Mothership & Poseidon at The Black Heart, London - live review

Conceptual doom isn’t a new trick but London’s POSEIDON [8] are taking the reins from the likes of Ahab and creating their own spin on the genre. The quartet haven’t even released their debut album yet but tonight’s reception is reverential and their brand of hardcore tinged epic sound proves hypnotic and fierce. The tangible weight is pushed back at the crowd in cyclic waves, the riffs weaving through moments of ambient drones while frontman Matthew Bunkell either sings sweetly or screams with driving pain. The sense that Poseidon have a lot more to reveal cuts deftly through the cloying heat. Where the locals are introspective, Texans MOTHERSHIP [7] are all about the party. Stoner rock and beer is the name of their game and despite the heat the band are in high spirits, with Helter Skelter kicking things off with aplomb, sounding much more dynamic than it does on record. Mothershipare a live band more than anything and it’s in a sweatbox like this that they shine. While an hour of almost identical songs does get a little overwhelming, the band are on fire and frontman Kyle Juett keeps the crowd invested with plenty of witty banter. Speed Dealer is frenetic and Lunar Master is deliciously catchy, sounding incredibly heavy and with a chorus that lodges firmly in the brain. Mothership aren’t breaking any barriers but they’re sure having fun in the meantime.