GOLDRAY

Though Ghost Bath may shrug off any comparison to Deafheaven, and certainly think of themselves as belonging to a different thread of extreme music, there’s definitely some sonic similarities evident as they warm up the crowd tonight. Some have never gotten over the controversies surrounding this band – who originally claimed to be from China, despite actually hailing from North Dakota in the US – but considering the music on its own, there are enjoyable moments, even if it doesn’t translate particularly well live.

The problem with this type of atmospheric heaviness in general is that live, the guitars are so distorted that they get largely swallowed by the drums, leaving just drums, vocals and maybe a clean,

The mothers earth experiment are a six-piece prog psych band with a touch of glam about them. Their first number, Quietus, starts with staccato, stabbing keyboards – very yes/eLP. a nine-minute epic, it has a loping, funk blues midsection that allows the players to get lost in their oceanic, psych drone music, and a coda that mixes up Floydian ambience with free atmospheric guitar audible in the mix. Such is Ghost Bath’s fate tonight, and unfortunately it means their tunes simply don’t come across as being particularly powerful.

When Katatonia take to the stage, they have no such mix issues, with Jonas Renkse’s stunning vocals cutting through with ease. That said, the reason for this – the use of modelling amplifiers over real ones – proves a double-edged sword. With no amps or speakers on stage, in a venue without a large PA system, there’s less of a physical feeling to the heavier, more dramatic passages, and the instruments come across as being just that bit more clinical. It’s a small complaint, however, because luckily their performances and song choices are strong.

Naturally, last year’s The Fall Of Hearts is at the centre of proceedings, though there are also an equal number of tracks from

2006’s brilliant The Great Cold Distance. The highlight of the set comes early though, in the form of Criminals from Viva Emptiness. The subtle, menacing guitars from the studio version become a creeping, visceral scream and make the dramatic transition to the chorus all the more powerful.

The emotive and atmospheric Teargas, from Last Fair Deal Gone Down, also gets a strong audience reaction, as do the more progressive Dead Letters from Dead End Kings, and Leaders from The Great Cold Distance, which has the audience screaming the chorus back at the band.

To their credit, the fans aren’t just interested in the back catalogue, and the new songs go down well too, chief among these the soaring, Porcupine Tree-like

Serein from the band’s most recent album. Single Old Heart Falls is similarly strong, as is Passer, which ends the main set.

In some ways it’s astounding that over such a long career, Katatonia have managed to so consistently pen not only decent but great songs. Tonight is a welcome reminder not just of how good their back catalogue is, but also that they’re still producing solid material.