Necrophagist / Arsis / Neuraxis / Alarum / Anagnorisis
Headliners Music Hall Louisville, KY May 1st, 2006
By Jason Jordan
To say this show held special interest for me would be a gigantic understatement, but at the same time, it didnt really have anything to do with the bands that were playing as much as the people who I thought Id run into during the course of the night. Like I predicted, this concert did indeed bring out several of Louisvilles homegrown musicians. Hanging out with Ryan Shea (Demon Wind), Brian Omer (Stonecutters), Corey Banet (ex-Wake the World), Matt Mooring (MetalReview.com), and members of Assisting Sorrow was actually my favorite part of the show, though a great deal of the music proved scintillating, too.
Local boys Anagnorisis filled to capacity by ex-members of the now-defunct The Whitman Tragedy were first to open, splashing the crowd with a mix of Opeth 101 and harsh, brutal death metal. Overton Trees and The Weakness of Our Fathers Hand were not the best they had to offer during their 30-minute timeslot, as the light/heavy transitions ultimately sparked a surge in audience interest. In other words, a harder song like The Corpse in the Silo is simply easier to warm up to because theres less jerking around. The group as a unit had average stage presence, each dude rarely venturing out of his allocated spot on stage, plus the closing number dragged on, which lessened the overall impact they had on an antsy crowd. Still, I have no complaints in regards to the musicianship.
Afterwards, Australias Alarum climbed aboard the meager platform, and I was truly looking forward to their set. In tune with early 90s technical death metal a la Cynic, Atheist, Believer, et al, Alarum displayed high-caliber skill during their performance. Tracks from their latest Willowtip album Eventuality made appearances, and while they were fairly detached as far as interaction was concerned, they were genuinely thankful for the opportunity to play. Looking like Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, The Devin Townsend Band) minus glasses Palfreyman (vocals, bass) soiled the music with his lackluster voice, but with four virtuosos hammering away simultaneously, it was difficult not to appreciate the level of musicianship as well as their ability to match live what theyve laid down in the studio.
Next came one of Canadas premier technical outfits, namely fellow Willowtipsters Neuraxis. Energizing the onlookers with crushing death metal and furious headbanging perhaps pissing them off, too, with tasteless jokes about KFC and Colonel Sanders that were filtered through a heavy Canadian accent Neuraxis were relentless in their pursuit of audience endorsement. In my opinion, they clinched it from the start. Not only were their compositions fast and heavy, Campbells mimicking of his comrades via air-guitar and air-drums made for an entertaining set. Drenched by the end, Campbells long frizzy hair had morphed into spaghetti noodles due to sweat, implying that Neuraxis presented a rousing 30 minutes of music, most of which they pulled from their most recent full-length Trilateral Progression.
Then entered Willowtips go-to mob, Arsis. Prior to inciting a frenzy of overwhelming magnitude, Malone thanked us for buying merchandise an honorable act on his part. Blasting through renditions of A Diamond for Disease (edited for length, of course), The Promise of Never, Return, The Face of My Innocence, Seven Whispers Fell Silent, and new tune Lost Before the Maggots Conquest, Arsis became the catalyst for the crowd swooning under sheer intensity and unbelievable songwriting, which translated to the live setting quite well.
Headliners Necrophagist finally occupied the forefront as 12:30AM loomed. Respected for their technical proficiency, I was awestruck by just how proficient they are. Louisville for some bizarre reason that I cant possibly even begin to fathom has embraced the Germans like no other, pointing most groups in the direction of the wayside. Consequently, the audience fed off Necrophagist while, in turn, they leeched energy from their hosts. But despite my affinity for staggering, well-played music, I have to admit that I was more enraptured with Arsis than anybody else, with Neuraxis trailing closely behind. Since I had to rise early the following morning, I jetted immediately after the headliners set, leaving the venue in the distance, smelling of rum, and thinking of sleep.
