Lonely Kamel, The Order Of Israfel – Audio, Glasgow – 30/09/2014

@LonelyKamelBand gig @AudioGlasgow reviewed by @AnybodyBC for @Planetmosh

They say doom metal is popular here and stoner rock with the hints of psychedelia is getting increasingly popular as well. I wouldn’t be so sure about it. Well, unless it is huge band making thunderstorm sound concert in big venue. Otherwise, one might end up with a pocket size club half empty for four different and yet amazingly interesting bands gig. Lonely Kamel, The Order Of Israfel, Hair Of The Dog and Lords Of Bastard concert was one of such events on a rainy evening in central Glasgow.

Audio club is becoming more and more popular, although very tiny venue for almost any kind of alternative gigs in Glasgow. As one might have suspected, Lonely Kamel & co on the last day of September appeared indeed in Audio, trembling underground corner under the train bridge. It was Norwegian band Lonely Kamel’s first headlining show in Glasgow and first ever gig in Scotland for Swedes The Order Of Israfel, which was something just too interesting not to go to.

Hair Of The Dog
Hair Of The Dog

The gig started half an hour after the doors were opened and the honour to play first to the audience that evening was for Hair Of The Dog. Three laid back guys on the stage with pretty much relaxed and catchy stoner rock felt so right indeed. Quality music, simplicity towards the appearance on the stage and principle – less talk, more music definitely made it great opening for the rest of the bands. Half an hour later they were already off the stage.

Very loudly sounding gig (no surprises here, if anyone tried listening to it outside the club…) was continued by another stoner team from Edinburgh – Lords Of The Bastard. This quartet included one girl behind the keyboards as well. Unfortunately the keyboards were only audible near the end of their 40 min set, when other instruments went more silent. Lords Of The Bastard is one of those bands, which sound so much better instrumental. These guys have strong technical side with jazzy gems on the top, there is no need for the vocal they are trying to use. Double sided feelings about this Scottish band were not so long for further contemplations, as after the short break guests from Sweden occupied the stage.

The Order Of Israfel
The Order Of Israfel

The Order Of Israfel were the most metal, as well as the most doom metal sounding band in the line-up. Despite the fact that they were not entirely my cup of tea, the band managed to catch my attention and keep me listening to them for the next 50 minutes, which were only few tracks from their first album. The mellow mood, lovely and hypnotizing guitar parts, well built dynamic music, which varied from slow to faster, from fast to slow again – it was all about them. Not to mention the quite talkative vocalist Tom Sutton, which is the only one from the band originally hailing from Australia, friendliness and quite intimate atmosphere, which made this very first The Order Of Israfel appearance in Glasgow remarkable.

For the dessert there was Norwegian stoner rock team, called Lonely Kamel. They were very recognizable from the very first accords – pure cracking energy mixed up with northern reticence, sprinkled with the drops of psychedelia. The title track from their brand new album “Shit City” was the very first one played that night, followed by an hour long set full of speedy rhythms, memorable melodies made by four very Nordic, very groovy and a little bit bluesy stoner rock shamans.

Lonely Kamel
Lonely Kamel

The stoner rock marked evening was the great entertainment for the gloomy Tuesday’s night. Although the audience was not that big for this gig, the ones who actually came to support stoner rock enjoyed it to the fullest and most likely, had colourful schizo dreams afterwards.

 

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/lonelykamel

https://myspace.com/lonelykamel

https://twitter.com/LonelyKamelBand

https://www.facebook.com/TheOrderOfIsrafel

http://www.theorderofisrafel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/lordsareloud

https://www.facebook.com/hairofthedoguk

http://hairofthedog.bandcamp.com/

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About Jurga Kalinauskaite

Photographer, journalist, curious wanderer.