HYOM, Codespeaker, A-Sun Amissa – Star And Garter, Manchester 01st December 2024

Nothing like a good Sunday night post-metal gig is there ? Not sure how many people have ever said that, but I’m not a normal person. The bands on display tonight at The Star And Garter, Manchester, haven’t exactly stuck to the path of convention during their careers either. At least as far as compositional approaches are concerned….and that suits me fine! I like my music left field and far from the ordinary. Hundred-Year Old Man (HYOM) and Codespeaker had been burning through Ireland and the UK, and now arrived in Manchester on a cold wet evening, enlisting A-Sun Amissa in support.
A slight delay to the doors, but no bother. That just meant more time for beer…I mean time to be professional and begin taking notes for this review. From being sat downstairs, I could hear the sound check and knew we’d be in for something good. I also wondered if the old walls could withstand the intensity of this lineup. After this delay to the doors, it was a pretty quick turnaround and straight into the first band…

A-Sun Amissa
Now then. This was different! Two guitars, one clarinet, and a shed load of effects pedals. The drone-inspired soundscapes generated by these instruments created the bleakest of bleak atmospheres. Conjuring up images in my mind’s eye of some post-apocalyptic wilderness in which humanity has taken its final breath. It was that captivating and absorbing! Speaking of which, when I eventually leave this world , this would make for some intriguing funeral music! The pace was slow. Very slow, with movement changes coming at a glacial drip, making Bell Witch seem like a thrash metal band in comparison. However, you could easily lose all sense of perception and time during their set. This truly was as experimental as it gets and defies songwriting conventions.
For all this praise, it must be said that there are many who simply won’t have the patience for this! Also, the venue was poor for this music, with a single amber light as the sole source of support for this atmospheric display and no other visual aid. I’m sure I’d like to see the band again at a more suitable venue however and will keep my eye out for this. I’m kicking myself for missing their set at ArcTanGent a few months ago which would have been the perfect setting for them!

Codespeaker
New territory for me and a band I had never encountered before. That’s all good though. Visually, they seemed to overcome the limitations of the venue’s lighting by simply turning the lights out and utilizing their own light bars. This added infinitely more intrigue to their show, as opposed to A-Sun Amissa (sorry guys). Especially when we sore strobe lights in sync with the music, demonstrating that they had done their homework for this.
Musically, this was solid! Densely textured and multi-layered, I could sense progressive metal and post-hardcore influences in what was a deceptively complex mix and sound. Try to imagine if Amenra and Cult Of Luna had an unholy offspring and you’re in the right ballpark.
The folks in front of me lapped this up and had a mini mosh, much to my surprise and obviously forgetting that it’s a Sunday night! With this being said, I would have liked to have seen more crowd interaction from the crowd, even to simply introduce themselves!
Nonetheless, this was the only blemish on a solid set in what was a very pleasant introduction to the band!

HYOM
Having seen the band a few times now, this had always been at opening/lower card slots on festivals. As such, it was pleasing to finally see them on a headline slot and a subsequently longer one-hour slot.
“Is that an earthquake?” I thought to myself upon feeling the devastating low-end rumble of the drones and bass right at the beginning of the set! An early warning sign for what was to come.
They also overcame the visual limitations of the venue with seemingly supreme ease, all with their own light bars and floor lights. Later in the show, we’d see how this custom programmed for their set, adding invaluable and much-needed atmosphere. The venue was great for this, the smaller more intimate setting where you feel every ounce of that intensity. The question is, how can they transfer this to the larger stages, as the influences of Russian Circles and Cult Of Luna have? Much like these bands, HYOM seems to have mastered the fine balance between offering crushing intensity in their sound but yet still maintaining clarity and melody without overwhelming those in attendance.

The set was largely comprised of material from 2022’s “Sleep In Light”, though they finished with a crowd favorite ‘Long Wall’, especially considering how many were singing along (me included) and having a good old mosh along (me not included – I’m too old). All these factors demonstrate how immense an experience watching HYOM live can be when they’re given the tools they need and the respect they thoroughly deserve.