We have been looking forward to this gig for a while now. Two bands poised to take 2024 by storm are descending upon the ever-radiant Brudenell Social Club in Leeds. If our crystal ball is working correctly, this promises to be a very special night.
Hidden Mothers
Tonight is a special evening from the off as Hidden Mothers are treating us to brand new tunes and their new three vocal line up. Barreling out of the gate with the ‘Defanged’ and ‘Still Sickness’ one-two punch, a more expansive, thoughtful band has emerged from their lockdown cocoon beating its wings and soaring to new heights. The fragility and skittering beats of the gorgeous ‘Death Curl’ are next showing a tender side to the Sheffield four piece and a kind of sonic exploration that lets all gathered here know that they are witnessing the re-birth of something very special. The beautiful part of this is that we don’t think the band are even aware of how much scope and power is in their hands right now. When Liam is almost acapella during a delicate breakdown, roaring in desperation, it’s a truly powerful moment. Hidden Mothers have utterly nailed being vulnerable and then overwhelmingly mighty over the course of a few seconds. On final track ‘Haze’ Luke’s clean singing introduction is easily as strong as any mainstream pop act and with the heft of the band crashing all around him it’s a glorious crescendo from a band who mean every emotion erupting from the speakers. 2024 will be massively important for Hidden Mothers because on the strength of this performance, they’re also about to drop the album of the year!
DVNE
Monolithic and complex the DVNE experience comes lumbering into view, crushing in its weight but progressive in its execution. This is a masterclass in post metal par excellence. Boasting a shiny new album in ‘Voidkind’, an album already confirmed as essential listening for any self-respecting fan of cerebral heavy music. Tonight, DVNE opens with a crushing ‘Eleonora’ and segues into the layered and complex ‘Court Of The Matriarch’ and it’s clear there is no dumbing down here, immediately we are challenged and delighted with every vocal variation available in the modern metallers arsenal from deep gutturals, primal roars and soaring clean vocals. Guitarist and vocalist Victor Vicart recently told us that the vocals were an area the band put a lot of time into on this record and boy does it show live! ‘Reliquary’ follows and the atmosphere inside the Brudenell can only be described as spellbound and in deep reverence. The addition of Maxime Keller on keyboards means there’s yet more layers of sound washing over the crowd and their full cinematic vision truly realised. Once again, we’re reminded of just how intricate sounding this band is, a machine of many moving parts whirring around each other propelling this music ever forward. It’s certainly an exhilarating roller coaster ride of a show easily matching and surpassing their supposed contemporaries because DVNE have become their own band now and they exist in their own league of one.
Orbiting our collective psyches beaming their messages into our ears. Their latest opus is thematically linked to religion and religious movements within their overriding story arch and tonight, ‘Cobalt Sun Necropolis’ feels almost religious in tone. So much attention to detail has been applied and it only improves and expands on every listen. Bowing out with an epic ‘Sarmatae’, when introducing the song as their last, there are boos from the crowd with Victor quipping, “It is ten minutes long!” and they’re off into space again taking the citizens of the Brudenell Social Club with them, safe travels up there!
Review & Photos By George Miller – https://linktr.ee/601music
Hidden Mothers
DVNE
