Djunah’s record release show for Femina Furens happened on March 23rd at the Empty Bottle, in Chicago IL. I wasn’t at the release for their previous album, but I’ve seen videos of it on YouTube so I knew this release was going to be a special show. I expected good things from Huntsmen since Djunah hand picked them to open. I was pumped for this show and my enthusiasm was not misplaced.
I had zero familiarity with Huntsmen prior to this show, other than hearing they were a doom band. When I think of Chicago doom, my mind immediately goes to slow sludgy metal with low guttural screaming. As such, I was expecting something in that vein, but I was pleasantly surprised by how wrong I was. As they prepared to start their set, the band positioned their own lights around the stage, all projecting a warm orange glow. The fog machine saturated the stage, setting somewhat of a somber mood. The start of their music further added to the atmosphere. The beginning of the set, as well as many other songs started clean and melodic. I was taken aback when they busted out three-part vocal harmonies. They were often led by Aimee’s angelic voice, supported by Marc on bass and Chris on guitar, who took the lead for other songs. The music didn’t stay this soft and gentle however; it wasn’t long before the guitars became aggressive and distorted, the bass gritty and driving, with drums heavy and pounding. These parts of the songs still weren’t slow and sludgy like I expected. They weren’t punk rock fast, but held a solid driving mid-tempo, a good speed to keep you paying attention. It felt to me like a modern take on the pioneering metal bands of the 70s that doom couldn’t exist without. The melodic, harmonic vocals continued on top of these parts creating wonderful contrast. At strategic points in the songs, much to my enjoyment, Ray on drums adds some well-fitting screaming vocals underneath the tapestry of vocal harmonies. Turns out Kirill on guitar was the only member to not contribute on vocals, but his energy on guitar more than made up for it. Huntsmen really surprised and delighted me with their unique and creative style of doom rock. I thoroughly enjoyed their performance and am already digging into their recording catalog. Even if you don’t think doom is your thing, you owe it to yourself to give them a listen.
I make it no secret that Djunah is one of my absolute favorite bands from Chicago. If you haven’t seen them before they’re a two-piece band with an amazingly full sound. Donna Diane plays guitar and sings, while also playing bass lines on synth with her foot. Jared Hemming’s drum work is original and interesting, it complements Donna’s playing perfectly without overshadowing it. This was the record release show for their new album, Femina Furens. The new songs have a more complex flavor compared to their previous album. Where the songs on Ex Voto drew me in instantly, Femina Furens needs to be heard a few times to fully digest and appreciate the songs. It’s an incredible album and well worth the time investment. The show started off with an excellent foreboding tone. Donna came on stage wearing a hooded gown, holding a sword. Yes, a real goddamn sword. She looked like a warrior ready for battle. After brandishing the sword above her shoulders, she rested it with an Epiphone Les Paul on a guitar stand. That’ll come back into play later. The last few times I’ve seen Djunah they mostly played the new songs. This show they played a balanced mix of new and old, hearing the old songs live again was like running into an old friend. Throughout the set Donna’s guitar was loud and raw, with excellent use of multiple distortions to craft fantastic tones and textures. I am in love with the sound of her deep, thick, distorted synth bass. It’s something you have to experience live, you will feel the sound pressure vibrate your insides in the most pleasing way. Jared’s drumming was on point as always, technical and complex, matching Donna’s riffs and rhythms perfectly. Donna’s powerful singing was passionate and expressive, and the screaming. Her screaming is just pure concentrated catharsis. For the most part, Donna uses her Gibson SG for the Ex Voto songs, and her Kurt Ballou guitar for the Femina Furens songs. But for the last song of the night, she picked up the aforementioned Epiphone. At the end of the song, while the synth bass rang out indefinitely, Donna scraped and slashed the strings creating a cacophony of noise and feedback. The guitar screamed out as it was punished for its sins, strings were sacrificed then Donna kneeled over it and stabbed from above. She left the guitar there, feeding back like a death rattle, as she walked off stage, sword above her shoulders just as she came out. Djunah record release shows are truly something to behold. As of this writing, you can still catch the second leg of their 2023 North America tour.
This show was freaking fantastic. Huntsmen converted me into a fan and Djunah had already hooked me. Catch them live any opportunity you get. More photos below:
