Waves of melodic metal crashed upon Saint Vitus Bar on Saturday as three bands served an eclectic mix of musical flavors.
Solemn Vision opened the night with the kind of invigorating death metal that you can only expect from a NYC-born and raised band. Influenced by Swedish greats like Opeth and In Mourning, the band’s dynamic song structures went from wicked shredding to emotional melodies. Their warm stage presence also enlivened the night.
A mid-paced interlude of the evening, Grey Skies Fallen (featuring members of Reeking Aura) injected melodic death/doom energy into the night. The addition of atmospheric piano lent emotional sensibility to their driving riffs and commanding vocals. Rick Habeeb’s mix of clean singing and fierce growls highlighted the band’s progressive elements.
Grey Skies parted and made way for Oceans of Slumber, who started their set with a fitting intro: “The Waters Rising” from their brand new album, Starlight & Ash (Century Media) The brooding lyrics and progressive beats transformed into an opulent metal breakdown, a pattern which would continue the rest of the night.
“Red Forest Roads,” one of the band’s heavier offerings, brought to surface their southern roots. The blues-infused metal with a twang of soulful groove highlighted the recurring lyrical themes of love and loss. Another emotional assault, “The Banished Heart’s” dark intensity intended to take you down with it. “I feel hope leaving, I see love fading,” mourned vocalist Cammie Beverly. Any song with a break in instrumentation allowed Cammie’s voice to shine; it was a completely arresting experience. “The Shipbuilder’s Son” was the same tension-building formula: instruments subsided to haunting vocals before another descent into goth-rock heaviness and then ultimately fading out.
The whole performance lived up to their oceanic namesake: ebbing and flowing like the sea, tumultuous churning giving way to tranquility in which one can absorb the profundity that has just washed over.
Buy Oceans of Slumber merch and music here: https://amzn.to/3UwO1dR
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY REBECCA PAIGE
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