Mastodon, Deafheaven, and Alcest

US heavy metal titans Mastodon have managed a rare thing in this transitional era of modern metal: gaining mainstream, international exposure while remaining progressive and, most importantly, heavy. The first time I saw them was when they were touring their sludgy, riff-driven classic, Leviathan, in a little club in Devon. They felt and sounded like classic heavy metal, with the groove aspects of Pantera combined with experimental drum patterns and Rush-like guitar intricacies. ‘Blood And Thunder’ was and is one of the best live metal songs of the last two decades. Mastodon have since mellowed out, in a way, replacing the scream-heavy sludge metal with a more melodic prog-metal style. But what they’ve lost in sheer heaviness they’ve made up for with innovation. Albums Blood Mountain and the incredible Crack The Skye took them to new heights, especially the latter, which they played in full when they first toured it over here in the UK. However, their most recent two albums – The Hunter and Once More 'Round the Sun – have cemented their status as one of the world’s biggest, loudest and best heavy metal bands of this era.
The twin vocals of guitarist Brent Hinds and bassist Tory Sanders – two singers who have very different but complementary vocal styles – are certainly the focal point, but they wouldn’t be anywhere without the unique, relentlessly inventive drums of Brann Dailor. Incredible.

Got to the gig only to find that the support act, Myrkur, who I was looking forward to seeing even more than Deafheaven, had cancelled. Apparently Amalie Bruun had come down ill. The owners of the venue could have let people know that through their website, but didn't (I checked it that morning before I left home, and I thentravelled a *long* way to be there). So they (the owners) definitely get themselves put into the annoying category.
Deafheaven's bass-player filled in for Myrkur by playing a short set of techno numbers, over which he put vocals. The audience who'd come to see two black-metal bands, proved pretty generous and accommodating to this. The set wasn't very good, and the guy's on-stage movements had something of the Ali-G about them.
I'd heard (and seen footage that suggests) that Deafheaven are boring live, but actually they weren't. They're entirely carried, though, by the energy of their drummer and vocalist - the rest of the band just stand still on stage, manifesting no energy, emotion, or anything. Overall: the experience was ok, but there's room for improvement on all fronts. Amalie - please do get well soon! I'd like to see Myrkur.

Alcest's live shows are so intense its frightenly good. They usually open with a slow echoey girl singing 'ahhhh' that bounces off the walls. And then they kick into life. You're taken on a mystical adventure into Neiges, lead singer, experiences and you find yourself totally not in control...but in a good way! There is a concept behind Alcest whereby Neige had experiences as a child being in contact with 'a far away country.' He doesn't invite you into this unfamiliar empiricism, you are sucked in by the live sounds you are hearing. The lyrics sang, the riffs the lights everything collaborates into this realm of Alcestism. You walk away feeling perplexed, a bit out of whack and of sort, but you cant help wanting to experience it again.