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Review: High On Fire/Dvne, Fleece
Sir Reg is over at Ashton Gate, First Aid Kit are playing Bristol Sounds, and there’s some kind of event going on in Somerset. But what about those of us who prefer our music louder, heavier, nastier and uglier? There are certainly plenty of us, as the Fleece is rammed for Oakland sluggers High On Fire’s first Bristol gig in nearly four years.
Assiduous students at the School of Mastodon, science fiction-obsessed Edinburgh prog-metallers Dvne (it’s pronounced ‘Dune’) prove very impressive indeed. Driven along by an exceptional drummer, their lengthy, complex compositions really soar during the instrumental sections. Rather than simply being used to add colour, as so often happens in metal, the keyboards frequently take a leading role, with occasional forays into Tangerine Dream-esque sequencer territory. Black metal, symphonic metal, a touch of classic prog and even NWOBHM are all chucked into the mix, but, remarkably, Dvne never sound disjointed. The weak spot, alas, is the vocals. They offer two flavours of growling and some clean singing, which never really rises above the mundane. This will really need to be addressed if they’re to step up to the next level. But do check ’em out when they return to play the ArcTanGent festival in August.
The past couple of years have been particularly devastating for road hogs like High On Fire. The stage is where they’re in their element and being deprived of their boisterous, malodorous audience clearly hit them hard. Reliably shirtless guitarist Matt Pike and beardy bassist Jeff Matz may be older and gnarlier, but they’ve clearly lost none of their enthusiasm as they pummel their way through a relentless set. There’s no attempt at stagecraft, as Pike simply barks the song titles. “Graggh” and “Grag-argh!” prove particularly popular, though note-takers will observe that they play quite a bit from 2007’s Death Is This Communion album and very little from the more recent Electric Messiah.
is needed now More than ever
Recently recruited drummer Coady Willis, formerly of the Melvins, proves an excellent addition, his tireless hard-hitting style being a perfect match for a band that operate at the opposite end of the rhythmic intensity scale from Pike’s hipper, somnambulant other act, Sleep. Indeed, you’re never too far from a Motörhead comparison with High On Fire, what with Pike’s Lemmy-esque vocal style and a tempo that rarely dips below Overkill, though the grinding Blood of Zion owes a little more to Orgasmatron.
They don’t bother with leaving the stage for the encore thing, but the familiar Angus Young-esque guitar figure introducing Snakes for the Divine reminds us that their pleasingly deafening racket is reaching its conclusion.
Naturally, all this inspires one of those delightfully polite violent metal mosh pits in which punters fling themselves around with wild abandon, but then pause every so often to rescue fallen comrades who would otherwise risk being trampled to death. One chap appears to be enjoying himself by repeatedly headbutting a pillar, as though attempting to demolish the Fleece with his cranium alone. Hey – we each celebrate the return of full-strength rockin’ in our own idiosyncratic ways.
Main pic: High on Fire by Jen Rosenstein
Read more: Metal & Prog picks: June 2022
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