Gig review: Suffocate For Fuck Sake, Young Mountain, Nathan Aeli

Taken from Revival Booking's Instagram, found here

Long time no see. Life has been hectic (a global and personal understatement), but I am still around. This was my first live show ever since the plague began, so it was a thing to be excited about. 

The concert took place on a rather gray but lovely evening on September 24th, at a secret location in Gothenburg, Sweden. This has been my first "secret" show and I have to admit that I like the concept. Basically, the location is unknown up until 48 hours before the gig, at which point you are informed about the location via SMS. The idea behind the whole thing is to give people an incentive to explore less familiar parts of Gothenburg, outside of the more popular venues like "Pustervik", for example. This time around the event happened in an empty apartment in Majorna, two rooms and a bathroom, a corner for the bands to play on the floor, a small merch table, a fridge for drinks, and enough space for... I guess roughly less than a 100 people (this could be way off, as my headcount at shows is exceptionally bad)

"Nathan Aeli" was the first band to kick off the evening. Never heard of them before, so the only knowledge I went off of was how they were described by the show organizer: "a gay Nine Inch Nails" and "another black metal appropriator in the wrong style of music". I mean, truly difficult to not become curious after reading that.

Curiosity surprised the cat this time around and I've been instantly hooked into their performance from the very first tone. In reality, the organizer's teaser of the band definitely didn't do them justice now that I think about it, because the band completely subverted my expectations. The 30ish minute performance was just... insane, in a very peculiar way. 

To backtrack a little bit, there's not a lot of info about the band on the internet. Hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, they apparently have two albums, the first one being an acoustic 4-song release from way back in 2013, while the second is an LP from 2019. There are several interesting interviews floating around the net, so definitely sink your teeth into those if you're interested in finding out more.

Looking back at the show, their performance that night seems like a step beyond what they usually do, since their recorded material involves less (or more accurately, no) electronic segments. I listened to them while writing this review and the experience of the stuff they put up on bandcamp is like you're listening to an entirely different project. The duo unleashed digital soundscapes which do sound reminiscent of a crunchy, hungover kind of NIN, but the madness goes way beyond that. Electronic sounds were at times hazy and dreamy, only to break off into glitch-infused industrial pounding which at times morphs into some kind of drugged up version of pop with jungle beats/dnb. I heard sounds that reminded me of work from Mike Cadoo, sections of "Tapage", and some beats shooting straight up from video game soundtracks like "System Shock" or "Unreal Tournament", wrapped with a blanket of raw distortion. And all the while layered with the singer going completely nuts, gentle singing, at times almost a spoken-word with a deep melancholic voice, but then wailing and screaming and hitting high notes and nigh crazy "oooooooooh" sounds. It pretty much borders madness, jumping between calm and extremely loud, the band just pushing the boundary ever so close to being mental and unpleasant, but keeping it well in the confines of the enjoyable. Loved every damn second of it. I was truly impressed with their show and would love to see them perform again, especially to see whether this electronic infusion was a one-off experiment or a solid path straying away from their existing recordings. Show them some love on their facebook page here or check out their current recordings on bandcamp here.

Next in line after a short break was "Young Mountain", another band from Gothenburg. I was vaguely sure that I was familiar with the band, but my old brain couldn't recall what was it that I heard from them, until I sat down to write this. Then I finally remembered that I've listened to "Fragile" way back when it was released in 2014, at the time the band's second release. This Gothenburg 5-piece screamo project formed in 2013 and it came a long, long way since then, piling up an impressive number of regular releases. I need some catching up to do. 

Short, sweet, and very direct, their performance was both a gentle touch to the feels and a severe punch in the throat. An outstanding and truly inspiring screamo manifestation, their 30 minute segment took me to all sorts of places. Their sounds was a raw homage to early works of "Adorno", with chaotic bits from "Someplace To Hide", occasional vibes from old "Damezumari", epicness of "I Create", but sprinkled with that special Swedish screamo seasoning that the scene is famous for. They weaved and swung on notes that were delicate and nostalgic towards downright fast, thrilling, and anxious, with the aggression hitting hard, but the melancholy hitting even harder.

