ALT BLK ERA are Nottingham’s alternative crown jewels, made up of sisters Nyrobi and Chaya, who both provide lush and powerful vocals, along with their instrumental backbone of Sam on drums and Alex on guitar. Hot on the heels of the release of their debut album, the incredible Rave Immortal, we went down to Saltbox for their sold-out launch party...
Admittedly, I hadn’t heard of first support act Stained Glass before this show, so I watched with a completely open mind and was extremely surprised. They are a well-presented and put together metal outfit, mixing hardcore with synths and punk energy, at times.
Their thirty-minute set was high energy of top quality, with every riff, every intro, every breakdown hitting better than the last and never faltering. Something that really stood out, though, was the intensity and purpose of frontman Josh’s bellowing yet really well-controlled screams, combined with guitarist/synth player/secondary vocalist Mollie Ralph’s melodic tones. This created a resounding, unique vocal sound that ran through on all tracks, the two of them really in tune with each other, enhancing the vibe of the whole performance, which is amazing to see in a metal band. However, these vocals are supported by the pure talent of everyone in the band, with all members playing an instrument all the time. Drummer James, lead guitarist Hari and bassist Henry provide a solid, unrelenting backdrop for everyone to perform at their best and it pays off.
This band are well worth a listen, but would be better seen, as this live set (even though it was a support) was incredibly well done. Stained Glass are a big name to look out for in 2025 and I’m expecting big things from them.
The second act, Mimi Barks, consists of just her and a drummer to a backing track, which allows for a high-energy, emotive, and riotous set. Her screams are loud and powerful but her clean vocal tones are really strong, not to mention the rap-leaning verses she has which show just how talented she is at different elements of music. Finally, her fashion sense is black, leathery and spiky, which somehow describes her musical leanings.
Unfortunately, technical difficulties cut Mimi's set short, but what she did perform was incredible, representing modern alt music and all it stands for, she is certainly a name to watch in 2025.
ALT BLK ERA are just a different kind of incredible. Before the show I talked with Sam and Alex and asked them what to expect set wise... they both laughed and said, “it's a surprise”.
I was intrigued, sensing that they had something special planned. They come out to huge roars from everyone, with Nyrobi and Chaya clad in white and black all other, respectively, dividing the sisters by looks, an idea they have played with in their live shows for a while, but it fully came into fruition here.
They play two older songs, true fan-favourites, post the signature recorded intro they have, welcoming us all as “Immortal Angels”. Then, after a rousing and truly incredible rendition of Even if We’re Not: SOLAR, they stop. Everything goes quiet. Another recorded message plays. This was the surprise I had been promised. The recording invites us into the world of Rave Immortal, and then everything goes quiet once again. The lights change. A beaming Nyrobi speaks, smiling in excitement as she exclaims that the album is a story and for us to experience it, we need to hear it in full, with inter-spread narrations and annotations from herself. This was a beautiful touch, allowing for each song to have its own separate part but a wider role in the ALT BLK ERA narrative.
Rave Immortal in full, on listening, is special. It's personal, riotous and does not hold back at all, not to mention being simultaneously emotional and groove-ridden. It sounds amazing on the recording, but that is nothing compared to experiencing it live, in this format. The sound of the new songs is dancey, punkier and very punchy, with each song having a unique sound using the pre-existing tones of ALT BLK ERA but used in a new way.
The vocal one-two-punch of Nyrobi and Chaya is still incredible, and shockingly beautiful, always holding up and always being expertly delivered. As amazing as the songs were, they were truly enhanced by Nyrobi’s vocal annotations, as she explained the meaning of the songs to her, to Chaya, to the band and to 'the story', an aspect talked about a lot in this show, a performative narrative of rebirth through music, after Nyrobi’s diagnosis of chronic fatigue. It's truly empowering to watch.
Hunt You Down, one of the album’s best songs, is performed live with a runway, made by parting the crowd and allowing people to walk it alongside Nyrobi and Chaya themselves, which made for a fun interlude near the album’s end.
After they finished performing the album, they played Normally Like This, their magnum opus song, and everyone screamed along in joy.
Overall, this was the best set I have ever seen from them, and after seeing them now six times, that’s saying a lot. It mixed everything they have created before and propelled it to new heights, heights that thrust elements like dance and DnB into the limelight for them. The format they performed with paid off and led to a much more emotional, personal and powerful show, and to me this approach should be used more to promote albums as a work to the audience.
ALT BLK ERA are already at the top of their game without slowing, but this is just another incredible event they have achieved. Rave Immortal is a top tier album and worth a listen in its own right.
ALT BLK ERA performed at Saltbox on 25th January 2025, with support from Stained Glass and Mimi Barks.
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