• Home

Aural Aggravation

Exploring the sound of the underground
Stay updated via RSS

  • Recent Posts

    • Health Plan – Health Plan
    • Muca & La Marquise – Cheap Red Wine
    • Yair Etziony – Further Reduction
    • Watch: ‘The Dreamer’ by White Moth Black Butterfly
    • Watch: ‘Dropdead’ by Clicks
  • Archives

    • April 2021
    • March 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • December 2020
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • May 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
  • Categories

    • Albums
    • Films and Documentaries
    • Interviews
    • Live
    • Previews and Editorial
    • Recommended Streams and Videos
    • Reviews
    • Singles and EPs
  • Categories

    • Albums
    • Films and Documentaries
    • Interviews
    • Live
    • Previews and Editorial
    • Recommended Streams and Videos
    • Reviews
    • Singles and EPs
  • Meta

    • Register
    • Log in
    • Entries feed
    • Comments feed
    • WordPress.com

Amenra / Boris / Jo Quail – The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 20th February 2018

Posted: 25 February 2018 in Live
Tags: Amenra, Boris, Brudenell Social Club, Double Headline, Heavy, Jo Quail, Leeds, Live Review
2

Christopher Nosnibor

Talk about a serious double-header: two very different bands for different continents, Boris and Amenra offer different types of heaviness, which, it transpires, compliment one another nicely when performed side by side. For tonight’s show, the last UK date of their extensive European tour together, they’re not so much side by side as in the vicinity or cross-aisle. The Brudenell’s compact stage paired with the vast backline of the two bands means there simply isn’t space for one band’s kit to stack in front of the other, meaning that they’ve been forced to split the event across the venue’s two rooms.

Walking into the recently-constructed, custom-built and really rather nice ‘Community Room’ which is situated to the rear of the original venue space and incorporates a lobby space and toilets, I find the entire audience facing toward the sound desk, in front of which Jo Quail is playing, wringing sounds beyond imagination and in manifold layers. As the PA is to the rear of the auditorium as it’s facing, it’s a little disorienting to hear the sound before you swelling in waves from behind. Quail is a superb performer, and her performance is captivating. I lack the guts to tell her so as she orders a drink standing next to me at the bar afterwards.

DSCF2257 

Jo Quail

Celebrated amplifier worshippers Boris’ most recent album, Dear, marks something of a return to their most thunderous, Melvins-influenced, riff-centric form, and the set for this tour to promote is essentially the album in sequence. It works well.

DSCF2297

Boris

The set begins sounding like the end, i.e. the same, but also with extended power chords and fractured percussion that conventionally signal, the slowing and crashing finale of a performance. In between, while dominated by colossal guitars and thunderous drums, often hammered at a BPM that barely hits double figures. Drummer Atsuo Mizuno stands proud drum stick held aloft for what feels like forever before landing a stick against skin once more, to devastating effect. And that’s before he rains blows against the immense gong to the rear of the stage, sending seismic ripples of oud every whichway.

I forget where I am as smoke fills the stage and even from the front row the band become invisible. The set is essentially based around playing Dear in sequence. But rather than being predictable, pushing it in this way in a live setting highlights the band’s – and the album’s – diversity, switching between crawling doom and face-melting psychedelia. It also features some of the most unconventional-sounding accordion work you’re ever likely to witness.

DSCF2289

Boris

They depart to rapturous applause, and rightly so. They’re on form, and to witness the Japanese trio crank out this much guitar and smoke in a 400-capacity room feel like a real privilege.

Moving to the main room, the front rows are rapidly filling out, and, like Boris, Amenra are uncommonly punctual in starting their set following a very short gap between bands. There are signs up around the venue to remind punters that segments of Amenra’s set is extremely quiet and that they’d appreciate the artists be respected. It’s fair play: I’d like to think the band’s fans are the kind of people who’d be respectful, but then, I’ve attended many shows where people have paid £20 for a ticket only to blab loudly to their mates, drowning out the band and ruining my experience in the process. It’s a bit different here tonight: when the band are whacking out megawatts even when quiet, there’s no danger of chat interfering. Nevertheless, it’s pleasing to see that everyone is happy to shut the fuck up and watch the band.

While Boris are notable for their range, Amenra tread a much narrower furrow and grind deep into it, working instead the dynamics of the quiet, moody passages against explosive riffs that plough on slow and heavy for an eternity. It begins with darkness and incense and a clanking monotonous rhythm. Their set is a career-spanning effort, which focuses on the more succinct and direct songs from their albums to date and only lifts a brace from their latest megalithic offering, Mass VI.

DSC_0348[1]

Amenra

Colin H. van Eeckhout spends the majority of the set with his back to the audience, either with the hood of his hoodie pulled up tight, or his distinctive and substantial back tattoo making a strong visual statement. In contrast, the guitarists clamour toward the front, throwing the heaviest chords into the crowd with a punishing force. This is dynamics. The band revel in utilising the full force of the extended quiet passage followed by sudden and well-timed explosions of monstrous riffage. And when they hit overdrive, you know it. This isn’t just music, they’re not mere chords: every bar is a body blow, and Eeckhout’s howls of anguish are almost drowned in the immense wall of sound blasting from the towering backline.

It’s intense, and then some, and to witness Amenra and Boris in succession is more than some humans could possibly handle. But ultimately, it makes sense. The differences make for a much-needed contrast, while the parallels make for the perfect compliment. It doesn’t get much better than this.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Like this:

Like Loading...
Comments
  1. A-Sun Amissa – Ceremony in the Stillness | Aural Aggravation says:
    24 August 2018 at 4:01 pm

    […] forward in structure and composition.’ The band’s ever-shifting line-up on this outing features the cello work of Jo Quail, which adds to the infinite layers of intricacy and […]

    Reply
  2. Mono finish recording new album with Steve Albini and share trailer for upcoming tour | Aural Aggravation says:
    9 September 2018 at 9:22 pm

    […] as next year’s 20th anniversary tour with a run of Europe dates in October, with support from Jo Quail.  The band has recently finished working on the new record with Steve Albini and new drummer […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Gravatar
WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Google photo

You are commenting using your Google account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out /  Change )

Cancel

Connecting to %s

Black Moth / Grave Lines / Dream Tröll – The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds, 16th February 2018
FURR / Weekend Recovery / Tokyo Taboo / Molly Anna Band – Santiago, Leeds, 23rd February 2018

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
<span>%d</span> bloggers like this: