It’s early doors tonight but still a healthy amount of people in the venue to witness London based openers De Profundis. They don’t have time to play too much and have to dispense on something old but do have a few that are new, one that’s borrowed and the lighting is certainly blue, so that’s most boxes ticked. It’s literally the eve of new album ‘Kingdom Of The Blind’ being unveiled and so much of the material is from that and the air is filled with tumultuous deathly flurries and plenty of technical prowess on numbers such as ‘Kult Of The Orthodox.’ Vocalist Craig Land roars through a face obscured by his long hair and the rest of the band swap position utilising the stage to good effect. There’s the odd jazz like break thrown into the pummelling tumult to keep the audience on their toes and the band get heads banging down the front even before they unleash that borrowed track which is a cover of Death’s classic cut ‘Crystal Mountain.’ The intricacy of the guitar melody and bass heavy brutality work well together along with the vocal bellows and pretty much everyone seems to recognise the number. Last song ‘Illumination’ has drums hammering away and sees guitarist Shoi injecting some neat flowing lead work into things as they hit a sturdy groove and although they probably aren’t the easiest band to get your head around on a first encounter it seems like De Profundis gain some new fans tonight.
Yep I have to admit the pairing of Enslaved and Grand Magus is a slightly odd one on paper and with them both co-headlining and playing long sets it could mean that if you are not a fan of Magus it might well be a bit of a chore sitting through a near 80 minute set. However the Swedish trio are one well versed in working a crowd and from the time they take the stage to huge applause from the rammed crowd and launch into ‘I The Jury, to the end of the set they have us eating out their hands. I may not own any of the group’s albums and the amount of times I have caught them inadvertently on the road I don’t even feel the need to but I certainly recognise many of their infectious numbers tonight. Its powerful and thundering stuff with rugged grooves and a fist-pumping demeanour. The adrenaline courses through the audience and ‘Sword Of The Ocean’ has everyone joining in on the chorus; what’s not to like as we are swept off our feet? The swaggering power crooning glory seems to get faster and JB seems to be in fine form tonight, resplendently sporting bugger grips and wailing away. There’s a brief rumble of thunder which has the galloping pace calming down to drench us in a song that’s just as weighty and dramatic, the vocals leaping from the front, right to the back of the venue.
A song about Steel on a night of Viking metal is bound to even beseech those awaiting Enslaved. What could be more appropriate? There may not have been clashing swords but the metal was defiantly unleashed. From steel we go to Iron Will (see what they did there) and the band really are playing like headliners keeping it all at boiling point for the more than appreciative crowd. There’s a little in between song banter here and there, bassist Fox tries to talk and JB tries his best to shut him up. The Maidenesque choruses and licks hit all the right notes and the set is full of classics, older numbers like Wolf’s Return going down particularly well. There’s even time some way along the line for Ludwig Witt to really get in on the action with a drum solo. I have no problem even watching that. After all he did use to be in Shining. Valhalla Rising gets called banana rice for some reason by the vocalist but it does well to deliver the pudding close to the end of the set. They are not done yet and even get an encore as they tell us the show is being recorded laying down the ‘Hammer Of The North’ and leaving us dizzy trying to get breath back before Enslaved!
‘Thurisaz Dreaming’ is a mighty album opener and proves just as volatile live, cleaving and pounding away with the strength and blackened swaggers that Enslaved displayed on their early material all those years ago. The clean breaks and progressive harmonies juxtapose with the brutal swaggering parts and the band seem like they have got straight into the swing of things after being unleashed waiting in the wings for their time on stage. They too are playing a long set of almost 90 minutes which after having caught them at Bloodstock for a much shorter time made it pretty much essential to be here tonight. They have plenty of material to play and dip in and out of albums galloping into ‘Fusion Of Sense And Earth,’ which pounds away with Grutle growling away at the front and thumping at his bass. ‘Building with Fire’ is another new one but with the album being a constant companion since it came out earlier in the year it seems like I was not alone in knowing it well. The bouncy and jaunty beat of it instantly winning over and the progressive parts along with clean vocals from Larsen really hit the spot. ‘Ruun’ adds a psychedelic vibe over it all and has heads nodding as it fragrantly unspools with dramatic snare crunches and swaggering ballast in it that sounds parts volatile and in the present and others that make it resemble a bastard 70’s throwback.
Pint rescued it makes perfect sense to go and watch the rest of the set from up high on the balcony area which others seem to thankfully forget about. From there with room to breathe and head-bang away Ethica Odini doesn’t seem to fare quite so well clattering out the traps and flying all over the shop in the mix. It sounds a bit on the muddy side but perhaps it was partly my ears getting used to the different space as after that things seem to gel and get back on form with the subtler nuances of The Watcher being as magnificent as the track rises, bites and peaks up high. There’s a bit of banter going down here too and the band seem to be on really cheery form. Grutle tells us that something remarkable has happened and that Ice dale has gone and bought a new pair of leather trousers, naturally he did not get a shirt to go with them and is playing bare chested as ever. Of course there were some of us here that have been into the band for aeons and naturally we wanted some of the old numbers, which luckily the band have far from turned their back on. Alas there was to be nothing from Eld but making up for that we get Allfadr Odhinn the icy central guitar riffs sounding absolutely spectacular and the song spurring the crowd below to get into a brief flourish of action in the pit. Dale again was getting in on the action playing axe hero and contorting his legs into such strange shapes I thought they were in danger of snapping. After a pause for breath we are told to prepare for a long one and we are back on the hippy trail with ‘Convoys To Nothingness’ a song that really allows us to float off and lose ourselves in. It sounds absolutely fantastic and that’s just what I do. After that it’s encore time and the wolves claws have been sharpened as Fenris is unleashed, another olden frosty storm and a last cavalcade in the pit. The band then take to the stage and bow down in front of us all knowing that they have delivered and triumphed here in London tonight. The crowd roar in appreciation but are still baying as Isa is expected and indeed on the set-list. Unfortunately time is perhaps against us and it doesn’t come but still we leave on a spectacular high… maybe next time.
(Review and photos © Pete Woods)
28/09/2015 at 11:42 am
I’d even said to myself “those are massive buggery grips” before reading your line. Fine review sir.