Boris – ULU, London 19/06/2011

Begone, tattered Converse, Uniqlo shirts and fey indie sensibilities, for ye have no place here tonight. Black-centric sartorial choices, expansive facial hair and a judicious degree of rockage are the order of the day, and Chicago post-metal trio Russian Circles deliver the perfect opening salvo for a show that trades subtlety and emotional delicacy for awesomeness at ear-splitting volumes.

This reviewer’s metal credentials are flimsy at best, but the fact it all sounded vaguely like the soundtrack to the kind of blood-splattered anime the Daily Mail used to try to ban back in the day evoked pleasantly nostalgic memories of a geeky, girl-free childhood.

This brutal level of decibelage is continued, maybe even exceeded by headliners Boris, a band who for their reputations as relentlessly heavy dronemongers display a wilful disregard for being pigeonholed in anything so base as a particular genre.

Their commendably and at times bewilderingly eclectic nature is exemplified by the “heavy rock” and “shoegaze pop” albums they released simultaneously earlier this year, and this show captures their versatility in breathtaking fashion. From abrasive, Melt-Banana-esque noise interludes, to Melvins-ish sludge-rock, all the way to disco-infused power-pop, Boris show off their immense talent by adapting to a wide variety of styles, all without sacrificing the earth-splintering loudness that their fans come to expect.

An assault on our expectations, as well as our senses, it’s a blinding, relentless triumph of a show, and one that reaffirmed my ardent belief that all gigs should include a big fuck-off gong.

Boris Photo by Valerio Berdini