Supports: Firebreather, Konvent
Location: Molotow, Hamburg (DE)
Text by: Basak Günel
Photos by: Heavy Harlequin
After the successful release of their latest record “No Comfort” on September, the Swedish doom/sludge act Monolord was back in Hamburg to deliver the new as well as the old tunes. This time, they also brought two support acts with them: Konvent and Firebreather.
Konvent was an act we wanted to see live for a while and now was the perfect chance. Founded in 2015, this fourpiece from Denmark delivers the ultimate death/doom. They are surely and steadily marking their place in the scene with the upcoming release called “Puritan Masochism” out on January 2020 via Napalm Records. Right from the start, these talented and crazy ladies delivered such an impressive show. We were pretty sure that even the ones who were not familiar with their style were captivated by this powerful performance. From the bass to the vocals, each band member was the highlight of the show with their unique style and performance. Our highlights of the set were “Ropes pt. II” and “Squares”.
For such an amazing performance, the venue was full – which is not typical for the first act. After a quick chat with the band members after the show, we also found out that they didn’t expect this kind-of anticipation and excitement from the audience given their impressions from their previous gigs and that it was a weekday…but we all were proud and agreed on the fact that the Hamburg audience didn’t disappoint at all! The band will be back on January/February to celebrate the release of their album so for the ones who missed this show, there will be a chance in the near future!
By the time Firebreather entered the stage, the venue was already packed with the high anticipation and a dedicated crowd. This Gothenburg-based band was formed in 2016 and make stoner/doom metal. Just like Monolord, they were also celebrating the release of their brand new album “Under a Blood Moon”, which has been out on September. With an energetic performance and the passionate audience, the show was simply superb. The style of the band falls in on the ‘heavy’ spectrum of this genre with the harsher vocals and the heavy riffs and so the fans experienced the doom in its full heavy-ness! Since the second full-length was out recently, some new songs from “Under a Blood Moon” as well as some songs from the first full-length were played as well. Overall, these guys prepared the crowd for the headliners perfectly with their performance and sound!
The headliners Monolord were an act the Molotow crowd was already familiar with. They already paid a visit to this small venue on May this year, where we got to see them live for the first time, and so this show was more or less like a round two for the fans; as a matter of fact, we could already see some familiar faces from their previous show. So an intimate and a familiar atmosphere was guaranteed!
A chill but intense atmosphere filled the venue as the band delivered some new gems such as “Larvae”, “The Bastard Son” and “The Last Leaf”, one of our highlights of this set, from the latest album. We could tell that the majority was already familiar with the new release and received it very well.. which was also obvious from the scent in the air to the audience giving in to the music. However, this wasn’t all that the band got as some classics like “Audhumbla”, “Lord of Suffering”, and, the favorite of the audience, “Empress Rising” were delivered. Overall, it was great to see the development in the band’s career, in particular with the release of the latest record. The interaction between them and the audience was also fantastic; surely, the band being familiar with this audience and this stage made the whole show a lot more comfortable and smooth for both sides.
One highlight we found interesting in both shows of Monolord was this nice synergy within the band members. While the vocalist and the drummer’s styles were rather stable and chill, the bassist was moving around in the stage; this created a great contrast within the band and also is a great example of their style and sound; energetic, powerful but also what one would expect from this genre and much more! Overall, this has been a crazy night full of three bands delivering amazing styles! It was especially a great experience to see Monolord live for the second time this year. Kudos to the dedicated and passionate audience as well as the three bands for this night!
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