Wolvhammer – Mortals – LIVVER – Stranger: Live at TT The Bear’s, Cambridge MA


 

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Almost quietly, yet in spectacular fashion, American Black Metal as a scene has had an amazing year in 2014. While it’s not kvlt or troo to humblebrag or worse, fall into douchecelebrations over it, this was a year of great releases, many sick tours, and a further maturation of the landscape. While our Scandinavian forefathers still banging around are doing the senior festival circuit full of theatricks, and our better distant relations in Western Europe favor throwback flavors and doom inflected jams, USBM could not be in a more original state of being than right now. Among the flashy all-star affairs (Twilight), the gargantuan name releases (Krieg, WITTR) and morbid curiosities (Blake Judd in general and others) two amazing releases from USBM bands were by Wolvhammer and Mortals. Such glee to see them tour together several times this year as both bands compliment each other well.

 

Let’s not kid ourselves… I would love to say this show was as packed as Agalloch was last summer, but it wasn’t. In a torrential month of shows, this night was one you either played or made an effort to get here and be part of this. There were maybe 60 people plus band personnel tops in the room. For me it felt really special and intimate, not abandoned. I am not ready to share all these bands with everyone just yet either. There might be a certain power in the anonymity somehow, as if at least the Boston/Cambridge hipsters didn’t even make it out to this show en masse. Normally I’d be bummed about the light turnout, but it was ok. Oh and there was a guy in a fur coat that would make Liberace jelly and a smelly Oi punk kid that raged the entire night, even in the lighter moments musically!

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The night started off with two locals in Stranger and LIVVER. Stranger is indeed strange. Sort of a New Romantics, Factory Records-era dance punk band troupe, complete with a singer that came on like the love child of Ian Curtis and Debby Harry, which came out of the womb to murder Lee Ving with a straight razor and steal his lungs. It was all over the place, and hard for them to keep the plot, but I liked it. Especially vocalist B who I think is scratching the surface of her talent right now. She was harsh and focused the entire set, which contrasted nicely with the music. LIVVER was playing the last show for their album cycle for their excellent Fuck You Pay Me (Ammonia Records) album. It felt like a last show too, an everything, but the kitchen sink performance that would be hard to follow for most other bands. Vocalist Bruce Bettis’ agonized shrieking help wake up the crowd as he paced the stage, hiding in the shadows. It was especially nice to see my buddy Breaux Silcio crushing behind the kit tonight, ending his brief run of shows for the band as a fill in. They are seeking a permanent drummer so if you know someone who loves hostile music, hit them up.

 

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Mortals came next and the place got about as full as it was going to get on chilly Thursday night. The three ladies of the band set up quickly and got right down to work. Work being an aural black metal beatdown at a high level. After staring off as a bleak, blackened punk prospect a while back, Mortals twisted into form after a few years, releasing the sick Cursed To See The Future on Relapse this summer. Just tough and unrelenting riffage with little let up, this band just brains you with the business end of the musical stick for the duration of their set. Sort of a Neurosis meets Tombs with a bit of the light and atmospherics of those two sludgey bands, and all of the killer grooves and licks. Their dynamic composing gives way to long song structures that kept constantly unfolding, and holding your interest. Most of their songs are drawn out affairs, and take the time to envelope you. Terrifying dueling vocals and even stronger riffs mark this beastly sound and everyone in the place was digging it.

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Before Wolvhammer took the darkened stage, I hung out with the band a bit in the dressing room (one can hardly call it a green room with so much gear and so little furniture and accoutrements) and we chatted about some stuff for a future interview series. They liked seeing the fans faces talking to them and getting feedback about their current album, Clawing Into Black Sun (Profound Lore). Wolvhammer are very much a surging, iconic band, without trying too hard to be one. They have their own sensibility and influences they set them apart from others, but coming from the cold kvlt Mid-West, there is a familiar sonic thread too. Another thing about their music we joked about to me what is the upbeat, march-y, sturm und drang of their tempos. Don’t get jumpy, they are blackened punks who aren’t Nazi punks, so… fuck off!

