Last year, when Dool‘s debut album came out, I was pretty excited of this new discovery. I listened to “Here Now, There Then” quite obsessively, being blown away by the music and the atmosphere contained in those 10 tracks and since then, I always wanted to see the band live someday. Life arranged it that after almost one year that “someday” became true last night, on the 12th of March, when Dool stopped in Budapest for their Hungarian leg of the Elate|Elevate European tour. The concert took place on the beautiful A38 ship and the Austrians from Harakiri For The Sky were chosen to open the night.
I arrived at the venue quite early, just after the gates opened and for some brief moments the quietness of the empty concert hall embraced me in its full. The merchandise stands were already prepared to welcome their customers with lots of cool things, from limited edition vinyls, metal boxes and art books to T shirts, long sleeves, patches and tote bags.
At 8.30 sharp, Harakiri For The Sky went onstage and for exactly one hour they performed in front of an enthusiastic crowd which seemed to have come especially for them. While I have never been a fan of their music, I appreciate their dedication and musical skills and apparently so did the majority of those present in the room. During their set I kept on imagining how Dool will be live and that made the waiting more attractive.
After the end of the first part, a half hour change over took place and at 22.00 Dool entered the stage, engulfed in incense smoke and dim lights. From the very first notes of The Alpha it was more than clear for me that something “wicked” was going to happen on that stage, but not in that way of “occultism” and “mysticism” as you might expect.
It’s quite hard to put into words what really happened on that stage last night, but believe me, even if the band has been touring quite extensively, that didn’t stop the 5 musicians to perform at their best “capacity”, with full heart. Ryanne‘s energy was overwhelming, she was everywhere on that stage with her guitar and her voice sounded sometimes even better that on the album.
I absolutely love how the 3 guitarists complete each other, passing their parts from one to another, while the rhythm section builds up the tension and creates a dark atmosphere. Micha‘s drumming reminded me sometimes of some parts from The Devil’s Blood songs, especially when creating a “ritualistic” tempo which made your body move uncontrollably, like on Vantablack, Oweynagat or Golden Serpents.
With only a full length under their belt so far, they played the album almost in its entirety (only Words on Paper was left out) and introduced 2 brand new tracks (God Particle and Wells Run Dry), together with a Killing Joke cover of “Love Like Blood“. I did not hear that cover before but I was really surprised how they Dool-ized it, adding their own personal touch without loosing its original essence. I really love it when a band decides to cover a song and instead of copy/pasting the sound they leave their own mark on it.
Dool is definitely a must see live band, their songs and presence gain another depth and dimension when playing live. Each of the 5 band members adds his own touch to the cauldron and mixes the concoction right there, in front of you, taking control over your body and mind long after the end of the show.
For me this event was an unbelievable moment, a speechless experience, as I told Ryanne after the show. It was a great chance to see some of the former The Devil’s Blood members again on stage, it brought back very nice memories. This concert will definitely remain a night to remember, and I really do hope to see them again in the future.
If you hurry, you can still catch them live on the 5 dates left of the Elate|Elevate 2018 tour, I promise you won’t be disappointed at all: all those who wander are dool.
Set list:
1. The Alpha
2. Golden Serpents
3. God Particle
4. In Her Darkest Hour
5. Vantablack
6. Death of Love
7. Well’s Run Dry
8. She Goat
9. Love Like Blood
10. Oweynagat
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