The Montrose, a dead cat, a venue about the size of a small tent, and a crowd that wasn't even able to begin to fill that. The artists that performed on this evening, by their choice of genre, made a social transgression that resulted in sacrifices that no one in"proper" society would ever be willing to make, and have guaranteed that they will never become rich celebrities, and that their art will never do anything but cost them materially. Yet, in the eyes of some bands on this night, there was a spark, a sign, that they were happy with their choice despite the sacrifices, that they'd rather play for a small devoted group the"right way" than whore themselves out for the jewish god ($). This author doubts that it was a coincidence that these bands who looked like they'd rather be no where else in the whole world were the highlights of the night, and that the rest will simply be remembered as"those other bands".
Spliteye
This reviewer only caught parts of Spliteye's set, but what he did hear was far from impressive- their music was fairly tedious groove-laden death metal with no coherent structuring but rather disparate riffs strung end to end, conveying volume and groove, but little more. However, the way the band conducted themselves was refreshing- despite the fact that there were only a few people in the venue watching them, the band quickly set up, played their set, and got their gear off for the next band, perhaps sacrificing a bit of their glory for the greater good of the show, which this author appreciated.
The author found socializing with fellow Hessians in the parking lot more gratifying than witnessing the following set from generic black metal band To Scale the Throne. After this, he followed the mass of metalheads back into the venue for…
Biolich
Henceforth referred to as Biowitz, they were the only true low point of the evening. Technically competent, but lacking any sort of stage presence, Biowitz's music was"technical" death-grind mixed with random sections of indie rock in order to seem"progressive" and"open-minded". The antics of the lead vocalist were irritating- he acted more like a rapper than a metal vocalist, and ran up and screamed in the faces of members of the crowd who were obviously not interested in seeing Biowitz. This would have all been forgivable, and they wouldn't have earned their new name, had the members of the band not been insufferable shitheads- interrupting Averse Sefira's set, heckling Demilich between songs (the author thinks that this was an attempt to be funny, but it came across as shitheaded), hardcore dancing during Demilich's set, and walking out of the restaurant at the post-show party without paying their bill, leaving it for others to pay. The sole fan who seemed to actually get into their set reflected their idiocy, having seizures all over the club and doing anything except for watching the band play. These guys should not be supported, unless they're considering jumping into an oven.
Averse Sefira
On album, Averse Sefira is powerful, convincing, and terrifying. Live, they're a force of nature, with intensity unimaginable to those who haven't witnessed it. Blasting straight into their set with Plagabraha, which seemed to be played at twice the speed it is on the album, Averse Sefira dominated the stage with an amazing amount of energy. Rather than running out into the crowd and acknowledging it directly, Averse Sefira stood at the front of the stage, proudly and confidently, reflecting the assertive nature of the beings in their lyrics. The set here was dominated by material from Tetragrammatical Astygmata, which meant that what they played was a synthesis between Morbid Angel and Immortal, featuring not only the chaos and structuralism of the former as the album did, but also a certain physicality and exuberance, tempered with the reflection of the latter's second album. This inclusion of multiple facets and sorting of them into their place is what creates truly epic music, and in this Averse Sefira were the bards of a metallic epic poem, glorifying the cycle of life, death, and rebirth in flames for a small but devoted audience who were packed together against the stage hanging on every note, every word, every beat, and won't soon forget the magic created at the venue on this night.
Demilich
The most awaited band of the night, Demilich did not disappoint. Coming across more"brutal" than on Nespithe, the band seemed to have a bit less of that rhythmic bounce that marked their famous album, which worked in their favor as with less of an obvious hook the chaos and unpredictability of their brand of death metal shines through more- no easy grooves to hide in, and forced to face the voice of the universe mocking the listener for their mortality, represented by the utterly absurd chromatic riffs that almost sound like a possessed non-improvisational jazz band, an effect which is furthered by the adroit drummer, and structures that twist and turn at every possible juncture, changing intensity and building expectation only to burst in a completely different direction. One new song was featured in the set that night, which, in a manner reminiscent of Acerbus, integrated seemingly unrelated passages juxtaposed against each other, featuring an absurdist sense of humor without coming across as forced or"ironic" in the hipster sense of the word. Their stage presentation was less intense than Averse Sefira's, but no less compelling- the movement of their guitarists was absolutely hypnotic, completely wrapping the audience into the music, lulling the crowd into a state where many were able to do nothing more than nod along appreciatively. The absolute high point of the night was their rendition of"(Within) The Chamber of Whispering Eyes"- already the band's best song, played with tons of energy, and given massive support from the crowd.
