The first band up was Yohke and Yohs, clearly inspired by the likes of Italian jazz trio Zu. There was a drummer, there was a baritone sax. And a whole lot of effect pedals. No more. Ever heard a metal saxophone? I did now. In fucked up rhythms this duo rocked hard. I mean very hard. The saxophone threw out more heaviness that an average rock band does as a whole. Incredible! He even managed to play some sort of metal guitar-solo on that thing. Besides that there was quite some avant-gardeish improvisational noise, which was entertaining to see. I must add that they’re not quite near the level Zu is at, but I like their concept. It’s just that the drummer occasionally didn’t seem to know what to do. Perhaps, like with Zu, a bass player might solve this problem. I guess the real problem then would be where to find one…

 

Second on the bill was Blutch, a band that’s comparable to The Melvins according to the 013 website. I agree. This trio, consisting of a bassist, drummer and guitarist/vocalist, threw out some heavy-as-fuck rock/metal in a very original way. Doom soundscapes, guitar molestation, heavy roars, interesting drum patterns, all in one package. The band played quite tight and brutalized the few people there quite severe. The last track they played seemed to last forever, creating a massive doom metal soundscape, almost Sunn 0))) like. Very impressing band that I hope to encounter again some time.

 

Comity had to outperform the previous two acts, that already made a lasting impression on me, but they easily did so. The 013 website described them as a hybrid between Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Neurosis, and again they were right. Hectic chaotic riffing in impossible rhythms, brutal hardcore attacks and massive doomy soundscapes comprised their music, and I loved every bit of it. Well personally I preferred the mathcore parts more than the rest, but the level of their music was remarkably high, so there was no reason to complain. The drummer executed everything with a clicktrack on his head, so he made sure everything was tight as a baby’s anus. But this guy had a lot to offer, especially in the Neurosis-like parts he grooved like there was no tomorrow. The two guitarists scrambled and mangled the living daylight out of their instruments, and the bassist followed them with ease, while throwing out some brutal grunts. His facial expressions made it even more convincing, and the stage presentation as a whole was very impressing. They were all very much enjoying what they were doing, even though approximately twenty people were watching. In the end I was very impressed by this innovative French band, definitely no worse than the recently hyped lads of Gojira. Different for sure.