This Will Destroy You + Vessels + Red Paper Dragon @ Exeter Cavern 8/4/08 (live review)
It almost feels pointless to describe a band as a post-rock band these days. What does it actually mean? It is a term so vague it manages to encompass everything from Sigur Ros to 65daysofstatic, but despite its ambiguity, it is nevertheless a genre desperately close to saturation point. The most interesting bands that fall under this vast bracket are able to take the basic principles of the tag - experimentation, use of unusual instruments, long songs that take the listener on a journey - and still carve out a sound all of their own, without simply going through the motions. On display tonight, perfectly suited to Exeter's intimate Cavern club, are three markedly diferent bands who all aim to do just that.
Openers Red Paper Dragon deserve to be far more popular than they seem to be. I've lived in the county practically all my life and never once even heard their name mentioned. Maybe I'm just not hanging out in the right places. They play intense instrumental music penetrated with sparse vocal accompaniment. It on occasion brings to mind the apocalyptic sentiment of the mighty Godspeed You! Black Emperor, particularly on one track when some form of electric cello is employed. It's beautifully atmospheric, each track brimming with a lurking danger that things could explode at any second. When they finally do, it's like the best bits of Isis condensed into a few all-too-short minutes.
Leeds' Vessels (finally) take to the stage and it soon becomes clear that there's a perfectly good reason why we've been held up for probably nearly half an hour while they set up the stage. A five-man team of multi-instrumentalists, they duck and weave around the stage, passing guitars between each other and taking up new positions after almost every song. At one time, there are two drummers on stage, both facing each other and bashing out the same impeccably timed rhythm. What's so good about Vessels is that none of this feels out of place. They aren't playing this way just to show off, but because they each bring a different quality to their instruments and because everything they do fits perfectly into the tracks. What's also notable is how well they can all play. This is often technically demanding music, and not once is there any sign of struggle.
But from the moment This Will Destroy You come out to the distant, buzzing intro of new album opener and highlight 'A Three-Legged Workhorse', all memory of anything that has gone before is erased. Eyes closed, the four-piece slip into a trance-like state, taking the audience with them. In a way, it's a shame they've played this so early on, because it's a phenomenal track, but by the same token, it really sets the mood for the rest of the night.
They plough through an almost uninterrupted set, with minimal audience communication, clearly determined to let the music do the talking. Tracks like 'Quiet' fill the venue, and envelope the room of mesmerised onlookers. Every single person in the room is tuned in to the emotion and melancholic energy of the music, which benefits from a live atmosphere where it can be given full attention. Mood-wise, they aren't far from the bleak and unobtrusive soundscapes of Sigur Ros' seminal '( )' album, but they are far louder than you might think, each and every dynamic far more pronounced. In short, This Will Destroy You are the soundtrack to every ethereal dream, every meandering thought and every contemplative moment you've ever experienced. And quite a few you haven't got around to yet. Utterly unmissable.
Words & Photos by Rob Dand
www.myspace.com/thiswilldestroyyou
www.myspace.com/vesselsband
www.myspace.com/redpaperdragon
Click here to read more This Will Destroy You related articles
Buy This Will Destroy You CDs & Vinyl
Buy This Will Destroy You MP3s
Buy This Will Destroy You Tickets
Openers Red Paper Dragon deserve to be far more popular than they seem to be. I've lived in the county practically all my life and never once even heard their name mentioned. Maybe I'm just not hanging out in the right places. They play intense instrumental music penetrated with sparse vocal accompaniment. It on occasion brings to mind the apocalyptic sentiment of the mighty Godspeed You! Black Emperor, particularly on one track when some form of electric cello is employed. It's beautifully atmospheric, each track brimming with a lurking danger that things could explode at any second. When they finally do, it's like the best bits of Isis condensed into a few all-too-short minutes.
Leeds' Vessels (finally) take to the stage and it soon becomes clear that there's a perfectly good reason why we've been held up for probably nearly half an hour while they set up the stage. A five-man team of multi-instrumentalists, they duck and weave around the stage, passing guitars between each other and taking up new positions after almost every song. At one time, there are two drummers on stage, both facing each other and bashing out the same impeccably timed rhythm. What's so good about Vessels is that none of this feels out of place. They aren't playing this way just to show off, but because they each bring a different quality to their instruments and because everything they do fits perfectly into the tracks. What's also notable is how well they can all play. This is often technically demanding music, and not once is there any sign of struggle.
But from the moment This Will Destroy You come out to the distant, buzzing intro of new album opener and highlight 'A Three-Legged Workhorse', all memory of anything that has gone before is erased. Eyes closed, the four-piece slip into a trance-like state, taking the audience with them. In a way, it's a shame they've played this so early on, because it's a phenomenal track, but by the same token, it really sets the mood for the rest of the night.They plough through an almost uninterrupted set, with minimal audience communication, clearly determined to let the music do the talking. Tracks like 'Quiet' fill the venue, and envelope the room of mesmerised onlookers. Every single person in the room is tuned in to the emotion and melancholic energy of the music, which benefits from a live atmosphere where it can be given full attention. Mood-wise, they aren't far from the bleak and unobtrusive soundscapes of Sigur Ros' seminal '( )' album, but they are far louder than you might think, each and every dynamic far more pronounced. In short, This Will Destroy You are the soundtrack to every ethereal dream, every meandering thought and every contemplative moment you've ever experienced. And quite a few you haven't got around to yet. Utterly unmissable.
Words & Photos by Rob Dand
www.myspace.com/thiswilldestroyyou
www.myspace.com/vesselsband
www.myspace.com/redpaperdragon
Click here to read more This Will Destroy You related articles
Buy This Will Destroy You CDs & Vinyl
Buy This Will Destroy You MP3s
Buy This Will Destroy You Tickets
ALL RSS FEEDS