The venue
The building itself is unassuming, to say the least. The parking lot holds about ten cars, the paint is peeling, the stage is about the size of a postage stamp, and the bathroom's stalls reportedly have no doors. However, the sound was excellent, the staff was friendly, and the audience was literally within arms reach of the artists. Special thanks to the promoter, who drove thousands of miles on very little sleep to put the show together, and was a friendly guy.
Spliteye
This reviewer only caught parts of Spliteye's set, but what he did hear was far from impressive- their music was fairly tedious groove-laden death metal with no coherent structuring but rather disparate riffs strung end to end, conveying volume and groove, but little more. However, the way the band conducted themselves was refreshing- despite the fact that there were only a few people in the venue watching them, the band quickly set up, played their set, and got their gear off for the next band, perhaps sacrificing a bit of their glory for the greater good of the show, which this author appreciated.
The author found socializing with fellow Hessians in the parking lot more gratifying than witnessing the following set from generic black metal band To Scale the Throne. After this, he followed the mass of metalheads back into the venue for…
Biolich
Henceforth referred to as Biowitz, they were the only true low point of the evening. Technically competent, but lacking any sort of stage presence, Biowitz's music was"technical" death-grind mixed with random sections of indie rock in order to seem"progressive" and"open-minded". The antics of the lead vocalist were irritating- he acted more like a rapper than a metal vocalist, and ran up and screamed in the faces of members of the crowd who were obviously not interested in seeing Biowitz. This would have all been forgivable, and they wouldn't have earned their new name, had the members of the band not been insufferable shitheads- interrupting Averse Sefira's set, heckling Demilich between songs (the author thinks that this was an attempt to be funny, but it came across as shitheaded), hardcore dancing during Demilich's set, and walking out of the restaurant at the post-show party without paying their bill, leaving it for others to pay. The sole fan who seemed to actually get into their set reflected their idiocy, having seizures all over the club and doing anything except for watching the band play. These guys should not be supported, unless they're considering jumping into an oven.
Averse Sefira
On album, Averse Sefira is powerful, convincing, and terrifying. Live, they're a force of nature, with intensity unimaginable to those who haven't witnessed it. Blasting straight into their set with Plagabraha, which seemed to be played at twice the speed it is on the album, Averse Sefira dominated the stage with an amazing amount of energy. Rather than running out into the crowd and acknowledging it directly, Averse Sefira stood at the front of the stage, proudly and confidently, reflecting the assertive nature of the beings in their lyrics. The set here was dominated by material from Tetragrammatical Astygmata, which meant that what they played was a synthesis between Morbid Angel and Immortal, featuring not only the chaos and structuralism of the former as the album did, but also a certain physicality and exuberance, tempered with the reflection of the latter's second album. This inclusion of multiple facets and sorting of them into their place is what creates truly epic music, and in this Averse Sefira were the bards of a metallic epic poem, glorifying the cycle of life, death, and rebirth in flames for a small but devoted audience who were packed together against the stage hanging on every note, every word, every beat, and won't soon forget the magic created at the venue on this night.
Demilich
The most awaited band of the night, Demilich did not disappoint. Coming across more"brutal" than on Nespithe, the band seemed to have a bit less of that rhythmic bounce that marked their famous album, which worked in their favor as with less of an obvious hook the chaos and unpredictability of their brand of death metal shines through more- no easy grooves to hide in, and forced to face the voice of the universe mocking the listener for their mortality, represented by the utterly absurd chromatic riffs that almost sound like a possessed non-improvisational jazz band, an effect which is furthered by the adroit drummer, and structures that twist and turn at every possible juncture, changing intensity and building expectation only to burst in a completely different direction. One new song was featured in the set that night, which, in a manner reminiscent of Acerbus, integrated seemingly unrelated passages juxtaposed against each other, featuring an absurdist sense of humor without coming across as forced or"ironic" in the hipster sense of the word. Their stage presentation was less intense than Averse Sefira's, but no less compelling- the movement of their guitarists was absolutely hypnotic, completely wrapping the audience into the music, lulling the crowd into a state where many were able to do nothing more than nod along appreciatively. The absolute high point of the night was their rendition of"(Within) The Chamber of Whispering Eyes"- already the band's best song, played with tons of energy, and given massive support from the crowd.
The venue
The building itself is unassuming, to say the least. The parking lot holds about ten cars, the paint is peeling, the stage is about the size of a postage stamp, and the bathroom's stalls reportedly have no doors. However, the sound was excellent, the staff was friendly, and the audience was literally within arms reach of the artists. Special thanks to the promoter, who drove thousands of miles on very little sleep to put the show together, and was a friendly guy.
