Fallujah - Cathouse, Glasgow
Fallujah landed at Glasgow’s Cathouse venue, as part of an amazing tour, featuring First Fragment, Allegaeon, and headliners Obscura. With bassist Robert Morey wearing a Godflesh t-shirt, it was clear something was in the air for a very dynamic set.
As Fallujah start up, the sound is totally immersive, and leaves you rooted to the spot, as the power of the music literally passes through you. Vocalist Antonio Palermo prowls the stage with his hood up, taking no prisoners from an utterly beguiled Cathouse audience.
Fallujah have a unique infectious groove to their highly complex metal sound, which is very evident early on in the set. The head banging in the audience seems almost perfectly synchronised with the bands playing. They also in a live setting, absolutely push the limits of what extreme metal is capable of, with complex drum patterns, pummeling bass, and soaring guitar harmonics, with Antonio stood on the crush barrier, encouraging the audience with every gesture.
Antonio asks “Glasgow how you feeling” to a massive audience roar. “We are Fullujah, all the way from San Francisco!”. The band then struck up ‘Sapphire’, with its introduction of ringing mournful guitars. The song has some striking melodic guitar parts, that blend artfully with the massive death metal rhythms, as if both musical parts were made for each other. A massive breakdown section sees the audience on mass, rocking furiously backwards and forwards. The songs final guitar coda ascends over the audience, with the cymbals crashing around it. Absolutely stunning!
The band can also create a really soulful funky feel, with lots of spaces left for the guitars to weave in and out of the intricate rhythms. It’s a completely intoxicating mix. ‘Last Light’ reveals Antonio‘s best vocal performance of the evening, full of emotion and fully reaching out to the audience. The song has a fabulous section, where the band are playing completely as an ensemble, where it is literally impossible to separate out any one instrument. A totally glorious sound!
Fallujah can also deliver an industrial type sound, with incredible guitar counterpoints, where the guitars sound like they are playing totally different songs, and wonderfully it still totally works. Robert’s bass work adds to this amazing sound, a style of playing resonant of Cream’s Jack Bruce, at his best.
“Next song goes out to you guys” Antonio says, as the band play ‘Amber Gaze’, with drummer Andrew Baird swinging his playing between blast beats, and subtly accenting the melody. A wailing guitar solo from Scott Carstairs sets the song alight.
The band don’t let up for a second throughout the set, and Antonio touches the hands of the front row of the audience in a moment of real connection. At the end of a fantastic set the band all raised their arms to the audience. A great band, and we can’t wait to hear the new album ‘Undying Light’.
Photographs by Lewis Allen
About the Author
Gareth Allen A committed metal head with a love of jazz, soul, and folk. Living in Central Scotland and attending gigs in Edinburgh and Glasgow, with it's really amazing venues. My iconic moment... being invited on stage at the Glasgow Garage, by DevilDriver's Dez Fafara!
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