LIVE REVIEW: The Colour Line, F.O.E.S, Ithaca @ The Black Heart

Laura Herbert
Apr 25, 2016
3 min read

When you realise there’s a gig at The Black Heart, your heart should do a jump for joy. It’s one of London’s best live music venues, with it’s grungy yet cool pub downstairs and the venue upstairs. For a venue, it’s a medium sized room at best but the magical atmosphere it posseses is like no other. Tonight the line up is strong for fans of the underground metal scene. Where you may not see these bands on magazine front covers, theres no doubt that they know to whip up a frenzy. Ithaca, FOES and headliners The Colour Line come together for one night at The Black Heart and if you missed this then you should be kicking yourself.

Up on the stage are Ithaca [8] and by means of first on stage their level of amateurity should show. But it doesn’t. From the moment they open their performance, their level of musicianship is above the bar – it bares the question how can the night progress? They instantly ascend into chaos with an energy that resembles a flair illumination in the night. Ithaca have only released an EP so far and although it’s still early days for these guys but their stance on the stage resembles a band that aim to progress. Frontwoman Djamila Azzouz belts out her mighty growl throughout their set at a level that never falters. In equal measures the ambient elements make for a well rest neck break from the gritty breakdowns that you can’t help but move your head to.

FOES [6] take to the stage with a setlist of tracks that ooze with a flair of ambient groove. Whilst their first two EPs received a hoard of positivity, their hint at new material is in the form of their latest single Beautiful Fiction. Here, the show is taken down a notch as lead vocalist Chris Mackrill cools the audience with his effortless vocals. As the vocals match the ambience, every track peaks at an intense rhythm packed full with the heavier aspect of the band. While being the tamers of the night, they bring a sense of tranquility before the night really kicks off.

Headliners The Colour Line [8] waste no time sparking into complete disorder. Known for their impeccable chaos, their set bares a stunning resemblance to prior shows but that’s not a bad thing, just technical hardcore bliss. For those who hadn’t seen these Yorkshire lads before, frontman Sam Rudderforth roaring within an inch of your life is the last thing you would expect. They set out as they intend to carry on and whilst they plow through a setlist of brutal calamity from their debut EP The Long Awaited Seal Of Dissaproval, Sam takes every opportunity to stay in the crowd. Perched on top of a battered box, he bows his head in time of the unruly riffs, showcasing his robust lung capacity and the crowd follow his lead.

In their 40 minute set, they pack in their technical hardcore meets tech metal riffs with ease. Tracks E = MC Hammered, The Treisand Effect and catchy R.E.D prove that The Colour Line are a force to be reckoned with. Midway Sam clings to the center pole as a crutch for insanity, whilst guitarist Usama Rafique holds the fort on stage, providing the frantic riffs for the night. There’s no doubt that these lads are the next band you need to catch, so you all better fall in line.

Photos: Rachael Griffiths