Thou, The Body, Alakhest @ ABC No Rio 10/8/11

Yesterday I cuaght ABC No Rio's weekly matinee that caters to punk/metal acts. One of New York's best venues, and possibly the oldest DIY venue in the States, it was the perfect setting for Baton Rogue sludgophiles Thou.

I came into the gig a bit late and missed the first act ( some band from New Jersey that had members of Burnt by the Sun and Dillinger Escape Plan). Luckily I caught a bit of Alkahest's set which quickly won over my girlfriend and I (her first CD purchase since middle school). The band's brand of atmospheric sludge a'la Mouth of the Architect with a much heavier touch (not to mention painfully awesome/dynamic vocals) sounded so overwhelming and great in such a small place. Catchy and building guitar leads upon thundering drums, competent bass lines, and a guiding rhythm guitar had me zoning out (in a good way of course) and wishing for more.

The Body was up next, hailing from Rhode Island, the duo had one of the oddest looking drum sets I'd ever seen and refused to use a mic for singing. I admire the idea (if this was what it was) but it was silly as he just sounded like he was yelling randomly and just barely got above the guitars and drums. The band itself sounded heavy for heaviness's sake. The crowd swayed to and fro to the plodding thunder of indistinguishable and monotonous riffs and seemed to like it. I wasn't won over, but the band seems to have quite a following and maybe this gig didn't live up to the band's recorded material.

Next up, Thou took the stage in a very humble manner and kicked things off a set full of energetic songs embracing their punk side, as well as my favorite track "They Stretch out Their hands," and ending with one of the most fun covers I've ever heard, "Sabotage" by the Beastie Boys. The crowd was nuts before the cover, and with the cover the small setting turned into a moving pit of people singing along as front man Byran tossed himself throughout the crowd. While I liked the band's set list better last month at The Bell House, the energy and smaller venue was a lot better here at ABC. The band really shined in the crowded smaller space and proved to be one of the most energetic and fun bands I have ever seen.

A must see, and a must hear band, Thou kicked ass once again.


Thou | NYC @ Abc No Rio | 08 Oct 2011 from (((unartig))) on Vimeo.

Soundtracks for the Deaf: SWANS Live

"Byah Byah Byah, hey hey hey"

Swans, formed in 1982 and recently revived, showed no sign of age or weakness last Wednesday at The Music Hall of Williamsburg (albeit minor setbacks as front-man Micheal Gira blew out two amps). Notorious for their live performances the band set out to live up to their painfully loud legacy of making concert goers pay with their hearing.

Swans are a band I've only come into recently. Having first heard them by way of Nadja covering them I didn't know about their heavier, dirtier side until recently. That said, I am, by no means an avid fan, expert or even knowledgeable about the band. I think such a statement would speak volumes about the band as a person like me was completely blown away by their performance.

Openers Sir Richard Bishop and Wovenhand attracted a crowd, but as solo performers upon a large stage they looked out of place. The rustic, eerie folk of Wovenhand would have fared much better in a small coffee shop, log cabin, or wild cave and the fretboard wizardry of Sir Richard Bishop felt a bit flat without anything to back him up. I'm sure these two are great on record, or a proper venue, but they were a bit boring up on that large stage.

As expected, the show was the loudest and most overwhelming concert I've ever been to in my life. It wasn't just feedback and the droning sections that got me, or the drummer's fury upon a rack-mounted bass drum, but every little nuance of the band formed a huge, fractured sound that came together and split apart in such a way that was as beautiful as it was ugly. Gira flailed around and looked utterly possessed as the band occupied the stage for two plus hours. Most of the set list I assume to be from their most recent work, although I recognized the last track as it was from Soundtracks for the Blind. Employing well over a dozen different instruments, no keyboards, and a very well put together sound, Swans were just enough messy to be authentic and organic without being sloppy or bad in anyway.

I was so enamored by the band and this beautiful screened poster that I opted for the wrong date. Much nicer than the one done for us New Yorkers.

Chaotic, cathartic, loud, and overwhelming, Swans proved to be more of an experience than an event.

Show Saga Pat III: Urfaust, Black Anvil, Krallice, and Ruin Lust @ The Union Pool Hall

If my ear drums weren't already aching, last Saturday brought another session of top class metal that I was fortunate enough to catch.

Ruin Lust. Courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.

The night kicked off with the unassuming three piece Ruin Lust. Comprised of members of Fell Voices, Ruin Lust are a far cry from the lengthy and spectral sound of the adforemntioned band. Instead, drummer Mike, pounded his tiny drumset like some frenized berzerker, grunting and screaming all the way. Accurate to call "war metal" but unfairly pigeon-holing the band, Ruin Lust were 100% that night and showed a level of aggression, power and sheer force that no other band matched up to. Well excuted, Ruin Lust set the bar high for the night.

I skipped out on Krallice and hit the bar as I know their shtick, but I overheard they were spot on and the same goes for Black Anvil. The latter interests me far more than the former, but corn on the cob got in the way of seeing the band (the venue has a taco truck situated in its outside portion).

