Live Review: Stygian Bough - Rebellion, Manchester
9th February 2026
Support: 40 Watt Sun
Words: Oli Gonzalez
Photos: Rich Price
Some combinations are just meant to be. Strawberries and ice-cream, alcohol and hangovers, Bell Witch and Ariel Ruin! Together, the two North American collaborated to fuse the sheer weight and biblical heavy funeral doom of Bell Witch with the dark mellow acoustic vibes of Eric Moggridge’s Ariel Ruin. The product of these creative forces was Stygian Bough! First collaborating in the studio during the global shutdown of 2020, Ariel Ruin and Bell Witch returned to the studio once again in 2025, releasing a follow up album that was vastly superior to the original! Not just a studio project, Stygian Bough came to Europe in late 2022, and returned on this night with this touring cycle landing at Rebellion, Manchester.
The preference seemingly to be keeping support acts to a minimum, the invitations had been limited to just one. 40 Watt Sun. A sell out show the night prior in Sheffield speaks to the star power of this lineup and nullified the need for more supports to bolster attendance figures. Judging by the sheer quantity of people queuing around the building prior to doors, and the many who had formed a line at the merch stand not long after doors, the anticipation for this lineup could never be in doubt here at Rebellion! I was with them too, in said line for the merch stand! Then with liquid refreshment in hand and my t-shirt collection having grown by one, it was time to get a good vantage spot for tonight's festivities…
The last time Patrick Walker performed in Manchester was whilst fronting legendary British doom metal band Warning. They closed out Damnation’s third stage in November 2025, and did so in style with a cripplingly emotional set that touched many souls and left many in floods of tears! Patrick returned to the city on this night not with that band but rather flying solo as 40 Watt Sun. Armed with just an acoustic guitar with no distorted guitars to hide behind, this was raw and unfiltered. You could feel every ounce of emotion pouring from each gentle pluck of the guitar strings.
We've seen some straight up violent metal acts in this very venue; everything from Deicide to Skinless. Though every vocal utterance delivered by Patrick was healing, caressing our aching and blackened souls tonight (aching and blackened from the likes of Deicide and the other noisy yet glorious bands that have played here). Performing live and in the flesh allowed Patrick to tell us more about himself and life on the road. For instance, a horrible toilet incident in Washington DC, an unusual encounter with a fan in Germany, and the story behind writing the song ‘Pour Your Love On Me’ whilst staying in a cottage in Cornwall. Songs like ‘Astoria’ unfortunately didn't make the set, requiring a full band to perform them. But nonetheless, Patrick delivered one of the more gentle and aesthetic performances the venue had seen for quite some time!
With the band's mighty wall of amplifiers already on stage and Jesse Shreibman’s colossal drum kit already assembled, the changeover was minimal. Whereas 40 Watt Sun was gentle and aesthetic, Stygian Bough was the crushing and overwhelmingly polar opposite! The sheer gravity of the amplifiers for Eric's guitar and Dylan's bass combined were shifting some serious air, shaking your trousers, rearranging your internal organs, and testing the quality of your ear protection! One can only feel sorry for those foolish enough to not wear any!
Sometimes the names Bell Witch and Stygian Bough are used interchangeably. Though doing so is a huge disservice and discount to the invaluable contributions Eric contributes to this group! As talented a bassist Dylan is, he simply cannot add the melody and blistering leads to the mix with just his 7 string bass that Eric can on his guitar. Instead, he can focus on providing that crushing low end, a task that he more than excelled in tonight! Eric is, and was, the man responsible for the lion's share of the vocals too, supported brilliantly by Dylan when required.
This style of doom metal is one of the most psychologically challenging genres to play! If you're playing a thrash metal guitar solo at 200bpm, one or two misplaced notes will go unnoticed. With the pace of music flowing like treacle here, if Eric or Dylan got a wrong note as part of Stygian Bough then there would be no hiding place and we'd know! They're supremely talented musicians though and looked like a well oiled machine up there. This timing can largely be attributed to the human metronome that is Jesse, anchoring the pulse and rhythm of the band from behind the kit, and also offering melodic support through a series of foot pedals.
All three musicians combined in unholy unison to lay down wave after immersive wave of funeral doom metal, providing a challenge for the structural integrity of Rebellion! With nowhere to hide from this, it was enough to just close your eyes, allow yourself to fall into a trance, and feel the waves crash over you in a truly transcending experience!
Unlike other musicians who need to scurry off to the tour bus to hit the next leg of the tour on a wildly tight schedule, all musicians tonight were eager to hang around the venue and to chat. I took this opportunity and spoke to Dylan, who was a true gent and more than happy to pose for a photo. As he did for many others. What a class act!
Hopefully it won’t be another four years until Stygian Bough return to Manchester!
Photo Credits: Rich Price Photography
