Londoners seeking eldritch fire and lingering tinnitus are advised to head to The Lexington on Friday night (May 3). Behind its austere neoclassical façade, swathed in velvet opulence, Bosse-de-Nage (from San Francisco) and Sump (the North) will be there for the second instalment of the ‘Lurker Presents’ series, run by the established extreme music webzine Lurker’s Path.
They’re organising these gigs with the aim of bringing highly regarded underground bands to the UK, and Friday’s show follows the inaugural performance, in January, which featured The Great Old Ones (France) and Terzij De Horde (The Netherlands) – get hold of tickets here, with further details over at the Facebook event page.
Bosse-de-Nage’s III, released last year on Profound Lore Records, is a powerful but deliberately paced synthesis of black metal and post-hardcore. This group has developed a singular aesthetic rooted in French decadence: their riffage recalls masters like Celestiia and Mutiilation, while their lyrics draw on a literary legacy stretching from De Sade to Baudelaire to Bataille. Of course, Bosse-de-Nage are equally an American band, steeped in the cracked raving of Indian Summer and the crooked rhythms of Slint. They trade in pain and melancholy, but as Lurker’s Alex Sutcliffe points out, they’re reaching past these things, clasping life in a savage embrace.
Sump, on the other hand, are a shambling, blood-soaked atavism, a horde of rotted Saxons rising from the soil with grim intent. A two-man band, they play black metal at its punkest, or punk at its most primal and malevolent. Sump bears comparison to Bone Awl or Malveillance, but they stand out for their (deeply) submerged melodicism and their mastery of harrowing atmospheres. They hail from the thriving black circle surrounding the Legion Blotan label in West Yorkshire. Indeed, their guitarist runs the label and records solo as White Medal, perhaps the most prominent project from this scene. Black metal is gathering strength on Albion shores, and anyone with an interest should see this band.
Founded in 2009, Lurker’s Path covers uncompromising sounds ranging from black metal to industrial to prog rock. Lurker has championed formerly obscure groups like Woe, Pallbearer, Thrall, and Godstopper, and provides in-depth features on legendary bands like Blut Aus Nord and Amebix. Lurker is dedicated to thoughtful, impassioned engagement with music, and approaches its live events with the same level of commitment.
