Wolves in the Throne Room take the stage in almost complete darkness; they light candles in the front of the stage and start up a fog machine. As the crowd begins to get a bit anxious, they begin the intro to Behold the Vastness and Sorrow. The lights are still off, yet there are some blue lights so the guitarists can see their frets. The band, who are just a three piece, continue through Behold the Vastness and Sorrow; the build up through the song, and the almost droning sound of the guitars and drums made the crow stay in a 10 minute trance. After a bit of feedback, the band started playing Queen of the Borrowed Light, but without the female vocals. Though this was the only downside to the entire show, it worked incredibly well for them. The harsh vocals replaced the female vocals melodies; the epic guitaring of Queen of the Borrowed Light got the crowd moving a bit more. However, this was more of a constant hypnotic head bang, rather than a moshpit. Wolves in the Throne Room next played, the 18 minute I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots, which was the absolute highlight of the show. Not very many bands can play an 18 minute track yet keep the attention of the crowd. After finishing I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots, the band left the stage, but immediately returned to play their encore, which was Cleansing. The song was done perfectly, and though they did not have the female the vocals, it did not ruin the song.
The energy, which was consistent with the band members through out the show, was something that I was not expecting with a black metal band. This with the combination the energy, the no talking in between songs, and the lack of lights, made the band almost have godlike characteristics. Their mentality that they are better than everyone else and want to separate themselves from society was clearly represented in their live show. All in all this was a great show, not to mention the sound was good, though the drums were slightly loud; however, they did not overpower the guitars. I highly recommend seeing a Wolves in the Throne Room show, if they come near you.
To put things in perspective with the darkness, here is a picture of the main guitarist during Behold the Vastness and Sorrow
The energy, which was consistent with the band members through out the show, was something that I was not expecting with a black metal band. This with the combination the energy, the no talking in between songs, and the lack of lights, made the band almost have godlike characteristics. Their mentality that they are better than everyone else and want to separate themselves from society was clearly represented in their live show. All in all this was a great show, not to mention the sound was good, though the drums were slightly loud; however, they did not overpower the guitars. I highly recommend seeing a Wolves in the Throne Room show, if they come near you.
To put things in perspective with the darkness, here is a picture of the main guitarist during Behold the Vastness and Sorrow
