LIVE REVIEW: All Them Witches @ O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

Psychedelic sounds have crept back into the spotlight of rock and metal in recent years, gracing everything from their traditional strongholds of desert rock and doom metal, all the way to the deepest niches of extreme metal. Two beloved proponents of these soundscapes in the face of ALL THEM WITCHES and their special guests ELDER packed out the capital’s O2 Kentish Town Forum for a night of dreaming with open eyes and open ears.

It must feel unfair to be a live musician in the crowd of an ELDER show, witnessing alchemy being forged in front of your very eyes and ears. The American psych-doom quartet cast supersonic magic at every show they play, weaving multi-layered melodies around a fluid rhythmic background like ivy leaves around a towering tree. Opener In Procession blooms out from a single note into a bouquet of psychedelia, while alongside his guitar duties bandleader Nick DiSalvo belts out their contemplative lyrics with confidence.

The forty-five minute special guest spot leaves room for only four of their expansive tunes, among which the krautrocky Merged In Dreams – Ne Plus Ultra off their most recent full-length is a particular highlight. The closer is provided by the hard-hitting doom of Gemini, a customary nod to their debut Dead Roots Rising that rounds off an exemplary performance. ELDER are a gift to our scene and we are so fortunate that they grace our shores with such frequency.

Rating: 9/10

It takes a confident band to follow up the previous performance, and luckily ALL THEM WITCHES are just that band. The Nashville four-piece enter with the airy jam of See You Next Fall, oozing the sort of cool that forces one’s body to sway to the groove. Their unique mish mash of rootsy Americana doom rock with plenty of psychedelia unfolds gloriously under the high ceiling of the spacious Forum This calm start may lull you into a false sense of security though – follow-up Enemy of My Enemy shifts a few gears up into stoner rock territory. It is clear from the onset that there is to be a rich musical buffet on offer tonight, veering in the space between THE DOORS and SOUNDGARDEN, with plenty of diversions en route.

There is clear musical mastery on display here. Frontman Charles Michael Parks, Jr. possesses a velvety croon that is simultaneously soulful and effortless, particularly shining through in the bluesier numbers like When God Comes Back or the infectious The Marriage of Coyote Woman. Parks matches his vocal chops with equally tasteful bass lines. Founding member Ben McLeod graces the songs with richly reverberated rhythms and rip-roaring guitar solos. Keyboardist Allan Van Cleave doesn’t just sprinkle the songs with 70s Rhodes ornamentation – during a long droney jam, he even climbs upon his throne for a fiddle solo. All around, there are diverse elements to dissect and appreciate, coming together into a coherent, eclectic whole.

This blend of musical styles has clearly won them over plenty of fans. Whilst they are very well liked in the metal world, it is clear that’s not where their only fanbase comes from, and the venue is packed out with fans from diverse musical backgrounds. The band trust their supporters enough to include three as-yet-unreleased songs in the setlist, as well as an interpretation of traditional Appalachian song Red Rocking Chair. These diversions from the familiar catalogue and the band’s propensity for extended forays into the quieter dynamics allow for occasional dips of the energy in the room. However, the foursome always bring it back home, and round off an engaging main set with the desert mysticism of Alabaster.

They re-emerge to raucous applause for the superb The Death Of Coyote Woman, an eight-minute number that is a neat distillation of everything that ALL THEM WITCHES are about. A fresh and distinct voice, with performances like these they are sure to keep picking up more converts to their soulful sounds along the way.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Anne Pfalzgraf here: 

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