Bristol Rough Trade, Sunday 6th February 2022
London-based slowcore quartet, deathcrash, released their debut LP ‘Return’ just one week ago. It’s an absorbing blend of beautiful, cinematic soundscapes and post rock melancholy which rivals Yard Act for best album of the year so far.
Their style has drawn comparisons with caroline and Black Country, New Road (whose Tyler Cryde is supporting this evening) but tonight’s gig reveals a more abrasive and fuller sound.
Bristol’s The Outlines open up proceedings following a string of Independent Venue Week support slots. The band grow in confidence throughout the set and if local hero “Big Jeff” Johns is going to have a rare moment not in the audience then it’s only right that he’s on stage performing to us instead.
The aforementioned Tyler Cryde is a member of much-lauded Black Country, New Road who just dropped their excellent second album this weekend but cancelled their upcoming tour dates (including a night at Bristol’s O2 Academy) due to the departure of member Isaac Woods.
No mention is made of that band this evening but the musical similarities occasionally shine through this spellbinding set of heartbreak songs with resemblance to Laura Marling and Kate Bush.
Deathcrash arrive promptly at 9.45pm. They are almost absent from social media which is incredibly unusual when releasing a new record and embarking on a tour in support of it. They have amassed precisely zero tweets. This sense of mystery is heightened by the lighting this evening – it’s dark and moody, the band often not visible at all in-between strobe lighting, expertly matching the crescendo of the show’s heavier moments.
Tonight is the second night of the tour but the band do not require any warming up. From the opening number, this is a band firmly in control of their craft. The sound mix this evening is excellent as deathcrash weave in and out of hushed beauty and noisy melodrama. There are elements of Sigur Ros in their purest form combined with the lush and course post rock of Explosions in the Sky or Mogwai.
Singer Tiernan Banks vocals are gentle, at times spoken, always complimenting and never overpowering the engrossing guitars of Patrick Fitzgerald and Matthew Weinberger. The vocals become part of the music rather than sitting above it.
There is a recorded monologue on “Metro 1” about discovering something new in music that you love which has greater emotional resonance when played out this evening. The intimate nature of the venue does not reduce the sound of these massive songs – it’s clear, loud and enveloping.
It is very easy to stand in this crowd and imagine the possibilities for this band when they get to play bigger venues and festival stages. deathcrash’s sound is ready made to fill large stages. Little is said other than to thank us for attending and to introduce “an old song.”
The crowd are fully engaged throughout the 45 minute set and, if the sizeable queue at the merch desk at the end of the show is anything to go by, are now firmly fans for life.
– Ryan Simmonds 
Craig J Simmonds Media
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