NEGURA BUNGET, FEN & SCYTHIAN
CAMDEN PURPLE TURTLE - 27/11/08
As I watch folk file through the doors, a sense of relief washes over me having ventured to the gig tonight as opposed to the Manchester one which tonight I discover had been cancelled. The late arrival of the headliners presents a slight dilemma, not least as they were supplying backline, but thankfully this is all ironed out and local boys Scythian get on the stage and unleash a ferocious assault upon the audience. There’s a true depiction of malevolence put forward through tracks like ‘Pray To War’ as the front man contorts his face while barking out lyrics fuelled by spite. This quartet scythe their way through a set of no-nonsense death served up with a harsh blackened edge that takes no prisoners. As they wreck their necks to their own Possessed-like ferocity, I retreat further back and retain a safe distance from their wrath feeling ready for the night ahead.
In casual attire, myself and a fellow scribe were convinced during soundcheck that the guys from Fen had mistaken this place for the Student Union (although a purchase from the bar would surely quash such confusion). As the horde flounce into the spotlight, my words become swiftly devoured. With shades of tonight’s headliners and Agalloch seeping heavily though in their sound, it is clear that there are few bands that would have been more apposite on this bill. It is the true simplicity of songs like ‘The Gales Scream Of Loss’ that emits such a hypnotic appeal, as keyboard melodies drift ambiently through the raging storms that erupt into a furore of windswept fury. The pure bleakness of ‘As Buried Spirits Stir’, with its raw blackened vocals, stirs up an air of vehemence with the guitars and a resounding bass line, while this is broken apart by the looming air of tranquillity. Watching this band, it is difficult to digest that they do not hail from some far flung land of forestry and bleak landscapes, but reside in the rather un-exotic United Kingdom. An exceptional performance.
Naturally, the elaborate stage set up meant enough time to sink a couple down in time to head to the photo pit before Negura Bunget hit the stage to the inimitable sounds of ‘Ceasuri Rele’, which in a similar manner to on the magnificent ‘Om’ album builds up a tremendous air of suspense for what was to come. Even a crash course in Romanian did me no favours tonight as it seemed that every song title had seeped out of my brain just in time for the gig, so it’s just as well that tonight the music is more than capable of doing all of the talking.
If appearances are much to go on, I’d have to assume that these guys were practicing a strange religious ceremony backstage, as they come out decked in brown and black robes. Already I get the impression that tonight’s show is going to be a bit unique, and certainly one I won’t forget in a hurry. There is a very organic feel, both in the appearance of these indigenous folk and equally in the music that takes us for an epic journey that seamlessly takes us across ravaged landscapes, through damp caverns and fog-drenched forests as the night draws in. On tracks like ‘Cunoa Terea Tacuta’ Hupogrammos and co. effortlessly pass through layers of intense, storming blackness which unravels into a steady rhythm before trailing off into ambient soundscapes that are nothing short of mesmerising.
We are drawn into the stunningly transcendental ‘Inarborat’ through the slightly unsettling sounds of the big-wooden-tube-thingy (Highly technical musical terminology for you!) which soon becomes shrouded in warm blankets of mystical keyboards and rumbling bass, whilst with its majestic tribal drum beat fattened out by the layer of ambience, while ‘Norilor’ strikes with a gloomy air of foreboding that is surely a warning to danger yet to come; the danger, of course, that the performance is coming to an end. It is hard not to be transfixed by their stunning performance, as they certainly put on a show that will not easily be matched. As I leave to the harsh sounds of ‘Plecăciunea Mortii’ I am shocked to discover the band played for a solid 75+ minutes. Clearly, the night flew past quicker than I realised.
Luci Herbert
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