The Marble Factory , 27th October 2022
The hour long support slot afforded to Alcest is testament to the high regard they are held in by their piers.
Tracing their roots all the way back to 2000, the French band are widely credited with pioneering the blackgaze/post-black metal genre.
A wall of soft backlighting creates an ethereal atmosphere from which Neige and the rest of the band began to cast a spell over the audience.
Close your eyes and you could easily be listening to the score of a medieval blockbuster film. Knights astride horses, galloping across dramatic landscapes.
We travel the tides of time with the band as the set covers not just the span of their albums, but also the span of their music. Which can shift dramatically from album to album. From raw, black metal to the ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback that make up shoe-gaze. And all that lay in-between.
The ability to both effortlessly combine and sharply contrast genres in quite remarkable and certainly unique.
The crowd were seemingly split into two camps. Those already aware of Alcest and what they bring to the table. And those new to the band, but in quiet awe at the majesty of the performance.
@bristolnomad_gigphotography / The Bristol Nomad
Some bands are so iconic they surpass the need for review. COF are one such band. Whilst the line up has continually revolved & evolved around the dark lord of metal that is @danifilthofficial the constant is you know you are in for a full on show.
Half theatrical, half stadium metal gig COF combine elaborate stage set ups, the current looking like the set of Alien, with full throttled energy.
The first time @danifilthofficial unleashes his patented bat shriek the crowd roar with approval. Throw in heavy pyrotechnics and confetti canons and you realise this is so much more than just a gig.
The fifteen song set ticks all the boxes for the COF fans. Charting the bands 30 year ascent from the bowels of darkness to today. Spanning the 13 studio albums from “The Principal Of Evil Made Flesh” to “Existence is Futile”.
Set highlights include “I Am the Thorn” where Dani unleashed a confetti cannon with a crack loud enough to open the gates of hell. And the evergreen hauntings of “Nymphetamine Fix”.
We have to say the strong encore including impressive newer tracks such as “Necromantic Fantasies” was superb.
And rolling in at around 90 minutes you always get your moneys worth and then some from Filth.
“Her Ghost in the Fog”, accompanied by even more pyro and confetti rounds off a fantastic evening of darkly gothic entertainment.
The crowd depart with broad smiles and chants of “Cradle of Filth” echoing into the yard at Marble Factory.
@bristolnomad_gigphotography / The Bristol Nomad
