Ephel Duath – 24/06/2003 Live "Upstairs @ The Garage"
Support from: Mistress, Desolation
By Russell Garwood
Bleary eyed after only five hours sleep, I awake the morning following Ephel Duath’s debut UK gig. As a testament to the band’s performance, I still feel the energy they were literally exuding onstage running through my veins.
The day before had gone something like this: having arrived early at the slightly dingy venue - "Upstairs @ The Garage", I was fortunate enough to witness the sound-checks, and take in the atmosphere of the small, dark, 150 capacity room where the band were to perform. The doors opened at eight, and by the time Desolation were on stage a moderate-sized crowd was developing.
The band’s four song set comprised older material from "The Witching Moon E.P." and "Nemesis" in a melodic death/black metal vein, and more recent songs displaying a new power metal influence. Despite a small problem with the bass equipment, the four-piece played an excellent set - an impressive achievement considering stand-in guitarist Ben (Liquefied Skeleton) was forced to learn all the songs in a week, following an unfortunate "broken finger" incident affecting the band’s second guitarist.
After a short break Birmingham sludge/stoner crew Mistress played an unforgiving collection of songs. Not letting something like a stage confine them, the band brought the show to the audience – literally! In their short set Mistress were running around amongst the audience under enough layers of harsh distortion and caustic noise to satisfy even the most demanding fans of extremity.
Next, headliners Ephel Duath took to the stage while Praha was played over the sound system. What followed was a mind expanding performance of every other song on "The Painter’s Palette", and an almost unrecognizable medley of songs from Phormula. Davide managed to play numerous guitar lines at once, faultlessly and with real conviction, while Davide P.’s drums were even more impressive live than on the album. The bass too, was superb - only slightly marred by a technical hitch during the first song, and the bass break in Labyrinthine came off really well.
The two vocalists have immense chemistry, often shouting/singing the lyrics at each other and becoming hugely animated, as well as reacting well to the other band members. Davide T.’s singing was spot on and very effective, while Luciano’s energetic antics and screaming were a sight to behold, injecting energy into both the performance and the audience.
After a small period of warming up, the group really got into the swing of it, and played a tight, precise set, which was – despite its technicality and almost flawless performance – filled with feeling. This was aided by such an intimate venue (one the band used very much to their advantage), which was completely buzzing by the time they left the stage. Jazzy and relaxed passages were just as effective live, and the trumpets and electronics were played via minidisc, faithfully replicating the album’s complexity while adding another element to their sound.
Seeing a group like Ephel Duath in such a setting was an amazing experience. Nevertheless, I can imagine their show being just as impressive on a larger scale. Afterwards, lying awake in the knowledge I had to be up in a few hours, yet unable to sleep because of the adrenaline still present from the band’s show, all I could be was grateful I’d had the opportunity to see such a unique show – which probably says just as much about the performance as the preceding review! An unforgettable experience indeed…
Ephel Duath’s set:
Labyrinthine
The Unpoetic Circle
The Picture
Ruins
Medley
The Passage
The Other's Touch
My Glassy Shelter
