The bozouki, for those of you playing at home, is a stringed folk instrument that’s centuries old and is traditionally found in the folk music of Greece. It’s also, would you believe, the last instrument you would expect to see on stage for a metal show. Still, its player – one Lachlan Dale – certifiably shreds on the fucker as he leads instrumental trio Hashshashin. Sonically, the band lands somewhere in a sweet spot between Fat Guy Wears Mystic Wolf Shirt and The Crooked Fiddle Band – and, fair warning, you should only investigate further if those comparisons make sense.
In an odd contrast, Sydney sextet Illimitable Dolor (both bands clearly bonded over tongue-twisting names) make more sense on this bill but feel less exciting as a prospect. They’re a hybrid beast of black and doom metal, but they don’t lean in heavily enough on either side to properly make an impact. The vocals also feel as though they’ve been transplanted from a different band entirely. Illimitable Dolor aren’t doing anything particularly bad with their music, per se – in parts, they’re even impressive. Struggling to remember their name has a lot more to do with its unpronounceable nature.
They sound absolutely massive … with the kind of sound mix that one can properly feel in the chest.
Being a somewhat-obscure name in the realm of heavy metal, with the double-whammy of being programmed on a Tuesday, Pallbearer were never going to be a wall-to-wall sellout tonight. Still, it’s clear from the outset that the Little Rock-based quartet are appreciative of every person that’s made the effort to venture out into the cold to see them. The objective therein is to ensure it was worth everyone’s time – and as far as that side of things is concerned, Pallbearer unequivocally deliver.
For one, they sound absolutely massive – the downtuned crunch of their guitar work grinds up against the rumble of the bass and the crash of the drums during the more mammoth moments, with the kind of sound mix that one can properly feel in the chest. By the same token, however, they’re also able to flaunt dynamic range through the longer musical passages, drawing back in and slowly rebuilding to great effect. From the grandiose ‘Worlds Apart’ to the dizzying heights of closer ‘Foreigner’, Pallbearer are capable of carrying insurmountable heaviness on their collective shoulders.
Even for those with only a passing interest in the genre, Pallbearer are essential listening – and, as it turns out, essential viewing.
Pallbearer played the Manning Bar on Tuesday July 4.
