The Tiger Room rests on the Southside of Louisville, Kentucky. This part-time venue and the part-time strip club is a local favorite. Catering particularly well to the heavy, this venue was an ideal spot for the fourth annual Tech Trek tour. Last Tuesday, the Tech Metal masters, Archspire, along with some friends, came to the Derby City to destroy and conquer. Though the sun was still shining bright, a line of fans all dressed in black battled the heat to hold their spot in line. Shortly after the venue opened its doors, Kentuckian act, Effigy had the first swing on stage. Their local flare was a pleasant way to start the night off.
The East Coast outfit, Wormhole was up next. This splashy young act immediately served up a hot plate of thick, juicy riffs. The aggression in their chunky tones and savvy work on the drums quickly drew in the audience. The small, but growing crowd was beginning to get revved up and frontman, Duncan Bentley knew how to pump them up. When they played, ‘Nurtured in a Poisoned Womb’, the first track of their latest release, Genesis (Lacerated Enemy) the heat of their hostility was felt and savored. The only European band on this run, the Swiss/British act, Virvum came onto that stage ready to jam. As they broke into their smashing set, a lot more people huddled to the front of the room. Their outstanding proficiency washed over the dark venue and enraptured each attendee. There is a conscious and devastating earnestness in their style of playing. Each member displayed a rare fervor for their craft. The progressive work from guitarists Nic Gruhn and Toby Koelman cultivated a memorizing experience. Their technicality and fluidity proved a caring strength in their sound. There is something regal and grandiose in their heaviness that separates them from so many other acts trying to pull off the same genre. To witness and devour such a budding band was a fabulous, satisfying feast.
The Nashville based band, Inferi came to throw down next. Their energy spread to the corners of the room and got everyone moving. With blast beats and guitar sweeps, this group knows how to caress with a fun frenzy. The animation and obvious joy from vocalist Stevie Boiser was contagious and engaging. These fellas just released their fifth full-length album, The End of An Era l Rebirth (The Artisan Era) and hearing material of that record was a titillating treat. It being an all ages show, the youths in the crowd had hunger in their eyes and were dazzled by the chaos they got to experience.
When the headliners, our brothers from the Great White North, Archspire strode onto stage they were ready to rip and rage. The speed from frontman Oliver “Oli” Rae Aleron instantly stung and sucked everyone in. The machine gun-like relentless in his unique vocal style harnesses a new way to communicate art. This well-oiled machine played their 2017 record, Relentless Mutation (Season of Mist) from beginning to end and its potency crept over the fans like wildfire. Their comfortable confidence was intense, but accepting and approachable. The innovation of Tech/Death Metal in their sound proves the level of skill and balls it takes to pull off. The last track on that record, ‘A Dark Horizontal’ captures all their creative power. Keen, deliberate, and pushy. This band is revitalizing the scene and it will be exciting to see what they do next. The genuine gratitude and pleasure from each band that played was evident. This Tech Trek tour, AKA the gym shorts tour, with gutturals galore and spitting speed made for a great night of Heavy Metal.
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY RAGIN ROSIE