A night of heavy metal descended upon the intimate Brooklyn venue, Sovereign Smokehouse, as technical death metal five-piece Cognitive kicked off their tour, rolling into town with fellow New Jersey death metallers Hath and two New York City bands, Moniasin, and Torturous Inception.

The show opened with Torturous Inception, hailing from Staten Island and bringing both brutal and melodic sounds. With the active vocalist tearing across the stage in time with the versatile yet heavy instrumentation, this band ushered in an energetic start to the night.

What do we call Moniasin? Words like “extreme,” “heavy,” and “death” come to mind, but the band also employs melodic technicality that is uniquely their own. Tonight the Queens born-and-raised band debuted a new member on guitar. This addition highlighted the band’s dedication to pushing the limits of extreme metal. They played old favorites and graced us with some new songs they’ve been working on. 

Next up was Hath who released their second album, All That Was Promised, earlier this year. The blackened death metal band cranked up the energy for the night with progressive but punishing intensity. Having listened to the new album prior, the dark but introspective themes of their new music felt relatable, a feeling cemented further by witnessing them play.

Finally the men of the hour, Cognitive, took the stage. With audible influence from bands like Origin and Meshuggah, the band’s speed and technicality cranked up the heat on this otherwise chilly April night. Only Cognitive’s mix of melodic slam and brutal death metal could open up a pit as fierce. A New Jersey native myself, it felt familiar and indicative of our metal scene. How could one not send fists flying at the sound of those aggressive riffs and raging vocals? 

WORDS AND PHOTOS BY REBECCA PAIGE