Pallbearer & Elder / The Fleece / Bristol
Tonight we headed off to one f our favourite music venues in Bristol, The Fleece. Tucked away just off Victoria Street, the main road into the centre from Temple Meads, it’s a venue filled with character. Iron posts at the edge of the stage and rough flagstone floor gives away its original industrial wool hall heritage. Dark and compact, it‘s a brilliant place to see bands. The sound system is great too, although as a photographer, the pillars and the lighting…. But for the music lover, it’s incredible. And with the Seven Stars next door dating back to the 1600’s serving real ale….. What’s not to like !
I had heard Pallbearer before and was keen to see them live, and co-headlining with Elder, and with fellow Americans Irist in support, this looked like a belter of a show.
With three bands on tonight, we didn’t have to wait long for the first act, as Irist took to the stage. Based in Atlanta Georgia Irist are Rodrigo Carvalho (vocals), Pablo Davila (guitar), Adam Mitchell (guitar), Bruno Segovia (bass) and Jason Belisha (drums). They have a multinational feel with band members coming from Chile, Argentina and Brazil.
This was like diving in at the deep end, and Irist were the ‘heaviest’ of the bands on tonight, and there are similarities to bands such as Gojira, Lamb of God and Meshuggah.
The guitars are heavy and gnarly right from the off, and cutting through them like a chainsaw through steel is the rasping, snarling vocals from frontman Rodrigo. With fists clenched the aggressive energy that goes into his delivery is remarkable.
The sound is complex though and you can pick out elements of grunge and prog, and the occasional latin influence in the beats.
Overall, they deliver a great set, clearly a tight band, and precise band and despite the comparisons, they have a style all of their own. Very intense start to the night and the crowd are loving it.
Set List
Burning Sage
Creation
Gloria
Severed
Insurrection
Order of the Mind
Nerve
Dead Prayers
Surging Ablaze
After a short break, the first of our co-headliners head up on to the stage as Pallbearer give us a 70min set. I was really looking forward to this. Having been listening to their latest album “Forgotten Days” on repeat for the last couple of weeks, I was loving their style of doom metal. For me, there are comparisons to the British band Green Lung, and that is no bad thing at all.
“We’re going to play a lot of different shit tonight,” as they start off with the great track Foreigner from their debut album “Sorrow and Extinction” followed straight away with a brilliantly prog rock track in Forgotten Days the title track from the latest album.
The delivery is spot on, the bass heavy and thumping as Brett Campbells vocals reach out over his guitar riffs which have an early Black Sabbath feel to them (akin to Green Lung). Pallbearer sound fresh and new, but have a wonderful classic rock edge to them.
For me, the highlights of the set include some of the newer material from “Forgotten Days” such as Silver Wings and Caledonia. Silver Wing in particular is a delight live and a welcome addition to the set, with it’s intricate and lengthy opening instrumental section and vocals that almost feel at times like ancient chants. For me, I love how the bass plays such a prominent role with Pallbearer, and in Joseph D Rowland they have quiet the performer. Technical delivery with a unique style on stage.
We headed to 2017’s “Heartless” as the set came to a close for I Saw the End, before we end on Given to the Grave from their 2012 debut “Sorrow and Extinction”.
I have to say Pallbearer are simply phenomenal, and they didn’t disappoint the sell out crowd. This was prog, doom metal at it’s absolute finest.
Set List
Foreigner
Forgotten Days
Riverbed
The Ghost I Used to Be
Silver Wings
Caledonia
I Saw the End
Given to the Grave
The crowd were buzzing now. I’ve not seen The Fleece so full as Elder hit the stage. Formed in Massachsetts, and having relocated to Berlin, Elder are Nick DiSalvo (guitar and vocals), Jack Donovan (bass), Michael Risberg (guitar) and Georg Edert (drums).
Elder serve up a genre-pushing, heavy psychedelic progressive rock tone, and it’s easy to see why they appeal so much. With an old school sound that thrives on the interplay between the guitars of Nick DiSalvo and Mike Risberg. Their style of play is a joy to watch. Again, like Pallbearer we get a full 70 min set which starts with Compendium from 2015’s brilliant album “Lore” which starts with it’s intricate picked notes against a heavy bass and drum backing with cymbals crashing. It creates a wall of sound right from the off, with a hint of Zeppelin.
In Procession from their 2020 album “Omens” along with Halcyon are probably my tracks of the night from Elder particularly Halcyon with it’s psychedelic influences and tones. But their icon album “Reflections of a Floating World” from 2017 is well represented with Blind and the final song of the night, the iconic Sanctuary, a power track with pounding beats and towering distorted guitars.
I was really looking forward to tonight’s show. There’s something about progressive rock / doom that just hits the spot for me. All three bands on show tonight were on top form. Personally for me, Pallbearer were a real highlight and I can’t wait to see them again. A fantastic night all round !
Set List
Compendium
In Procession
Blind
Dead Roots Stirring
Halcyon
Sanctuary
