Cult of Luna (SE) + Altaar (NO)
2013-02-27 @ Parkteateret, Oslo, Norway
Text and Photos by Metaloath
We’re talking mid-tempo to slow, here. Altaar (NO) is an apocalyptic doom act that operates in the atmospheric end of metal with tension and funeral eerieness as their foremost characteristics. Cult of Luna (SE), on the other hand, does not restrain themselves when it comes to mid-tempo heaviness or massive riff-upon-riff-plus-some-electronics material. Considering the latest albums and back catalogue, I’d say that these bands combined could probably generate metal music heavy enough to tilt the planet Earth out of orbit.
Altaar put out their self-titled album in February 2013, and it is so far well received across the mighty Internet (for the Cvlt Nation review, go this way). Tonight, they did the support act for their labelmates on Indie Recordings, Cult of Luna.
Full Review & Photo Gallery after the jump!
The Altaar setlist for this gig was quite straightforward, as they played the two songs from the newly released album. The set starts off with a slightly awkward dead-silence – I mean, total silence – as the light fades down and the band awaits the drums to create that first motion. The drums cut through the silence, and the songs proceed as the band keeps building momentum, adding noise, riffs, simple & lethal drum ornamentation, and quirky synth modulations until a impenetrable wave of sound washes over the venue. Great stuff.
Cult of Luna’s latest album Vertikal has stirred up quite a buzz since its release late January. First, the buzz concernes the fact that it’s been a couple of years since the previous Cult of Luna release, but more importantly, Vertikal has received very good reviews. The album is a bit colder in it’s expression, and they have gone more urban in their references. Cult of Luna kicks of their set with the album opener ‘I: The Weapon,’ and it immediately reveals the mission for the band tonight: to devastate all. From there on, Cult of Luna applies their tools with precision and experience. You know the drill – massive build-ups, repetitive riffs/figures, rasp & screamy vocals, electronic sound work, and sparse intermezzos. The only viable summary of the concert tonight is as follows: rock solid. If you’re into this band, and have the chance to catch them live on this tour – don’t hesitate.
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