Photos & Writing by Kurt Lindhult
PHILADELPHIA, PA | UK-based alt metal group Calva Louise continued their month-long US tour at the Ukie Club in Philadelphia on September 24th, supported by their travel mates Sicksense. The basement venue, with its glass chandeliers, wood paneling, and stacks of chairs, was equally equipped to host a pleasant retirement banquet; a charming juxtaposition to the heavy head-banging tunes yet to come.
With initially just a few band members on stage, Arizona-based Sicksense kicked off the night with a high voltage instrumental intro, giving the two vocalists a hell of an entrance. They treated the crowd to their blend of progressive metal instrumentation, electronic breakdowns, and a veritable cocktail of vocal styles. The track ‘Wildfires’ exemplified this vocal concoction, featuring soaring melodies, rap, and ferocious growls all within seconds of each other yet flowing easily from one to the other. The back half of their set included the track ‘Slave’ which was included on the soundtrack to a recent Call of Duty game, featuring Vicky Psarakis’ sweeping vocals over the heavy halftime groove. After raising the crowd’s energy, the crowd waited with anticipation before the next wave hit.
Calva Louise exploded onto the stage with their unique blend of alt-metal, haunting synths, relentless drum work, and powerful vocal. The costume of Jessica Allanic (keyboards/guitar/vocals) was a gothic-inspired getup with loose flared sleeves which accentuated the bat-like appearance whenever she raised her arms during a powerful vocal run. The set featured many selections from their newest LP “Edge of the Abyss” as well as a few from their back catalog. One of the early tracks was the driving electronic-tinged ‘Over the Threshold’ from the previous LP of the same name, featuring the right blend of growls, synths, and dynamic vocals to ignite the crowd.
‘Hate in me’ started out as a vocal-guitar intro that wouldn’t be out of place on a Paramore album, but quickly took a left turn into a distorted heavy riff under Jess’ piercing, distorted vocals. The rest of the song featured a collection of intricate melodic runs counterpointed by powerful drums and bass, a perfect soundtrack for the grimaced faces and flailing dreadlocks among the crowd. The new LP’s final track ‘Under the Skin’ made for a fitting end to the set, featuring a halftime groove. Midway through the track, the room seemed to hold their breath as Jess treated the room to a lush piano breakdown, fingers dancing delicately over a keyboard that appeared with a flick of the wrist on their sliding custom-built keyboard stand. When the energy began to ebb back in for the final chorus, the crowds fervor helped create a searing and heartfelt finale to the tune. The night ended with the crowd favorite ‘Oportunista’ which encouraged the crowd to shout along with the energetic vocal hook; a high octane finish to the night which left attendees raving.
You can listen to Sicksense’s newest album “Cross Me Twice” and Calva Louise’s Newest LP “Edge of the Abyss” wherever you consume your music.
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