Toner Low, Stonenrow, Pools of Μercury // Six d.o.g.s., Athens, Greece // 17.05.2014

Friday night and I was heading to Six d.o.g.s. to participate in a great concert, with Toner Low to headline and Pools of Mercury and Stonenrow to support the main act. The Doors opened at 21.30. Pools of Μercury were about to hit the stage around 22.10 pm but the club was almost empty. There were thirty to fourty people there but I don’t think the band cared about that. They started warming up with the few that were lucky to get to the venue early, hoping for more guys to attend as the time got on.

Pools of Mercury were great. They are a powerful band with a nice groovy. Their stoner psychedelic sound was the best way to start that night. Although they entered the line up after the band Monk had to cancel the show, I don’t think that someone had a problem to watch this great band live again! I think that the band will get more experienced as the time is passing by and I hope to see them live again really soon! You guys rock!

Next to hit the stage was Stonenrow. I have watched on stage these dudes supporting Windhand and I can say that they had impressed me. They are really close to my taste of music. They perform slow, with heavy sound that sometimes remind me the mighty Electric Wizard. This is just a marvelous similarity. However, I think their compositions need some work for not be boring to the audience… and also have to improve their stage appearance. The two guys in the front need some work. I know the music they play is slow and somehow dark but I want more power on stage from these guys… the power that their drummer had (I love this dude). Well he is one of the most “crazy” drummers that I have ever seen. He feels the groove, performing ritualistic and ambient drum parts along with the music.

Well the time had come to live another experience. Toner Low hit on stage of Six d.o.g.s. around 24:00 and suddenly the atmosphere changed. I have been in so many gigs that I thought that was another stoner gig. I knew Toner Low is an awesome band but I had no idea what was about to happen the next one hour. The lights went off (the audience though was very short in numbers for this great band.) The wooden box with the psychedelic visuals was placed in the stage and the Projector was showing their beloved plant. The show started. I thought that the club was going to be demolished. Well three persons can achieve that! As time was passing by, I was getting lost in their sound and lost to what happening in front of my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was participating in! The band taught everyone how to play a heavy as fuck stoner doom music! The sound was great! Jack behind the drums was unbelievable; what a great guy and player he is? Total respect! He doesn’t like so much the light I think though he was wearing his sunglasses for all the set! The bass blew our minds away and the guitar as well. I had lost my mind. The ended the show with the same energy they started it. I didn’t know what happened. They came, they blew our minds and simply as that, they went off. They could have included a few more songs in their set but I don’t think that matters so much because this experience was too strong that I simply didn’t care. I was a pity that the band, which is one of the best in the stoner rock genre, played in front of a small audience like that. Those concerts are just something you don’t want to miss.

I would like to personally thank Elina, from Smoke the Fuzz for her effort to make the dreams of every stoner doom fan in Greece a reality and I think that she has achieved it so far, beyond expectations. The best is yet to come! Keep Smoking! DOOM WHAT THOU WILT!

Photos and Report: Dimitris “MitsDoom” Balabakis