Φωτογραφίες: Γιώργος Γαζής
Brutus, Their Methlab @Gagarin 205, 29/04/2023 | Live Report (EN)
There are some bands which play hardcore, but they also incorporate melodies. There are some bands which combine harsh vocals and clean lines. There are some bands which have massive sound and their live experience is on a whole different level. And then there are Brutus.
When talking about hardcore, melodies and atmosphere, it’s clear that Brutus have not only reset the rules of the game, but also mastered every checkmate. A steamroller of raw blistering vehemence, they delivered their first show ever in Athens, and it is going to be discussed for quite a while.
If I were to write this report with the experience fully processed, and impressions sunk in, I would probably end up after weeks buried in sticky notes, like a mad scientist who rushes to write down some brilliant idea which just occurred to them like lightning.
So I may as well try putting the thoughts into words, hoping that immediacy and the still warm attachment will be manifested as authenticity and will do justice to that very special night.
Having been on the move the whole day, somewhere between trying to keep track of time, re-calibrate after travelling, and trying to fit into my timeline, the event slipped to the back of my head for a while, brushed aside by the drifting cityscapes and rush.
Once the city ferment gave in to exhaustion and the evening settled into its restlessness, I let the road carry me like a flow. I had been looking forward to this event for a long time, so once I started approaching the venue, the mood started throwing its hooks on me and there I was at Gagarin just as the last light of day kneeled before the night.
Although I arrived earlier than the time the doors were scheduled to open, there was already a line of around 20 people outside Gagarin, which quickly got much longer. But as our company slowly got together, time passed by fast, and we finally entered a busy venue filled with commotion and felt anticipation.
Securing a front row position, I ended up once again (as always) in front of the speakers. Warm up beers were drunk, conversations were initiated, acquaintances were made and bets about the opening song were thrown around. I placed my bet on either Liar or Miles away (I have a really highly functioning instinct apparently).
Their Methlab were up and it was the second time I was attending one of their shows. Their dense sound made me pay attention immediately, and although the decibels were at first too much and I was trying to decide whether I could do with it or not, it quickly ranked as a secondary thought, and I was just enjoying this effortless flow of energy which was being offered to us with such unequivocal generosity.
Their 40-minute set put the train on the tracks as their sound was so close yet so far from Brutus. Post rock and post metal heaviness has really given prominence to the sound of the bass. It’s true that at times I could feel it billowing, weighing heavy on my chest, pounding like intermittent electricity through wire, connecting everybody together. Stavros of Sadhus joined the band on stage for the track “Colours in Venice”, varying the soundscape with his gutturals, propelling the gush of energy until the closure.
Artist: Morrissey
Album: I Am Not a Dog on a Chain
Label: BMG
Release Date: 20/03/2020
Genre: Indie Rock
Artist: Their Methlab
Genre: Post rock
Arctic Funk
A Call to Arms
Muktuk
Colours in Venice
Golden Bond of Ambition
Their Methlab: Michalis Spanos (Guitar), Dimitris Spanos (Bass), Nikos Vatalachos (Drums)
And while in the beginning the space could breathe and the upstairs tier was the back lounge, with a quick look I could see that it had got crowded too. After a short soundcheck, Brutus went backstage to appear again at around half past ten and create a living gate to another world.
It is truly special when something can manage to block everything out and make you forget where you are as a physical entity. The opening track “Liar” proved that there was a tidal wave coming our way, and we surely were ready to throw ourselves into it wholeheartedly.
It didn’t take more than one track to realise that there is no comparison between studio versions and live performances of their songs.
Even after a period of extensive touring, their skills proved to be sharp and their sound was so thick and full that not one frequency felt pending or missing. Stefanie‘s vocals outshine the intensity of the most brutal gutturals and the crunchiest screams, and I think this vocalization is what this raw energy and the rich emotional depth lie heavily upon.
In tracks like “What have we done” and “Dust”, with her voice being in perfect shape, she hurled high notes, nailing one after the other, replacing and throwing the original ones completely off the grid. The rough edges of her voice, in combination with the raw punch her drumming style feels like, make it all very tense as an experience.
At the beginning of every song people would get excited and, as the songs progressed, the audience would slowly turn numb, paying full attention and barely moving. Apart from the few people who were actually banging their heads at times, most of them were glued to the floor throughout the whole set.
Peter was restless, trying to cover as much space as he could, as if he were trying to accumulate as much energy as possible. Changing to what proved to be a 6-string bass for the track “What have we done”, he kept adjusting his sounds through his pedals, accompanying the guitar with a warm, mournful tone.
Stijn was completely in the zone. The guitar tones he conjured for the intro of “Space” had such strong Pink Floyd aura and were so intoxicating, that proved how versatile their sound is.
If you looked at those three individuals, you could see the dynamics between them and how well they play out. It’s really difficult to say there were highlights in their performance, because it was all very much in unison and tight.
Humbled by the way people welcomed them, Stefanie thanked people a couple of times saying “It is the first time we play here, but let’s hope it’s not the first and only, but the first of many”.
And I really believe that we have already managed to bring them back again. If this was not your first time seeing this band live, it kind of felt like it was. If you have not attended one of their shows, make sure you do.
Somewhere amidst all the commotion, the noise and the febrile waiting time, the event caught me completely off guard. I was very conscious of what I was up for, but this was beyond any expectation. I think that everybody had pretty much an idea of what they were about to see, but what nobody was in a position to fathom was the effect of it.
In the end, I got out of the venue feeling emotionally exhausted and peacefully empty. In a world more and more tightly asphyxiating, we need more breaths like this…
Artist: Morrissey
Album: I Am Not a Dog on a Chain
Label: BMG
Release Date: 20/03/2020
Genre: Indie Rock
Artist: Brutus
Genre: Post hardcore, Post metal, Punk
Liar
Horde II
War
Victoria
Justice de Julia II
— Miles Away intro—
Miles Away
Brave
Storm
What Have We Done
Desert Rain
—Space intro—
Space
Dust
Sugar Dragon