Saor Brings A Unique Aura To London

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Saor Performs “Aura” In Full To The London Faithful

Black metal is an interesting genre, and not just for the stories and incidents. For many metal fans who weren’t around in the eighties, their introduction to the genre is almost certainly the infamous Norwegian scene of the early nineties, which had some great music, but can be a little off putting due to its “necro sound” philosophy. Once one digs a little deeper though, they find all kinds of different approaches to black metal, with atmosphere playing a huge part in the appeal to people all across the world. In recent years, Scotland’s Saor has been a highlight of the atmospheric black metal sub-genre and this Summer, the band marked an important anniversary heading to London and Manchester where they would play the “Aura” album in full, with the first of these shows occurring in Camden’s Underworld.

Fans in attendance had something of a special treat to begin with, as they were able to witness the London debut of Northern Irish post-black metal band Domhain. Last year, the band released their debut EP, “Nimue,” and so it was no surprise that their set contained all three songs from the effort, “The Mourning Star,” “A Pile Of Stones Upon Her Grave” and “A Silent Frequency,” in addition to a brand new number named “Feather From A Raven’s Breast.” Immediately, Domhain is able to set the mood perfectly, creating a wonderfully moody atmosphere without it becoming depressing. Instead, they remained focused, steadfast in their music, which already demonstrates enormous talent and promise. Keep an eye on Domhain, they could be making waves very soon.

After such an impressive display, it was time for Swiss outfit Cân Bardd. While not one of the best known groups in their field, they’ve been earning plaudits ever since their debut album, “Nature Stays Silent” was released in 2018 and had their share of fans in attendance tonight too. Opening with “Une Couronne de Branches,” from their latest full length, “Devoured By The Oak,” the audience was captivated in an instant. The album was well represented, with the title track closing their set, along with “Autumn Shore” included, with the other records being advertised via “Celestial Horizon” and “My Ancestors.” They have a strong presence, though perhaps not quite on par with the others playing tonight, but very enjoyable nonetheless. Cân Bardd is armed with an arsenal of solid music and their star will continue to rise.

There was only one band left to come which of course, was Saor. This weekend was all about celebrating a special milestone, the ten year anniversary of their sophomore album, “Aura.” The Caledonian metal stalwarts would, as expected, play all the songs from the album, though not necessarily in the right order, as they kicked off with “Pillars Of The Earth,” the final song from the record, before turning their attention to the first track, “Children Of The Mist.” As most people know, Saor is a solo project by musician Andy Marshall, so obviously he has help when it comes to the live setting. He’s certainly put together a great team to bring Saor’s music to life, including Spanish drummer Carlos Vivas and German whistle player Ella Zlotos, who was flawless throughout the entire show.

With the entire band working in perfect unison, “Aura” felt as fresh as ever. “The Awakening” was up next, before “Farewell” and the title track were brought out, finishing the helpings from the album. Fortunately, there was a little something extra in store for the fans, as Saor closed the show with a rendition of “Bròn” from the “Forgotten Paths” album. The atmosphere has always been a big part of the band’s music and they brought it in spades for this show, but it should also be noted that there was enormous power and energy put into the performance, which is important for a good set to become an excellent one. This was a tremendous display and fans of atmospheric black metal couldn’t have asked for more.