#senzar

Casting an imposing, maniacal presence onstage are show openers, Death The Leveller. Taking us on a dope-fuelled trip through Danzig’s mind, frontman Denis Dowling’s slow, menacing movements, lock in with rhythmic, trudging, heavy but memorable riffery.

Echoing an Electric Wizard-esque psychedelic fuzz infusion, guitarist Gerry ‘Ger’ Clince channels mystical humming feedback in between repetitive and driving passages, generating formidable vibration throughout the room.

All the while Dowling leans on his microphone stand as if a preacher at an alter piece, casting damnation upon those in attendance, strobing lights and billowing dry ice add to an atmospheric purple haze later on in the set. It is here where Dowling demonstrates a diverse and captivating vocal range, at times reaching for Bruce Dickinson like heights, rounding off a sound that feels like classic metal but with a particularly dark side.

SENZAR

Slowly building up momentum with a jazzy-psych intro, Senzar quickly change the game by u-turning into ferocious, threatening but immediate extreme metal. Frontman Trevor McLave’s (ex-Coldwar) vocals are treated to some excellently applied reverberation, leading to verses resembling horrific whispers of damnation, floating through the room, sounding like bone chilling howls on a winter night.

Many songs performed have the unique quality of at once being slow and devastating, whilst coming across painfully aggressive and thrashy. With McLave circling the stage like an enforcing shark in a bomber jacket, he sounds like Neurosis’ Scott Kelly at his most visceral. The unit 4 piece Dublin unit generate a sonic hybrid of Stoner/Doom laden Black Metal; evoking notions of street toil, yet similarly, murky Scandinavian landscapes. Indeed, Senzar are a shining example of Ireland’s talent in producing artists comparable to those of Scandinavia’s extreme metal scenes and are an act not to be missed!

THE CRAWLING

Lisburn’s very own The Crawling are up next, with big boots to fill and with audience anticipation at a high for tonight’s headliner. The Crawling demonstrate considerable musical chops and feature a real snarl with Andy Clarke’s biting but sensitive yet contempt filled lyrics and vocals.

The band and audience are bathed in strobing lights and dense fog throughout the set, adding dramatic effect particularly during their pummelling breakdowns.

The three piece’s set closer is preluded by the irksome sound of a buzzing fly in stereo around the room, bringing on the sensation of being amidst rotting materials, those lain waste by The Crawling.

  PRIMORDIAL

With Primordial making their way to the stage, there is a feeling of something very special in the making. Indeed with it being “some time” since Dublin’s finest metal export’s last visit up North, the band have a treat in store.

Setting the scene, off the bat with the epic “Where Greater Men Have Fallen”, the room is charged and engaged, especially captivated by frontman Nemtheanga’s militaristic command. Primordial’s own brand of folk tinged black metal has taken on a form of aiming for the epic, and hits the mark regularly, with tracks like “To Hell or The Hangman” and “Gallows’ Hymn” early on, preluded by menacing but thought provoking introductory speeches.

Nemtheanga’s seismic performance takes form as commander in chief vocally, but in twisted and authoritative motions, on aforementioned “To Hell of The Hangman”, he navigates his way on stage in mechanically, rhythmic movements: eye catching and simply terrifying, given the apocalyptic attire and cryptic corpse paint adorning him.

A highlight of the set strikes early on, with back catalogue rarity and gem, “End of All Times (Martyr’s Fire)” – a point of interest not lost on many in tonight’s avid audience.

Building up a sweat on “No Grave Deep Enough”, Nemtheanga’s eyes run teary and extremely bloodshot. With a cocktail of char and corpse paint streaming into them profusely it is little wonder. This does little to expel his fury, if anything fuelling the fire, as he and the band spit out words of vengeance “I was never one for redemption!”

Primordial’s appeal is not just aesthetic, there is a clarity and focus to each and every song, fusing in classic rock sensibility and riffage into dark and visceral lyrics and execution. Their near quarter-of-a-decade making and recording music together has no doubt led to such flawless amalgamation and cohesion as a unit, and is documented somewhat sorrowfully on the track “Stolen Years”. Tonight’s performance of the song being the most introspective moment of the evening and really, the only chance much of the audience and band get for a breather. Evidently a tune with significance to each and everybody in the band, detailing “all the years we’ve been doing this”, it respects fists up from every band member on closing, in response to a rapturous applause – truly a heartfelt metal tune worthy of any road trip voyage playlist.

