Beyond the Redshift

Curated and Headlined by Cult of Luna

The Dome – The Boston Music Rooms – The Forum

10th May 2014

Ashlinn Nash

Beyond the Redshift is a new turn of talent for Sweden’s curators Cult of Luna, who have created something that is both as brave as it is ambitious with the right mix of deliciously calm post-rock to the full on adrenaline of Black metal, it’s an eclectic combination that is set to go down a treat.

The event spanning over three stages in North London, The Forum, The dome and The Boston music rooms are set to experience something fresh and daring, with a cracking line-up that includes a few exclusives and debuts on these shores. Of course it’s drizzling and there is a tiny bit of sunshine to be had, it’s ok to blame the bands atmospheres for this.

Up first over at the Dome is P.G lost [4/5] the Swedish four piece who after ten years of being a band debut today in England. Bringing with them a mellow blend of fuzzy harmonies that sounded familiar to a harder rock edge version of Sigur Ros.

Lavished with heavy kinetic flows of rich guitar and keyboard sounding layers, they both excelled with technicalities as they did actively displaying their artwork.

Overall, became clear by the end of their time that they are as musically adventurous in the art of sonic boundary breaking as they are capable of embracing an inner undeniable energetic power that works through a variety of beautifully endless instrumental experiments that all came together to concluded the set with a soft tone and grace.

Every gig is not without a couple of early errors, so with a slight hitch and delay in getting ready, Blueneck [3.5/5] finally brave the stage, Formed in 2000, a band who hit live familiarity within the West Countries scene, steadily dropped conventional gigging in favour of a mostly studio environment.

After such a break it’s nice to see how easily they work on stage whilst bringing with them something that is both a sonic war of smooth mystical tunes combined with a delivery of embellished in reverb layering.Overall, the live experience of the band was that of a cinematic soundscape tale with a host of ambient atmospherics, dark skeletal rhythms and swirling crescendos, all created with analogue synths, sparse piano and huge, soaring guitars.

It wasn’t long before Syndrome [3/5] were due to fill the forum with a gory concavity of simple loops layered from one effects pedal that expanded and developed into a smooth calm before the storm . With something delicate up his sleeve with swirls of passion and circling himself in somewhat of a enigmatic shall.

The one man band was swift and simple with a guitar in hand and pedals, creating something with a relaxing build up of ambient scolding soundscapes all performed by Amenra’a Mathieu Vandekerckhove, A perfect entrance to his band with its swirling emotive clarity that sourced a new ventilation.

With the storm swiftly arriving like a chaotic animal Amenra [4/5] crash the beautifully constructions of the instrumentals previously and unleashed with their brash and exceptionally intense performance display. The post-metal apocalypse troupe create a foundation of their bleak, atmospheric sludge sound that resonates and destroys the peaceful atmosphere.[Due to interviewing the headliners Cult of Luna I was unable to capture any pics]

Rather by a set that verges on the cusp of a vast sonic landscape that invited and sends the mind into a gloop that within the somehow as desolate and bleak, as it a hugely majestic landscape. The audience where treated as well as threatened by the strong gust of emotional tournament. The was just damn good! Ending the set with a fury of a atmosphere left in the wake of devastation caused by the cataclysmic volcanic eruption.

Justin Broadrick’s Jesu [3.5/5] has become something of an Enigma, bringing with him a mix of live bass and guitar alongside heavy, and rhythmically pulsing programmed drums. All with a Audio visual display the centres the mind into the intensity of bands works.

While many would question the bands choices in songs and some remarks among crowds venturing on the lines of the set being incredibly pretentious, or simply downright boring. Were soon won over by the Small in member troupe whose was a set both as mesmerising as it was soul warningly wonderful, well as much was expected from them.

With a quick windy and very drizzly walk over the Dome, which suits the mood of the next band superbly, The Old Wind [3.5/5] the band who have been tied to the studio are prepared for one of their first ever shows, and what a showcase to be included on.

The songs are both rough and abrasive, with a sound track behind the slices from the band that play on the metal melodies of emotional tournament, struggle and desolation with a crushingly heavy display. It’s a wonder the audiences for any of the venues still have a soul in tack.

Back over at the Forum – God is an Astronaut [4.5/5] are becoming rising stars along with fellow post-rockers This will destroy you, in the recent up serge of not-quite mainstream post-rock. As much as this band have been hit by fake label hood of coming across as boring and simple.

The proof is somewhat in this pudding, with a electrified Mogwai equivalent on stage it’s hard not to get excited by just how invoking the band are with interchangeably skilled musician members and songs that sound magnificent live its nice to see the band live up to the hype.

With rich ventures into space rock with shoe-gaze and pure experimental epics the quintet are devilishly good at drawing the audience into their consuming world and casting them back into the world, open minded and thrilled.

With a short gap and attention turning to God Seed [3/5] a band that would technically be playing Incineration down the road at the garage today, but they rise to the challenge of opening the minds of the fans before them

It’s sadly not a packed venue but that doesn’t stop Wardruna’s Gaahl from making a it a chilling experience, with his stature and Corpse paint [which seems a bit out of place as it was more of a Gorgoroth off shoot band part two kind of attire] still him and King ov Hell lead the old Gorgoroth with a flair and a passion as well as a few God Seed numbers.

It’s sadly not a set for everyone and does seem out of place, but the diversity and upbeat adrenaline is something that needs to be infused and pumped in before the Forum’s head liners hit the stage.

Final stage change of the evening draws attention back the Dome for one final shin-dig that is the lovely Amplifier [4/5] who came back into action last year on the record scene with the huge Echo Street which was as ambitious as it was beautiful.

The band work through a set consisting of heavier numbers to keep up with the chaos around them, with breathtaking tracks that resonated around the dome’s walls. With the aid of sublime sound saturating effects all with an encasing of swiftly gorgeous lyrics. When the set comes to an end it’s a sad sight but the excitement turns to just down the road.

Back at the Forum Cult of Luna [5/5] are ready, with an unfortunate for photographers swathe of dry ice and cryptically rich lighting that is beautiful to look at. This silhouette and smoke creation from Alexis Sevenier Lonatos. It’s from the get go of Cult of Luna’s set you can tell they have pulled out the stops on this performance, that is rumoured to one of the last for a while if not final.

The band who are shrouded with mystery combine the art of two mechniacs behind the scenes in the form of double drummers, synthesizers [form P.G lost] crunching guitars, ballistic bass lines and the undenyably haunting screams and raw aggression of the vocalists; Klas Rydberg [back for the first time since Eternal kingdom] and Johannes Persson whose vocal duties are heard on both Vertikal’s.

The set consisting of two hours opening with three songs ; “The sweep”, “light chaser” from – the top of the readers polls for last year album – Vertikal and Vertickal II EP. It’s not long before Klas Rydberg joins the stage with Gaahl for “ghost trail”.

By the end of set the band have earned their musician stripes when ending with “leave me here”. There is as much passion as passion and integrity from the band as there ever has been. It’s been truly an honor to witness them live in action.

Something truly remarkable happened over the Forum, Dome and Boston music rooms today, with a plethora of bands all from a post-rock, experimental, and simply daring on boundaries collection of artists spanning both Cult of Luna influence and in fact influences of them in turn. Overall it has been a truly incredible experience, from the atmosphere, musical talent and an audience that appreciates the artists as much as they did their fans.