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Hitting the stage in total darkness, with only some occasional floor lit blue L.E.D. Lights for mood, the band cut a striking figure as the y lurched into their opener. Adam Clemons (Liar in Wait) cuts a striking figure in that darkness. Razor thin, with a bit of lurch over the microphone, his vitriolic barking is so hoarse and broken sounding, it is alarming. His gravely tone certainly lends weight to the impact of his words. As they are want to do, the band builds up and breaks down sounds led by Jeff Wilson’s (Chrome Waves, Liar In Wait) dirge guitar ministrations. Even though Wolvhammer is unquestionably heavy, they pack a lot of soul into riffs and parts. A slightly drone part will creep in and leave a smile, even though everyone else is scowling.

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Driven by drummer Heath Rave, the songs flowed, yet were tight as fuck. Nothing gets me more open than when a drummer is precise AND heavy hitting. Drums are supposed to be impacting to you physically and emotionally, not always robotic and fast, especially in this style of music. I’m glad Heath gets it. Meanwhile the band played in a workman like manner that belies how amazing they are as performers. No posturing and posing, just great musicianship. They are the perfect vehicle for this bleak music. I’m looking forward to more tours and albums from these guys.

 

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Wolvhammer on Facebook

Mortals on Facebook

LIVVER on Facebook

Stranger on FACEBOOK

 

WORDS: KEITH CHACHKES

PHOTOS: EMMA PARSONS

 

 


Skeletonwitch – Ghoul – Black Anvil: Live At the Sinclair, Cambridge MA


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Skeletonwitch continues up their climb up the modern metal ladder. They seem to be a band generally liked by many, with no real haters as far as I can tell. Their infectious combination of blackened thrash metal frames them as a crossover act for fans of many genres of metal. It doesn’t hurt that they are a tight live act and a lot of fun to see on stage. Waiting patiently for a legit headline tour, not just off dates here and there, the band promised to reward faithful fans with a deep set list. I rolled with Ghost Cult photog Meg Loyal, and we got there early, mingling with a lot of Boston Metaldom’s usual suspects.

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Starting things off right was Black Anvil. They immediately ripped Cambridge a new hole from the jump with the lively, caustic stage show and brutal sounds. I was an immediate fan of their album Hail Death (Relapse) which is a modern masterpiece, and it took me by surprise as the venerable NYDM and NYBM scene, although historically great, hasn’t turned out a band that really captured my heart a long time. I think even the early crowd in the venue was shocked at how killer their set was. They played with the energy and power of a headliner and really inspired the early crowd to move around a bit and hurt each other. This is a band definitely on the rise, so don’t sleep on them.

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Ghoul is always a lot of fun live and they were the perfect band for the middle slot on this tour. Our heroes from Creepsylvania always come to party with GWAR-inspired fake blood, and all kinds of crazy characters as a part of their performance. More than anything, Ghoul is a killer band with sick chops playing a fun take on a deathly take on old-school Bay Area thrash metal. There were circle pits galore, crazy breakdown and mass hilarity ensued. They definitely had their own core of fans in the house based on all the Ghoul merch being sported (fail!), and also bought and toted (good job!). It’s rare that you laugh as much as you headbang at a show. GWAR (RIP Dave Brockie) is one band that has always done that for me and Ghoul carries on that tradition to the hilt. Do yourself a solid and go pick up their latest EP Hang Ten (Tankcrimes) or any of their albums really.

