Live Review: Orme, Tumanduumband & Boa Resa at Helgi’s, London (15/02/25)

Have you been to Helgi’s in London? It’s a very cool occult bar in Hackney dripping in sexy and sleazy psychedelic and horror-infused atmosphere. It is also a live venue, one with a capacity of around 50 people.

On a cold and dark February night, it played host to a trio of bands that embody words like ‘miserable noise’, ‘relentless heaviness’, and ‘salacious darkness’.

It’s a doomy kind of night, albeit malformed, and the heaviness arrives with mighty aplomb as Boa Resa unleash a cavernous style of primal doom. Slow and methodical, the trio is made up of two bass guitars and drums, which should give you some idea of the thunderous sounds that emanates from them. Yet, there is beauty in their sound too, and the two styles of vocals adds more layers, more intensity, and more depth.

It’s a crushing display made up of crashing sounds, and while they don’t have quite the same nuances that makes the headliners so impressive, they stand out. They are undeniably a band to watch.

Do you like your doom to come with a side of Satan though? Who doesn’t! Which is lucky as Tumanduumband are here, and they have wicked intentions for us all. A duo, utilising the thickest of bass sounds alongside the heftiest of drumbeats, wrapped up in a sinister Satanic bow. From the start, there’s a strong sense of evil in the air as those who are willing are ‘blessed’ and it only gets more horrifying from there. Hell has opened tonight, and Tumanduumband have emerged, bringing a cacophony of doom with them. It is immense and leaves such an impression.

Speaking of impressions though. Since they first came my way with their self-titled debut album, Orme have fascinated me. Creating some of the most challenging music, that can be best summed up as an experimental form of doom mixed with drone elements. That album, their split with Wreaths, and their latest EP, ‘No Serpents, No Saviours’ are all ‘must listens’, even if I know the kind of music that Orme make is not for everyone.

Something that also rings true as far as their live performance goes. A measured and focused experience that does the impossible, which is to create the atmosphere and deliver the nuances of their studio sound into the live environment. Yes, of course, it’s heavy, noisy, and intense, but it’s so much more too. A transcendent experience, delivering girth and heft, creative instrumental twists and turns to a familiar doom formula, and vocals (occasionally) that are scathing. We are staring into the mouth of madness.

They are brilliant, and part of a brilliant night of miserable heaviness that leaves everyone who experienced it, smiling.