Arcane Roots at Hevy 2011
Sometimes, you've got to believe the hype. Arcane Roots are a three-piece who have seen their name get fanned in a blaze that has taken over the pages of most alternative publications going. Why? Because in a world awash with mediocrity, there is nothing more refreshing than finding something truly special. It was my first chance to see this promising band this weekend and I was expecting brilliant things.
Click for large image |
Despite having flown over from Florida that day I was not let down by a fatigue-strained show. Perhaps Four Year Strong should ask them for their secret. The dark pocket of the Rock Sound and Macbeth tent set a perfect scene for a band who construct vast, dark, sprawling soundscapes with startling ease. Their appeal lies not in an overwhelming originality. You can give 'In This Town of Such Weather' a listen and hear flashes of Billy Talent in their rattling spikiness and stylised vocals. There's been comparisons drawn to The Mars Volta, and it might have been the beardiness, but there was something in the absorption of live performance that definitely struck a resemblance to Biffy Clyro too. However, there is a feeling of artistic approach and self expression in their material which means that Arcane Roots are far from being any sort of multi-band tribute.
The technicality and tight musicianship that pulsates from their live set demonstrates a real depth of understanding of music itself. These are musicians who have clearly spent much time analysing the formula and structure of the artists they admire to craft a sound that is far richer than that of most 'new' bands. The intensity of the drama created on stage feels like a sight of creative release in a way you don't often see...particularly just after lunchtime in a field in Kent. It is for that reason that the crowd seemed to be made up of those who really 'got it' from the off... perhaps those with an interest in making music as much as listening, as well as those who took a while to understand what they were watching. There is no denying the impressiveness of this band, and it will only be a matter of time until they thunder around the scene in Godzilla proportions.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 1 available.