By Alex Richings
Warming the stage with abrasive and discordant wtfgaze, Sage Over Syringe clamber gracefully through their second ever live performance. A captivating barrage of hideous nightmare jazz projected relentlessly outward, all the while, the scene was captured by an artist sat on stage, tracing the likenesses of those witnessing this grotesque sonic butchery.
Next up; Yoke. A heavy psych, noise punk project of Daniel Foggin of Smote fame. Yokeshares some similarities with Smote, but it’s louder, fuzzier and grosser, and therefore better, obviously. With biting hooks lulling you into a fitful trance state, Yoke maintain a pummelling intensity throughout their set, morphing between doom and what could be described as “krautsludge” with absolute expertise. Personally, I only discovered Yoke earlier this year, so I consider their self-titled 2023 record a contender for my album of the year 2025. I know that’s not the ‘normal’ rules for AOTY lists, but I’m not scared of the AOTY Police. I definitely recommend you check Yoke out though, that is, if the above description sounds at all pleasant to you.
I’ll be honest, I came to this gig mainly to see Yoke, and they were everything I wanted them to be.
Nëwsün took to the stage last and drenched the room in the indica-laden final rays of a dying desert sunset. Hailing from a time and place where rock was hairy and metal wasn’t born yet (known in the physical realm as Glasgow), Nëwsün capture lightning and present it live in the form of a raucous set dripping in fuzz and decibels. A massive wall of sound from the three piece who should be on the radar of any desert rock fan who always wished that Kyuss were able to channel the density of Electric Wizard and the gloopy textures of Mars Red Sky.
Three bands spanning disparate genres coalesced only by their love of distortion add up to an evening of fascinating and intoxicating musicality at The Lubber.
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and Sage Over Syringe here
