Russian Circles, ISIS, Botch, These Arms Are Snakes, Baptists, Old Man Gloom, Mamiffer, and – as of a few weeks ago – Neurosis. If you’re a post-metal fan, one of these bands is probably your favourite, or at least in your top three. The thread that connects each of these bands is the mighty SUMAC, the “supergroup” composed of Brian Cook, Aaron Turner, and Nick Yacyshyn. On an unnaturally warm April night in Glasgow, the small but faithful crowd gathered in the dark basement of Room 2 got to witness their greatness up-close and personal.
First off, however, was tonight’s support, Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean, which – judging by the crowd gathered for the start of their set – was an inspired choice. Room 2 can’t hold that many people, but by my estimation, about 80% of the crowd were already there when the band took to the stage. With only half an hour to play with, they didn’t mess about. Drawing from their latest EP, Let Us Not Speak of Them but Look and Pass On, as well as their most recent albums, the crowd was alive and into it from the start.
Their set was packed tight with the low-down, sludgy doom they’ve become known for, with everyone nodding along to slow, punishing riffs as the agonising vocals washed over the room. Their set also brought elements of death metal and thrash into the mix; towards the end, the guitar work had the crowd in a mess of headbanging hair, reminiscent of an ’80s Metallica gig. They are certainly not a one-trick band. If anyone didn’t know them before the set, I imagine they spent the journey home seeking out more. I know I certainly was.
A quick word between sets must go to the sound engineers, as the audio was top-quality throughout. Given the volume and depth inherent in both bands’ music – and the fact that Room 2 is quite tight and likely never designed to host such acts – everything was crystal clear with not a note missing.
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When SUMAC took to the stage after a short break, there was a real sense of awe and anticipation. The hour that followed was nothing short of amazing. These are three giants of post-metal who have, through SUMAC and their various other projects, built and rebuilt the genre. Here they were, within touching distance, enveloping a tiny room in massive, complex sound.
From the minute they launched into “Arcing Silver” (from 2018’s Love in Shadow) through “Yellow Dawn,” “Attis Blade,” and the 25-minute epic “Image of Control,” the three members seemed to operate in complete alignment. It didn’t feel rehearsed so much as a natural, cinematic cohesion as they created an ebbing and flowing wall of sound. Brian Cook stood on one side of the stage, his bass notes vibrating through your soul as he ushered in the noise for the introduction to “Arcing Silver.”
His partner in rhythm, Nick Yacyshyn, never missed a beat in the centre of the stage, building the sonic assault with machine-like abilities that felt like the band’s natural heartbeat. Finally, Aaron Turner completed the picture with intricate, textured guitar playing and occasional wails of lyrics that broke through the wall of sound. The band’s unified nature was perfectly illustrated when Turner faced his tower of amps (back to the band) bending a single note until the time was right to bring the song back. The other two didn’t miss a beat, ready and waiting for him. When the set ended after what felt like only five minutes, the band left with a few words of thanks, having let the music do the talking.
If I said that SUMAC’s set was one of the best so far this year, I don’t think many who witnessed it would disagree. It was amazing to watch them do what they do better than anyone else, and the support from Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean was a great addition to the evening. SUMAC could and should be playing rooms triple the size – as they often do in their other bands – so if you get the chance to see them on this run, make sure you do.
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Header image by Mitchell Wojcik
SUMAC: facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | bandcamp
Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean: facebook | instagram | spotify | bandcamp | youtube