Urfaust

Urfaust came to the stage, humble and on point, rocking right off the bat. The slow, droning chords matched with the unmistakable and truly ethereal vocals of singer/guitarist IX were held together by the rudimentary backbeat of drummer VRDRBR and successfully recreated the trance like quality that the band has perfected after nearly seven years.The crowd moshed as slowly and drunkenly as they could, much to the dismay of some, and to the delight of others. Faint attempts to recreate the German lyrics echoed in the tightly packed venue and people even bought drinks for the guys. The night was topped with a bunch of songs I can't pronounce and pinpoint as many bleed together. Much of the set seemed to be from their latest full length, Der freiwillige Bettler. No ego kept the band from the crowd and they, to much applause, dedicated a track to the late Peter Steele (of Type O Negative fame; Brooklyn's pride and joy) and even haggled the crowd for requests (to which someone called out a tune already played, and silence as the bands titles were intimidating enough to read let alone shout).

I was suspiscious of Urfaust's ability to recreate some of the most absorbing and atmospheric music in the extreme music scene, but they succeeded without the help of keyboards or addiontal members. An impressive show and a fortunate occurrence as the band rarely makes it to this side of the Atlantic.

Look for a review of the Ruin Lust cassette I snagged at the show sometime in the future.

Show Saga Part II: Wolves in the Throne Room, Thou, and Krallice @ The Bell House

The day after I lost a third of my weight in sweat from the Despise You show I made my way over to The Bell House primarily to catch Thou. For starters, the Bell House was a lot larger than I thought it'd be. Complete with a full size barroom and a whole seperate concernt venue with lodge-like roofing and a full stage, the venue seemed a bit out of place for the night's show. Needless to say this wasn't my ideal venue, but I was still excited to see one of my favorite bands.

Krallice kicked things off with an older song ("Dimensional Bleedthrough" I think) which was surprisingly good. I've seen the band 3 (or 4? I can't recall) times now and they've done an excellent job in sounding tighter and more energetic since I caught them two years ago with A Storm of Light and Wolves in the Throne Room. Unfortunately, the rest of the set suffered as their newer songs showcase more attention to vocals (deeper, less interesting ones), heavier and more technical riffs and structures that really detract from the hypnotic melodies that were so absorbing from their s/t. They got a good response from the crowd and I heard mixed things while waiting at the bar.

Thou

Thou, as I expected, dominated the show, putting Krallice in their place as openers, and distracting me from the headliner as they couldn't be lived up to. Beyond the cohesion between the band, their spot on execution and excellent sound, their set-list was worth it alone. Starting with my favorite song "They Stretch out Their hands,"  and eventually "Burning Black Coals And Dark Memories," "Here I Stand Head In Hand" (possibly my third favorite of theirs) and ending with a very honest and energetic cover of Black Sabbath's "Into the Void." While the stage was too big for them (they're the kind of band that thrives in small settings) they lived up to my expectations and easily stole the show.


Thou - Burning Black Coals And Dark Memories from (((unartig))) on Vimeo.

Wolves in the Throne Room are a far cry from the band I obsessed over with their first release. Whether it's the relative stardom they've accomplished, or maybe my own shifts in taste, the band bored me this time around. I fondly recall them playing Brooklyn nearly 4 years ago (right around the release of Two Hunters) and thought they were one of the best acts I had ever seen. That show was such a clash compared to this one as they practically played in the crowd and let their music speak for itself that time. However, in recent years, the band's employed incense, smoke, banners, candles, and other gimmicks that feed into this "natural aesthetic" that just seems a bit silly in such a big venue like The Bell House. Rumored to be a possible fairwell tour, I'm happy I was able to catch them, but I'm happier to think of a time when they were a small outfit with only two releases and no gimmicks.


Wolves in the Throne Room | NYC @ The Bell House | 12 Sep 2011 from (((unartig))) on Vimeo.

Thou and WITTR continued on two days later to Death By Audio (this time with support by the excellent Mutilation Rites). Unfortunately I missed the show, but I assume Thou really shined in the small death trap that is Death By Audio.

Show Saga Part I: 9/11 Despise You, Magrudergrind, Blackslider, The Communion, and Defeatist

Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan

The past week has been a blur for me. I haven't seen his many bands since I went to maryland Deathfest two years ago.We'll start with last Sunday as Despise You and company completely ripped Shea Stadium (what passes for a venue) apart.

Now with 30% more china cymbal

An homage to New York's favorite losers, Shea Stadium is situated in the unhip part of Williamsburg that's still just old warehouses. Up a narrow stair case and you're inside what looks like a squat, complete with old, torn furniture, crusties, and absolutely no ventilation. First I saw Defeatist who has a new album out soon that you can hear here. I've done the band a favor and renamed them "China Cymbal" as that's all that band seems to do. Their brand of technical stop n' go grindcore came through somewhat clearly as the crowd stood still through their china filled set.This is my third time seeing them and they still haven't clicked with me; oh well.

