LIVE REVIEW: Polyphia @ Gorilla, Manchester
POLYPHIA are a band whose music is so distinctly unique to them and has spawned so many imitators, that it might as well be worth classifying it as a whole new genre. Whether looking at it compositionally or tonally everything they release is so intrinsically and authentically them and they’ve rightly garnered a hugely passionate following during their reign at the top of the instrumental progressive rock genre. With fellow instrumentalists TIDES OF MAN and rapidly-rising young guns of progressive metal UNPROCESSED in tow, POLYPHIA descend on Manchester for one of their biggest and most anticipated UK headline shows to date.
Tasked with kicking the evening off were German up-and-comers UNPROCESSED in what quickly turned out to be one of the best performances of the night. Bridging the gap between the complexity of instrumental prog and the ferocity of modern metal, UNPROCESSED played a set absolutely packed with impressive musicianship and brought with them a presence that dominated the room. Utilising programmed electronics on backing tracks, the band reproduced their groove-laden, technical back catalogue to an impressive degree. Effortlessly switching between excellent cleans and brutal screamed vocals, the frontman put on an absolute masterclass which was made even more impressive by the fact he was simultaneously playing a range of intricate guitar riffs flawlessly. UNPROCESSED have a sound that bridges the gap between multiple demographics and they really excel in a live setting. While their music has a certain complexity that would see it go down well with fans of instrumental music, it still retains its intensity, heavy groove and most importantly its ‘moshability’.
Rating: 7/10
Taking the night to more subdued place with their dreamy, instrumental soundscapes were TIDES OF MAN. Introducing themselves with muddy, droning guitar and bass, their opening track suddenly came alive when punctuated by busy work on the drums. Immediately, the drummer literally and figuratively took centre stage: usually, the drums are the glue that holds everything together, this is that and a whole lot more.
The shift from the energy of the first band to the wandering musical soundscapes of TIDES OF MAN made for a jarring experience. With each track lacking a clear and defined melody that leads the crowd through each song, every track in the set felt like it was crying out for some vocals and this lack of melody relegates the band’s obvious talent to that of background music, which doesn’t lend well to this type of live setting. With very little tempo variation and each track trundling along at around 90bpm, following such an aggressive set from UNPROCESSED made their set feel akin to a big sigh in the middle of the evening. While TIDES OF MAN are really adept at what they do, there’s a time and a place and sadly, this wasn’t it.
Rating: 6/10
Bringing the energy in the room back up to a boiling point, POLYPHIA took to the stage one by one and were welcomed with a barrage of cheers from the sold-out room. Kicking their set off with G.O.A.T., O.D., and Saucy from their latest release, 2018’s New Levels New Devils, POLYPHIA came out throwing haymakers from the get-go.
Despite the overt enthusiasm of the packed house and band being in absolute phenomenal form, members of the band kept having to take to the mic between songs to encourage some movement from the room – clearly, some were still subdued from the previous band’s lethargic set. Once the band’s energy started to permeate throughout the room, the crowd seem to get rowdier with each track the band played until swathes of crowd surfers punctuated the room and everyone else was bouncing in unison.
Before they played one of their oldest and best-loved tracks Champagne, guitarist Scott LePage encouraged the room to help him “remember” the riff to the upcoming song which led to a moment rarely seen at gigs with no vocalist: the whole room enthusiastically singing the melody in unison. This really speaks to how good POLYPHIA‘s music is and how adept they are at creating instrumental music that is versatile, melodic, and catchy. POLYPHIA make music that is suitable to dance to, sing to, mosh to, or even to just stand and stare in awe at the overt virtuosity, there is truly something for everyone and their live show is something that any fan of music will appreciate.
There is a reason that POLYPHIA are held in such high regard, and this set was further proof why. Awe-inspiring musicianship, complex, interesting, yet catchy composition, and a sound that is so uniquely them allows the band to exist in a category all of their own. Whether you’re a musician yourself, a fan of instrumental music, or neither, you’ll no doubt feel as if you’ve got more than your money’s worth at a POLYPHIA show.
Rating: 8/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Alex Dixon here:
