Body, and while their set was cut sadly short due to time constraints, they stunned me. The vocal delivery, which I had been impressed with on the album, came across even better live. Their is something almost animalistic about this group, who are, incidentally, another top notch two piece. (Three two pieces in one night? Doom is like that bro) The primal might behind this group will not be taken for granted, The Body have a bleak and powerful message and it will be delivered straight to the heart. This is what happens when you let doom take over your soul, it is triumphant, dark, and frankly, beautiful.
And so, here I am, extremely sad that I will not be able to attend the final day of what has proved to be perhaps the best festival of my life. I'm not joking when I say that, no other one festival has brought together so many bands I love to put on a show this strong and simply moving. There is something deeply spiritual about seeing this many doom metal bands in one go and it speaks to the enduring power of the genre. So let yourself get taken in, feel the might of the music wash over you and take your heart. Go if you can, otherwise, find these bands when they come see you play, they will doom you to death.
Find the bands online!
Huata: https://www.facebook.com/huatacoven
Pombagira: http://pombagira.bandcamp.com/
Year of No Light: https://www.facebook.com/yearofnolight
Necro Deathmort: https://www.facebook.com/pages/the-body/334047229514
The Body: https://www.facebook.com/pages/the-body/334047229514
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