LIVE REVIEW: ROSETTA @ THE UNDERWORLD 28TH MAY 2018
Background:
Formed back in 2003, Philadelphia post-metal outfit 'Rosetta' have gained a considerable following over the years. Their ever expanding list of stylistic influences have made it nigh on impossible to pin point the band to any specific genre and enabled them to continue to expand their sound in new and surprising ways. Their latest album, 2017's 'Utopioid' received glowing reviews across the board and has been labelled by many as their best work yet.
The Underworld - 28th May 2018
What started out as a dreary and miserable day has blossomed into a beautiful sunny bank holiday evening. Spirits are high and there is a bubble of excitement in the air in London's legendary Underworld. Kicking off the evenings festivities are Belgian instrumental quartet 'Mantis'. Any fans of early 'Queens Of The Stone Age' who wish that the Californians had more riffs, this is the band that you need in your life. Throughout their entire set, the only moments of silence are when the guitarists have to change tuning or the bassist needed to change his guitar. Aside from these brief instances, 'Mantis' play a white hot set of groove filled stoner rock that has the room dancing within minutes. Not a single note is out of place, yet the Belgians are so casual that is almost feels as though you are watching four dudes jamming in their basement as opposed to the opening act in The Underworld.
Fellow countrymen 'Maudlin' are next on stage for a much more sinister set of doom riffs and drone chanting. Accompanied by a spectacular use of audio samples and eerie synths, 'Maudlin' transport you into a haunting world of nightmares. Recently 'Maudlin' have been trying to widen their musical vocabulary in order to avoid being pigeon holed in the Doom category and their performance begins to get more lively and energetic as the set progresses and the band enter more progressive territory.
Energy is not a factor that 'OHHMS' need worry about. Kicking off proceedings with a brand new song from their upcoming sophomore album 'Exist'; 'OHHMS' add themselves to the ever growing list of bands signed to Holy Roar Records who are not just great on record, but absolutely sensational live. Merging together sub-genres from doom and shoegaze to hardcore and 'Motorhead' style rock and roll; 'OHHMS' have a wonderfully unique sound that helps them stand out on an already stellar lineup. Paul Waller's clean vocals are both hypnotic and commanding and in the few occasions when he switches to screaming, his voice is decimating. Likewise, the rest of the band play with such ferocity that you risk tearing your own skull off from headbanging. With riffs to make Tony Iommi proud, 'OHHMS' smash our already very high expectations.
With the bar set so high, it is finally time for 'Rosetta' to prove their worth. The room has practically doubled with fans by the time the Philadelphians take the stage and there is a roar from the crowd as they blast into the hard hitting 'Untitled III'. 'Rosetta' are on top form tonight and they are on a mission to prove their worth as they slam through a formidable set consisting almost entirely of material from the new album. Lead vocalist Michael Armine is clearly in his element as he stomps and prowls across the stage. 'OHHMS' may have set the bar high, but tonight is all about 'Rosetta' who close with a rousing encore of their 2010 classic 'A Determinism Of Morality'. We can't think of many better ways to spend the bank holiday.
