LIVE REVIEW: Wode @ The Star & Garter, Manchester

With gig season seemingly back in full swing for the UK at least, for heavy music fans, it’s a time to be cherished indeed. With the global situation surrounding COVID hanging in the balance on a knife’s edge, for now anyway, for those bands on the road, the time has never been sweet to make a powerful connection with fans rabid to hear music live in the flesh. For WODE, this is very much the case. The Mancunian black metal band released Burn In Many Mirrors in April to great acclaim and their cult status in the underground is growing rapidly. Six months after the record’s release, the band hit The Star & Garter in Manchester for an album release show that has been bubbling under the surface with great expectation.

With a healthy number of people through the door, for MORTUARY SPAWN, there was an ample opportunity for the Leeds-based outfit to make a strong impression, especially given the fact the band formed in the turmoil of 2020. With just their Spawned From The Mortuary EP under their belts, the quintet waste no time in establishing themselves as a force to be reckoned with during their time on stage. Their brand of death metal sits comfortably in the OSDM revival we’ve seen in recent years, with the band channelling their inner OBITUARY one minute through vicious aural stomps to distorted twists and turns in essence of BLOOD INCANTATION. Benefitting from the close intimacy only a venue like The Star & Garter can provide, MORTUARY SPAWN made a solid impression and moving forward, you can only anticipate bigger and better things for this promising outfit.

Rating: 8/10

After a solid opening from the young blooded MORTUARY SPAWN, for LIVE BURIAL, they have the challenge of keeping the momentum going and making an equally strong impression. And although the impact isn’t as instant as their predecessors, the Newcastle-based death metallers more than give enough to warrant your attention during their time on stage, with the band growing in stature and confidence as the set wore on. With a number of songs from last year’s excellent Unending Futility making their appearance, it’s clear that momentum is on the right side for this band. Through a clever use of varying paces, ebbing and flowing from a sludgey crawl one minute to blasting our a barrage of frenetic aural chaos the next, LIVE BURIAL showcased their worth and it will be intriguing to see if the band can continue to capitalise on the good fortune earnt here and truly establish themselves as a force to be reckoned with in UK death metal.

Rating: 7/10

By the time WODE hit the stage, The Star & Garter is at breaking point. Packed in like sardines, it’s abundantly clear that there is great anticipation to see the Mancunians in all their aural fury and they do just that. Over the course of their headlining set, WODE deliver an abundance of razor-sharp riffing, punk-infused rhythms and a tight knit sound that benefits from the close quarters of the venue itself.

With plenty of material from this year’s Burn In Many Mirrors getting their first air time, this was an ample opportunity for WODE to capitalise on the hype generated from their album release and that band took it with the utmost conviction. Lunar Madness in particular sounds colossal in the live environment with crushing riffs carrying the weight of the band’s heaviness and M. Czerwoniuk’s lead vocals pack an almighty punch whilst Serpent’s Coil’s devilish twin guitar harmonies sound even better live than they do on record.

In a performance that oozed adrenaline and conviction, WODE capitalised on the momentum generated from Burn In Many Mirrors with aplomb, further cementing their status as one of the elite names in UK black metal. And with an appearance at Damnation Festival right around the corner, you get the feeling this is just the beginning for the Mancunians. And based on the roaring reception upon their conclusion tonight in Manchester, it is more than well deserved.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sarah Sidwell Photography here: