Chuck Schuldiner Project

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Maybeshewill, Totorro, Flood of Red in Paris (@Le Petit Bain, 18/11/2014)



Having seen Maybeshewill go from playing in a small club in Luxemburg for 20 people to a fully packed venue as an opener for The Dillinger Escape plan, it wasn't so much of a surprise as it was a thrill to see the band finally earn their place as a headlining act on this tour.
Last night, the band was supported by 2 opening acts for a night dedicated to the sound of post-rock.

The first band on the bill was the Scottish band Flood of Red.
This Glaswegian act delivered an eclectic form of post-rock, occasionally dabbling in some post-hardcore sections and even some short instances of post-metal. Their overall sound were comparable to that of Maybeshewill, with the addition of a talented yet timid vocalist whose Thom Yorke-like vocals were unfortunately a little bit too low in the mix. Still, the band delivered a solid, dynamic half hour of post-rock with a nice twist.


The second band to hit the stage was a French band from Rennes called Totorro.
The instrumental 4-piece plays a more stripped down yet more dynamic form of post-rock that is more post-hardcore and math-rock inspired. Alternating between dreamy atmospheric landscapes and syncopated riffs played at breakneck speeds, Totorro pull off a set that is equally beautiful and adrenaline packed.
The band played their show with a great deal of precision and dexterity while at he same time displaying some great stage presence.

Maybeshewill, joined by members from Flood of Red
Finally, it was time for our headlining act to step onstage, with quite a show to follow up to. I had high hopes for my 3rd time seeing them, and luckily for me, none of the members intended to let their audience down.
From the very first song, Maybeshewill hit us hard with their sweeping melodies and hart-hitting build-ups. The bands' soundtrack-like compositions effectively pulled us into a truly engrossing experience. One only had to close their eyes for a second to be swept away to the sonic landscapes of each track. What truly brings these songs to life are masterfully composed build-ups that pick up like the rising wind and the climaxes with wailing guitars, beautiful keyboard melodies and crashing cymbals that sound like a high tide crashing unto the shore. The bands' intelligent use of electronics and samples also complement the compositions in a very nice way, adding more emotionnal depth to them.
The sound onstage, while not perfect, was very solid. Aside from a few muddy parts that lacked clarity in some of the more intense moments of the show, there isn't much to complain about. The low-end instruments like the bass guitar and bass drum had a nice strong punchy feel to them, albeit at the expense of some of the high-mid frequencies occupied by the clean guitars.
The bands' stage presence was fantastic all throughout the show, with every single band member putting everything they've got into their performance.

In short, what we got was over an hour and a half of top quality post-rock delivered by top quality musicians.

Overall, last nights' show at Le Petit Bain was one that should not have been missed by any post-rock fan. For those who missed out on the event, I highly recommend you check these three bands out and keep an eye on their upcoming tour dates in the future (I know I will).

Robin

Flood of Red 
Official website
 http://flood.dark-city.co.uk/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/floodofred
Bandcamp
https://floodofred.bandcamp.com/

Totorro
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/TOTORRO/117966698228573
Bandcamp
https://totorro.bandcamp.com/

Maybeshewill
Official website
http://www.maybeshewill.net/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mybshwll

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