Text & Photos by Alan Hunter
After a short break from shooting Seattle shows, Wednesday night at The Highline – with my homedudes Addaura and Atriarch, locals Old Iron, and Brooklyn doomsters Batillus – was a very welcome return.
Old Iron was a new show for me. These Seattle dudes offer up a nice dose of hardcore-influenced, melodic sludge. A welcome vibe, they did not disappoint. I hope to catch them on similar bills in the future.
I try not to miss Atriarch when they come through town. As if summoning some immeasurable force, their ritualistic mix of blackened doom and deathrock nearly always puts the room in a trance. The gothy, tribal rhythms and slicing guitars build with Lenny’s haunting, sermonic vocals and come crashing down with all the weight of the heaviest doom. Fan or not, like being trapped in a cocoon, there’s no escaping this music until they let you go…just as Lenny chants during “Prayer” (Ritual of Passing, 2012), “You who are my enemy, I embrace you as my brother.”
The soundtrack to our apocalypse, Batillus brought their crushing, pulsing, industrial doom. Fade’s vocals ripped through the Highline like a herd of screaming demons, buzzing guitars and pounding drums their guide. As was previously written in Cvlt Nation, “Batillus is the future of doom.” Yes. They. Is. The harsh feedback, rolling rhythms, and fierce, raspy growls tell the tale of our demise and self-destruction. I’ll no doubt make it point to see these guys the next time they wage sonic warfare on Seattle.
Addaura brought an end to the night. Although the sound guy may not have been on point, the band were certainly there in true form. Having seen Addaura many times I can say this came off as one of the tightest performances yet. Ryan’s honest and painful shrieks carried low over the gazey, atmospheric, black metal alchemy. Blazing a path, and blurring the lines between black metal, post-rock, shoegaze, and doom – raw and melodic all the same – they give no fucks about the close-minded black metal elitists calling the Northwest (err “Cascadian”) way “un-trve.” These guys are getting some well-deserved recognition from many that will surely grow upon the release of their newest offering in the coming months.
All in all another great bill brought forth by Seattle’s driving force in heavy music promotion, Infinite Productions.
3/12–3/16 SXSW
3/17 Baton Rouge, LA
3/18 Lafayette, LA
3/20 Tallahassee, FL
3/21 Athens, GA
3/22 Chapel Hill, NC
3/23 Richmond, VA
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