Gig Report - OM live at the Button Factory

"We're told there's a curfew...but we're not gonna give a shit."

Well, it has been far too long since I've done a bit of writing (I don't dare find out exactly how long!), perhaps my final exams made me feel as if I could never write again, but if a gig report involving the mighty OM isn't reason enough to hit the keyboard again, then I don't know what is! Thursday September 27th saw OM take the stage of Dublin's Button Factory venue for a night of intense relaxation unmatched by almost any gig I've attended, and that's considering I've seen the likes of Isis, Sleep and Pelican in the recent past...

A three piece OM featuring Emil Amos on drums, Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe on keys and guitar (not to mention the longest suffering tambourine in the world) and of course Al Cineros on bass, brought the weight of a universe of music down on an adoring crowd, and a very mixed crowd at that; several world music fans along with the expected stoner and doom fans.

I'll admit at this early stage, I don't know OM's back catalogue very well, but such is the beauty of these kind of gigs that you don't need to go into it knowing every track, you can sit back and just let the music run over you. I am however, familiar enough with the recent record 'Advaitic Songs', and was glad to see that the bulk of the gig was devoted to tracks from the album adapted for the stage. In other words, HEAVIER. An overwhelming version of "Sinai" opened the night and set the tone for the remainder. Cineros is a joy to watch playing, he visibly adores his instrument and the beastly sound it achieves, and in turn we love the resulting music it creates. Lowe was a member I had not known of before and what a pleasant surprise he was! His energy is infectious, his voice equally so; some of those high notes he can reach are unbelievable. Amos' drumming style, while it can be heard on the album, add unexpected speed and energy to the music in a live setting. Quite hard and driving but in that wonderfully relaxing way. 

The word 'culture' is thrown about far too much in my opinion, speaking as a student of cultural and arts. The greatest problem being the fact that it is used interchangeably with the word 'arts', yet it is times like this when I put that academic concern aside and allow the two to merge. This night ranks second only to seeing Neurosis in the same venue last year as the most cultural experience I've had. A night only marred by the set being cut slightly short by the support band (Dead Skeletons, who actually weren't at all bad and won me over by the end). Forget 5 Star ratings or 10 out of 10 evaluations, if I were to use them they would be meaningless; this was OM live, enough said!

Edward Gerard Brophy, bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com.

Gig Review - Sleep, A Storm of Light and Wizards of Firetop Mountain at The Button Factory Dublin, May 23rd 2012

The Button Factory was nicely full when we arrived for a night of riff worship and Doom with a capital ‘D’; a good crowd to welcome Sleep for their first visit to Ireland, and if the night was as successful as it looked, it won’t be the last!

The ever-energetic Wizards of Firetop Mountain took the stage just a few minutes after our arrival and wasted no time in diving into a full-on performance even by their standards. Wizards are gradually becoming one of the representative bands of the small but sturdy Irish Doom scene and no doubt this gig will earn them enormous credibility, I mean what band doesn’t want to support someone like Sleep?!? Wizards burst through a fiery set in what seemed like no time at all, crowd pleasing songs including ‘Sonic War’ got the open-minded even more on their side while signature track ‘Onwards Towards the Sun’ solidified the effect. Wizards’ party atmosphere brings a fresh buzz to the occasion and makes for a good way to begin the night. Frontman Dunchee stands proudly at the edge of the stage only a few feet from the crowd with his characteristic “I own you right now!” attitude and expression to match, while behind him the band bring the noise and don’t let up ‘til it’s over. If you’re up for a bit of rock ‘n’ roll craic, grab the opportunity to see Wizards of Firetop Mountain live.

Welcome A Storm of Light. The last time this band were in Ireland I went to see them in Whealan’s, and to be honest, I came out a little shaken. The noise was so intense and the projections so vivid that one couldn’t help but feel the impact. Since then I have been at the barrier at a Melvins’ gig during which Phil Anselmo appeared on drums, after that I could handle anything! On that occasion A Storm of Light played to about two dozen people, this time round they had a full house. Another new thing was the addition of Andrea Black on guitar. Again the projected visuals were stunning (founder Josh Graham is the full-time projectionist for Neurosis) and the music is as hard-hitting as last time, but I felt that even with the new addition to the band there was very little new about the performance. Nonetheless they played beautifully and A Storm of Light are one of the masters of that tightly refined energy characteristic of good Post-Metal, it can be as clear as a melancholy bell one moment and change to an utter torrent the next.

A brief wait before the headline act, during which we were given a lesson on the wonder of physics by Carl Sagan. Guitarist and comedic genius Matt Pike begins his stand-up act by stumbling around the stage playing with his pickup switch and feedback before launching into the slow beginnings of ‘Jerusalem’, possibly the heaviest thing ever committed to record. Above their heads is footage of the Saturn 5 rocket slowly lifting off its launch pad. Given the loose nature of Sleep’s performance, it seems unlikely that the projection and the playing were carefully synched, yet in the same moment that the bass and drums joined Pike in the riff ritual, the bright yellow flame of the rocket’s jet came into view and lit up the stage in a reflected amber hue. It was a perfect marriage of audio and visual; the most powerful machine ever built by man with the heaviest sound ever made by man. The band played well into Jerusalem Part 2 before moving into the ‘Holy Mountain’ album for some more groovy tunes. Fan favourite ‘Dragonaut’ raised a tremendous cheer from the crowd after those first four notes that mark its signature.

