[GBHBL] Live Review: Iress with Sunnata & Healthyliving at The Black Heart, Camden, London (18/08/24)

It says a lot about the interest in Iress that the Black Heart, on a hot Sunday evening in London, is as busy as it is. A lot of people have turned out for the dream metal band, as well as the two support acts, Healthyliving and Sunnata.

Finally, it’s Iress. The headline act, coming all the way from Los Angeles, and about halfway through their UK tour (that included stops at the likes of ArcTanGent). Having released their incredible new album, ‘Sleep Now, In Reverse’, at the end of July, anticipation for a live show is stupendously high. Notable by the fact that it’s Sunday night, nearing 9:50pm and the Black Heart is still full of eager people waiting to experience Iress.

An experience that can barely be summed up in words, such is the transcendent nature of it. Where 45 minutes flies by in 5 and the word ‘mesmerising’ can’t fully describe just how watchable and listenable a show it is.

It is staggering that all the aspects of Iress that make them so unique are on full display here and every member sounds immense. Yet, how can a person speak about Iress live and not comment on the fact that vocalist/guitarist Michelle Malley sounds as strong here as she does on record. There was never any doubt, not with a voice like that, but even then, it’s bloody impressive.

It’s not the longest set, but Iress do pack in plenty, giving everyone in attendance a taste of who and what they are today, while also acknowledging where they’ve come from. They could have played for double the time and everyone would have still wanted more. The sooner they come back, the better, but for now, they left a room full of people happy, content, and even more in love with them.

[SOPHOMORE SLUMP] Iress - Rebellion, Manchester, 13th August 2024

Iress arrived in a rainy Manchester for only their second UK gig, supporting Hexvessel. Their recent release Sleep Now, In Reverse is their best album yet, so I was looking forward to seeing them live. Maybe because it’s their first UK sortie, they spread their all too brief set across their back catalogue, which sadly meant only two tracks from their recent release.

However, they have great quality in depth. Starting off with the duo of Blush & Ricochet from their 2023 Solace EP, they prove their description of their sound as “dark sexy heavy music” is bang on the money. Most of their songs move in a glacial manner – slow but with an awe-inspiring majesty.

At the heart of this is the unique vocal talent of Michelle Malley. Her voice moving from a gentle whisper to a powerful crescendo effortlessly. One concert goer remarked to me after the set, “she’s got an impressive set of pipes on her”, which sums things up beautifully. Michael Maldonado’s bass underpins things with a combination of soft notes and ringing bass chords, while guitarist Graham Walker adds subtle textures over Michelle’s guitar. Glenn Chu’s expansive drumming gives each song a widescreen feel; simple but very powerful.

Falling sounds spine-tingling, with its subtly shifting dynamics and gorgeous, but powerful chorus melody. Nest from 2020’s Flaw has a beautiful verse before its potent chorus. The highlight of the set is The Remains, from their new album. It raises the hairs on the back of your neck, as well as carrying the heaviest part of the set in the staccato stabs towards its conclusion.

The final song is Wolves from their 2015 debut album, Prey. It’s a great song, built around dirty bass chords. Personally, I’d have preferred the stunningly gorgeous In Reverse or the riff-heavy Knell Mera to close proceedings. However, finally seeing them live, not only matched, but exceeded my high expectations.

Come back soon, you dark sexy beasts.

[Zware Metalen] Iress – Sleep Now, In Reverse

Sleep Now, In Reverse is de derde langspeler van het Amerikaanse Iress. Een band die naar eigen zeggen ‘dream metal’ maakt. Zangeres Michelle Malley wordt kennelijk door haar omgeving ‘de Adele van de metal’ genoemd. Dat belooft dus wat. Is het Iress to impress? We gaan het meemaken.

Het eerste nummer, Falling, opent met wat shoegaze-achtige gitaren die zweven in een dikke laag nagalm. De dromerige zanglijnen bieden hiervoor de mysterieuze omlijsting die het nodig heeft. De vocalen hebben een iets intensere ondertoon dan we van bijvoorbeeld Slowdive gewend zijn. Mede hierdoor weet Iress echt een eigen geluid te creëren. Echter bevindt de zang soms wat te veel op de voorgrond in de mix, waardoor ze op die momenten een te overheersend karakter krijgt. Dit leidt soms een beetje af van de dromerigheid van de rest van de nummers. Als een sterke wierook die even aanwezig als bedwelmend is. Maar ook in de geur van wierook zit schoonheid. Dit geldt ook voor Iress.

Want op Sleep Now, In Reverse is veel om van te genieten. De snik in de stem van Michelle en het slepende drumwerk zorgen voor een intrigerende luisterervaring. Aangezien ze al op de planken hebben gestaan met bands als Hexvessel en Blackwater Holylight én dit jaar te bewonderen zijn op het Engelse Arctangent Festival, denk ik dat het niet lang meer zal duren voordat ze op het Tilburgse Roadburn Festival geboekt zullen worden. Ik kijk er in ieder geval naar uit.

Tijdens The Remains lijkt het alsof we langzaam opstijgen, maar net wanneer het nummer zijn climax lijkt te bereiken, is het alweer afgelopen. Het nummer In Reverse heeft vervolgens weer een wat meer ingetogen karakter, en biedt een mooi rustmoment voor het daaropvolgende Knell Mera. Een nummer dat opent met een ietwat dreigende riff die ook wel op zijn plek was geweest op het meest recente album van Hexvessel. De imponerende zang van Malley pakt je vervolgens wederom bij de lurven en sleurt je mee. Als een psychedelische trip, of een koortsdroom. Deze laat je ook op slotnummers Sanctuary en Deep niet meer los.

Iress presenteert hier een zeer aangenaam album dat bij liefhebbers van shoegaze en andere dromerigheden goed in de smaak zal vallen! Als je op zoek bent naar het forsere zwaarmetalen beukgeweld, ben je hier aan het verkeerder adres. Op de vraag Iress to impress?, zeg ik dus: “yes!”

Score:

80/100

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Iress – Sleep Now, In Reverse

Los Angeles doomgazers Iress have been at it for a while, building up a following the old fashioned way, though a hectic routine of live shows and writing great, epic dirges that echo the gothic atmosphere of Chelsea Wolfe while infusing them with the intricate post-metal roar of Isis. Sleep Now, In Reverse is a new personal best for the group, an album of nuanced devastation and graceful destruction, balancing moments of quiet vulnerability with impenetrable walls of guitar. It’s worth noting that these aren’t merely their best songs, but likewise their prettiest, leaning into the knack for melody that’s set them apart from the get-go and bolstering it with an awe-inspiring physical force.

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We hyped Iress‘ last full-length, Flaw, a lot when it came out a couple of years ago – now the band is back with a more modern, fashionable aesthetic and a slightly updated sound to fit in with the trend of the more gaudy side of modern doom. And they pull it off fantastically.

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Iress is feeding my obsession with shoe-gazy and hazy guitars with evocative vocals that make the whole room shimmer. Sleep Now, In Reverse may seem like an oddball selection, but every now and then heavy can be more of a thick quilt than a jackhammer to the temples. Iress has beautifully heavy moments interspersed with undulating waves of tenderness. Put this on at 3 AM after a Lamb of God concert or something, and you’ll feel what I mean while you chill your badass bones.