The last time Portland's Unto Others saw this side of the Atlantic Ocean was in May 2019, when they celebrated the launch of their debut album 'Mana' with an intimate gig at The Black Heart in London. Despite a forced name change a year later - Idle Hands was their previous moniker - the quartet has maintained a devout following thanks to their intoxicating blend of 80's goth, new romantic, and heavy metal. The release of their sophomore record 'Strength' in 2021 capitalized on their early popularity, although touring remained impossible. With all Coronavirus restrictions finally lifted, the band sets out on an ambitious 20-date tour of the UK and Ireland. Moshed! heads to three dates: Nottingham, London, and Norwich, to hear live the songs that got us through lockdown, and we're more excited than a goth in a graveyard!
The first stop is Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, and joining Unto Others is London-based synth and guitar duo Zetra. Dressed in medieval robes, corpse paint, and studded bracelets, the pair wear their dungeon synth influences on their long sleeves. Their love of all things lo-fi bleeds into their sound as mechanical bass notes thud through distorted riffs on 'Life Melts Away Pt. II'. However, the vibrant synthesizer melodies of 'Care' set Zetra apart from the swathes of bedroom black metal projects, creating an immersive live experience that will blossom as their stage production grows. The contrast of light and dark on Zetra's dreamy canvas is exhilarating, and we find ourselves falling more in love with it at every show.
'Subdivisions' plays over the PA system as Unto Others prepare to take to the stage. Bathed in lunar blue light, the band rips into arguably their heaviest track, 'Heroin', with sheer ferocity as strobes flash frantically. "We're Unto Others from Portland, Oregon, and we're gonna give you to the night," states frontman Gabriel Franco afterwards. Dressed top-to-toe in black - complete with shades (indoors!) - Gabriel oozes an aura of cool, calm that matches his expressive vocals. Meanwhile, Brandon Hill and Colin Vranizan thrash it out in the rhythm section, and the guitar prodigy Sebastian Silva glides left to right in heeled boots, often obscured by a mass of thick hair. Unto Others' live image sums up their ethos of darkness, beauty, and heaviness intertwined.
The early placement of crowd favourite 'Give Me To The Night' speaks volumes for the number of top tier tunes Unto Others have in their arsenal. So much so that no album or EP is left untouched. Throughout the set, we get a mixture of deep cuts in the form of 'Instinct' and 'Dalmation', setlist staples such as 'Can You Hear The Rain?' and 'Jackie', plus a surprise cover of 'London Dungeon' by Misfits. Each track is performed with passion and professionalism down to the vicious closer 'Double Negative' despite a small turnout. The guys even take the time to chat to fans after the show, which is always appreciated!
Our next stop is the beating heart of the UK alternative music scene: The Underworld in London. Renowned for thrusting smaller artists up the ladder, Unto Others have a rare opportunity to make an impression here. Although, judging by the healthy queue that's building outside, they already have!
"The only time we see a crowd this big is at our shows back home," remarks Gabriel midway through the set, clearly humbled by the strong turnout at the 500-capacity venue. He's right: the floor is packed with dedicated Unto Others fans - some who travelled from abroad - and general dark music lovers. Tonight is a celebration of a group adored by some and about to be liked by many more. Plenty of heads bang down the front for the entirety of the set; people mimic the legendary wolf howl on 'Nightfall', and Gabriel ditches his guitar to roam the stage like a true rock star during an electrifying - and rare - cover of Thin Lizzy's 'Cold Sweat'. Sebastian has the time of his life as he nails the solo on the latter. Unto Others have made their dark mark on London, and it won't be long until they're selling out its subterranean venues.
Our final stop is Waterfront Studio in Norwich - back on home turf. It's Saturday night; the punters are here to party, and Unto Others take advantage. They fire through a setlist similar to Nottingham, replacing the cover of 'London Dungeon' with a spooky version of Ramones' 'Pet Semetary' that gets everyone singing, beer in hand. Gabriel starts a fun back and forth of "ugh's" with the crowd after a deadly performance of 'When Will God's Work Be Done', showing just how comfortable the band are starting to feel with their indulgent goth identity. "Thank you, Norwich, we will be back!" exclaims Gabriel during the final flamenco flourishes of 'Dragon, Why Do You Cry?' And we hope they are because we're ready to be given to the night. Again, and again, and again.
Words by Jason French
Comments
Post a Comment