The note of low C will forever be audible in the heads of those who attended that gig, it was pure riff worship the likes of which Sleep do best. The bass was so much that tinnitus didn’t set in until hours later whereas usually is comes almost immediately. Instead there was this peculiar weighed down feeling at the bottom of the ear which I can’t say I’ve ever had before. Between the good time grooves of Wizards of Firetop Mountain, the contemplative shock of A Storm of Light and the journey to the outer limits that was Sleep, this was a five star, ten out of ten gig all round!

In case you didn't believe the comedic genius comment...

Edward Gerard Brophy,
bornagainnihilist@gmail(dot)com

Gig Review , Neurosis wi Drainland 25/07/11 , Button Factory, Dublin

Sludge has no definition without Neurosis! I know it's not good to talk in such catch-all terms but I got to experience this for myself last night at The Button Factory, Dublin. You haven't felt music weigh so heavy until you have had 'Locus Star' thrown at your senses while the menacing presence of Steve Von Till threatens to head butt you from the stage.

The atmosphere is decidedly chilled in the time before the music begins. Irish experimental sludge outfit Drainland get us in the mood for an intense night ahead. These guys I will be keeping an eye out for over the next while, I only had the opportunity to listen to one track on their Myspace page before going to the gig and they went beyond my expectations entirely. A savage brew of deathly deep, Isis meets Eyehategod style sludge that the crowd loved. The band too expressed their appreciation, the frontman told of how they usually play to crowds of 10 or so people. This was posted on their Tumblr after the show:


We expected to be playing to 50 people while everyone had a pre-Neurosis pint. To play to ten times that amount, and be made to feel like we had an entire venue on our side in our home town actually blew our minds. If you were there, thank you so much. It meant a lot to us. Also, if you’re one of the (shocking large amount) of folks who bought a cd, record or shirt, thanks so much again, you’ve just helped fund our tour in August.

No doubt we'll see them again in August! Neurosis did not keep us waiting. A few familiar faces got straight to setting up gear, roadies including members of Totimoshi and A Storm of Light. Enter the band. A totally non-assuming Scott Kelly, dressed in hoodie, trucker cap and jersey casually picks up his guitar and tunes up. In no time at all the lights go low, the backdrop is projected and the ominous sounds of 'Locus Star' arrive to the ears and the crowd gets excited; that frightening scream is what they're waiting for. Out it comes, you are experiencing Neurosis!

The set is uncompromising from hereon in, next up comes 'Given to the Rising', like the darker moments from Shrinebuilder, this one picks you up and refuses to release you until it decides. After it finally does so, we find ourselves dropped into the classic 'Times of Grace' album with 'End of the Harvest'. Synth man, Noah Landis, keeps the sound textures thick but not overdone between each track so we poor suffering ears are never given a moment's rest. 'Harvest's' vocal assault from Scott, Steve and bassist Dave are bludgeoning enough without the guitars behind them.

Dave Edwardson impressed me immensely, I can see why Troy Sanders idolises him. Many of the sounds that listening to records, I would have assumed were synths were creations of Dave's using fuzz, chorus fx and volume manipulation.

Half way through we are hit with about 12 minutes of 'At The Well'. A more tortured sound from a voice, I could not give you anything more sorrowful that Von Till's sonorous vocal. We return again to 'Times of Grace' for a stirring rendition of 'Belief'. Edwardson's bass creates cracks that could scare rats from their holes while Von Till and Kelly allow the feedback to build up. Noah Landis displays his best noise work along with his voice for this one.

Finally, the speakers send out unholy sounds that cue drummer Jason Roeder, accompanied on percussion by Von Till, to begin the official soundtrack to the end of the world, 'Through Silver in Blood'. Those wonderfully dissonant guitars blaze away like no thrash band ever thought to try and the band seem to go slowly insane. Kelly has already head butted his mic once by this stage, now Von Till and Landis are shaking their respective gear violently.

It all comes back down to the percussion to end it all, after Von Till has explored the twisted world of feedback and Edwardson has distorted his bass as far as it will go. While I fully expected this to be an emotional experience (and make no mistake, that it was!), it was not quite as scary as A Storm of Light, or as moving as Isis. This was, however, the most truly punk rock thing I have seen in a long time. There is no bullshit with Neurosis, the genuine vibe runs deep through everything they are doing on that stage and as I said at the outset, the definition of Sludge can be seen there in front of you!

Neurosis, supported by Drainland,
Live at the Button Factory, Dublin, July 25, 2011.
Rating 9/10.
Listen to Drainland here: http://www.myspace.com/drainlanddublin/music
By Edward Gerard Brophy
For Born Again Nihilist, 2011.