When I first stumbled across Faetooth through Spotify’s gloriously unpredictable Radio algorithm, I was immediately hooked by ‘La Sorcière‘. One song was all it took to send me down the rabbit hole of their debut album, Remnants of the Vessel. Before long, I was enthusiastically trying to explain to friends what “fairy doom” actually was, and why they absolutely needed to hear it.
At some point, most of my friends have been subjected to a Faetooth listening session, usually accompanied by my increasingly desperate attempts to explain why I enjoy listening to people scream over crushing guitar riffs. Faetooth quickly became one of those bands I couldn’t stop recommending, not just because of the sheer weight of their sound, but because of the way they blend folk influences with doom, sludge and shoegaze into something that feels entirely their own. Seeing them live at Gebäude 9 in Cologne finally brought that vision to life as they toured their second album, Labyrinthine.
Having grown up with every imaginable subgenre of rock and metal blasting through the family car speakers, I’ve always believed that heavy music evolves like any other art form. New subgenres emerge, new voices challenge old conventions, and different perspectives reshape what came before. Of course, that also means listening to the familiar complaints from traditionalists insisting that anything new “isn’t real metal.” But metal has never stood still. It has always absorbed new influences without losing the heaviness that defines it, and Faetooth are a perfect example of that evolution.
Their music channels vulnerability through overwhelming sound, pairing crushing riffs with ethereal melodies that make you feel as though you’re drifting through a lucid dream. Fairy doom might sound like a contradiction, but it makes complete sense once you hear it. The contrast between softness and aggression, beauty and despair, creates something deeply emotional while never sacrificing the power that doom metal thrives on.
From the start, the evening felt carefully curated. Opening band Celestielle eased the audience into the night’s atmosphere with a dark and dreamy yet powerful set, laying the perfect foundation for what was to come. By the time Faetooth took the stage, the crowd was more than ready to sink into their world of fairy doom.
From the moment they stepped onto the stage, the chemistry between the three members was undeniable. Rather than competing for the spotlight, they performed like close friends who instinctively knew how to lift one another up. Every member had their moment, but everything served the performance as a whole.
Watching three friends in their twenties roam the stage, dance, exchange amused glances, pull ridiculous faces and then launch straight back into towering doom riffs was refreshingly genuine. There was no exaggerated performance of what being “heavy” is supposed to look like. Instead, they simply looked like they were having the time of their lives making loud, emotionally devastating music together, and that joy spread through the room.
Each member brought something different to the performance. Ari, in particular, had an irresistibly playful, almost flirtatious stage presence, effortlessly drawing eyes with every grin, movement and interaction. Jenna provided the emotional centre of the band, moving seamlessly between haunting clean vocals and raw, piercing screams. At times her voice disappeared beneath towering walls of distortion before emerging again with striking clarity, while her harmonies with Ari added another layer to the band’s immersive sound. Behind them, Rah held everything together with remarkable precision, delivering thunderous drumming that powered every crescendo without ever overpowering the atmosphere.
What impressed me most, though, was how naturally these different energies coexisted. The immense heaviness never overshadowed the warmth between the band members, and their playful interactions never took away from the emotional impact of the music. If anything, those contrasts made the performance feel surprisingly intimate despite its overwhelming volume.
That sense of closeness extended beyond the stage. At a time when many artists remain separated from their audience by barriers, Faetooth seemed eager to erase that distance. During the set, both Ari and Jenna stepped into the crowd to perform surrounded by fans who were headbanging just inches away. For a few minutes, it stopped feeling like a conventional concert and became something closer to a rehearsal between friends, raw, chaotic and completely unforgettable.
By the time the final notes rang out, nobody seemed ready for it to end. Chants of “one more song” echoed throughout the venue, a fitting response to a performance that had balanced devastating heaviness with genuine warmth and fun.
Faetooth are proving that doom metal doesn’t have to cling to tradition to remain authentic. Their blend of vulnerability, atmosphere and crushing riffs feels less like a departure from the genre than its natural next step. If this show was any indication of where they’re headed, fairy doom has an exciting future ahead, and Faetooth are leading the way.
We’ll definitely be there the next time they return.
