I Am A Horror

After being a bit bummed out that I missed Om on Tuesday, due to practice --- I have enjoyed their live shows a lot, even if I am still a bit iffy on the new album --- and Zoroaster on Friday --- a cold and rainy night and I was concerned that an opening slot at Logan Square Auditorium would mean an abbreviated set, not like the two brain melters that I already saw from them this year --- I was happy to make it to a couple of things last night: Unlucky Atlas debuted some new material at the Empty Bottle, in a supprt slot for the Sian Alice Group, whom Locrian opened for previously. I like the last S.A.G. album, but the new one does not do it for me. Well, they canceled anyway. Unlucky Atlas played a tight set of beautiful, dark songs, using up to three voices, guitars, dulcimer, keyboard, synth, etc. Excellent. Their handsome new, super-limited cassette features two of the most recent songs that they recorded, along with some Locrian-esque dronescapes. Once they finished, it was off to the Double Door to see The Horrors. After a great opening set at Metro earlier this year, I was eager to see them play a longer headlining set. The band was great, allowing the synths to rise up in the mix, and balancing the heavy shoegazer feel of the new album with the more electronic, bass-driven Krautrock side that they have been exploring. All with a patina of death-rock and dark post-punk (whatever that even means). For their main set, they stuck to songs from "Primary Colours," even playing a nice long version of "Sea Within A Sea." For their encore, they started with a predictable but welcome Suicide cover --- but wait, it was not "Shadazz" from the Blast First 10-inch series --- immediately recognizable, it was a great version of "Ghostrider"... and from there it was a crowd rousing, ultra-energetic "Sheena Is A Parasite"... and then I forget, actually, what they finished with... "Count In Fives" maybe? It was a really excellent show, which definitely expanded upon the sound of the new album, and which was way more satisfying than their great Metro set. And someone in the crowd was brandishing a football scarf...not that I would wear one, but!?!