Swans @ The Arches, 25 October

Opening for Swans must be one of the most daunting tasks an artist can face but James Blackshaw takes it calmly; almost too calmly, in fact. His nonplussed attitude matches his music perfectly, a series of delicate compositions for 12-string that is utterly captivating, possessing such a range and quiet intensity that he often sounds like he is solely channelling an entire orchestra. Over the 30 minutes allotted to him, he wordlessly tells stories filled with melancholy, hope and loss, a beautiful set that makes Swans’ long-awaited return even more devastating.

The build-up for Swans begins before they even grace the stage, a wall of distortion that slowly escalates until the scene is set for some kind of apocalyptic event; only then do Michael Gira and company enter, and only then does it start to get really loud. Given that the songs tonight are largely taken from their latest album, it is to be expected that it will be an intense performance but the atmosphere is absolutely crushing, Gira’s voice booming over the assembled like the word of God Himself.

Their strength is largely rhythmic, the combination of simple melodies with a colossal percussion section allowing for the development of a primitive, almost ritualistic air undercut with a perceptible aura of malice. There is no other band capable of such a deft handling of volume as an instrument itself whether it be to bludgeon or cajole and, with an all-too-brief encore of Little Mouth, it’s likely that the building, and those contained, will be resonating with the effects of this night for weeks to come.