On the final freezing night of the year before the festive frivolity truly began, three acts perfectly suited to a bleaker aesthetic took to the stage for the final date of the Shining Over Britain & Ireland MMXXV Tour.
I could harp on about the time I spent in Cardiff and the bands I caught back then, but tonight was about Opia. Rising from the various black metal ashes of Agrona, this Draconian-esque, gothic-led outfit has been on my “must-see” list since their inception—even more so after hearing their debut album, I Welcome Thee, Eternal Sleep, released earlier this year.
Despite being a few members down—one due to a family emergency and one, rather dramatically, fired mid-tour—they delivered a flawless set. They included personal anecdotes which not only helped capture their aesthetic but also engaged with the punters on a personal level. There was a touching moment at the end of the set where the members of Saturnus invaded the stage, much to the shock of the band. To their credit, Opia kept their composure and managed to finish their final track undisturbed. I’m not being biased in the slightest, but by the time they finished, I couldn’t help but feel they were the perfect opener for what was to follow.
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Up next were Danish death-doom legends Saturnus. I’ve been following them since the mid-90s but, for one reason or another, had only ever heard them through my record player until tonight. Despite a tight schedule enforced by a 10pm curfew, they performed their six tracks as if they were headlining Wacken. A particular highlight came in the form of the penultimate track, “I Long”.
Finally, it was time for the evening’s headliners, Swallow the Sun. There was a tangible tension in the air; the technicality of their set was delivered with the precision of a heavyweight knockout. It was crowd-pleasers galore, drawing from an impressive discography spanning two and a half decades. It is understandable how their set could be littered with hits, with early surprises like “Out of This Gloomy Light” and “Deadly Nightshade” getting some much-deserved attention.
There was also a Type O Negative tribute (bonus points for the green lighting), a special setlist change for a dedicated fan who had followed them on every date of the tour, and they even ended with my ultimate favourite track, “Swallow”. I left absolutely ecstatic that the year of gigs had ended on such a high note.
An evening of gloom and gratitude.
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Swallow The Sun: official | facebook | instagram | spotify | tiktok | youtube
Saturnus: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
Opia: facebook | instagram | bandcamp | spotify | tiktok | youtube
