Torpor hypnotized London’s Black Heart, London 2024

The Black Heart in Camden always hosts interesting bands, so if you want to discover new music – check out their events list. Amid November line-ups, Torpor specifically grabbed our attention, embarking on their last-ever tour, after which they will put on their “Out of Office”. Host Body and Warren Schoenbright supported them in London. 

Torpor

We could all feel the blues during their set as we stood there soaking up their emotional performance. After 12 years of creating and performing together, Torpor brought their unique sound, which mixes deafening, muddy, sludgy, doomy sounds, capable of putting you in an existential trance. Their music was carrying people’s thoughts into far distance, slowly allowing them to drift away.

They performed a selection of fan favourite songs, including tracks from their latest album, “Abscission” – their now parting gift to the listeners. Their set was atmospheric, allowing some space for reflection and inner psyche introspection. This journey was only hampered by the sudden silence (which can be louder than the noise itself) when the amps gave up, unable to handle the power of their music. To the sounds of joy from everyone in the room, the disruption got fixed fast, and Torpor finished their set to the last note. Many people before the show commented that the band was exceptional, and I am sure their legacy will continue as time passes.

Host Body

Host Body performed just before the headliner. Both bands shared the Arctangent stage this year before going on their winter tour together. This Bristol-based project combines elements of metalcore, black metal and noise, and last month released a debut EP, “Strain” – that we all got to enjoy performed live. I liked their set – we received that relentless energy of the pure noise mixed with screaming vocals served by their vocalist. The other bands on the bill drilled you into the floor, whereas Host Body got the people moving into the moshpit thanks to these metalcore elements surfacing through. I am keen to see where this EP will take them. If you want to catch them again or for the first time, they are playing in London over the coming weekend. 

Warren Schoenbright

Speaking of London, our city representative, Warren Schoenbright, opened Torpor’s capital farewell at the Black Heart. Before the show, I did not know what to expect as the experimental noise genre can go anywhere! I enjoyed their choice of stage lighting, which mimicked the fire pit and would glow stronger or weaker, reacting to the sound and the tone of songs in their setlist. It worked excellently with the theme of their debut album, “Sunless“, which takes its inspiration from Dante’s Inferno and descent through eight circles of hell, which we heard during their show. The beauty of their genre is that listeners can make up the rest of the story based on their imagination guided by the band’s music. Drag me to hell, as long as they are playing!

Artists: Host Body, Torpor, Warren Schoenbright