Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Decibel 100th Issue Celebration Show Coverage

S.H.S. Covers

The Decibel Magazine 100th Issue Celebration Show

 




Shortly after entering the Union Transfer venue in Philly, it truly had dawned on me that uniquely memorable night was about to transpire. I had never been to the place before, it was clean, they had food, friendly staff, and the Decibel folks had it decked out nicely. I ordered some beer from local microbreweries on tap in the side bar. I also decided to get my merchandise purchases out of the way first to ensure that I don't miss anything due to sold out stock. I bought a t-shirt from Ben Koller of Converge. I thanked him but could not muster any further conversation. How does one briefly and succinctly express that they have been an inspiration without sounding 'starstruck?' After all, hardcore musicians, as talented as they may be are not making themselves out to be rock stars, it's not the nature of this scene.

 I also bought the Decibel Hall of Fame book "Precious Metal." I was inspired to buy it on my ride into the city, during which a  very conveniently-timed broadcast of "Bloody Roots" on SiriusXM, which is Ian Christe's Show (founder of Bazillion Points books) had aired. Ian had fellow writer and Decibel Mag Editor-In-Chief Albert Mudrian as his guest, and they were discussing and playing examples of the very book's selected bands. 

This book should be a great read for the fanboy in anyone...the inside story from the bands behind 25 metal masterpieces...

John Darnielle, Mountain Goats composer and columnist at Decibel, soon took to the stage to deliver a clever and rousing introduction for the evening. The footage can be found below. Thank you YouTube user drunkenhighfives! I unfortunately was still drinking beer at this time, so I did not get the opportunity to record this part...

 

Evoken

 ...is a funeral doom metal band from Lyndhurst, NJ formed in the mid 1990s. Channeling bands such as My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost, & Anathema, Evoken was the perfect opener. The stage was set with candelabras as they played heavy, yet hypnotic synth-laden dirges under the dim red lighting. The double-bass drumming was galloping yet did not disrupt the icy, mellow vibe, similar to the band Agolloch. 



I expect the band's full setlist to be posted here

Official websites:

Tombs

...is an experimental/post-metal band from Brooklyn, NY, currently on Level Plane Records. If you're a fan of East of the Wall, Intronaut, Neurosis, etc you would do well to check this band out. Introduced by Decibel writer J. Bennett, (who also contributed to Precious Metal) Tombs continued the darker mood Evoken had set, only instead of epic synths, our ears were taken ploddingly across the gritty, sludgy peaks and valleys of their droning riffs. 



I expect the correct setlist to show up here soon.

Official site: http://tombscult.com/

Municipal Waste 

 ...is a thrash metal/crossover band from Richmond, VA. Their latest full length, The Fatal Feast, is out on Nuclear Blast and they also have an excellent split with Toxic Holocaust that recently came out via TANKCRIMES 


Their set began as a rowdy, beer soaked hesher delight, but really took off when Swedish Death Metal legend, Tomas Lindberg, took to the stage to join them for a cover song... S.O.D.'s United Forces!
 

Another highlight of their time on stage was when Albert Mudrian came out and funneled like a champ! There was even a moment when confetti & streamers were shot off. All things considered, these guys have in fact mastered 'the art of partying!'


 I expect the correct setlist to show up here soon

Official website:  http://www.facethewaste.com/

Tomas Lindberg also announced the headliners of the Decibel Tour in 2013, which are Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, & Immolation. This is going to be another monumental occasion for death metal fans! Cretin, Beyond Creation, and Magrudergrind were later revealed as supporting acts. The NY date is set for June 5.

 Tickets to the NYC date go on presale on Wednesday (1/23) at noon & normal sale on Friday (1/25) at noon.

- Tomas Lindberg-

 

Repulsion

...is a band that needs no elaborate introduction. The band that practically invented grindcore in 1986 from Flint, MI, took to the stage in Philadelphia 'for the first and probably last time.' Old heads and internet metal geeks rejoiced as the band ripped through most of 'Horrified.' They made light of their ages and still played like beasts. Seeing these icons of the original death/grind scene definitely was a big draw. They opened with the very song out of all of them that I had hoped they would play..."The Stench of Burning Flesh!"

 





I expect the correct setlist to show up here soon

Official websites:

Pig Destroyer

... is a deathgrind band also from Richmond Virginia. Formed in 1997 with Vocalist J. R. Hayes, Scott Hull on guitar, (also of Agoraphobic Nosebleed) Blake Harrison on electronics, and the uber-talented, ex-Misery Index, Adam Jarvis on drums, who joined in 2011. The band has gained increasing notoriety, with their last 2 albums Phantom Limb, and Book Burner on the tops of many 'best of' year-end lists. I experienced a moment of deja-vu as Ian Christe appeared to emcee for the group. The band's set was very tight and tech-y, which provided an interesting contrast to the former band's raw and organic sounds. I normally don't prefer hearing triggered drums live, but in this case it went well, and blended with the power-electronics influenced sound bytes to prove very entertaining. They played a balanced mix of old and new, and it was thrilling to hear "The Diplomat" live.

Ian Christie


 

Another killer moment was when Richard Johnson, of the excellent 'psychedelic' grindcore band  Drugs of Faith joined them on stage to perform "The Underground Man," which is also off the new album Book Burner.

I expect the correct setlist to show up here

Official websites:

Converge

 Introduced on this blog and selected as the top full-length artist of 2012, I was beyond excited to see my favorite band perform the new material. I had missed them on the previous time around, so my anticipation was turned up way past 11! We don't know the next time they will be back on tour... with this in mind I knew they were going to kill it for us.

John Dyer Baizley emerged, to everyone's surprise, to open up and share a very moving story about his recovery, and how Converge helped him through darker days. He had been in a tragic bus crash while on tour in the summer, and now appeared to be walking well and so forth. As if we could not get any higher, seeing that John has been recovering, and hearing his praise praise for the band, he then went on to grace us with a performance of the song Coral Blue with Converge! Although he has done many pieces of artwork for various hardcore bands, the collaboration, musically, is not one you might think of right away. However with this song in particular, everything harmonized perfectly. The energy in the room was so real...
 

 Partial introduction from John, into Converge performing 'Heartache' as their opener.

 

See 'Coral Blue' at the link below to it, on my YouTube channel. The amount of views this has gotten in one day is staggering!
 
 

This was by far the most solid and emotional Converge set I have ever experienced, as J. Bannon often peppered his song introductions with personal anecdotes about when they were written. I left feeling closer to the band, the other fans, and with heavy music in general. This night will stay with me for a very long time.


Full setlist here

Converge official: http://www.convergecult.com

I will let the video/photo coverage do the rest of the talking to wrap up this lengthy post...



Locust Reign, from The Poacher Diaries (first time played in a while)


Axe to Fall:

 



 Photos






*** 

P.S. - If you still haven't seen this video, you need to. Whether you know the band, or if you're just curious about this type of art, or even if you are simply in a pensive mood and seeking inspiration... the duration is only twelve minutes, but it leaves a lasting impression...
 

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