Green Lung at the Brudenell Social Club, Leeds,

The Brudenell Social Club in Leeds is one of the best venues in the country, especially the iconic main room and I’ve never seen a bad gig here. And so I return on a hot early summer evening with some the Planet Mosh crew to enjoy this sold out show.

The queue to get in is already snaking around the car park and there is frustration on the faces of many as the process of getting in is slow. We’re towards the end of this line and enter the packed and hot room just before the support band, Lowen, take to the stage.

Lowen are opening on all the shows in this run of dates and we are not disappointed, this Church Road Records act is delivering something a little bit different. Whilst the guitarist, Shem Lucas, is laying down some interesting yet heavy riffs the overall vibe is infectious heightened by the remarkably powerful, eastern style vocals from Nina Saeidi. This is different and shows that metal doesn’t have to tread down the same old beaten path, a great example of this is the new single – Najang Bah Divhayeh Mazandaran – with it’s brutal drumming and heavy riffs, elevated by Nina’s voice. It’s like Kate Bush singing for Motorhead in the Arabian desert, if that makes sense. Lots of people hanging around their merch table later shows they are doing something right.

Band:
Nina Saeidi – vocals
Shem Lucas – guitars

Social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lowenband/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lowen_band/
Bandcamp: https://lowen.bandcamp.com/

Lowen-Brudenell-Leeds-2405190-095-small — Photo by Ant Firmin

More photos of Lowen here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBsPPE

I last caught Green Lung six years ago and have been itching to see them again with their melodic yet heavy tunes. And it is battle to get to the front for some photos, I’ve never seen it this full before and the crowd goes, predictably, ballistic as the band open with Hunters In The Sky from their latest album – This Heathen Land – from which they play every song. The band also go the extra mile with a huge pagan/heathen head in the middle of the stage, a large backdrop along with other bits to make this more of a show.

The highly accessible Maxine (Witch Queen) with it’s synth riff has plenty of people dancing and singing along – it is ridiculously catchy and reminds me of Ghost. The Ancient Ways by contrast has the headbangers head’s nodding.

The Reaper’s Scythe is a personal favourite with it’s deep organ sounds from the fingers of John Wright grip me and is reminiscent of 70’s Uriah Heep. One For Sorrow which closes the main set gets a massive cheer as the band initially descend into Sabbath rifer before some subtle synth sounds support singer Tom Templar whose presence lifts them as he is particularly visual.

A more than well deserved four song encore follows of classic and deep cut songs from their earlier releases. Graveyard Sun ends the set in style with a final blistering guitar solo coming from the hands of Scott Black as the crowd give the band the horns with cries of Hail Satan from the crowd who were very sweaty at the end.

This was quite simply an incredible performance and everyone in the room must have been satisfied, I certainly was. With the band releasing an album every other year, we won’t have to wait long before they release their next album and return to the road; the future is extremely bright for Green Lung and I am sure they will be playing larger venues soon.

Setlist:
Hunters in the Sky
Woodland Rites
Maxine (Witch Queen)
The Ancient Ways
Leaders of the Blind
The Ritual Tree
Song of the Stones
Reaper’s Scythe
The Forest Church
Oceans of Time
Mountain Throne
One for Sorrow
Encore:
The Harrowing
Old Gods
Let the Devil In
Graveyard Sun

Band members:
Scott Black – guitars
Joseph Ghast – bass
Tom Templar – vocals
Matt Wiseman – drums
John Wright – keyboards

Social Media:
Website: https://greenlung.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greenlungband
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenlungband
Bandcamp: https://greenlung.bandcamp.com