Boris, The Atlas Moth at Lee’s Palace

Photographs by Olivia Leung.

“Let’s get high”, David Kush of The Atlas Moth suggested right before stoner metal warriors The Atlas Moth began. He continued to be light hearted the entire night by even responding to audience wails. He looked perplexed and asked if someone yelled for them to perform Hanson; He followed this with a smile and laugh held within. Their connection with the fans may have been fun, but they were very serious about their music.

Their set wasn’t perfect but it was definitely commendable. Kush had amazing growls all night, but when he pulled off his whistle-like screams– very Chino Marino in nature–these may have worked better on album but they came off a bit awkward live. Guitarist Stavros Giannopoulos definitely has talent with his vocals, but they came off as a bit strained this time around. He didn’t move as much as he persisted emotions. As well, there was a lot of feedback, but that isn’t the fault of the band at all: It doesn’t help, though.

Aside from a few slips, The Atlas Moth had a lot of highs as well (pun intended). The textures of the guitars and the thunderous rhythms sent a groove all throughout the venue. Everyone in the band cared about their performance, and that is credible in itself. Kush apologized for having to cut their set a bit short, and he promised they’d be back in the near future. I hope to see them again and see them at their very best, because they are capable of greatness.

At ten thirty at night, Japanese noise rock trio Boris made their way out onto the stage at Lee’s Palace. Wata and Takeshi had tested their own instruments before hand and remained still faced; even when they came out to perform. The entire night they remained calm and unresponsive until the very end of the show when they both quietly thanked Toronto with smiles on their faces. Drummer Atsuo was the most expressive person that night with his yelps mid song, his hilarious expressions and his many statements of gratitude. For the other two members, their Sunn O))) and Orange amps said enough, with each being amplified enough to be heard by the Gods above.

Their newest album, appropriately titled Noise, was played in its entirety,  and that’s all we needed. With a prolific discography and a slew of genres having been dabbled in, Boris have had a lot on their plates and a tough selection of meals to recommend. Noise is one of their best albums in years, and it is also their most varied in a while. With the majority of genres they have experimented with being featured on this album (noise rock, drone metal, j-pop, and even a bit of punk), they catered to all of the moods a concert should fulfill and they gave us a taste of all of their capabilities.

Wata’s guitar playing was mesmerizing, and I was quickly reminded as to why she’s one of the most underrated guitar players out there. Her genre hopping grace was good alone, but her ability to be strong at any style, no matter which noise rock god she’s channeling (Hendrix, Shields, Ronaldo or Moore) is what propels her. Takeshi hopped from bass to guitar with his double necked axe with ease, as he pulled off some pretty difficult riffs whilst singing. Atsuo was a barrel of fun all night,  which made his unannounced drum rolls all the more surprising and thrilling. With an extended outro blasted at full volume and their fog machine turning the venue into a cloud, Boris came, went, and slayed.