White Heat

Valentine’s Day is spent, for a large portion of us, in the arms of lovers. Tonight however, in London’s ubiquitous White Heat club, I’m waiting to be welcomed into the bosom of a somewhat different beast. Maybe not so much the embrace, more the world of the Norwegian noise-dream that is Serena Maneesh.

Before their almost brutal caress is unleashed, we’ve another, slightly more ‘cutting-edge’ prospect to deal with. Touted as ‘math-rock’s best new band’ before the night, The Jesus Years are an interesting blend of Youthmovie Soundtrack Strategies’ enthusiasm, coupled with the rhythmic intensity of Hella. A set that includes an ode to breakfast ‘(5 Toast’ ) and enough of the two previously mentioned bands is always a winner with me, constantly filling the room with broken guitar fiddles and face-slapping drum fills. A young band, with a great deal of promise - another year of gigs and writing and their songs will match their musical prowess. Ones to watch, without a doubt.

After an extended changeover (and a stage filled with more amps than a Broken Social Scene fan convention), Serena Maneesh take the stage to a muted and somewhat bewildered audience reception. It’s become apparent already that technical difficulties are going to make this set a mission to get into, to deal with, but my love of their self-titled debut album is enough to encourage me to do so.

The drums, muffled by the walls of alternating guitars, hold together the energy of a band bound by an obvious love of Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine. So many bands attempt to emulate these heroes and few ever come close, but Serena Maneesh may just be on their way to being a real proposition in this arena. The cataclysmic behaviour of their quite-possibly-under-the-influence frontman Emil Nikolaisen makes the shambolic sound that little bit more acceptable, the whole affair having an air of what the record purveyed so well.

For all their references and influences, the Maneesh are a band to behold and get excited about, as each musician adds another brick to the simultaneously intense and beautiful wall of sound, the end result is like Christmas Day during World War 2. A group of people bound together in an attempt to destroy, but spurned along by a mutual respect for the beautiful things in life.

Like The Jesus Years before them, the whole package has yet to quite arrive for Serena Maneesh, but with a new record deal under their belt and this, the first date of a Europe-wide tour, the prospect of things to come is almost too exciting to wait for.