Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.07.2011, Síða 27

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The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 9 — 2011
Music | Live Review
Special | Best Of Reykjavík: Word On The Street
AURAL ECSTASY ATTACK
Man, Converge. We missed that show, because we were
writing a magazine. Damn work.
A lot of bitching and griping has gone
on in the metal and hardcore scene as
of late regarding the inclusion of For a
Minor Reflection on tonight’s bill, and
for good reason. While not as abysmally
offensive to the inner ear as the nay-
sayers (who spent their opening set
downstairs from the venue, at Bakkus)
would have it, their appearance tonight
is horribly out of context. Even though
their sounds can be quite gripping dur-
ing the eerie ethereal parts and pass-
ably shaking during the more driven
passages, the growing audience pays
but lip service to their performance. I,
for one, would like to have seen a band
comprised of long time Converge fans
(such as Celestine, Klink, Manslaugh-
ter, I Adapt, etc.) receiving the much
sought-after honour of acting as sup-
port to the mighty Converge.
As segueing from the mellow mood
of FaMR to the jarring aural assault of
the almighty Converge was deemed un-
wise, the billing was switched around
so that Logn explode as the act im-
mediately preceding Converge. And
a fearsome job they do of it too. My
previous experience of these teenage
lads has been mostly in form of me be-
ing violently awakened by their hellish
ruckus on Sunday mornings (they live
and practice next door to me), but the
Logn du jour have come a long way
from their earlier grindcore manifesta-
tion, and their set list tonight contains
not only violent high speed ditties but
heaving dirty dirges of catchiness far
exceeding that presented during the
forays into power-violence and border-
line crust-core. Kick ass as they are,
audience appreciation is a bit lacking,
to say the least. No pit erupts and the
response is just south of a golf clap.
Their force however is totally unreason-
able, as the drum kit makes several es-
cape attempts and the drumsticks keep
stealing away from the violently thrash-
ing drummer’s grasp.
Next up are Converge. This show
has been a long time coming—seven
years, more precisely—and for this
legendary crew of hardcore heroes to
match the ferocity of their last appear-
ance on these shores a minor miracle
must occur.
Right out of the gate frontman Ja-
cob Bannon displays an utter contempt
for the idea of taking prisoners, and one
can but wonder how any man can pos-
sibly kindle the same inexorable level
of rage as this guy has and continues
to exhibit through hundreds of shows
and a twenty-year career in the pro-
fession of screaming his lungs out. As
‘Dark Horse’ escapes the backline as
if out of a barn on fire, Converge suf-
fer no lack of Grade A material to draw
on as they burst out with hit upon feral
hit, borrowing even from ‘When Forever
Comes Crashing’, the 1998 precursor to
‘Jane Doe’, the critically acclaimed ’01
release that cemented the band as the
leader of the hardcore pack.
In the sold-out venue the intensity
reaches an impossible pitch with a ter-
rifying pit ebbing and flowing, writhing,
kicking and spitting in mouth foaming
convolutions of aural ecstasy. The band
continues to exert a forceful grip on the
raging crowd as numbers from all their
albums (and some yet unreleased ones)
spill over the astounding musical brim
donned by Jacob and cohorts, and after
the last tones die out over the crazed
noise of a rampant audience the cheer
of “Meira, Meira” arises to egg the band
on to further onstage glories, Converge
are only happy to comply, and do so
with a two-song encore terminating in
the classic tune of ‘Last Light’, which
ushers the spent fanbase out the door
into the un-setting sun.
Words
Bogi Bjarnason
Photography
Hössi H
Converge,
Logn,
For a Minor Reflection
Sódóma Reykjavík 20/6/2011
Iceland’s elec-
tronic Travelling
Wilburys are back
as BJ Nilsen,
Jóhann Jóhanns-
son, Pétur Eyvinds-
son, Stilluppsteypa
and DJ Musician
take a break from
creating ambient
drones.
Their fourth album
is a more focused,
beat driven affair
with a ‘80s hard
electro/proto
techno sound.
There are exquisite
electro moments
Best bar? Babalú. It’s cheap, and has a very
nice atmosphere.
Best restaurant? Icelandic Fish and Chips
was really good. We had Icelandic wolf fish.
The sauce and the skyr…I’ve never eaten
anything like it before.
Best store? Geysir. The balaclava with the
moustache is really cool!
Best bar? Bakkus. There are some nice bar-
tenders and the music is good as well.
Best store? Actually I don’t go to stores but
there’s one. It’s Kvosin, and I really like it be-
cause of the nice staff there.
Best kept secret? Indjánagil in Breiðholt.
It’s really nice.
Best bar? Bakkus, it’s really popular these
days.
Best store? Kjark, it’s a collection of new
designs/designers.
Best kept secret? I won’t tell you, because
if I do everyone will go there.
Sean (UK)Halldór (Iceland)Helga (Iceland)BEST
FRIENDS
DAY
MONDAYS
KAFFI
ZIMSEN
Hafnarstræti 18 - 517 4988 - www.kaffizimsen.is
LARGE DRAFT €3.50
Pósthússtræti 13
101 Reykjavík
Tel: +354 551 1800
www.gamla.is
Compiled by: JH, FG, and MB