Jeff Loomis, Vildhjarta, Monuments - Cathouse, Glasgow - 24th October 2012 (Live Review)
Monday, 05 November 2012
Written by Jonny Rimmer
Heavy metal audiences have become so fragmented over the past decade or so, it is difficult to discern where to draw the line on what counts as “real metal”. At least this is the case in the eyes of the purists, who we tend to generalise as those pesky misanthropic internet nerds who yearn for the good old days when nobody was a poser.
The rise of “djent” (an onomatopoeic way of describing such bands' guitar tone) may be a contentious issue in the metal community, but nobody can deny the lumbering, dense sound that bands like Vildhjarta generate is anything less than ridiculously heavy. As I unfortunately am unable to catch Stealing Axiom tonight (doors opened at 6pm), it is this Norwegian troupe that I see first. In some ways, they steal the show tonight with their brutal but adventurous sound shaking the very room. The palpitating riffage that these guys generate is an experience in itself; songs like 'Dagger' are notable for their roaring vocals and huge staccato blasts of “chugging”.
It is a shame then that the Cathouse itself really lets them down. Part of Vildhjarta's charm lies in the atmospheric gloom that permeates their record(s). As much of this is merely pre-recorded when they play live, any eerie backing is camouflaged by the dreadful acoustics in the venue. For British act Monuments (pictured), this also proves a problem when the bass is so overpowering that you forget that their lead guitarist (who is a pretty inventive chap) is even in the mix. Nobody can deny Monuments' technicality or precision – they're the most on-point band of the night – but it is the vocals that most irk me. Matt Rose's voice unfortunately lacks the range or personality that the likes of ex-TesseracT frontman Dan Tompkins (hell, even his replacements) have in spades, and this is essential when attempting to contrast the dreamy, clean sections with harsher portions.
Jeff Loomis (of Nevermore), who closes off the bill, is less groove based and less vocal based anyway. The only “singing” comes courtesy of his backing band, but Loomis certainly has enough ideas in his locker to sustain an extended instrumental set. Much of your appreciation of Loomis is inevitably going to depend on how fond you are of metal's most divisive pillar; solos. He has a lot of them. At one point I counted about thirty bars worth. If like me, your threshold for such frivolities is low, then you can understand my weariness as the crowd were treated to one overbearing arpeggio-fest after another (okay, that word stretches it).
To be fair, this lack of emphasis on the “breakdown” renders a lot of metal fans' objections to this scene as pointless. If you enjoy heavy grooves and biting riffs then Vildhjarta, Jeff Loomis and Monuments all deliver in spades. Just make sure you take time to see them in a decent venue.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
The rise of “djent” (an onomatopoeic way of describing such bands' guitar tone) may be a contentious issue in the metal community, but nobody can deny the lumbering, dense sound that bands like Vildhjarta generate is anything less than ridiculously heavy. As I unfortunately am unable to catch Stealing Axiom tonight (doors opened at 6pm), it is this Norwegian troupe that I see first. In some ways, they steal the show tonight with their brutal but adventurous sound shaking the very room. The palpitating riffage that these guys generate is an experience in itself; songs like 'Dagger' are notable for their roaring vocals and huge staccato blasts of “chugging”. 
