Winter’s chilling tendrils are extending their icy presence across the country. The early birds are well wrapped, woolly hats and thick coats the order of the day as they shiver in the queue to enter the Marble Factory in Bristol. Another venue that is at risk of closing (Marble Factory Closure), the listed building is not designed to be a warming environment but does know how to host a gig or two.
Baroness – Graveyard – Pallbearer
Marble Factory, Bristol – 21 November 2024
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
Baroness
By the time the headliners hit the stage, any lingering chills have been dispelled. It may be sub-zero outside but Baroness founder and sole original member John Baizley is not feeling it. He is looking fitter than a butcher’s dog, ripped, and confident in tight fitting black vest.
The band hit the stage hard, with huge smiles, something that remains in place throughout their set. Baizley comments on the energy and love coming from the crowd several times, reminding us that the only way to keep warm is to expel huge amounts of energy.
It’s something that the audience has no problem with, the front rows shouting every word back to the band.
There have been various lineups of the band, but this one is as tight as you can want. Baizley handles the vocals and rhythm guitar, driving the band forward in a frantic opening, bouncing around the stage all night.
His trusty trio alongside him are all long-serving members. Bassist Nick Jost content to manage the low end whilst smirking at the proceedings.
Drummer Sebastian Thomas, set further back on the wide stage, does not miss a beat. That leaves Gina Gleason to fire solo after solo across the venue, which she does with a ferocity that fits well with some of the powerhouse songs that Baroness have in their arsenal.
The whole band are having a great time, an impressive achievement and great to see as they near the end of their current run. 
Six albums to plunder for a set of just over 70 minutes would provide most bands with challenges, but this set is well-paced and draws from the entire discography. Three songs are pulled from latest album Stone, including the crushing opening duo of Last Word and Under The Wheel. 
Baizley slows the tempo to reflect on his affinity with the South West. He recalls the gig at The Fleece in 2012, a triumphant moment some 12 years ago, which was dramatically followed by one of the worst moments for the band, with the near-fatal bus crash near Bath.
It means he has a strange relationship with this part of the world, as one can understand. The lineup of Baroness has changed since that fateful day, and Baizley is now rebuilt and recovered.
For many in the crowd, that Fleece show will remain in the memories, whilst others may not recall those events at all due to their youthful age. 
A heady, intoxicating hour rushes by in a flash. It is too quick in some respects, as the band are on fire. Suddenly, we are on the final 12 minutes. Two songs Baizley tells us, to expel everything we can to propel us to the finish line.
Isak is up first before the inevitable and welcome singalong to Take My Bones Away from 2012’s Yellow & Green gets us across the line. The curfew comes too early, as it is clear the band could and want to play on.
Such is life. For those here tonight, this was a show to cherish. The band from Savanna, Georgia, will most likely never play here again. But having played ArcTanGent in the summer, you can rest assured that Bristol will welcome them back with open arms.
Graveyard
After the crushing riffs of Pallbearer, it is a higher tempo that Swedes Graveyard bring to the party. Not that they are not suited to this tour, for they fit in with their two US partners neatly. 
In contrast to the sprawling songs of our friends from Arkansas, the Gothenburg outfit brings a swift 13-song set that delights. Vocalist Joakim Nilsson has not fully recovered from shoulder surgery, so he is on microphone only tonight, with John Hoyles (Witchcraft, Spiders) bringing excellent support on guitar. 
Graveyard’s sound is rooted in the ’70s, with their bluesy swagger quickly taking the edge of the still biting nip in the venue. Unsurprisingly, they still draw deeply from breakthrough album Hisingen Blues, which provides four of the songs including the dual finale of Ain’t Fit To Live Here and an extended Siren. Thankfully, the drum solo that threatens is mercifully brief.
It’s only been 18 months since the band were in the city last, co-headlining with Kadavar at SWX. Tonight, they seem in a better place, although that is merely my impression.
Cohesive and confident, they possess the songs needed. Two from 2023’s 6 are in the mix, and it’s only the debut album that isn’t included in the selection. Dipping into their psychedelia-tinged rock, it is a set that has many in the room buzzing. Whether it is your first time or not, Graveyard really put in a shift.
Pallbearer
Arkansas’s Pallbearer, like the other bands on this bill, are no strangers to Bristol. They are ArcTanGent alumni and played this venue almost a decade ago at the Temples Festival. Since then, they have visited The Fleece and Thekla on several occasions.
Tonight, they get hit with a technical issue that disrupts the opening song, Silver Wings. Once that is fixed, they power through a riff-heavy set. Pallbearer are not a band to do short songs, and Brett Campbell, they possess a vocalist whose clean pipes sit somewhat incongruously with the band’s devastatingly heavy Doom. 
They are a powerful unit and maybe the unknown on the bill despite having played Bristol much more than their companions. Regardless, for those who love their sound, this is a strong showing, with Signals and With Disease drawn from this year’s excellent Mind Burns Alive.
A short set maybe, but sometimes less is definitely more.
