“AAARTH” by The Joy Formidable

Live in Portland October 26, 2018 | Doug Fir

The Joy Formidable has a busy schedule as they close down the summer season, releasing their fourth studio album AAARTH on September 28. As the heavy and powerful energy of this album comes kicking and screaming into existence, the song “Y Bluen Eira” creeps into the forefront with dark chants and a mix of professional production that sounds as if an array of ‘90s heavy/pop/rock bands got together for some sort of twisted and sadistic orgy taking place in the depths of hell.

The sound that sets the stage for this album does sustain in most ways throughout, but there are a few songs that display a deeper sentiment of originality and sensitive innocence such as “The Wrong Side” and “All In All.” It would seem that the Joy Formidable has tasted sweet success in the mainstream rock ‘n’ roll world. This kind of success, however, looks strange to a city that loves it’s gritty hole in the wall venues and uniquely original music scene.

The Joy Formidable will be opening for the Foo Fighters (per Dave Grohl’s personal request) at the Moda Center on September 10, and then will be returning to PDX in October without Grohl and his cronies to headline the Doug Fir.