Hundred Year Old Man / Kulk / Codespeaker / Ian @ New River Studios, London, 29th Nov 2024

Back in May of 2023, while I was attending the always incredible Portals Festival, I stumbled upon a band who, at the time, I had only heard one short clip of but had been keen to hear more. They were on relatively early in the day, but by Christ did they blow my socks off. Not overly dissimilar to Cult Of Luna in sound, the Leeds based post-metal heroes Hundred Year Old Man completely mesmerised me, and I still recall them being not only my surprise act of the whole weekend but also the one band I’ve again been desperate to see play live ever since.

I remember coming away from their set absolutely in awe of just how immense they had been for the whole time they occupied the stage. So, when the opportunity to see them perform again became an option recently, I jumped at the chance, especially knowing that they had the fantastic Codespeaker with them in support. I reviewed their latest album, Scavenger, only a few weeks before the gig, and after being mightily impressed, the chance to catch not one, but two bands I had been keen to see was an opportunity too good to miss.

The venue for the evening was the aptly grungy New River Studios in the heart of London, and as it would transpire, the four band line-up. Along with Hundred Year Old Man and Codespeaker, the line up for the night also included the ridiculously good two-piece Kulk, and a band who I struggled to find any information on before the event, the interestingly named Ian, who was, as it turned out, a band, and not a solitary person. The eclectically fantastical event had been organised by the Chaos Theory events team, who did an incredible job of overseeing the whole evening.

With beer in one hand, and camera firmly placed in the other we proceeded to head toward the front of the stage and get the best view in the house for the four bands as they took turns in wowing the crowd.

First up was Ian, a droney five piece from London, who added an extra level of interest to their sound with the inclusion of a cello for added sonic spectacle. The band were as jovial as they were incredible, and throughout the course of their set had moments of interaction with the crowd, which made a pleasant change. Sound wise, they were aggressive when it was necessary and held back when it called for it. A harsh mix of post-rock aggression and dark ambience, they really were a superb opener for the evening.

Next up, Codespeaker, and I was more than ready for this live performance… at least I thought I had listened to Scavenger a ton of times for the purposes of reviewing, but it turned out, I wasn’t, at all. Coming on to a blood-red lit stage should have been a prediction enough that something was about to go down, but nothing could have prepared me for the visceral onslaught that was Codespeaker live.

They were absolutely enthralling to witness, and as they ran through their set, it was obvious they weren’t here merely to play some tunes, they had a point to prove. The sound was as all-consuming as the stage show was to watch, and over the next forty or so minutes, all eyes were on the band, you couldn’t turn away.

With various tracks from the newest release being aired, they put on the most passionate display, and it was evident to all that they weren’t taking any prisoners. Every bit as intense as most of the more seasoned post-metal bands, there is no denying that even though they are relatively new, their drive and commitment, coupled with raw intensity gives them a real air of legitimacy.

Leaving a lot for reflection, mostly between myself and my friend as to who was the top act of the night, Codespeaker absolutely stormed it. A complete revelation to watch, and definitely a band to catch next time they are ‘down south’ and they may well be the new champions of the whole post-metal scene of 2024 and into 2025.

After a brief stage reset it was the turn of Norfolk two-piece Kulk to wow the audience. It was evident from the shift in the room that there were people in the crowd specifically there to see the duo, and it wasn’t until they started to play, I soon realised why that was. Being warned as to just how good they are didn’t quite prepare me for just how phenomenal they would be. As they stormed through their set, it was evident from the audience’s reaction how loved they really are.

The noise-rock two-piece literally set the venue alight with a steamroller of a set, and as they advanced, so did the energy in the room. By their climax, it was blistering. Pounding the stage barefoot, guitar and vocalist Thom Longdin and drummer Jade Squires wasted no time in stamping their mark firmly on the evening, and as they did, they literally tore the place apart.

As Kulk quickly exited stage left, all that remained was for the monumental Hundred Year Old Man to enter stage right. Within the blink of an eye, the mood changed from anarchic noise to darkened doom as Hundred Year Old Man made their entrance.

The now five-piece took a breath as smoke filled the room, and as the opening bars rolled in, so did the shear intensity emitting from the band. Each and every note played through like a long-drawn-out swansong, and as the wails of guitar bellowed from the amplifier’s, vocalist David Ashley Duxbury’s stomach-churning guttural vocal spewed forth to maximum devastation.

If it’s one thing that really grabs me about Hundred Year Old Man it’s that at any given moment the sheer magnitude of intensity will always paralyse me completely. The dynamic of the vocal atop the rhythmic dirge they produce is so mesmerising, that whenever I hear them I become instantly intoxicated, in a haze of all encompassing consumption, to the point where I never want it to end.

Yes, it’s bleak and dank, but to embrace it is to give way to a darker reality, and let it envelop you like a final hug before your demise. No fear, or regret, just darkness, a calm, comforting darkness, in a weird kind of way.

As is the nature with these things, at some point we had to dash for a train, so left promptly at the end, but after a night such as this, which was as perfect an evening of heavy music you could get, the feeling of fulfilment was unmeasurable.

Words & Photos by: Lee Beamish