Panopticon and Sunken
Panopticon and Sunken
The Dome London
02/04/2026
Live Review by Oli Gonzalez
Panopticon. The myth, the legend. The product of one man’s creative drive and vision. Austin Lunn. The band would return to the UK almost 2 years since their legendary set at Fortress Festival 2024, and for the first time ever in the capital city of the United Kingdom. They would be playing a special set that encompassed hits from their latest albums; “And Again Info Light”, “The Rime Of Memory”, and the yet to be released (at time of writing) album “Det Hjemsøkte Hjertet”. They would also enlist the support of highly rated atmospheric black metal band from Denmark, Sunken, to open up proceedings.
This would be the first time I had visited The Dome, so another off the list. Doors opening at 7pm and first band at 8pm seemed a bit unusual. As such, me and some friends took refuge in the nearby Aces And Eights bar for a drink and some pizza (which was awesome!). Judging by the sheer quantity of battle jackets and the sea of black band shirts, we weren’t the only ones with the same idea. Once our last drop of liquid had been consumed, we take the 400m pilgrimage to The Dome, and were straight in!
First impressions? Busy but overwhelming or getting too close to strangers kind of busy. The venue seemed like one designed for live music too with an impressive lighting display. Without too much time for chit chatter, the music began.
Sunken
Returning to the UK after a solid set at Fortress Festival 2024, since then, the band had added “Lykke” to their discography. A highly rated album.
The immediately recognisable ambient opening segment from ‘Din røst malede farver i luften’ filled the room as the band took to the stage. Then, what the fvck happened next? That bass just sounded horrible, dominating the mix and turning the glorious atmospheric splendour we’ve come to associate with Sunken into a muddy mess! It took a few painful minutes for this to be resolved but once it did, everybody in the room could relax. The bass came down, the dynamic soundscapes in the backing tracks became more prominent, the guitars heroic and glorious whilst vocalist Martin led the charge with a fierce and blistering performance on the mic! He looked like a man performing as though his life depended on it!
The set featured only 3 songs in roughly 45 minutes. Though they flowed elegantly and seamlessly, providing a thoroughly immersive and rich listening experience. You feel as though the band are still in their infancy and haven’t fully maximised their potential. With albums like “Lykke” in their sonic arsenal, you sense that they can go very far in this industry.
https://www.facebook.com/sunkendenmark
Panopticon
They rarely come to the UK. The last time prior to this tour was in June 2024 as they memorised the Fortress Festival collective! I didn’t see them that day and all I could think tonight was “why didn’t I watch them then?”. Because tonight was magnificent! They had a huge crew to ensure every aspect of their sound was taken care of, almost as many crew members as band members. Lemme tell you, that extra attention to detail was time well spent! No note ever felt out of place and was as crucial and critical as the last! They were adept at lulling you into ambient and introspective passages, with the keys and strings adding the necessary emotional voicing for each. There’s no substitute for the real thing and no electronic sample can capture the sentiment of the strings, all designed to build tension and intrique. They would frequently shift dynamics and rapidly pile on the pressure and intensity with huge atmospheric bursts that offered glorious cathartic release! Think Amenra, Explosions In The Sky, only much faster, aggressive and with Austin Lynn’s trademark thunderous growls sitting over the top.
This was quite possibly the show of the year so far for me. A sense of despair was creeping over me, sensing that it may be quite some time before hearing such splendour once again. Though fortunately I would get my chance 2 days later as Panopticon would grace the Samhain Antwerp main stage…
https://www.facebook.com/thetruepanopticon
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