Live Review: Aephanemer - Club Academy, Manchester
3rd December 2025
Support: Dark Oath, Valhalore
Words: Oli Gonzalez
Photos: Rich Price
Winter had arrived in Manchester, and the annual invasion of Mariah Carey, Shaking Stephens et al., on our radios provided a reminder that Christmas is nigh. Though live metal was very much still available, with a rather impressive tour package coming in the shape of Valhalore and Dark Oath, spearheaded by headline act Aephanemer . Hailing from France, they had been riding a wave of momentum stemming from their album “Utopie” which had dropped a few weeks prior. A wave that would come to a stop tonight as thai marked the end of the tour over Europe.
The talent tonight was hot. Very hot. So hot that the fire alarm was triggered 10 minutes before doors for reasons unknown, though this couldn’t be missed as we waited outside the venue! Fortunately everybody was ok and this didn’t cause any delays. Sometimes at Rebellion, the venue is essentially cut in half with access to the upstairs closed off. Tonight was one of those nights, maybe necessitated by lower-than-expected ticket sales, or a desire to create a more intimate atmosphere (or both!). Though the turn out seemed respectable and the crowd shuffling in slowly filled out the venue in time for the first act of the evening…
Dark Oath were draped in cloaks and gauntlets, this provided symphonic power metal vibes and an expectation of that thus. Then Sara leapt onto the stage and unleashed her first blood curdling roar of the evening. Completely unexpected, almost like a dog meowing! How she managed to maintain that intensity for the whole set and do it so effortlessly was remarkable. That symphonic spine was there in the backing tracks, adding welcome melody and intrigue to the overall sound. This built upon the already solid foundations laid down by the two guitars and band’s drummer, providing dynamic progressive rhythms going far beyond the conventional 4/4 beats. The mix was slightly off though with the drums a little too prominent in the early stages, as were the bass and low end (unusual as there was no live bass player tonight). Though this certainly improved in the latter stages. Make no mistake, this was a fine introduction to the band and a fantastic start to the evening.
There's a first time for everything, right? First date, first gig, or in the case of Australia's Valhalore, their first show in Manchester! This felt like a step up in quality with a stage presence that oozed of confidence from the get go, with all members effortlessly navigating the stage and working the audience. As was the theme of the evening, their sound was firmly rooted in the symphonic end of the metal spectrum with a darker and heavier twist. The band from down under featured all the traditional ingredients in a heavy metal band - drums, two guitars, bass, and a lead vocalist - except for that they played in way more sophisticated compositional patterns and displayed technical prowess beyond the standard in the genre. Whilst most bands would opt to simply shove this into a backing track, the introduction of the band’s woodwind player Sophie added an air of authenticity that you just can’t replicate digitally. Likely mindbogglingly complex to mix, all the instruments sounded fantastic and got their time to shine in the mix, providing a sophisticated overall texture that was a genuine joy to see. When will you be back in Manchester for round two?
Having listened to Aephanemer’s latest and rather impressive record “Utopie” (which had only been released a few weeks prior), this would provide an interesting frame of reference and set some expectations for their headline set this evening. Would they be able to replicate this sound in the live arena? Let’s see…
Details matter, and even before the band had played a note, the band’s sophisticated and custom lighting rig acted as a statement of intent and generated some excitement for what was to come! Despite a broad and eclectic blend of genres in their sound, it would be safe to say they have a firm footing in the black metal genre. Though forget the corpse paint and permanent frowns you may associate with the genre. Instead, we were greeted with huge radiant smiles that demonstrate a love for being on stage that they simply couldn’t hide. Why wouldn’t they love what they do? They’re phenomenal at it! Forget boring old verse-chorus-verse song structures. No, the French quartet take you on a journey through their vision of extreme metal! Sometimes taking the more ambient, melodic, and folk inspired routes, sometimes taking the more direct route one approach with blast beats and atmospheric walls of sound as intense as any in the genre! The ampless DI set up was crucial in this, ensuring they sounded squeaky clean and tighter than a mechanics wrench all night long!
Can we talk about vocalist-guitarist Marion? What she lacked in height she more than made up for in a fearsome stage presence and awe-inspiring vocal ability. Her high pitched growls sounded consistently heavy, unleashing them without breaking a sweat too. When she bellowed out her soprano operatic vocals…huh? Nobody told me that was going to happen?! That was incredible! She really is the icing on the cake and crucial cog in the band’s ever complex and unique sound.
So, can Aephenemer replicate the sound of “Utopie” in the live arena? Yes… and they absolutely smashed it and exceeded all expectations in doing so!
Photo Credits: Rich Price Photography
