Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineMay 27, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, God Is An Astronaut, Solkyri, Treebeard, Max Watts

Chelsea Wolfe + Aphir @ The Forum 24-05-25

Gallery, ReviewDitch This MagazineMay 27, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Odin Imaging, Nathan Goldsworthy, odin imaging, God Is An Astronaut, Solkyri, Treebeard, Max Watts

photos: Nathan Goldsworthy @odin.imaging

A hushed reverence fell over The Forum as Chelsea Wolfe emerged from the shadows, cloaked in black and bathed in spectral light. Her voice—alternating between mournful whispers and piercing wails—wove through a set that felt less like a concert and more like a ritual. Opening with “Whispers In The Echo Chamber,” Wolfe and her band conjured a sonic tempest, blending industrial grit with haunting melodies from her latest album, She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She. Tracks like “Everything Turns Blue” and “Tunnel Lights” showcased their mastery in navigating the delicate balance between mechanical intensity and emotive depth.

The stage, shrouded in minimalist lighting, transformed Wolfe into an otherworldly figure—part siren, part specter. Her performance of “16 Psyche” ignited a collective fervor, leading into the doom-laden depths of “The Culling” and “Dragged Out.” Later, with songs like “Unseen World” and “Eyes Like Nightshade,” she introduced elements reminiscent of a dark Western, using black chimes and pendants as if conducting a sacred rite. The evening culminated with the pulsating rhythms of “Dusk,” each beat like a closing incantation.

Earlier, Melbourne’s Aphir set the tone with her celestial electronica, her voice and beats creating an ambient tapestry that seamlessly complemented the night’s ethereal atmosphere. Joined by collaborator Lack The Low, they introduced new tracks “Messengers” and “Moratorium,” building delicate sonic worlds that shimmered with restraint.

By the end of Wolfe’s set, the room felt spellbound—no applause loud enough to break the trance. As the final notes faded into the velvet dark, the crowd was left suspended in a rare stillness, as if unsure whether to cheer or to simply exhale