Line-up

Headliner
Pelican Last time in Dublin: 17 years ago

Venue

Whelan's

25 Wexford St, Portobello, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland

www.whelanslive.com

Capacity: 450

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Additional details

Doors open: 20:00

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Pelican biography

Pelican is a post-metal band known for their entirely instrumental and overtly cinematic compositions. They are influenced by like minded predecessors such as Isis and Neurosis, but also take cues from sludge/doom metal groups like Sleep and Black Sabbath and jazz tinged, post-rock pioneers such as Tortoise.

Pelican was conceived in Chicago, Illinois, US by brothers Bryan and Larry Herweg (the band’s drummer and bass player respectively) and guitarists Trevor de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec. After 11 years with the band Lebec left the formation and was replaced by Dallas Thomas in 2012.

Considering the many parallels drawn between Pelican and Isis it made since that they would sign on to Hydra Head Records (a label owned and run by Isis member Aaron Turner). Through this label Pelican released their 2003 eponymous EP and followed it up with their studio debut “Australasia”. “Australasia” was a critical hit and pushed the group into niche, but respected metal circuits alongside acts like the Russian Circles.

Before switching over to the label Southern Lord Records, the band released two more albums through Hydra Records: 2005’s “The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw” and 2007’s “City of Echoes”.

On 6 June 2009 Pelican made their 1st release through Southern Lord Records, their EP “Ephemeral”. The band supported their acquisition to the label and their new release with a promotional tour alongside label mates “Wolves in the Throne Room”. For Pelican’s 2009 album “What We All Come to Need”, they recruited Greg Anderson and Aaron Turner as guest musicians and went into a much darker and brooding direction, borrowing the riff based structure established by bands such as Black Sabbath.

Pelican released the EP “Ataraxia/Taraxis” in 2012 and embarked on a lengthy European tour, which included stops at the Dunk Festival in Belgium and the Roadburn Festival in the Netherlands. Pelican released their 2nd studio album “Forever Becoming” through Southern Lord Records in 2013.

Apart from playing in Pelican, members Larry Herweg, Trevor de Brauw, and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec comprise the experimental-metal group Tusk. Pelican has also released several splits with many highly credited bands such as post-hardcore aficionados, These Arms are Snakes and Japanese post-rock sensation, Mono.

Live reviews

Post-rock, post-metal, stoner, doom rock, black metal….call it what you will, but Illinois four-piece Pelican make a thunderous racket on record and in concert. Formed in 2000 by brothers Brian and Larry Herweg, Trevor de Brauw and Dallas Thomas, Pelican don’t just lay all their cards on the table by relying on riffs – this is a band that relies as much upon atmospherics as it does the power of noise. Connected to both Hydra Head and Southern Lord records, the band has toured with kindred spirits Isis and Wolves in the Throne Room and released great records like 'Australasia' and 'Forever Becoming,' standing out as pioneers in that post-metal sound that draws as much from electronic ambient music as it does from crunching guitar riffs. As they’re an entirely instrumental band, Pelican has to rely wholly on the power of its music live, as there’s no front man to carry the focus. That’s not a problem though as "Dead Between the Walls" from 2007’s 'City of Echoes' launches straight into a barrage of heavy riffing, while "Strung Up from the Sky" chimes first before building to a wall of noise without ever losing that gorgeous melody. Long-time encore and final set closer "Mammoth" has survived since the band’s first EP and it simply lays riff upon riff until you are battered into submission. Although there’s nothing wrong with this music on record, I always say the best way to experience bands like Pelican is when they play live. That way, you get power and noise completely unedited or watered down by studio trickery.

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