I walked into the Neptune Theatre on September 23rd not fully knowing what to expect. SWANS have been called everything from experimental rock to noise rock to post-punk legends, but until tonight they were more of a name I’d read about than a band I’d lived through. That changed quickly.

From the moment Michael Gira and company took the stage, the air inside the Neptune seemed to shift. The volume wasn’t just loud, it was at times all-consuming, a tidal wave of sound that blurred the line between music and endurance test. Hypnotic rhythms stretched on like incantations, and every swell felt like it had the power to knock you off balance. It was less a concert and more a ritual, and I found myself caught somewhere between awe and total disorientation.

Opening the night, Little Annie & Paul Wallfisch brought something entirely different. Their cabaret-styled set was haunting, vulnerable, and a stark contrast to the storm that would follow. Their presence set the stage in its own strange, beautiful way.

By the end, I wasn’t sure if I’d been at a show or inside some strange dream, but either way, it’s something I won’t soon forget.

Check out the full gallery below for the noise, the ritual, and the wreckage from Swans at the Neptune Theatre.