As we make our way down to the smaller size venue within the Leeds Rios there is a terrible racket coming for the stage, and as we round the corner I lay my eyes on those faces that made the first half an hour of the Nile tour last year a bit of a chore. There is nothing intrinsically bad about Omnium Gatherum; they play a convincing enough style of old school Euro death, meets new American death metal, but I just find it so offensively average and bland. There is really nothing to make this band stand out, only on the last song do they seem to engage a little bit of musical creativity and employ some interesting drums lines with a bit of a cheesy synth. But for me it’s too little too late. I don’t understand how they keep getting on these awesome bills over here. Saying that though, the rest of the venue seem very happy for them to be there and to bang their heads in time to the monotony.

 If the response to Ominium Gatherum was pretty warm and hearty, the response to Insomnium is none short of rapturous! As they cram themselves into the tiny stage they are obviously in high spirits and you can feel their underlying happiness emanating through their captivating mix of Amorphis and Opeth. In a set that heavily takes from their latest release, ‘Across the Dark’, I find it is the older material that really makes an impression on me. Songs like ‘Where the Last Wave Broke’ from the new album, with its almost Trivium esque chorus; just get devoured by older classics like ‘The Killjoy’ and ‘Drawn to Black’. I also have to put a slight question mark over Niilo Sevänen’s vocals. For most of the set they are spot on, but once in a while they seem to waver a bit and loose there power, however they did sound much in London a few days later so I think I will put it down to the sound.

 A dark feeling creeps into the venue as kings of Finnish doom Swallow the Sun take to the stage and unleashed the opening track from their new album, ‘These Woods Breathe Evil’. A far more black metal song than any they have previously done, it wakes the crowd up and ends in a sea of flailing hair and pumping fists. Swallow the Sun are probably one of the best live bands around today, recreating the crushing melencholy of their albums, but somehow improving on it and making it feel more real. Songs like ‘The Giant’ seem so much more expansive and lonely, and throughout most of the set you seem to get a cold chill run through you. This is none more true as when they play their ‘single’, if you will, ‘Don’t Fall Asleep’. A truly beautiful song that showcases vocalist Mikko Kotamäki’s superb range and ability. New drummer, Kai Hahto is also fitting in nicely, showing that he can hold is own against Pasi. The bands movements on stage only help to give a more a a sense of desolation, with Juha lurching and swaying, lost in his art.

This is their first ever headlining UK tour and they are truly making it their own; the band are tight and together. Alexi is even playing two sets on this tour, with Insomnium and StS, but still gives his all for both bands, hero! A truly exhilorating experience to watch live, and surely one of the finest gigs of the year!

Carl Sucharyna Thomas.