DIVISION OF LAURA LEE are a new name to this reviewer. Their excellent set tonight however will make sure that their name remains lodged in my memory for future reference. A quick glance at their website tells us they hail from Sweden and that their name means nothing in particular. Their heavy guitar riffs and breathless onslaught bring to mind the heady days of grunge and transport us straight back to 1990. Sliding in nicely alongside the recent 50ft Wave record bands like these are here to remind us what we’re missing out on whilst listening to the latest Libertines wannabes. It’s almost enough to make you want to dig out that old lumberjack shirt loitering at the back of the wardrobe.
….AND YOU WILL KNOW US BY THE TRAIL OF DEAD, in contrast, are resolutely in 2005. Their recent album ‘Worlds Apart’ was a vitriolic assault on the world around using incendiary guitars as their chosen weapons. It’s arguably their finest moment so far and tonight a good fifty percent of the set is drawn from it.
They start with ‘Will You Smile Again’ and immediately you’re drawn to the two drummers at the back of the stage. They’re thumping the shit out of their kits and the noise produced is like being caught in an artillery bombardment. But then they need to be loud just to make some headway through the formidable noise of the guitars up front. Quite frankly …..The trail of Dead are vying for the honour of the loudest band I’ve ever seen. This is not some incoherent noise fest though, far from it. The band are as tight as hell: each nuance, each pause before the unleashing of another cascade of guitar frenzy is spot on. They’re playing within an inch of their lives, keeping just the right side of coherence and it’s a joy to behold.
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The whole set is one long highlight, the pummelling noise evened out with quieter moments. Guitars are smashed, one of the drummers steps out front to add more guitar and vocals before returning to bombard us once more. ‘Summer of ‘91’, ‘The Rest Will Follow’, ‘A Classic Arts Showcase’, ‘Caterwaul’ : all the songs off of ‘Worlds Apart’ suddenly make even more sense when played at ear splitting volume. The energy contained within is not immediately apparent at home or in the car but live they are huge slabs of joyous noise. Not for the faint hearted.
They finish their set in squeals of feedback and smashed instruments. It’s a fitting end to a drunken night (St Patricks day celebrations seem to have taken over London tonight without an Irishman in sight) and …… the Trail of Dead have channelled their anger and excess into one of the finest live shows I’ve ever been lucky enough to witness.
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