When last these Brooklyn metallers played Brighton, a packed venue was subject to a bruising burst of carefully controlled noise, inducing awe and shell shock.
This time round, the crowd was smaller but the band was even more majestic.
“Patti. PJ. Nico,” read the notes made after support act Circuit Des Yeux, AKA Chicago’s Haley Fohr. That says all you need to know, really. This talented singer-songwriter’s powerful voice evoked the great female rock singers of the last few generations, though had the audacity to pair this with a sound entirely her own.
Layering electro-acoustic Americana, blues and grunge for a rowdy, heavy din you mightn’t expect from one guitar, this was a haunting introduction to Fohr’s brilliant oeuvre.
The new Liturgy album, The Ark Work, is branded with a variation on the old “as above, so below” symbol associated with cult gatherings and as such, perfectly describes their sound, which blends high-end black metal twiddling guitars with bassy progressive crawls.
Cod-shamanic vocals from frontman Hunter Hunt-Hendrix over the band’s new, more ecclesiastical and trance-like sound at times was almost like Alvin and the Chipmunks covering Sunn 0))).
Somehow, though, this was a gloriously good thing for their tiny yet loyal congregation.
Four stars
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article