IGORRR

Igorrr devastates Vancouver’s Vogue Theatre with operatic ferocity, breakcore chaos, and Gerda Iguchi’s powerful arrival.

I don’t know about you, but I always get a little tense when a band I love loses a member. Some positions you can shuffle without shaking the foundation, but the vocalist? That’s the soul of the whole operation. When a singer leaves, the chemistry shifts — sometimes catastrophically. Just ask Skid Row, Quiet Riot, or even Judas Priest. Sure, some bands pull off the transition flawlessly — AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Lorna Shore — but it’s never guaranteed.

Why bring this up? Because Igorrr rolled into Vancouver tonight with Violent Magic Orchestra (VMO) and Secret Chiefs 3, packing the Vogue Theatre to a SOLD‑OUT crowd. Their 2023 Vancouver show was easily one of the best performances I saw that year, so expectations were sky‑high. But this tour comes with a major lineup change: the departure of mezzo‑soprano Marthe Alexandre. Her theatrical, operatic presence was a huge part of Igorrr’s live identity. In her place stands Gerda Iguchi, another mezzo‑soprano, this time from Japan. The big question: Can she carry the torch?

The rest of the lineup remains untouched — mastermind Gauthier Serre commanding keyboards, guitar, and whatever other sonic weapon he feels like wielding; Remi Serafino demolishing the drums; Martyn Clement on guitar; and JB Le Bail delivering his signature unclean death‑vocal assault.

A deep, buzzing bass rumbled through the Vogue as an ominous chant filled the room. Igorrr launched straight into “Daemoni” from their 2025 opus Amen. The crowd seemed to hold its breath, waiting for Gerda’s entrance — and she delivered. She stepped into Marthe’s role with confidence and precision, her voice cutting through the chaos with ease. JB followed with face‑ripping vocals and corpse paint so convincing he could walk into a Mayhem lineup photo and no one would blink. Easily the best corpse‑paint execution I’ve seen this year — and the vocal power to justify it.

Serafino played like he was trying to break the drum kit in half, and Gauthier… well, Gauthier remains a musical anomaly. His chef’s‑kiss intelligence was on full display through “Spaghetti Forever” and “Nervous Waltz,” both executed with surgical weirdness.

Then came a moment of pure musical wizardry: Trey Spruance of Secret Chiefs 3 — and yes, co‑founder of Mr. Bungle — joined the stage for “Blastbeat Falafel.” Since Trey helped write the track, the collaboration felt perfectly natural. That quirky, jagged riff was pulled off flawlessly by both Trey and Martyn, a rare treat for Vancouver.

Now, the Vogue Theatre is notorious for tricky lighting, and tonight was no exception. The sound and lighting were fine, but honestly, their 2023 Rickshaw Theatre show had far better clarity and atmosphere. The Vogue’s setup just doesn’t flatter Igorrr’s visual chaos the same way.

“ieuD” showcased the full vocal range of both singers — soaring, strange, beautiful. You might not understand a single lyric, but the emotional weight hits regardless. “Hollow Tree” became the real test for Gerda, and she passed with flying colours. She doesn’t bounce around the stage like Marthe did, but those black contacts and her eerie stillness created a different kind of intensity — mesmerizing in its own right.

The setlist focused on the last three albums:

• 4 tracks from Savage Sinusoid (closing with “Opus Brain”)
• 6 tracks from Spirituality and Distortion
• 7 tracks from Amen

A dense, perfectly curated mix that highlighted Gauthier’s blast‑beat breakcore keyboard insanity and the band’s collective virtuosity. Igorrr remains one of the most unique, genre‑obliterating acts touring today, and tonight’s performance proved they haven’t lost a step — even with a major lineup change.

If you’re tired of cookie‑cutter rock and metal shows and need your brain rewired, Igorrr is the band to do it. Just make sure you grab a ticket early — because clearly, Vancouver knows what’s up.