Koko may be one of the grandest venues on the London circuit, but it also has an expensive bar and sound that varies dramatically depending where you’re situated.
German doomsters **LUCIFER [6] **are a victim of ropey acoustics tonight, with the moody riffing too muddy and frontwoman Johanna Sadonis too loud. TRIBULATION’s** [8]** material fares better, a result of both stellar songwriting and more treble-heavy compositions.
The band’s genius blend of goth rock swagger, horror punk and black metal slices through the mire for the most part, although, again, a lack of clarity sometimes stifles the effect.
Thankfully PARADISE LOST [9] suffer few such issues, sounding colossal no matter where you stand. The band remain one of the UK’s strongest metal bands, their self-assured stance revealing a band comfortable with what they’re about.
Tonight’s set is certainly contemporary, with new album The Plague Within making up a considerable proportion of the setlist, interspersed by single songs plucked from opuses such as Icon and Draconian Times. Just as well the new album is one of the band’s strongest, then, or the old school portion of the crowd wouldn’t have left quite as satisfied…