The Communion were a nice change of pace playing a style of sludge similar to Dystopia (while no where as good of course). Awkward 9/11 references and singer aside, the band poured themselves out to what seemed to be an indifferent crowd.

Philly's Backslider got people moving and did quite a lot for just two guys. Maybe the sleeper of the show, I really enjoyed this two man act's penchant for moshy hardcore-tinged grindcore that provided plenty of breaks to pick up change and hammer punch your way through the crowd.

Magrudergrind were themselves, I don't really know what to say after I've seen this band five times now.They play fast, they play loud, they've got more energy than half the bands out there and they're pros at what they do/ This wasn't there best, and from what I could tell there was a lack of older jams which means it was much more grindy: bring back the Spazz vocals and mosh parts!

Guess which dude is me. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan

Despise You however, boy oh boy, this is what I was waiting for; everything their recorded material promised to be and more. Despise You had a few slip ups but proved to be one of the best bands I've ever seen. They played thrity two songs covering old classics like "No More...Feelings," "Bullshit Reflections," "I End Me" as well as newer tracks like "Roll Call," "Fear's Song," and "All the Regimes you Hold Most Dear" from their recent split with Agorphobic Nosebleed.

Wildly energetic, complete with mics to the crowd and what seemed like a genuinely fun time between the old band mates, Despise You were without fault and any signs of slowing down. Needless to say I was blown away, everything came together with their cover of D.R.I.'s "Couch Slouch" which had Magrudergrind drummer in the pit and the whole floor singing along.

Part II and III to come shortly, Thou, Wolves in The Throne Room, Ruin Lust, Urfaust, etc.

Converge @ House of Vans, Brooklyn. W. Krallice & Touche Amore

I'll get down to brass tax immediately. I'm not a big Converge fan, I had never listened to Touche Amore before and I was too busy drinking as much free beer as I could to listen to Krallice. With all of that said, I can't think of a better show to end the summer with.

Note the cartons of water; this was pretty hip.

Things started innocently enough waiting on line an hour and a half before the show began and drinking secret whiskey  The show, being free and all, plead with its future guests not to line up before 5pm (it opened at 7pm). After enough waiting to get inside the awesomely huge skating venue, it was time to wait for free Heineken Light (hey, it was free). The place was great as it's a huge indoors/outdoors skate park that catered to the crowd pretty well.

From the little I heard Krallice actually sounded pretty good. I say it that way because being such a huge fan of the first LP I was completely dismayed upon hearing the second LP and seeing them live two years ago at one of the sloppiest/poorly set up shows I've seen. So unfortunately I chose to spend time with my friends outside who didn't care for Krallice.

I had never heard Touche Amore but they put on quite a set. Whenever I think of a screamo band, I pictured this band unbeknownst to me. Their stage presence and show were energetic, livid and not without letting the crowd take over for some verses. They were pretty good, although some porter-potty line talk with a bunch of angered guys lead me to believe this was far from their best performance. The drummer even got away with some blast beats; so I was satisfied.

Converge singer Jacob Bannon taunts the crowd atop an amp.

Finally Converge took the stage and started things off with a song I actually know by the band (I think it was "Heartache" off of No Heroes). For only having two albums of theirs, I knew a hell of a lot of songs. Converge is a band I've always deeply admired, yet never really cared for. Having sucvh a diverse and large fanbase speaks well of a band, especially in the extreme music scene. Beyond that, as successful as they may be, they've never tried to appease anyone (label or fanbase) and have always done their own thing. So whether you like the band or not, there's a huge level of respect to be given to the band. This was my second time seeing them (you'll quickly find out most people at their shows have seen them upwards of five times, typically). As mentioned earlier with Touche Amore, the sound wasn't all that great and Jacob's love for swallowing the mic made every scream completely incomprehensible (more so than expected). Beyond that, the band played a tight, energetic and a relatively short set full of crowd favorites and many new ones from their most recent LP Axe to Fall. 

While I've been seeing shows for over ten years, mostly in the NYC area, I had completely forgotten the testosterone driven frenzy that a band like Converge may bring. Teeth were knocked out in front of me, a guy congratulated by his friend for knocking an unsuspecting kid to the ground with a rabbit punch, broken noses, etc. This by far wasn't the most violent show I've seen, but isn't that silly in of itself that I have to give that disclaimer? I love moshing, I'm not knocking it, nor am I saying anything about the band, but rather the machismo driven idiocy that perpetuates people doing kung-fu spin kicks, windmills and cartwheel kicks into a tightly packed group of individuals. Give me any stock grindcore/ thrash band, and I'll be in the pit. The focus seems to have shifted from an abundance of energy and excitement to an excuse to fight, and show off your "dance moves."

That tangent aside, no one can complain about a free show, especially with acts such as these. Free beer to boot and you've got the quintessential summer show. Good jobs Vans and Heineken, showing you suites know how to rock out too.