Darkest Era w/ Gospelheim and Reliquia – Satan’s Hollow, Manchester: Live Review

By Dominic Walsh on 27th November 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

Darkest Era squeeze in a couple of UK dates in support of 2022’s Wither On The Vine. Gospelheim and Reliquia offer support.

Reliquia

Reliquia are a new band having only three single releases to their name, and this being their third gig. For this set, they manage to flesh out thirty minutes with plenty of their own material. Their sound is gothic in nature with nods to The Cult and Bauhaus in their sound. Smatterings of harsh vocals appear throughout; this keeps things a little different in amongst the gothic leanings. The Graveyard School and Fear Of The Light have both been singles. Give is a tight number with a tidy solo inserted. With the crowd gradually growing, the band offer thanks and depart to a nice applause. I’m pretty sure that Requlia will be on plenty of bills over the course of 2024.

GOSPELHEIM

Ritual & Repetition was released in 2022 having released several singles prior to this. Tonight, the band play a short thirty minute set as a trio. Their sound is certainly gothic with plenty of other influences thrown in. Vocally, there are flecks of Placebo and Ghost.

During the five song set, Praise Be proves to be a highlight. The shifts in tempo throughout make for an interesting song, moving between darkness and light in the music. As it builds to its end the drums are relentless and the guitar and bass mesh together excellently.

Before Voyeuristic Schism, there is a happy birthday dedication and the band polish things off with single, Satan Blues. It is a short set but one where Gospelheim warm the crowd up perfectly for Darkest Era.

DARKEST ERA

Darkest Era are a band that should be a lot bigger than they are. An eight year gap between their second and third album meant they were away for a while. When they returned with Wither On The Vine, we were mightily impressed (review here).

Most of the set is taken from their 2022 return which is a great thing, as it is a brilliant record. One Thousand Years Of Night is preceded with a suitably atmospheric opening. Dwayne ‘Krum’ Maguire immediately tries to work the crowd encouraging a ‘HEY’ chant.

Whilst Withered On The Vine is the focus, an immediate trip back to the Severance record comes in the form of Sorrow’s Boundless Realm. Krum uses the ‘Scream for me!’ card to further build a rapport with the crowd.

Floodlands is one of the absolute standout tracks on the latest LP. By their own admission in our track by track feature with the band (here), the song features a nod to When The Levee Breaks. Not for the first time, the twin guitars shine in harmonious union. Whilst the guitars of Sarah Wieghell and Ade Mulgrew are powerful, it is the bass of Daniel O’Toole that really underpins the epic sound.

Ade Mulgrew plays some excellent solos throughout; most notably during The Collapse. Again, the twin guitars pierce through. This is a moody piece with Krum thoroughly enjoying himself during the longer instrumental passages.

As the band reach A Path Made Of Roots, they are firmly in sync and are really flowing. The only hiccup being a slight oversight on the setlist! A Path Made Of Roots is another atmospheric piece. Wieghell adds her wordless vocal solo to the mix (a clear nod to The Great Gig In The Sky). As the section ends, the bend get their heads down and pummel through the rest of the song with Krum’s vocal range showing. Stand in drummer, Michal Bugajski, smashes the drums as the furious tempo builds.

Tithonius has a slower start before breaking loose. There are a few cracks in Krum’s voice but this is merely an anomaly. A doom style tempo adorns the song before things change up.

To finish, Darkest Era go all the way back to 2011’s Last Caress Of Light with a smashing rendition of The Morrigan. It is vintage Darkest Era and another huge rocker with brilliant solos, incredible drumming and brilliant bass work. It leaves its stamp on an excellent night. Let’s hope that Darkest Era don’t disappear for another near decade before they put a new album out. They have so much to give.