Heights / Porshyne / Valerian Swing / Toska [Live Review – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 4/4/2015]
This was not a good night to be a drum kit.
Featuring four progressively-oriented acts backed up by seriously accomplished skin-beaters, this show was a must-see for fans of complex, labyrinthine sonic structures and alternately brutal and nuanced beats. The crowd fit the bill, each individual bumping shoulders with likeminded music lovers and staring stageward as Toska belted out the first set of the night.
Toska are a very new progressive prospect, but they’re already making waves on the back of virtuosic talent, a near-telepathic tightness, and a healthy social media presence. The bastard love-child of Porcupine Tree, Karnivool, Incubus, Limp Bizkit, and Pantera, Toska’s music is a commanding presence in any room. This is not a band set to send gig-goers scurrying to the bar; if you’re faced with Rabea Massaad throttling his guitar neck as if it questioned a female relative’s sexual integrity, Dave Hollingworth pulling off basslines that shouldn’t be physically possible, and Ben Minal brutalising every flat surface in sight, you’d probably turn into a pillar of salt if you turned away.
Valerian Swing are definitely different. David Ferretti is a fucking sick drummer, blurring sticks in the name of jazzy self-expression while his bandmates utilise quirky loops and string-breaking riffs and generally get in their audience’s collective face. Punky, dynamically schizophrenic, and intriguingly European in their approach (little wonder considering these guys are Italian), Valerian Swing are a band I’m looking forward to seeing again – mainly so I can have another shot at figuring out just what in Christ’s name happened last time around.
Third act Porshyne caused plenty of pre-set debates on the topic of how to spell their name (“…Porch what?!”), but consensus was quickly reached when it came to the always-controversial post-set Categorisation Game. Porshyne are essentially a heavier Radiohead – although those two words only go so far in describing their sound. Fascinating chord progressions, a drummer and bassist so in the moment that they just suck you in there with them, and manic and melancholy vibes aplenty all added up to an enjoyable and cool set.
I used to be on the fence about Heights until I heard their brand new album Phantasia On The High Processions Of Sun, Moon And Countless Stars Above [reviewed on TMMP here], and it all clicked for me. Energy-wise, Heights were relatively laid-back (especially in comparison to Toska’s let’s-fucking-have-it opening effort), and that approach used to put me off unless I was in a specific mood. Now, however, I really appreciate the compositional nuances involved in what Heights do.
Every time a single note changes within a chord, the whole mood of a Heights tune changes. Make no mistake – these guys play a lot of notes, but every single one has a story to tell, something fresh to add to proceedings. Heights’ songs are profligacy free, finely crafted pieces which make for wonderful listening in a live environment, where full-volume soundwaves crash into your ears and vibrations run straight through the body. A good friend of mine entered this show skeptical before walking away converted – and I’m sure any others who came in with doubts had a similar experience.
Links
Heights on Facebook and Twitter.
Porshyne on Facebook and Twitter.
Valerian Swing official website.
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