Following this, the bombastic drum lines of “As Rome Burns” lead the way for the biggest crowd chant’s I’ve ever heard inside the intimate but legendary Limelight 2, the epic and ferocious “Sing To The Slaves!” call and answer.

Primordial close out the night, giving us one more opportunity to ensure our voices have been lost for the coming week, launching into classic, Empire Falls. “Where is the fighting man” cry the crowd. Evidently, just down the road in Skerries Co. Meath, and boy can they fight.

Primordial will be taking their Exile in Europe Tour around the continent this year and are an act not to be missed at any headline event or festival stage.

= PRIMORDIAL SETLIST =

Where Greater Men Have Fallen

Nail Their Tongues

Gallows Hymn

To Hell or the Hangman

End of all Times (Martyr’s Fire)

No Grave Deep Enough

Stolen Years

As Rome Burns

Upon our Spiritual Deathbed

No Nation on this Earth

The Coffin Ships

Empire Falls

Review and Photos by Mike Lockheart, Metal Planet Music

SENZAR | CIII (PORTAL)

Dublin veterans Seznar, formed from the ashes of Coldwar recently unveiled details for the release of their debut non-titled record, out 20th July via Hostile Media, a potent marriage of philosophy and the raw energy of extreme metal. Today the band released the second single 'CI' and a video accompaniment. Vocalist Trevor McLave explains, "As finite beings we search for, and find, meaning in the universe and within our interpretation of the observable patterns and structures of the natural world. We do this ‘symbolically’; the symbol lies between us and the cosmos and orientates us towards meaning and reality. The attempt to understand the ‘natural poetry’ of the universe is a root source of art, music, and culture, and it is through symbolic mediation that, within the human being, the finite can grasp the infinite." Watch 'CI' Here! https://youtu.be/Jt55TG8bs5k McLave speaks further on the debut EP and the cessation of Coldwar, "We wanted to take our musical ideas a lot further than we were able to with Coldwar, elements of which were hinted at on Pantheist. Creating atmosphere and soundscapes which hold measureless potency, correlating with the lyrics and retaining raw energy and heaviness was our goal. Regarding the lyrics, I guess there are rudiments of consideration regarding mankind’s position in the greater scheme of the cosmos. Beyond that, it really is something purposely devised as being unfixed, thus open to beholders interpretation."

From the ashes of Dublin veterans Coldwar, Senzar have emerged, even more enraged and potent as before delving far into philosophies and marrying it with the raw energy of extreme metal. Vocalist Trevor McLave explains that, "Inspiration behind the name derives out of numerous relating sources. The argument put forward in Ernst Cassirer’s essay on man, where he argues man is a symbolic animal being one. Senzar, as the mystery of the mystery language, whether this be mythological or not, is in my opinion, in itself a measurelessly potent idea for a name. With regards to Coldwar. That was a project with which the line-up varied over the years. It was consistently transforming. The later Coldwar was by all rights something other than what it had started as. Due to dynamics and politics from within the band it transpired the time was right to allow what was manifesting to become something within its own right. Which is exactly what it now is." The band will release their untitled debut record, an EP on 20th July 2018 via Hostile Media, and today have released the first taste of what's the come. Listen To 'CII' https://youtu.be/3eTIu4LiEl8 McLave adds, "Not to be pedantic but, it’s not a self-titled release, it’s non-titled. We wanted to take our musical ideas a lot further than we were able to with Coldwar, elements of which were hinted at on Pantheist. Creating atmosphere and soundscapes which hold measureless potency, correlating with the lyrics and retaining raw energy and heaviness was our goal. Regarding the lyrics, I guess there are rudiments of consideration regarding mankind’s position in the greater scheme of the cosmos. Beyond that, it really is something purposely devised as being unfixed, thus open to beholders interpretation."

Characteristically esoteric, Senzar are inspired by the relation of the human condition to the complexity and mystery of the cosmos. Motivated by the obscure yet intelligible patterns of order from chaos and our natural creative impulse, and being influenced by the darker, more challenging cultural output of modernity, they articulate a metaphysical engagement between the self and the natural world. "The music is an endeavour to explore the unity and multiplicity of Being," states vocalist Trevor McLave. "Both interpretive and descriptive, it explores beyond the scope of the rational gaze to disclose the world, which, understood as a totality of all things, we are embedded in, and fundamentally related to in ways which are mystical." Pre-Order The Senzar EP Here: www.facebook.com/hostilemedia/shop