Rich Davies took a trip down to Bodega to see DVNE and Pijn in action...
Another trip to the excellent Bodega, this time to take in a show of progressive metal courtesy of DVNE, with support from Pijn. I really enjoy bands such as Elder, Pallbearer and The Wytches, so I had high hopes for this one.
First up on stage were Manchester band Pijn and the six-piece includes a violin and cello crammed onto the small Bodega stage. And wow, what a wonderful surprise Pijn were. I’d not heard them before, and they wowed the crowd with a short set of exceptional, mainly instrumental, progressive metal which was laden full of emotion.
The effects driven guitar was supplemented by the airy strings that give the sound an ethereal and delicate quality. Don’t get me wrong, this is heavy. For example, on opening track Denial from 2018’s excellent album Loss, the guitar and bass drive the track, but the strings come in waves across the top creating something quite incredible.
The set included latest single Weave In, which is a fantastic doom metal style, deep, dark and gloomy number. The final track Blush is the only one with vocals, a brilliant deep growling roar from vocalist/guitarist Joe.
I was blown away by Pijn. Their sound is incredible, and they are certainly a band to watch out for in a town near you – a band with a big sound, big ideas and so, so much potential.
Phew! A quick trip to the bar for a diet coke to cool down, and the venue is pretty full now, and very warm as the stage is cleared and changed, ready for the entrance of tonight’s headliners, DVNE. Formed in 2013 in Edinburgh the 5-piece band were originally called Dune, after the sci-fi novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. Heavily influenced by fantasy and sci-fi, the band draw their musical influence from a wide range of styles including doom, post metal, and progressive rock. As a result, their sound includes a mix of melodic textures, coarse raw growling vocals and fierce fizzy riffs.
The power comes from some exceptional drumming from Dudley Tait, which underpins the whole sound and allows the complex melodies to soar across the long instrumental sections. This is aided by Allan Paterson’s bass which is deep and shakes the speaker stacks.
The guitar work is simply stunning from Victor Vicart (vocals as well) and Daniel Barter. With complex effects layered into their output, they create a wide variety of powerful soundscapes. The vocals are deep and gruff, and reminded me of something like Irist in their power and intensity - always a good thing!
You can certainly discern the various influences in their set list from doom to progressive, stopping off at black and death metal along the way. The great thing is that DVNE are able to mix and balance these influences so well.
The core of the set came from their newest album Etemen Ænka from 2021 (outstanding and well worth checking out on your favourite streaming service). Indeed, some of the tracks have a depth of complexity that reminded me somewhat of Imperial Triumphant, especially the track Enūma Eliš.
DVNE are a ferocious band and yet at the same time deliver a performance with delicate and intricate elements mixed in with the brutality.
An utterly spellbinding night. Both Pijn and DVNE delivered something different, but they compliment each other so well. I really hope that if there is any justice in the world, both of these bands should have huge futures ahead of them.
The tour continues with dates as follows:
14/04 – Crofter’s Rights / Bristol
15/04 – Oslo / London
16/04 – Soup / Manchester
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