Rolo Tomassi w/ Oathbreaker & Goodtime Boys @ The Cockpit Leeds 25/10/12
I was going over the notes I made on my phone during this set, looking for a place to start this review on. Unfortunately, all I had written about Rolo Tomassi was “nailed it”, which isn’t all that helpful when trying to write up their set a few days later, but a very good description of the night.
The world of metal sub-genres is of course a pretty complex one, yet of the (literally) thousands of overly specific genre names that often only apply to one band in particular, there still doesn’t seem to be one that adequately describes this band. With cited influences as diverse as Mars Volta and John Coltrane, It makes sense that they’re so hard to pin down. Whatever you choose to call them though, there’s no denying that their live shows are an education in doing metal right. Eva Spence’s vocal range, from shrieking banshee to ethereal Kate Bush-esque soprano, went hand in hand with the schizophrenic time-signature changes and glitchy, post-rock instrumentals. James Spence (keyboard/vocals) and Chris Cayford (guitar) also provided a blistering performance. However, the reason for my lack of note-taking during the show was the jaw-droppingly tight rhythm section. Nathan Fairweather and Edward Dutton (bass and drums respectively) were faultless, and took on the near impossible task of keeping a solid groove over the constantly stuttering time signature changes and polyrhythms with aplomb. With a set that’s constantly flitting between genres, taking a breather for an acid-jazz style breakdown, then boiling over the edge into nightmare-soundtrack territory, this is a band that knows how to do it live. By far the best example of this was set-closer ‘Party Wounds’ (it’s on youtube, give it a spin).
Support acts Goodtime Boys were everything you’d want from a hardcore band: energetic stage presence and solid breakdowns – and apparently totally lovely chaps too. Oathbreaker’s frontwoman was utterly demonic and brilliant and terrifying, check out “Glimpse of the Unseen” for some top quality hardcore groove metal.
If you liked Rolo Tomassi, you’ll love this: Dillinger Escape Plan, Three Trapped Tigers, Genghis Tron