Live Report - Mgla, Lvcifyre, Wode - 15th March 2019 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK
Live Gig

Release year: 0
Reviewed by Goat

I've grown quite fond of Rebellion as a live venue, despite not every band living up to its promise, but the chance to see mysterious Poles Mgła on a very rare live outing in this country was too good to miss, and the sold-out venue was accordingly jam-packed. Openers and local boys Wode were good, tight, progressive-tinged black metal with a solid presence and plenty of riffs - a solid reminder to relisten to their two excellent albums to date, if not quite who everyone was here to see, many people still queuing to enter even after they started playing.

Lvcifyre were new to me (but I see Jared covered their latest album five years ago) but made an immediate impact. Smothered in fog, loud and abrasive, the London-based black/death machine shook the floor with their ritualised war metal, invoking more than mere headbanging from a rapturous crowd and making me regret standing so close to a speaker. Devastatingly heavy, profoundly dark, they were a great scene-setter for the headliner...

...Who were as good live as they are on record. Mgła have an uneasy, downright sinister stage presence, hooded and masked, not communicating with the crowd other than with an occasional clenched fist, and it made the weird magic of their music all the more effective. Their brand of black metal is strangely catchy and even danceable at moments, pulsating basslines and upbeat drums one moment before drowning you in a torrent of riffs the next. The crowd were in love, literally in one case as a randy couple started making out in accompaniment (black metal has that effect on some, clearly) and although there was barely room to move, trying unsuccessfully to mosh. Despite the lack of much variety in Mgła's sound, it was easy to fall into a hypnotic rapture, and the hour-plus set flew by. Not to be missed.

Killing Songs :
Goat quoted
Other albums by Live Report that we have reviewed:
Live Report - Marduk / Vader - United Titans Tour 2022 - 17th March 2022 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Genesis - The Last Domino? Tour - 25 September 2021 - AO Arena, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Pestilence, Grimaze, Damim, Cryptic Shift - 23rd February 2019 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - King Crimson - Uncertain Times Tour - 9th November 2018 - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
Live Report - Voivod & Bio-Cancer - 6th October 2018 - Rebellion, Manchester, UK reviewed by Goat and quoted
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