Swedish goth rock n rollers TRIBULATION are in Glasgow to raise the dead from their graves. Unfortunately, it’s the same time as fast-rising doom metallers GREEN LUNG are in the city, and that sold out show no doubt attracted plenty of the metalheads that compose TRIBULATION‘s local fanbase (they were conceived as a death metal group, for those who are unaware). Consequently, Slay is very under-attended tonight, and is no reflection whatsoever of the headlining band’s quality of music these days; unfortunate timing is all.
Livgone live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCallThe sole support for tonight is the brand new LIVGONE, an international curiosity assembled across Sweden, France and Poland. Lazily labelled doom metal, this trio (joined tonight with two live members) is so much more than that. Their sole release, debut album Almost There, came out last year and sadly flew under the radar. Hopefully, this tour grants them significant attention because this band truly deserves it.
They’re not quite like anything you’ve heard before. Yes, there’s some doom metal, but there’s also the DNA of black metal, post-rock, pop, shoegaze, ambient, and doubtless many other musical strains to engineer this heavy dark rock interpretation. These competing influences are united by the mid-range heartfelt vocals of Élise Aranguren. The closest band you could charitably make a comparison to is probably Belgian atmospheric psychedelic black metal doomsters WOLVENNEST, but LIVGONE draw from more diverse inspirations and fashion more multi-faceted tunes.
Livgone live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCallDrawn-out riffs, the heavy juxtaposed with the ethereal and shifting musical textures deliver so much variety. The music never tires or becomes stale, evoking internal struggles and overcoming personal chaos. LIVGONE are reminiscent of the 2000s era of metal when a variety of avant-garde and experimental metal bands combined external genres into the genre, creating an exhilarating movement of sounds never witnessed before.
The use of a keyboard, an eight-string guitar and a six-string bass are testament to the expansive ground the band wanders. The last song welcomes a baritone saxophonist to pollinate the music with yet another dimension. The crowd is clearly unfamiliar with LIVGONE but is rapidly won over, offering ardent applause that grows with each track. What a magnificent act. This trio deserves so much more recognition in a world of vapid clones and shameless trend-chasing.
Rating: 9/10
Tribulation live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCallThe headliners TRIBULATION have some large shoes to fill after their support. During the changeover, the crew assembles kitsch stage props of gothic church window-style designs with a skull and bat, suggesting this is going to be a particularly visible spectacle. The winding introduction of opener The Unrelenting Choir whets the appetite before the quartet launches full steam into Tainted Skies, featuring a modernised take on the gothic richness of THE CULT and FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM. Last year, the Swedes released their sixth album Sub Rosa In Æternum, another decadent goth rock affair, yet with the shiny new inclusion of MOONSPELL-like clean vocals, in addition to Johannes Andersson‘s death metal growls that set TRIBULATION apart from other musicians occupying the goth rock revival.
The album continues treading the gothic path the four-piece followed since departing from their death metal origins. Differing again from the goth revivalists, their music is opulent with rock and roll swagger painting rich soundscapes, rather than slavishly adhering to the more minimalist ’80s post-punk and deathrock templates.
Tribulation live @ Slay, Glasgow. Photo Credit: Duncan McCallLong-time fans of the bands are in for a treat tonight. The band performs music from all of their albums, excluding their death metal debut. Naturally, Sub Rosa In Æternum receives the most attention, with Hungry Waters and Saturn Coming Down proving themselves as live highlights. The headliners represent the beloved Down Below album too, with the more intricate Nightbound, The Lament and Lacrimosa. The catchy In Remembrance, the heavier Suspiria De Profundis and the riff-tastic Melancholia are brilliant exhibitions of the band’s talents and even get members of the audience dancing away. It’s a shame there aren’t more attendees packing out the venue, but Johannes acknowledges that other gigs are happening tonight. The thinner audience density doesn’t inhibit TRIBULATION‘s performance at all, which is highly spirited and enthralling, especially guitarist Joseph Tholl. Johannes dedicates the song Rånda to the outstanding director David Lynch, who passed away last month.
After fan favourite Lacrimosa, the band leaves the stage. At this point, it’s been exactly an hour and a half of music and it seems like at 10.30pm, this is the end of the show. However, a short while later, TRIBULATION return to pick up their instruments and continue to make a hell of a racket with Strange Gateways Beckon from their breakthrough album Children Of The Night.
This extensive live career retrospective was not just value for money but a showcase of just how far TRIBULATION have evolved throughout their esteemed career, and how captivating their music remains with every release.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Glasgow from Duncan McCall here:
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