Official Anagnorisis Website
Official Alarum Website
Official Neuraxis Website
Official Arsis Website
Official Necrophagist Website
Official Willowtip Records Website
Official Relapse Records Website
Official Headliners Music Hall Website
Headliners Music Hall Louisville, KY May 1st, 2006
By Jason Jordan
To say this show held special interest for me would be a gigantic understatement, but at the same time, it didnt really have anything to do with the bands that were playing as much as the people who I thought Id run into during the course of the night. Like I predicted, this concert did indeed bring out several of Louisvilles homegrown musicians. Hanging out with Ryan Shea (Demon Wind), Brian Omer (Stonecutters), Corey Banet (ex-Wake the World), Matt Mooring (MetalReview.com), and members of Assisting Sorrow was actually my favorite part of the show, though a great deal of the music proved scintillating, too.
Local boys Anagnorisis filled to capacity by ex-members of the now-defunct The Whitman Tragedy were first to open, splashing the crowd with a mix of Opeth 101 and harsh, brutal death metal. Overton Trees and The Weakness of Our Fathers Hand were not the best they had to offer during their 30-minute timeslot, as the light/heavy transitions ultimately sparked a surge in audience interest. In other words, a harder song like The Corpse in the Silo is simply easier to warm up to because theres less jerking around. The group as a unit had average stage presence, each dude rarely venturing out of his allocated spot on stage, plus the closing number dragged on, which lessened the overall impact they had on an antsy crowd. Still, I have no complaints in regards to the musicianship.
Afterwards, Australias Alarum climbed aboard the meager platform, and I was truly looking forward to their set. In tune with early 90s technical death metal a la Cynic, Atheist, Believer, et al, Alarum displayed high-caliber skill during their performance. Tracks from their latest Willowtip album Eventuality made appearances, and while they were fairly detached as far as interaction was concerned, they were genuinely thankful for the opportunity to play. Looking like Devin Townsend (Strapping Young Lad, The Devin Townsend Band) minus glasses Palfreyman (vocals, bass) soiled the music with his lackluster voice, but with four virtuosos hammering away simultaneously, it was difficult not to appreciate the level of musicianship as well as their ability to match live what theyve laid down in the studio.
Next came one of Canadas premier technical outfits, namely fellow Willowtipsters Neuraxis. Energizing the onlookers with crushing death metal and furious headbanging perhaps pissing them off, too, with tasteless jokes about KFC and Colonel Sanders that were filtered through a heavy Canadian accent Neuraxis were relentless in their pursuit of audience endorsement. In my opinion, they clinched it from the start. Not only were their compositions fast and heavy, Campbells mimicking of his comrades via air-guitar and air-drums made for an entertaining set. Drenched by the end, Campbells long frizzy hair had morphed into spaghetti noodles due to sweat, implying that Neuraxis presented a rousing 30 minutes of music, most of which they pulled from their most recent full-length Trilateral Progression.
Then entered Willowtips go-to mob, Arsis. Prior to inciting a frenzy of overwhelming magnitude, Malone thanked us for buying merchandise an honorable act on his part. Blasting through renditions of A Diamond for Disease (edited for length, of course), The Promise of Never, Return, The Face of My Innocence, Seven Whispers Fell Silent, and new tune Lost Before the Maggots Conquest, Arsis became the catalyst for the crowd swooning under sheer intensity and unbelievable songwriting, which translated to the live setting quite well.
Headliners Necrophagist finally occupied the forefront as 12:30AM loomed. Respected for their technical proficiency, I was awestruck by just how proficient they are. Louisville for some bizarre reason that I cant possibly even begin to fathom has embraced the Germans like no other, pointing most groups in the direction of the wayside. Consequently, the audience fed off Necrophagist while, in turn, they leeched energy from their hosts. But despite my affinity for staggering, well-played music, I have to admit that I was more enraptured with Arsis than anybody else, with Neuraxis trailing closely behind. Since I had to rise early the following morning, I jetted immediately after the headliners set, leaving the venue in the distance, smelling of rum, and thinking of sleep.
Official Anagnorisis Website
Official Alarum Website
Official Neuraxis Website
Official Arsis Website
Official Necrophagist Website
Official Willowtip Records Website
Official Relapse Records Website
Official Headliners Music Hall Website
