Live Review: Agriculture / Healing Wound @ Stereo, Glasgow, UK - 21/06/26
Words by: Callum / Photo credit: Greghall
After releasing their sophomore masterwork “The Spiritual Sound” last year, Agriculture seems to be having a bit of a moment. The album dropped to rave reviews, but in the months since, it has been picked up by more major publications, and with that, extreme music fans who weren’t already on board are taking notice. Even more general audiences are taking a chance on some of the most boundary-pushing black metal in ages. With slots on the main stage at Roadburn, an appearance at Primavera and opening for Alex G in the States (I know, right?), it feels like we are experiencing a band on the cusp of something spectacular.
I wish I could say I had been ahead of the curve and riding for Agriculture since the debut, but that wasn’t the case. I managed to catch them last September at Glasgow’s Core Festival, a fest that prides itself on showcasing a range of genres across the weekend. In the months leading up to the show, I got familiar with their work, with 2024’s EP “Living Is Easy” being what immediately stuck out to me and made me make sure I would make time to watch their set. The set itself was a revelation; black metal has always been what I lean towards when it comes to the more extreme sides of metal. It would be reductive to call Agriculture purely a black metal outfit, as the way they experiment and push the confines of any one genre is astonishing. Seeing them live, the wall of sound they can create in those louder moments is breathtaking, with their set being the highlight of my weekend. There was no doubt in my mind that I would be seeing them again at the first chance I could.
This month, it was finally time for Agriculture to return to the UK and mainland Europe to celebrate the new record. On some select European dates as well as the full UK run, they were supported by the truly fantastic Healing Wound, who themselves are celebrating the release of their debut LP “Bodies of Heavenly Violence”, which you can read about here. Venturing out to Glasgow in the middle of a heatwave was a scary prospect, and in the basement venue Stereo no less, which is a sweat-box in the dead of winter. But a line-up like this can’t be missed. Once Healing Wound was onstage, there was no doubt from the audience that we had collectively made the right decision.
Healing Wound have a no-nonsense approach to their live show; the music is pummelling, the dissonant guitar paired with the grimiest bass tone known to man created a glorious cacophony alongside rock-solid drumming. The vocals cut through this sound to provide such an overwhelming performance; it was fitting that the vocalist was wearing a Converge tee, a band that they clearly take influence from, but this is no imitation; Healing Wound have been able to build off an early 00s metal core foundation and effortlessly weave in black metal, sludge, and even death metal. A few moments in the set, the sound cuts back to just a clean guitar chorus. This is featured on the record, but something about the huge sound they have live makes those sections of clarity cut through even more. It’s a simple thing, but it created a really dynamic set without having any outright soft songs.
After a blistering 30 minutes, as the final song ended, there was a huge cheer for the band; the room was now full, with many experiencing them for the first time. They definitely made an impression and gained some new fans along the way.
Before long, it was time for Agriculture to come onstage. The room was sweltering, but the anticipation of hearing ecstatic black metal made it all worthwhile. The proceedings open with My Garden, a black metal rager that opens with “The Spiritual Sound”, and immediately, the crowd reaction was immense. A sea of hands raised, fluttering their fingers to the blast beats courtesy of incredible drummer Kern Haug, this high-energy song kicks off the set perfectly and features a personal favourite riff evoking the spirit of Converge’s Kurt Ballou. The next song, Flea, is a showcase of the depth of vocalist/bassist Leah Levinson’s singing, able to go from spoken word to her cutting, high-pitched shrieks. The band plays at such a high level and with so much intensity that it was completely transfixing, with guitarist Richard Chowenhill getting to highlight his guitar chops with a silky-smooth solo on a beautiful EVH Wolfgang.
Bodhidharma is a highlight of the record and, in a live setting, it is even better: The interweaving guitar melodies of the main riff explode, with vocalist/guitarist Dan Meyer’s more bass-heavy tone paired beautifully with the high lead of Richard’s guitar, and the song then breaks down to just drums and Leah’s mesmerising vocals. The way they play about with dynamics is so key to what makes Agriculture stand out, and played live, it is no different. Cutting back the instrumentation connects the audience entirely with the words, and makes the full band coming back together sound even bigger.
A few times throughout the set, the band pushed the musical boundaries even more than they do on the record. After Bodhidharma, they immediately transitioned into Dan’s haunting solo performance in Hallelujah, accompanied only by his guitar. This performance was a standout of the night as black metal can be such a rigid style of music. Agriculture has already experimented with the extremes of that, but in this section, Dan went on an improvised musical excursion which, after the intensity of Bohidharma, was a welcome momentary respite.
That wasn’t it for improvisation; there was an extended drum solo, which was quite a novelty, as they don’t feel as commonplace in gigs as they used to, as well as an impromptu shred session after an accidentally snapped string, which transported us back to the era of virtuoso guitarists. There were other moments where they expanded the songs through jamming together. It was all such a refreshing watch, as all too often, this style of music can feel over-rehearsed, whereas Agriculture seemed to revel in the experimentation, a group of musicians highly motivated to push each other creatively.
It felt apt to finish the set on the soaring Living Is Easy, after nearly 90 minutes mostly showcasing “The Spiritual Sound”, with a few select tracks of their debut played. This song feels triumphant. There’s something special about hearing the Celtic-influenced lead guitar sections in Scotland; black metal at its best can give you such a rush of energy, and this final song was a total celebration.
They dedicated this to the gay and trans members of the community, with a trans flag also adorning an amp cabinet. There’s a concerted effort to make the show inclusive. Pair that with how they seamlessly blend softer sounds with extreme, and anyone can appreciate the spiritual sound of ecstatic black metal by the band Agriculture.
Agriculture: Instagram | Apple Music | Spotify
Healing Wound: Instagram | Apple Music | Spotify
