Unearth and Revocation kicked off their co-headlining tour at Saint Vitus on Friday. The fate of the night appeared uncertain as earlier that day severe flooding shut down subway lines and landed parts of the city knee-deep in water. Although the show was technically sold out, Vitus was, dare I say, comfortable. It felt like a more exclusive and intimate experience than the usual ATM vestibule loitering.
High Command from Worcester, Massachusetts opened the show with pulverizing thrash metal straight out of the world of Conan the Barbarian. With themes of dark fantasy, their bludgeoning sound commanded attention. They told tales of a dark world of their own creation in “Spires of Secartha”, and conjured images of barbarous warfare in “Fortified by Bloodshed” and “Immortal Savagery.” Not exclusively thrash in their sound, they definitely borrowed a page from the hardcore punk book of crossover kings, Power Trip.
Masters of pumping up the energy, progressive death metallers Entheos took the stage. They instantly captivated the crowd with “Remember You Are Dust,” full of calculated, prog-tastic riffs. They followed with “I Am the Void” and “The Sinking Sun” off their latest album “Time Will Take Us All.” Every song showcased each member’s technical prowess, from Navene Koperweis’ complex rhythms, to Chaney Crabb’s powerful vocals, and Robert Brown spending half his time leaping into the air and still managing to craft magic on guitar. Entheos’ music itself should get you to a show, but their stage presence makes it 110% worth it.
The minute I saw that Revocation would be playing Saint Vitus, I knew it would be a sold out show. Who wouldn’t want to see local shredder Dave Davidson’s maniacal guitar handling up close in person? Their last time in town, Davidson’s broken wrist forbade such wick shredding; but not tonight! The band played “Godforsaken” and “Diabolical Majesty,” two catchy tracks off their 2022 album, Netherheaven. There is something polished about their presence that makes you stop and pay attention to what they are doing rather than rush headlong into the pit. They closed with the speedy “Dismantle the Dictator” from early in their discography, when their thrash roots were at the forefront of their sound.
Unearth managed to whip up a storm more brutal than what already pummeled NYC that day; bands with 25 years of history behind them tend to do that. With vocalist Trevor Phipps conjuring a circle pit and summoning stage divers left and right, the madness lasted for the whole set. It was like 2004 never ended as they tore through classics like “Endless” and “This Lying World.” The gentle interlude of “Aniara” allowed for momentary reprieve until they launched into “Into The Abyss,” with intricate, even pretty, guitar solos and clean vocals. They closed with “Black Hearts Now Reign,” a raw and intense glimpse into the reality of our corrupt world, the cascading guitar shredding and ominous heavy drums signaling the downfall of us all.
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WORDS AND PHOTOS BY REBECCA PAIGE