Voices are like very few other bands currently around. So when they announced the launch show for their new album London was to take place in it’s namesakes Black Heart in Camden Town, Rock Sins thought that we should be there. Combine Voices unique take on blackened / crust engraved death metal with the fact our friends in the shape of London prog metal outfit Chapters were filling the main support slot, and it resulted in us sending one James Halstead along to survey the evening.
Krawwl (6) are very interesting but ultimately uninteresting in their experimental soundscapes. It might be very ‘arty’ and interesting but there’s nothing to draw the listener in and remains generally distant and hard to enjoy; which was probably the intention all along…
Shrines (7) start out slowly, with it taking a song or two for the band to really get going but soon enough the sheer visceral rate of each riff begins to tell backed up by the unearthly chant of Sam Loynes. It is a competent rather than memorable performance but one that sets the tone for Chapters (8) to blast through their debut album; ‘The Imperial Skies.’ Playing The Imperial Skies in full makes sense less as a ‘commemoration’ of the release than a really logical way to structure the set. Its obviously long enough to fit into a shorter support slot and the original album is so well-structured that there’s no extended loss of pace over Chapters set. It goes without saying that the band themselves are tight; with musical technicality being a central tenant of the songs its no surprise that they’re just as tight live as on record.
Voices (8) channel the atmosphere and spirit of urban living. So a bar in a dingy Camden back alley is the absolutely logical place to hold their album release show. The music perfectly complements the surroundings far better than their set at Bloodstock over the summer even began to. Indeed, it’s hard to think of a much better matching of environment and live performance (Immortal on a frozen fjord anyone?).
Voices’ new album London is out now. You can follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/voiceslondon. Chapters can be followed on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Chaptersmetal.
