Written by:	Darkside Momo
Published:	October 24, 2014
Event:	Yob & Pallbearer: European Tour 2014
Location:	La Dynamo, Toulouse, France
Galleries:	FRA, Toulouse - Yob & Pallbearer: European Tour 2014 by Darkside Momo (11) FRA, Toulouse - Conan: European Tour 2014 by Darkside Momo (10)

Thanks to [url= https://fr-fr.facebook.com/noiserasso]Noiser[/url], a really active association here in Toulouse (they are also responsible for the Cryptopsy and Entombed A.D. (report here) dates in September, and for the awesome Kruger last night, plus the upcoming Year Of No Light and Dying Fetus shows too), we got served some healthy doses of doom and sludge metal.

Both shows took place in the Dynamo, this great little venue in Toulouse's town center (that sadly will be forced to close its doors next year). None of the two dates were full, but they nonetheless attracted more than 100 people each (mostly metalheads but also quite a few rock/alternative people). A good thing, given the very busy metal autumn we have here!


First evening: [url= http://www.metalstorm.net/events/event.php?event_id=105755]Conan's European tour, Toulouse, 2 October 2014[/url]

1.1 - Black Oak Mountain

The first band playing this evening was a last minute surprise, and quite an oddity. Not really metal nor heavy, Black Oak Mountain played some bluesy, at-times atmospheric, rock that sounded quite Nick Cave -ish.

This wasn't a bad appetizer at all, as most people enjoyed it. I'm personally not a fan of the genre, but it was good and played with conviction. Well, except for the drummer who had no groove at all, so focused he was on playing things right. BUT... he has quite an excuse: he's only 16 and this was his first show ever, so yeah, it was a bit stressful for him indeed!

Curious? Their bandcamp is here!




1.2 - Soyuz Bear

Soyuz Bear are a local, up-and-coming sludge band, who play some heavy stuff in the vein of Eyehategod, Weedeater, Bongripper. Well?. Sludge, you know?

So guess what? It was heavy as fuck, with some long and pounding-you-to-the-ground-style songs. The band's already pretty good - kudos to the rhythm section, as both bassist and drummer were quite excellent - but as a whole they still feel a bit 'green' onstage. Well, given just a bit more experience, I'm sure they'll kick some major ass in a near future.

As a nice funny bonus, they closed their set with a short grind outburst, cleverly called "Anal Qaida"

A facebook link, maybe?




1.3 - Conan

Well, if Soyuz Bear were heavy, Conan were HEAVY. Like, pounding, sending bass vibrations through the floor, and stuff. The sound was really dense and enveloping.
Yeah, we could feel the power in 'power trio' (Conan are only three guys, remember?)! One in front of the other, in sweaters and caps, they churned riff after riff, not communicating at all, just releasing hevy riff after heavy riff. It was intense, for sure. But maybe a bit too samey in the long run, to be honest.




So that was a good evening indeed, but I must say I considered it as an appetizer for the show that was about to come four days later?


Second evening: [url= http://www.metalstorm.net/events/event.php?event_id=105756]Yob & Pallbearer on tour, Toulouse, 6 October 2014[/url]

2.1 - Pallbearer

Given the hype surrounding them, I was really curious to see what Pallbearer were all about. That was of course DOOM, of the classical, lyrical, slow and sad variety. And I was impressed.

Brett Campbell is quite awe-inspiring, his high-pitched, beautiful crystalline voice is really superb (and quite the contast with his woodcutter's look - instinctively, you were expecting grunts), and conveyed a lot of emotion. Around him, his mates were flawless - special kudos to Mark Lierly the drummer, who managed to play really well during the whole 50 minutes show while he was ill (a nasty stomach flu).

Almost all the set was composed of songs taken off their sophomore effort Foundations Of Burden (a letdown for some), yet they closed with the fantastic "Foreigner". God! Those intertwining guitar leads in the end...

Yep, they were great for sure!




2.2 - Yob

Ahh, finally seeing Yob live!

Well, if Pallbearer were really good, they still lacked just a little bit of experience onstage. Something Yob had in drove. Naturally imposing their presence (, the three guys very naturally blew everything onstage, aided by a supermassive sound - a sound getting only more massive and heavy as the show progressed. And I mean it. At the end of closer "Adrift In The Ocean", my whole body was vibrating, pummelled by these seismic bass waves. Telluric, I tell you! (oh, yeah, I wrote earlier that Conan were heavy. Nothing like this, really)

The setlist? The whole new Clearing The Path To Ascend ("Nothing To Win" definitely is a gem live) plus a bit of old stuff, "Ball Of Molten Lead" as an opener, and the alreday mentioned "Adrift In The Ocean" to finish the set.

What's more to say? Yob is to be experienced live, not merely listened to. And anytime, anywhere they play, be sure to get there and catch them!




Well well well... If you feel the need to check the shows to either see what you've missed or spot the mistakes in my ramblings, the Noiser team had the great idea to film some shows in full and put them on YouTube, so we've got [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYwTpmEtqic]Conan[/url], [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1JCClxODGY]Pallbearer[/url], and [url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptxccZStu6s]Yob[/url]. Enjoy!

Thanks to all the Noiser team for the accreditations! Keep it up!