Edinburgh’s Codespeaker and Glasgow’s Void Of Light are two bands in the Scottish underground Metal scene that have made some waves over the last twelve months, both putting themselves on the map as far as the wider UK scene is concerned. And especially within the niche Post-Metal sub-genres, with both bands grabbing the attention from admirers of bands such as Bossk, Row Of Ashes and DVNE, with their new recent record releases.
Codespeaker dropped their self-titled debut album at the tail end of 2022, providing an incredibly Heavy and wonderfully Sludgy record for those in the know, full of murky riffs and compelling screams which features some awesome moments including the single ‘Carthage’. While Void Of Light released their self-titled debut EP in the spring of ‘22, before following this up with Enshroud (Trepnation Recordings) in March 2023. The Glaswegians take a more Progressive approach to Post-Metal, with longer meandering songs, and a mix of cleaner singing alongside their deeper monolithic vocals.
And the neighbouring Scottish bands have put theirs heads together for a debut UK tour, hitting a run of six dates starting in London, then taking in Brighton, Leeds and Newcastle, before returning to their homeland with gigs in each of their respective cities. With each show featuring local support, in Brighton it was Crowgod who got the night underway, pulling in their own crowd which saw the intimate basement of The Rossi Bar swell to capacity from the get go.
And the unique band provided something a little different to the two headliners, with their Avant-Garde take on a Heavy-Doom vibe interjecting moments of beautiful clarity with controlled chaos. Moulded around an impressive contrasting vocal style from singer Alana, who eloquently switches from crooning haunting clean melodies to a bellowing heavier style at the flick of a switch.
https://crowgod.bandcamp.com/album/graveyard-planet
Codespeaker took the middle slot with the basement room emptying as the bands switched equipment over, and then filling back up like a tide coming in as the first distorted sounds started to emanate up into the bar. The cathartic five-piece stormed through tracks from their album, with vocalist Greg Armstrong stomping around like a man possessed during their instrumental moments, often staring wild eyed into the crowd before unleashing hell into his microphone, to compliment the bittersweet cacophony of his band-mates.
The intimacy of the venue provided the feel of a real DIY Punk show with the musicians and crowd virtually occupying the same space, allowing Armstrong the opportunity to bound back and forth into his thoroughly engaged observers. And the ice cool atmosphere created by Codespeaker’s intricate riffs counter-balanced the sweaty surroundings of the tight creative space, as the band performed their harrowing soundscapes while bathed under a deep red incandescent glow.
https://codespeaker.bandcamp.com
And so it came to Void Of Light to finish off the party in style, squeezing an extra band member into the cozy ‘stage’ area by virtue of having three guitarists, who made every note count with each musician complimenting the other by switching between riffing and hitting subtle hypnotic leads, across their thundering rhythm section. Their Progressive edge meant that in between unleashing the full rage of their fury, Void Of Light treat the crowd to slow-burning moments of melody, taking their time to build the music before inevitably letting rip with bellowing cacophony.
It seemed like their set went by in the blink of an eye, with the journey of each of the few long songs they played flowing perfectly to round off this sophisticated evening of discerning melancholic music. And each of the bands did themselves justice on what was a stormy night on the South Coast, with the tempestuous weather outside providing a perfect accompaniment, to the sounds rumbling deep in the subterranean sweat-box of The Rossi Bar. KZ
https://voidoflight.bandcamp.com
Words // Photos // Videos by Abstrakt_Soul
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