Under the melancholic canopy of a Montreal evening, Chelsea Wolfe and Divide & Dissolve cast a spell over a sold-out Club Soda on Saturday night, offering a mesmerizing performance that traversed the depths of emotion and sound.
Opening the proceedings were Divide and Dissolve, an Australian duo whose brooding soundscapes set the stage for Wolfe’s ethereal melodies. With Takiaya Reed’s thunderous guitars and haunting saxophone and Sage Paden’s thunderous drums, they created a sonic tapestry that enveloped the audience in a haze of raw emotion and intensity. Occasionally, it all got a little monotonous, but Reed’s constant smile and Paden’s energy made it difficult for the crowd not to be won over.
Wolfe, adorned in her signature black attire, took the stage amidst an atmosphere thick with anticipation. Her latest album, the enigmatically titled “She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She,” served as the cornerstone of the evening’s setlist, guiding listeners through a labyrinth of haunting melodies and introspective musings.
With the assistance of her seasoned backing band, Wolfe’s performance was a study in contrasts, fusing ethereal vocals with pulsating rhythms and atmospheric instrumentation. As she swayed gracefully, her hands delicately clutching the microphone, the audience was drawn into her world—a realm where darkness and light intersect in a delicate dance of sonic alchemy.
As the night unfolded, Chelsea Wolfe unveiled a series of captivating performances, each one weaving its own unique spell over the audience. Tracks like “Whispers in the Echo Chamber,” “House of Self-Undoing,” and “The Culling” showcased her ability to conjure vivid imagery through her music, while “16 Psyche” and “Feral Love” offered glimpses into the darker recesses of the human psyche.
Throughout the evening, Wolfe and her band displayed a remarkable command of dynamics and atmosphere, shifting effortlessly between moments of quiet introspection and explosive catharsis. Drummer Jess Gowrie’s use of electronic samples added depth and texture to the music, while Ben Chisholm’s atmospheric keyboards lent an otherworldly quality to the proceedings.
Despite these moments of brilliance, there were times when Wolfe’s performance felt slightly restrained as if holding back the full force of her creative energy. But the sheer intensity of songs like “House of Metal,” “Salt,” and “Unseen World” overshadowed these few and far-between moments.
As the evening drew to a close, Wolfe treated the crowd to an intimate acoustic mini-set, stripping away the layers of distortion and electronics to reveal the raw emotion at the heart of her music. “Flatlands” was a beautiful highlight of the night and “Be All Things” and “The Liminal” sound sublime in this stripped-down format, their haunting melodies lingering in the air long after the final notes had faded away.
Setlist
- Whispers in the Echo Chamber
- Everything Turns Blue
- House of Self‐Undoing
- Tunnel Lights
- 16 Psyche
- The Culling
- Feral Love
- House of Metal
- Survive
- Salt
- Unseen World
- Eyes Like Nightshade
- Place in the Sun
- Dusk
- They’ll Clap When You’re Gone
- Flatlands
Chelsea solo acoustic - Be All Things
- The Liminal
Review & photos – Steve Gerrard
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