Midweek gigs can often be a bit hit-and-miss in terms of attendance. Thankfully, tonight, most people arrived at The Junction in plenty of time to catch all three bands: Unburier, War Shepherd, and headliners Crypta.
Crypta – War Shepherd – Unburier
The Junction, Plymouth – 12 June 2024
Words: Jools Green
Photography: Keith Conlin
This was a wise choice on the crowd’s part, not only because support bands play an important role that is often overlooked but also because, in the case of Unburier and War Sheperd, they delivered blistering performances.
These were two extra reasons why it was wise to arrive early.
Crypta
I was keen to see Crypta, having seen drummer Luana and vocalist Fernanda in Nervosa a few years ago, hoping for yet another strong demonstration of the impressive potential and capabilities of women in Metal.
I was not disappointed. They fully commanded the stage and delivered a superb set. Crypta clearly also had a huge following in Plymouth if the repeated chants of “Crypta, Crypta” were anything to go by.
Their set was drawn mostly from their latest album, 2023’s Shades Of Sorrow, which they are currently promoting on this tour. Opening with The Other Side Of Anger, followed by Poisonous Apathy, Lift The Blindfold, The Outsider, Lullaby For The Forsaken, Stronghold, and the instrumental The Limbo.
Then Trial Of Traitors followed, before switching to Under The Black Wings from their 2021 debut album Echoes Of The Soul. Then back to Shades Of Sorrow with Dark Clouds, followed by Shadow Within again from Echoes of the Soul.
Crypta returned to Agents Of Chaos and Lord Of Ruins from Shades Of Sorrow, ending on From The Ashes also from Echoes. All were delivered with powerful conviction.
To combat heat issues in the building, The Junction had recently installed three massive air-conditioning units. However, vocalist Fernanda wasn’t taking any chances and had a floor-based fan blowing directly up at her, which did add a ‘Rock Star’ aura to her stage presence in the way it blew through her hair.
Unburier
Openers, Technical Thrash/Death Metal outfit Unburier from Yeovil, didn’t take long to instil lively energy into the crowd. They managed to instigate a small pit with those young enough to muster up the energy to do so, with the older element nodding or gently headbanging appreciatively to their performance.
Their set was drawn from their two recent EPs, 2022’s Twisted Existence and Nebulous, which came out this February, all delivered with tight precision.
It was the first time I’d seen them live, and they gave an impactful performance that commanded my attention. Unburier is definitely a band I will be keeping an eye on in the future.
War Shepherd
Melodic Death Metal five-piece War Shepherd hit the stage second and, despite a few initial minor technical issues, delivered a blisteringly good set as always.
Vocalist Jamie never ceases to surprise me with her excellent vocal range. The other thing that always impacts is the strong bond between the band members. I’m sure this is a key factor in their performance and part of what makes them such a popular local act, along with the quality of their music.
Their set opened with A Power Greater Than One, followed by Dethrone The King and Living Through Your Hate. Then, a new piece never performed live before, Threads Of Fate, before they ended on the anthemic, self-titled War Shepard.
Overall, the evening delivered three excellent bands in three well-received sets. You can’t get much better than that.
