Serena Maneesh Reviewed

Serena Maneesh
Empty Bottle, Chicago
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Norway’s Serena Maneesh, having swung through town three weeks ago en route to South By Southwest in Austin, decided to topple the Empty Bottle once more before fleeing the continent — a final attempt to shake the club to its foundations.

SM, which have roots in glam, power pop, and death metal, teeter on that wonderful brink of extreme volume and just sounding massive. The band have grabbed not-so-fleeting comparisons to My Bloody Valentine during their brief stay — though the Velvet Underground ones are off target — and it has completely to do with heavily reverbed and whispered vocals courtesy frontman Emil Nikolaisen, breaking into walls of sound and pummeling rhythms.

Their self-titled album hasn’t been released in the U.S. yet, but that didn’t impede Serena Maneesh from getting their point across. Sonic Youth’s antics were adapted right away as Nikolaisen began conjuring feedback and guitarist Sondre Tristan Midttun started on his own with screwdrivers. Though “only” five strong on Tuesday, they were still able to conjure tempests, whether in 10-minute jams or more concise outbursts. It’s tempting to recommend keeping your eye out for this one, but you’ll hear them coming first.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly