“Let your fucking beauty rot.”
This event was the union of two legendary heavy bands, alike in DIY ethos and volume, but otherwise very different machines. Both were brought to the UK and EU for Roadburn festival, creating one of many unmissable London shows in a tight two-week period. It was very much advertised as a dual headliner. All conversations in the queue and audience seemed to start with “which one are you here to see?” – each attendee had a clear ‘bias’, with both pageninetynine and Thou polling about equal in my conversations. The former had the headline slot, suitable as this allowed the energy to build up through the night from the almost funereal sludge of Moloch to blistering powerviolence.
Words by Dobbin T, photography by Joe Steven Hart – contact Joe prior to any use.
Moloch
It’s not often that a support act slips past my radar, so I had best own up to my ignorance for Moloch. Not to be confused with the Ukranian dungeon synth artist of the same name, Moloch were the UK entry to the line-up and support slot for Thou’s UK tour. While they’re prolific splitters with the likes of Thou, Cloud Rat, Meth Drinker and most recently Groak, this support slot was somewhat a reactivation for the band as they’ve not had a major release since A Bad Place in 2018. Their reasonably active touring has kept them sharp in the meantime. Given that Thou and Moloch’s split came near the start of their respective careers, one imagines the bands have been trying to make this tour arrangement work out for the longest time – it’s safe to say it’s been worth the wait.
The masterful element was the handling of the guitar, with one player coming out of two amps. The width of Scala’s stage gave this a tremendous stereo effect, especially when he allowed the feedback to shine through the chords. A quick foot-switch allowed him to switch between the amps with precision, giving all the benefits of a two guitar setup. Whilst their studio work sounds immense, it was something else to see this unfold live, and watch the feedback blast through in an almost pre-ordained way. The rest of the band was also powerful – the few drum hits landed with the force of a storm, and the vocals were untreated and rancid. Some songs explored traditional Sabbath influences, and others shot by quickly, like a reel of sludge vignettes. Hopefully Moloch have more studio work in store to capture them at their current height.
Thou
I alluded to audience members being here for one of the headliners or the other – I was in the Thou camp. Having missed them for several tours, I was determined not to miss this one, and was rewarded with a set that blended some classic tracks with the success of their latest, Umbilical. Expecting a specific song from their vast discography was fruitless, not to mention they brought out their renditions of two Pygmy Lush tracks for the pageninetynine historians in the room. With just a few pedals and the fundamentals of doom metal, they turned every moment into gold.
Highlights included “The Changeling Prince”, Magus’ single from 2018, and opening on the classic “Voices in the Wilderness” from Summit. Whilst sludgy, they operate in many modes, and the fast tempo tracks were all from Umbilical. “I Feel Nothing When You Cry” puts them forward as an almost mathcore band, and “House of Ideas” was a mixed tempo epic with a soaring solo. If Thou’s music sounds drab to you, it’s your loss – they’re almost the poster child for crafting effortlessly compelling structures in heavy metal.
The rumours of Thou’s idiosyncratic stage presence are absolutely true. There was plenty of banter but none was shared with the audience, except a line about chin stroking and monocles. Bryan Funck is something of an anti-frontman, a haunted ragdoll with piercing eyes. For a good minute he became transfixed on something beyond the audience, much to the amusement of Moloch who giggled from the side of the stage. It’s in-and-of-itself entertaining, repels any parasocial connection, and doesn’t affect a single decibel of their performance, so it’s right that Thou are distinctly unusual on stage.
pageninetynine
There are several ‘legacy’ bands in the screamo and powerviolence scenes, and pageninetynine are the figurehead among them. Far from being the favourites of an ageing audience, a corral of young fans were nailed to the barrier in anticipation, proving their status is self-evident. Count me among the many who didn’t realise there are nine members in the band, and double that surprise as they remained as tight as ever. All of them smashing through their classic tracks was like something from a movie, full of theatrical moments. Just like Thou, the variety within their sound shone through, as the slow builds were extended for the live setting, making the impact of their chaotic moments even greater.
pageninetynine mused that they were still getting used to there being a barrier at some of their shows. Whilst they thanked the venue and its security, there were many in the audience that were disappointed in the conduct of the Scala. In order to spot crowd surfers in the shallow pit (about five across the set), the security stood on top of the barrier for the entire set as if they were the tenth member of the band (despite there being spotters at the side, and wireless communication gear in use). This ruined the view for everyone on the floor and extinguished the fun of the many vocal interaction moments. At some point, I watched one of the younger fans slink away, defeated by a face full of high vis jacket. What’s particularly galling is that an incident of harassment occurred right at the front despite this presence, which led to pageninetynine aborting their encore. This left a bitter taste in my mouth, and has me hoping for an equivalent pageninetynine show at a venue like New Cross Inn or The Dome in the near future.