Dordrechtdoom, 14 May 2011

A new doom metal festival in a venue I had never been before – popcentrale in Dordrecht – with some interesting bands on the bill. I skipped the first couple of bands.

 

When I entered the venue, the Belgian Hooded Priest had just started playing. I had seen them play before (2008), but apparently it didn’t make a very lasting impression as I couldn’t remember it. Anyway, a bit of an odd band with an double bass (yea the upright bass – not the drums) and a singer who looks different – long grey hair, ditto beard and a blood-smeared face, dressed in a priests-habit. Oh and a scythe for a mic stand. So much for the looks. Music is mostly mid-paced classic doom metal. The double bass isn’t all that prominent in the sound. Not really my thing.

The second band was actually the primary reason to go: Spina Bifida. A doom/death band from the early 90s that was long forgotten but after nearly 20 years they have resurfaced nearly in the line-up of their sole album. Only the singer is different. They played (I think) the entire album Ziyadah but not in order tho. The slow riffs rolled out through a thick layer of distortion with an odd solo here and there. The new vocalist fits in well with the rest of the band with the low grunts. They ended their set with the kind of odd song called “die”. Even though given an hour they only played some 45 minutes, but I guess that’s all the songs they got. Splendid gig. And hopefully they do some more gigs.

I have seen Officium Triste a dozen times before, and they never have let down but seem to fare on the automatic pilot on many occasions. Well surprisingly not this time. Opening with the set with “On the Crossroads of Souls” off their latest album showcased the band with eagerness and dedication and tight playing. The set consist of a variety of songs from their oeuvre, but half-way through there was a little surprise. Pim announced the recording of a new album and they played one song of it. It sounded a bit different but – slow, no keys and lots of melodies. So that promises a great new album. Like always they ended with the song off the Pathway, called “Goodbye”.

Headlining is the UK act 40 Watt Sun (formerly Warning). It wasn’t long ago I saw them in the Baroeg (with no more than 50 others). Like then they started playing all the songs of their debut album in order but it all sounded a bit better now. Or perhaps because I know the songs better. Well that is up until the fourth song “Carry Me Home”. They played a cover of a song I didn’t know of a band I hadn’t heard of. Apparently they recorded this for an EP to be released soon. Then back to the album, with the final song “This Alone”. But as a twist it was played slower, with clean guitars and little drums and bass. As an encore they played the awesome Warning song “Footprints”.

Set list Officium Triste:

  • On the Crossroads of Souls
  • The pathway
  • This Inner Twist
  • Burning all boats and bridges
  • The sun doesn’t shine anymore
  • my charcoal heart
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