Atmospheric black metal band Wolvencrown have a lot to celebrate, with the release of their second album and a decade of experience on the local scene. They chose Rough Trade as the venue for a spectacular show...
Oneiros opened proceedings with a solid set of black metal. Their music grooves in a way that black metal rarely does, driven by melodic bass parts that cut through the mix nicely. The Age Of Stars served as a fitting closer to their set, a song which is carried along by a very catchy repeating guitar melody, while the different vocal styles throughout bring some great dynamic variety. They finished with a crescendo into an expansive soundscape and left me wanting more.
Aklash haven't played in Nottingham since a weekend headline slot at Tap n’ Tumbler in December 2023. I had very fond memories of their atmospheric black metal, with the guitarists switching over to violin and flute to fill in the calmer moments of the set. The quartet more than lived up to this memory - black metal has almost no right to be this fun. The folky instruments were out in force, and I spent nearly the whole set with a gleeful grin on my face. Upbeat, almost poppy drums in a chorus or two, harmonised lead guitar and violin - I think their first song might even have been in a major key! Refreshing stuff from a traditionally serious and grim genre.
Frontman Nicholas introduced a Manilla Road cover near the end of the set, to a disappointing handful of cheers from the crowd. “You don't know Manilla Road? What are you, a bunch of posers?”
I’m an open and proud poser, but still ashamed to say I hadn't heard of the cult 1970s heavy metal band. That being said, the song was a great introduction to them! I think it was Necropolis but I'm happy to be corrected…
Aklash are certainly a band to check out for a refreshing take on black metal. For fans of catchy melodies, non-traditional instruments and “hearty” layered singing à la UK BM contemporaries Winterfylleth. I imagine the elitists have stopped reading by now (good).
We crammed back in to the far end of Rough Trade as Wolvencrown prepared to start their set. This was the culmination of the evening; a celebration of the release of their second studio album Celestial Lands.
This was also a hometown show for Wolvencrown, who have been crafting their own style of atmospheric black metal since 2015. There was palpable excitement in the room as the lights dimmed and the first piano notes of the album’s Intro track rang out, providing a fitting atmosphere for the rest of the album to come.
Wolvencrown soared through their new material for about an hour, ranging from driving blast beats to synthesised string arrangements. A Spell Nature Cast was a particular highlight, with its haunting piano intro leading to a furious blast beat section before seamlessly drifting into a spacey guitar solo.
One thing that stood out to me while listening to Celestial Lands ahead of the gig was the vocal production. The vocals sit deep in the mix, half-buried under walls of guitar distortion, like you're reading the lyrics out of a dusty tome in a long forgotten library. It really adds to the mystical quality of the album, but I wondered how this would translate in a live setting. The band compromised by having the vocals more audible but soaked in reverb - a good choice for live performance.
All credit to the Rough Trade sound technician who did an excellent job of balancing a five-piece band. Keys cut through the mix well and there were times I felt the bass sound might crush me into a pulp as it was so massive.
We were treated to a wholesome moment when former Wolvencrown member Jack Armstrong (now of Abduction) took the stage to play guitar for the latter half of the set. The band acknowledged his major contributions to the album and he seemed more than happy for the opportunity to shred.
Plenty of horns-in-the-air moments later and we arrived at the final song of the set - the title track Celestial Lands. Standing at nine minutes long, this song is a testament to everything Wolvencrown stand for. Beginning with one of the best head banging moments in their set, they transitioned to some of the slickest lead guitar lines I had heard all evening. They ended with a triumphant clean singing passage, supported by the whole band and some especially lovely synthesiser parts to pull the whole atmosphere together.
Wolvencrown performed at Rough Trade on 25th January 2025.
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