YOB

WIEGEDOOD THE FLEECE, BRISTOL

Such is the ferocity of Church Of Ra trio

wIegedood that even a muddy early sound can’t diminish their black metal avalanche. They barely pause for breath from one blistering wall of sound to the next, but, aside from a few dulcet notes, their support slot lacks enough dynamics to justify its extortionate length. A simple change in lighting from the Belgians’ fiery red to the multicoloured kaleidoscope for yoB signals the move from earthy fury to otherworldly expanses without losing any of the heaviness. Given the frontman’s recent near-death turmoil, it’s unsurprising but nonetheless riveting to witness a band in the thralls of a cathartic release, physically throwing themselves into every crushing note and soaking up

Mike Scheidt’s penetrating guitar solos and soulful howl on Ball Of Molten Lead.

With half the set dedicated to their latest offering, Our Raw Heart, with the unsettling bass of Ablaze and The Screen’s seemingly endless vision laying the foundations, it’s the wandering, purifying release of the album’s title track, juxtaposed by crushing finale Burning

The Altar, that underlines the Oregon trio’s singular talent.