I took a listen to their discography today while at work and it's unreal how much growth they show with each passing release. My mistake for letting them slip through the cracks and my attention avoiding their development, but definitely a lesson to be learned. You can check them out on their bandcamp page here or get in touch via facebook here.

And now, the grand finale of the evening, the time reserved for "Suffocate For Fuck Sake". Their name is deeply established in the post-rock/screamo genre, so much so that I believe there is no true need for an introduction. The Swedish septet hit the scene way back in 2004 with their self-titled EP and have since become a true landmark for their own genuine take on sound delivery. From day one, their mark of uniqueness came in the form of using audio samples as the main source of storytelling. The said samples, featuring people talking about their addictions and mental disorders, superbly set a truly heavy kind of atmosphere which is then built upon with absolutely massive layers of sound that rival beasts such as "Cult of Luna" and "Neurosis", while also showing a more delicate and fragile side of the equation by the likes of "Mono" or "Sigur Rós". 

Thus far the band produced four albums, each a worthy piece of their puzzle. Like a true gentle behemoth, they have a tendency to submerge themselves under the waves and spend many years in silence, most notably the 8 year break between their second and third albums, thus it is a true wonder to catch them live. I saw the show announcement by complete accident thanks to the mercy of one friend who doesn't even know the band but simply thought that "the name sounds like something that you might enjoy"... and oh boy was he correct.

You can follow this link to view a short video of the opening song (YT decided to age restrict it cause of the name, so can't embed the video into the post...)

Their set was everything I hoped for and that much more. I honestly never dreamed that I would see them live, yet there I was being slowly overwhelmed by the opening sounds of "Blue Lights and Sunshine" from their masterpiece "Blazing Fires And Helicopters On The Frontpage Of The Newspaper. There's A War Going On And I'm Marching In Heavy Boots". The opening moments were perfectly showcasing what this band has always been famous for, the slow buildup of sound and the anxious unraveling of the story which they want to tell. The mood cold and melancholic, expressed both with soft spoken words contrasted by piercing screams and the gigantic wall of sound crashing all over you, they took the crowd on a journey where everyone was consumed by the unraveling spectacle. "Hope" came up close, in my opinion the crown jewel from their latest album "Fyra", putting a spotlight on the a more droning melody enhanced by an oasis of beautifully chilling clean vocals. I'm listening to the song now as I type this and cannot help myself but marvel at how powerful it sounded when witnessed live, despite already sounding amazing as a recording. The absolutely brightest merit of SFFS has always been the ability to create a specific atmosphere and drench you in a particular mood, yet the ability to replicate those feelings in an even stronger way live is a talent few musicians manage to cultivate.

The concert came full circle, ending with sounds from "Blazing Fires...", the crowd absolutely elated despite the unreal heat and lack of air in the small room. I was truly beyond myself with various emotions and all I could do was muster strength to go and buy a record to support the band and then head home.  You can also support them via their bandcamp page here or get in touch via facebook here.

I mentioned previously that this show has been important since it is the first one since the pandemic began, but it means to me so much more beyond that. I've landed on the SFFS bandwagon way back in 2009 when "Blazing Fires..." has already earned its status as a record that pushes the boundaries of its respective genres. It is 13 years since then and I can't seem to deny myself the desire to think about what my life was then and what it is now. Back then I was listening to them with my girlfriend at the time in the same room where this blog came into existence, thinking about the fact that this band comes from a country so distant to me, so unknown, speaking  in a language that seemed so alien. And now, more than a decade later, I am actually living in Sweden, sharing my life with the same girl from back then who turned out to be the one partner in crime and my dear wife, standing there together in an apartment show, the epitomal screamo setting of a scene I always wanted to be a part of, listening to samples I can now understand but a little, the language not so unknown anymore as it surrounds me every time I step outside... Life is beautiful as much as it is vicious, and this show made me realize its sense of the poetic. An experience which will surely leave an imprint in my mind forever, a mark of change and endurance, yet I certainly hope another 13 years don't have to pass for me to see this band again.

Not sure how to close this review after such a personal outpour, so I will leave it at that. Whoever reads this, I hope you enjoyed the read and thank you for still being here, after so many years. Be good.