You’ve Been Lied To - Tangaroa - Ephel Duath
Camden Underworld - 17/10/2006
The Black Sails
The night started off looking like it was going to be quite difficult - we, myself and Russell, got to The World’s End (the pub upstairs) and paid £4.30 ($8) for one pint of Hoegaarden [and I waited 15 minutes for mine despite the fact there was nobody at the bar! These guys have service slower than a dead sloth in molasses - RG] before meeting with the rep for Earache Records and Luciano, the vocalist in Ephel Duath and heading down into the Underworld to watch the sound-check. We then spent two hours standing around being wowed by Sergio, the new drummer, reading the sheet music for the songs as he went along. After the sound-check we got very bored, so ventured forth into the cold dark night for some food before the show.
A whole while later we stand in the ‘pit’, for want of a better word - for it is a low section and quite round - and You’ve Been Lied To introduce themselves to a crowd no stronger than maybe 30 with a handshake informing us that they are the least technical band we may ever see. I fear it may have been that the other bands on the night may have intimidated them with their their technical proficiency, but this was soon waylaid as YBLT proceeded to kick and thump their way through a set not dissimilar to a mating between The Hope Conspiracy and Burnt By The Sun, with a dash of something secret; there is a lot quite familiar about the sound but I just cannot put my finger on it. As the set moves along with all of the panache of a brick (they’re a metal band and we find out later that the vocalist is suffering from tonsillitis), the steadily increasing throng at their feet (we are now up to about 40) increase in their nodding along and altogether seem to enjoy themselves. Up on stage it is a quite stirring sight, the musicians moving synchronically and the vocalist (who is not a slight man) like a steadfast rock standing in pounding waves. All in all a quite enjoyable set with only a lack of familiarity with the songs meaning no more can be written.
Next up, the band I was most interested in seeing (as I’ve seen Ephel Duath on a previous tour) are the lads from Leeds calling themselves Tangaroa. For anybody who is not familiar with this band you really should check out their website, as any description of the sounds they create will not really do it justice. Definitely Britain’s best prospect in the extreme metal/hardcore genre. After something of a false start, which lasted approximately 10 seconds, they move into first gear and soon have a vocalist impersonating an epileptic salmon and shouting his rocks off, and it’s not too long before he joins the small gathering in front of stage and I temporarily loose sight of him, but no matter as there are two guitarists about 12 feet away having finger tapping duals and a bassist running around the fret like a headless chicken. Unbelievably this was only his 5th gig! The only downside was that Tangaroa didn’t play Cowardice Towards A Princess from the eponymous EP. Intense.
Finally, Ephel Duath too to the stage, and were the main draw of the night for just about everybody else there (although there was one guy in a Ringworm t-shirt that seemingly came for Tangaroa). As soon as they kick into the set it is clear everybody in the crowd knew what tracks would be played and when they would appear, and it shows that this is an early date on the tour - the band are completely full of energy, and showing no fatigue whatsoever. I think that just about every track has had a minor makeover to add more ambient space in and around them, which - if they continue to do in the forthcoming album (due to be recorded early next year) - should make it a blinder. Even tho’ my feet are aching by this point I still don’t wish for it to end, and with an encore there was no disappointment; even if it was a repeat of an earlier song.
In all a top night out and for anybody else in the way for the rest of the tour I recommend you get there early.
YBLT 6/10
Tangaroa 9.5/10
Ephel Duath 8.5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Official Ephel Duath website
Official Tangaroa webite
Official You’ve Been Lied To website
Camden Underworld - 17/10/2006
The Black Sails
The night started off looking like it was going to be quite difficult - we, myself and Russell, got to The World’s End (the pub upstairs) and paid £4.30 ($8) for one pint of Hoegaarden [and I waited 15 minutes for mine despite the fact there was nobody at the bar! These guys have service slower than a dead sloth in molasses - RG] before meeting with the rep for Earache Records and Luciano, the vocalist in Ephel Duath and heading down into the Underworld to watch the sound-check. We then spent two hours standing around being wowed by Sergio, the new drummer, reading the sheet music for the songs as he went along. After the sound-check we got very bored, so ventured forth into the cold dark night for some food before the show.
A whole while later we stand in the ‘pit’, for want of a better word - for it is a low section and quite round - and You’ve Been Lied To introduce themselves to a crowd no stronger than maybe 30 with a handshake informing us that they are the least technical band we may ever see. I fear it may have been that the other bands on the night may have intimidated them with their their technical proficiency, but this was soon waylaid as YBLT proceeded to kick and thump their way through a set not dissimilar to a mating between The Hope Conspiracy and Burnt By The Sun, with a dash of something secret; there is a lot quite familiar about the sound but I just cannot put my finger on it. As the set moves along with all of the panache of a brick (they’re a metal band and we find out later that the vocalist is suffering from tonsillitis), the steadily increasing throng at their feet (we are now up to about 40) increase in their nodding along and altogether seem to enjoy themselves. Up on stage it is a quite stirring sight, the musicians moving synchronically and the vocalist (who is not a slight man) like a steadfast rock standing in pounding waves. All in all a quite enjoyable set with only a lack of familiarity with the songs meaning no more can be written.
Next up, the band I was most interested in seeing (as I’ve seen Ephel Duath on a previous tour) are the lads from Leeds calling themselves Tangaroa. For anybody who is not familiar with this band you really should check out their website, as any description of the sounds they create will not really do it justice. Definitely Britain’s best prospect in the extreme metal/hardcore genre. After something of a false start, which lasted approximately 10 seconds, they move into first gear and soon have a vocalist impersonating an epileptic salmon and shouting his rocks off, and it’s not too long before he joins the small gathering in front of stage and I temporarily loose sight of him, but no matter as there are two guitarists about 12 feet away having finger tapping duals and a bassist running around the fret like a headless chicken. Unbelievably this was only his 5th gig! The only downside was that Tangaroa didn’t play Cowardice Towards A Princess from the eponymous EP. Intense.
Finally, Ephel Duath too to the stage, and were the main draw of the night for just about everybody else there (although there was one guy in a Ringworm t-shirt that seemingly came for Tangaroa). As soon as they kick into the set it is clear everybody in the crowd knew what tracks would be played and when they would appear, and it shows that this is an early date on the tour - the band are completely full of energy, and showing no fatigue whatsoever. I think that just about every track has had a minor makeover to add more ambient space in and around them, which - if they continue to do in the forthcoming album (due to be recorded early next year) - should make it a blinder. Even tho’ my feet are aching by this point I still don’t wish for it to end, and with an encore there was no disappointment; even if it was a repeat of an earlier song.
In all a top night out and for anybody else in the way for the rest of the tour I recommend you get there early.
YBLT 6/10
Tangaroa 9.5/10
Ephel Duath 8.5/10
UM's Review Rating Scale
Official Ephel Duath website
Official Tangaroa webite
Official You’ve Been Lied To website
