Music / heavy rock
Review: Boris + Amenra, Thekla
Boris and Amenra are two of the most extreme and interesting bands you’ll come across. It was something to relish then as the pair co-headlined Thekla for an unsettling but enjoyable night.
Boris were the first to hit the stage with a dreamy introduction which eased us into things. Then the really heavy guitars began through the thick smoke and strobe lights which gave the impression of being alone. Isolating each member of the audience allowed us to feel the music and offered a certain introspection.
Noise can act as a comforting camisole, and although the music seems really violent, a feeling of peace comes from it. Vocals always tell a story, whether you understand the words or not. They guide us through our interior paths of thoughts, and humanize all that noise. This contrast is, definitely, what made this experience so special.
is needed now More than ever
Amenra are known for violence and the extreme experience their gigs often are, and where Boris were inviting us to isolate ourselves, Amenra, on the contrary, provided more of a common experience, like we were all members of the same cult. Headbanging really brings people together, sharing the same rhythm, following the same energy.
Visually, Amenra’s gigs are always really challenging, and even though the lead singer didn’t harm himself on stage as he sometimes does, this didn’t make it any less interesting. Most of the time the vocalist would sing turning his back to the audience which made it way more intense, and highlighted the moments when he was facing the crowd. Turning his back, he displayed an impressive tattoo that looked like gallows and acts like a living, moving memento mori: this, as well as the smell of incense turned a simple gig into a complete experience.
Seeing Boris and Amenra co-headline a show can seem a bit odd at first, but what brings them together and made this gig coherent is the fact that both bands are really extreme, pushing the audience to its edge, as well as the mastery they showed in contrasting the quiet moments and the more heavy ones, always giving and taking back, leaving us a bit dizzy, but oh so satisfied.
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