Perhaps is the fact that it’s a Sunday night and the weather has been a little more than taxing to say the least, but as the Norwegian metalcore crew do their level best to win over the crowd, however, the overall reaction to Fight The Fight is best described as “flat“. Their energy makes up for the fact that they bring nothing new to the table. In fact, they seem to evoke the impression that they were created from a focus group whose intention is to market the latest trends in Metal. It just doesn’t work for me.
Next up is the utterly strange and equally bewildering, Nordic Giants. Almost like a post-rock spin off of Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum, the UK duo take to the stage in primitive-style costumes, where they perform in the shadows, deep reds and haunting blue’s of the house lights. Small screens are situated in the centre of the stage with a multitude of obscure, surreal images that accompany each song.
There are moments of brilliance from Nordic Giants, Their presence is as intriguing as it is inspiring, and the now busy venue is lapping up every moment of it. A band that is very much worth checking out.
And so to the headliners! Leprous have not performed in Ireland since 2017 and that was in the (now closed) Voodoo Lounge. Despite the lengthy wait for the band to return to Irish soil, it’s safe to say that there was no love lost during that period as the near-deafening roars fill the atmosphere just as drummer, Baard Kolstad emerges from stage left and proceeds to line up the intro to ‘Have you Ever?‘.
As each member takes their place, the first thing that is painfully obvious is the crystal clear sound that is already flooding the venue. Despite Einar Solberg looking like he’s wandered away from a nearby wedding, his vocals are simply stunning and pitch perfect.
The remainder of the evening is filled with a setlist filled with gems from their twenty three history with highlights including ‘The Price‘, a Massive Attack cover of ‘Angel‘, ‘From The Flame‘, and the incredible, ‘Slave‘.
The entire performance from Leprous reminded me of just how incredible they are not only as a live band, but also as individual musicians. I found myself in a trance, captivated by the wonder of each member, and the music they are capable of creating together.
Rounding off the night with ‘The Cloak‘, ‘Below‘, ‘Nighttime Disguise‘ and the encore, ‘The Sky is Red‘, Leprous prove their fascinating importance in progressive music once again. Here’s hoping it doesn’t take them so long to return for their next Irish show.
Check out our gallery of images from the show below…
Oran O’Beirne
Photos – Abigaël Paquet exclusively for www.overdrive.ie 2024 © 2024. All rights reserved.