Saturday night Houstonians welcomed Belgian rock band Brutus with open arms within the walls of White Oak Music Hall. Being a huge fan of them myself for many years, I was absolutely thrilled to get the chance to see the iconic trio also while being able to cover the show. The night took place in the upstairs room which usually holds about 200+ people, which was quite surprising for me as I truly believed they could have absolutely played a much bigger room with the type of fan base they have. The room was quickly filled with stoked humans, many already rockin’ their Brutus merch they just purchased and excitement filled the air as we all waited for them to join the stage. Brutus consists of three talented individuals including Vocalist and Drummer Stefanie Mannaerts, guitarist Stijn Vanhoegaerden and bassist Peter Mulders. The intense sound and emotion that radiates throughout these three band members are just mind blowing, I’ve never in my life heard anything like it before, I remember the first time I heard one of their songs, “War” I was just simply amazed. Jaw on the floor amazed. Ever since I heard that song I was hooked. Brutus is the type of band that will grab you by your heart strings, standing out with a unique blend of rage and emotion. From their distinctive instrumentation to their passionate lyrics, they almost carve out a genre and territory of their own, leaving listeners like myself in complete awe. Almost captivated in a way.
Starting their set off with “War”, I was like a kid in a candy store- I was excited beyond belief. Usually when I am covering a show I research the set-list for each band so I have a sense of direction, timing, and overall vibe of what was in store for the time coming. I’ve done this for years but for some reason I never got around to looking up theirs… so hearing “War” as the first song played while also being the first song I’ve ever heard from them was a really cool feeling. I’m trying not to geek out super hard about it, so I’ll leave it at that- but I was straight up fan-girling. I cannot rave enough about Stefanie though, not only is she throwing down on the drums, she is screaming at the top of her lungs at the same time, truly giving Brutus the unique sound that they have. She clearly pushes her boundaries of what’s possible in music and really earning a reputation as a genesis in this type of industry. Continuing with songs including “Storm”, Brave”, and Liar” – all from their most recent album ‘Unison Life’ that was released back in October of 2022. I was so stoked when this album came out, I listened to it while I was at work and almost instantly fell in love with it. The drums, the emotion, the electrifying bass, it all flowed so perfectly within each song. They played all of their songs live with so much passion, almost sounding just as if I was steaming it through my headphones.
Continuing with many more songs including “ Space” and “Dust”, Brutus really caught the audience’s attention throughout the whole set- everyone was starstruck in a way, just soaking in all of the sounds that were filling up that tiny room. It was a beautiful set and it was a privilege being able to see them so close and intimate.. I mean lets be real, Brutus is on the way to the top. I see them eventually booking stadium tours and even playing alongside bands like Metallica. Its not easy finding such bands that truly stick out to you these days, that’s why I always suggest listening to new things, getting outside your “norm”, you’ll never know what you’ll find.
Brutus is one of those bands for me. If they are coming through your neck of the woods, I highly recommend seeing them.
Photos & Review By: Krystiee Lee Photography
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