 

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Time to die for the Witch! The thing I like about The Sinclair is they do run a tight ship. The change over was fast and the band hit the stage with a quickness. There isn’t a bad place to watch the show from in the entire room and I had a good spot. I was interested to see if the crowd had any energy left at all since the Ghoul set was a non-stop mosh-pit frenzy. When Skeletonwitch opened up with ‘I Am of Death (Hell Has Arrived)’, their past go-to closer, it was a glorious moment. It can be hard for bands to break their own mold and change things up, so kudos to them for that. This was a portend of things to come with an excellent set list of “hits” and deep cuts they promised.

 

 

 

And what a set is was! The band brandished their musical might this time with a relentless performance that definitely had the mark of greatness. The fans drank, danced, headbanged and screamed along with every word. Chance Garnette and crew whipped the crowd into a frenzy with cut after cut from their repertoire. Chance paced the stage, inciting more and more fury from the pit and the rest of the crowd. Even up in the rafters, you could see people were feeling it too. This was an awesome night rushing towards an awesome finish; as the band closed out the night with mostly old-school tracks. On this evening if you were in the house, you knew you were witnessing one of the ascendant bands in the American metal scene. Hailz!

 

 

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Skeletonwitch Set List:

I Am of Death (Hell Has Arrived)

More Cruel Than Weak

From a Cloudless Sky

Burned From Bone

Upon Wings of Black

Choke Upon Betrayal

Infernal Resurrection

Fire from the Sky

Stand Fight and Die

Beneath Dead Leaves

Serpents Unleashed

This Horrifying Force (The Desire to Kill)

Crushed Beyond Dust

Unending, Everliving

Cleaver of Souls

Beyond the Permafrost

Baptized in Flames

Limb from Limb

Repulsive Salvation

Of Ash and Torment

Within My Blood

Skeletonwitch on Facebook

Ghoul on Facebook

Black Anvil on Facebook

 

WORDS: KEITH (KEEFY) CHACHKES

PHOTOS: MEG LOYAL PHOTOGRAPHY

 

 

 


Norma Jean – Vanna – Ken Mode – The Greenery: Live at TT The Bears


 

Norma Jean (6)The Greenery, hailing all the way from California, brought the Cali hardcore scene to Boston. With raw energy behind every song, Matt Lanners demanded everyone’s attention with every word he screamed. What a great way to start off a show with such a killer lineup. Following closely was the noise/sludge group KEN Mode, who have been well-respected on the strength of their recent releases. Having heard so much about this band, I was glad I was given the opportunity to review a show with them on it. The music was a bit slower than any of the other bands on the bill, but a great mix none the less. The drummer and bassist stole the show with not only being about to perform flawlessly, but the way they perform is entertaining in itself. Definitely a band worth checking out if they ever roll through your city!

Boston’s very own, Vanna took the stage with a sort of force to be reckoned with. The energy they have during the set from beginningVanna-10 to end never dropped and the crowd fed off every bit of it. Not one body was standing still. Vocalist Davey Muise was sharing the microphone with anyone who wanted to scream the lyrics with him. He jumped into the middle of the floor into the crowd and had everyone swarm around him while he spoke heart felt words to everyone in the room. They always put on a great show regardless if it’s a small intimate venue, or catering to thousands of kids every day at Warped Tour.

Ending this crazy night was Georgia’s Norma Jean. Ever since the release of Bless the Martyr and Kiss the Child, Norma Jean was one of those bands who perfected the metalcore genre. From the moment they took the stage to the end was a non-stop shit show. The crowd was screaming along to songs such as ‘Bastardizer’ and ‘Wrongdoers’. The venue went nuts , with people crawling on stage and jumping on top of each other to get a chance at the microphone during ‘Memphis Will Be Laid To Waste’. During the last song, vocalist Cory Brandan Putman was climbing on top of the side speakers, to jump off from, but was cut short due to the security not allowing such a move. Regardless, the show was what I expected it to be, not one disappointed face leaving the venue.

 

 

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Norma Jean on Facebook

Vanna on Facebook

KEN Mode on Facebook

The Greenery on Facebook

 

Words and Photos by Meg Loyal of Meg Loyal Photography