Namasté

Kicking off an evening of loud, electric entertainment were two up and coming bands, Burgundy and 4 Hours, the latter being a surprisingly decent three-piece, until they met with a slow song they couldn’t quite pull off. Their set was generally well received, not least because of their infectious energy and the obvious skill of guitarist and vocalist Adam Sean Duff. The band also earn extra points for the bassist’s name: Tommy Bass.

By the time the main support act, Of The I, came onstage, the crowd had almost doubled in size and the small, overheated basement that is The Borderline was packed. The Swedish-American-British fivesome have recently released their debut album Balance Instars which demonstrates their unique, refreshing sound. Having accomplished the impressive feat of reinventing prog rock, Of The I unleashed their new, heavier and “rough-around-the-edges” sound on an approving crowd. Their style is no doubt influenced by Yes and early-Floyd, but is laced with the nu-age nuances of Muse and Linkin Park.

Of The I are a band to watch out for. Their multi-layered guitar fretwork blends seamlessly together, anchored by the strong bass and drums monster of Nico Lowell and Alexander Boethius. Frontman Jordan Davis’s American twang drives each song through its complex arrangement and, while his floppy movements began to look tiresome after a while, the dazzling and brilliant guitar solos and instrumentals that are a constant feature of Of The I’s songs, made the band a strong and credible onstage presence.

Headliners Namasté kicked off with a powerful and passionate rendition of Brainy Box. It was representative of the style and tone of these five Austrian-based rockers who dispense their crashing and thundering numbers in a manner that lends itself to the heavy blues undertones of Led Zep and AC/DC which are an underlying theme in all their songs. When asked about his influences, vocalist Sam Marlow listed Led Zeppelin, At the Drive In, Aretha Franklin and Tom Waites among others. This mix of influences is evident in Namasté’s combination of melodic tunes with heavy guitar riffs and ear-shattering drums. The feverish energy and pure loudness of the extended finales were channelled through Marlow, whose jerky movements made him look as though he was short-circuiting. But the lights stayed on and Namasté kept the audience’s attention until the very end.

Shari Last