Messed!Up
There was a time when sludge and stoner metal sat comfortably atop the underground’s food chain. Bands like Baroness, Red Fang, Black Tusk and Mastodon were defining the sound of heavy music’s more adventurous corners — and right there among them stood Kylesa. Yet despite following the band for years, they somehow remained a glaring omission on my live résumé. Then came their split in 2016, and I assumed I’d missed my chance forever.
Thankfully, I was wrong.
With Kylesa finally back in action, there was no way I was going to let a second opportunity slip away. So on a warm Wednesday evening, I made my way to Gebäude 9 in Cologne for what felt like a long-overdue appointment with one of sludge metal’s most distinctive acts.
Arriving shortly before the support band was due on stage, I was momentarily alarmed by the sparse turnout. The venue looked almost deserted. Fortunately, the emptiness proved deceptive. Within minutes of opener Last Bølt Ceremony beginning their set, the room started filling up as concertgoers drifted in from the beer garden, many having spent the evening enjoying Kölsch in the summer sunshine.
The Dortmund trio turned out to be one of the evening’s pleasant surprises. Blending stoner rock, grunge and psychedelic influences into a groove-heavy package, they delivered the perfect warm-up for the main event. While their stage presence was understated, their musicianship spoke volumes. Thick, fuzz-drenched riffs, infectious hooks and a knack for memorable songwriting steadily won over the growing audience. With a new album scheduled for release in October, the material previewed this evening suggests it’s one worth keeping firmly on the radar.
The changeover between bands offered a reminder of what makes the underground music scene special. Fans bonded over matching band shirts, recognised one another from previous gigs and exchanged stories about past tours, favourite albums and legendary concerts. People had travelled from across Germany to witness Kylesa’s return: veteran stoner-rock devotees, battle-vest-clad metalheads, punks and curious newcomers alike. Drinks were shared, ride-shares organised and conversations sparked between complete strangers. It was a heartening display of the community spirit that continues to sustain underground music.
Then, finally, Kylesa took the stage.
Long-time fans will remember the band’s dual-drummer setup, a defining feature of their sound for many years. Tonight, only one drummer occupied the riser, but any concerns about whether the band could still summon their trademark power vanished almost immediately. From the opening moments, the sound was colossal. Crushing low end, thunderous percussion and massive guitar tones rolled through the room with relentless force.
Keeping stage banter to a minimum, Kylesa delivered a career-spanning set packed with fan favourites. “Scapegoat”, “Tired Climb”, “Unspoken” and “Where the Horizon Unfolds” all drew enthusiastic reactions before the band closed the evening with the cathartic “Running Red”.
Visually, the production was stripped back to the bare essentials. No elaborate backdrop, no flashy stage design – just the exposed walls of Gebäude 9 framing the band. Yet what the performance lacked in spectacle, it more than compensated for in sheer sonic intensity. Laura Pleasants and Philip Cope remained a formidable vocal pairing, effortlessly shifting between melody and abrasion. Their contrasting voices continue to be one of Kylesa’s greatest strengths, perfectly complementing the band’s unique blend of sludge, punk urgency and dark psychedelic textures.
For ninety minutes, it felt as though time had folded back on itself. Kylesa sounded every bit as vital as they did during the mid-2000s, when they helped shape an entire generation of heavy music. By the end of the night, Gebäude 9 had filled to roughly two-thirds capacity, and the audience responded accordingly. Heads banged in unison, fists punched the air and a small but spirited mosh pit erupted near the front of the stage during the closing stretch.
,After nearly a decade away, Kylesa showed no signs of rust. Instead, they delivered a performance that served as a powerful reminder of why they became such an influential force in the first place. For longtime followers, it was a triumphant reunion. For those of us who never had the chance to see them before their hiatus, it was something even better: A long-overdue opportunity to finally experience one of sludge metal’s most innovative and enduring bands in their natural habitat.
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Photographer and writer: Christian Berg
