{mosimage}Power to the music with (almost) no words. This evening we celebrate the post-metal/post-rock universe with a local offering and a more established name in a genre that many music critics have already defined as a dead branch. Despite its small dimensions, Semifinal is sold out for a show that is extremely anticipated by the crowd that has invaded the venue.
The opening is performed by Radar, a Helsinki band which mixes Callisto’s True Nature Unfolds-period with the intricate sonic plots of Cult of Luna. Anguishing atmospheres are accompanied by desperate growls, while monolithic riffs destroy every attempt of resistance from the listeners: the five tracks are performed in thirty minutes of engaging music, most of it sampled from the latest album Remoras.
“We came straight from Texas”: these are the only words we’ll hear from This Will Destroy You during the whole show before the thanks at the end. The American quartet takes position on the stage and starts a performance in which melodies and distortions are tightly intertwined for the joy of the post-rock adulators. Every sonic layer is incorporated in an effective fashion, while taking time to let passages mature to their full potential, often lingering reflectively when necessary. While still crafting their tracks according to the post-rock formula, the band has replaced predictable and massive build-ups with dynamics enriched with different effects and sprinkles of electronic music.
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The two guitarists provide an interesting opposite approach, mixing more ambient sounds with aggressive, razor-sharp riffs while drummer and bass player are backing them up with twists and injections of adrenaline. The end result is one hour of pure ecstasy for the devotees of elegantly complex music trajectories where both albums have a say in the show. The sound goes off and the lights are on for the conclusion of a sonic experience that has accompanied, entertained and delighted the enthusiastic crowd. And we leave Semifinal with the hope in our hearts to cross again the path of the Texan band.
Photos by Alessandro Bonetti and Radar`s MySpace official site.
For more information about the band, you can visit:
http://www.myspace.com/radarnoise