(Concert Review) Divide & Dissolve

Date: 07 Sep 2023

Venue: The Lower Third, London, UK

I didn't know what to expect with this gig. I've heard about the band from multiple sources in the last couple of years, both metalheads and non-metalheads.

A quick introduction: Divide and Dissolve comprises saxophonist Takiaya Reed, who is of Tsalagi and African-American heritage, and percussionist Sylvie Nehill, who is of Māori and White-Australian heritage. Their UK headliner tour for releasing their 4th album, Systemic, was the perfect opportunity to experience their live vibe.

They were performing at the Lower Third, a new venue off Denmark Street in the West End (an unusual venue for a metal gig).

Hats off to the opening act, another guitar/drum duo, Fräulein, of Northern Irish/Dutch descent, with a delightful raw 90s rock vibe (of course, the singer reminds us of PJ Harvey).

Divide & Dissolve took the stage discreetly in front of a wall of amps. Takiaya warmed up the audience with a few minutes of ambient improvised saxophone, creating a compression airlock for what was coming next.

The saxophone loops morphed into shrieks and were quickly replaced by her electric guitar, delivering a non-stop, harsh, crushing, dense, brutal wall of sound at an insanely loud volume. That feeling of your whole body vibrating, jammed against a concrete wall of sound, is similar to the live experience you might encounter with bands such as Sunn O))) or Sumac, for example. Slow, heavy, and sluggish.

Between songs, Takiaya took the mic (with a very joyful tone, in comparison with her music) and discussed the topics and values the band stands for, such as antiracism, tolerance, and decolonization, rooted in their indigenous origins. She mentioned that the slightest occasions can be an opportunity for change, illustrating this with a personal story about her grandfather.

Most of the pieces in this gig were instrumental, following the same pattern of the sax intro followed by relentless sonic destruction. The only exception was the penultimate song, a spoken word track by Minori, a guest on the album, before another roaring piece of sonic desolation. This left the audience in awe, trying to process the sonic violence they had just witnessed in the previous hour.

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For more on Divide & Dissolve, visit the following links: Instagram | Spotify | Bandcamp