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Live Review: We Lost The Sea – Academy 2, Manchester

24th May 2025
Support: Dimscûa and Overhead, The Albatross
Words: Matthew Williams

I was fortunate to review Dimscua’s set at last year’s Damnation Festival in Manchester and was suitably impressed by their performance, so when I saw they were on this bill, it was one that piqued my interest. Having also caught the back end of Overhead, The Albatross at Damnation, I was intrigued about watching them once more and joining them were headliners We Lost The Sea, a band I knew very little about, but on a hot May night, Manchester was about to get even hotter.

We start with Dimscûa, who open with the gentleness of “Elder Bairn” before singer Alex Rowlonads launches an ungodly scream to announce his arrival. Their music is captivating, with pounding drums, adding to their devasting sound, to create atmospheric post metal that really must be seen to be believed. The stage smoke adds further to the doom and gloom of the environment as “The Dusteater” is drowned in red lights, with the song pulverising all around us.

Rowlands proceeds to scream two words, “Existence/Futility” as a way of introducing the next song, which is dark and sinister across a backdrop of changing tempos. They seem to go from anguish to despair to hope all in one song, and end with “On Being and Nothingness” as spoken words filter across the slow, poignant platform, leading to a pulsing bass and great riffs as the power drips through. Dimscûa are one of those bands who must be seen to be believed.

Next up are Dublin’s Overhead, The Albatross, offering their instrumental post rock musings, and open with the groovy “Your Last Breath”. The quintet offer varied soundscapes across their performance, as the video screen plays a variety of flashing images. With spoken words and soft piano music, it’s a great opener followed by “At Sea” as the bassist stands aloft the barricade. The drums hit hard, but collectively, the music flows beautifully, as they incorporate the keyboards and cello for a delightful rendition of “Hibakusha”.

Blue stage lights beckon “I’ve Got a Few Years Left” which has a high tempo drum n` bass section to bring the song alive, before the crowd are jumping along to “This is Like Love” as the wonderful melodies combine with an array of musical structures to create another excellent song. They dedicate their last song to “Paul Lynch” a friend who passed away, and without whom, the band wouldn’t be here today. It’s emotional, full of passion and meaning and you can see that it matters to them, as the crowd serenade the band with their words.

As I’ve stated, I didn’t know much about We Lost The Sea apart from the fact that they were Australian and played post rock music. After an opening monologue, a single light is focused on one of the guitarists as he stands and plays alone, and like a beating heart, the others follow as they play “If They Had Hearts”. The music intensifies as the crowd do that slow head nod which only seems to occur during post metal/rock gigs. They play purposefully and one thing is immediately clear to me and it’s that they sound more intense live than on record.

“A Dance with Death” has smooth transitions across the shifting soundscapes, with a sea of red flashing lights adding to their moving and relentless musical harmonies, as it adds depth, emotion and context. What impresses me most is how seamless it all is, as they move straight into “Everything Here is Black and Blinding” with softer, more melodic tones that build towards dramatic waves of noise, embracing the drumming as part of an emotional track.

They raise the intensity levels further with “A Beautiful Collapse” as the keyboards are heard more clearly alongside an excellent rhythm, and then bathed in purple lights, a single subtle guitar resonates as the crowd sway in time to the melody of “A Gallant Gentleman” The moodier and sombre tones return for “Bogatyri” which was probably my favourite song of the night and they showcase their skills with repetitive notes which allows the guitar solos to flourish as the blistering rage takes over. It’s like a crescendo of noise reaching the apex leaving us with the calming piano outro tape.

The group return with another dramatic and emotional score in the shape of “Blood will have Blood” as the piano combines with the floor tom to construct another colossal rhythm. I’m stood at the back of the venue, and in all the times I’ve been to the Academy 2, I’ve never felt the floor shake like this before. They end with “Balaklava Cold” as they are joined by Liam from Hidden Mothers to finish off what has been a night of immense pleasure and to prove that the world of post rock is in rude health.