Windhand and Sleep at the Union Transfer in Philadelphia

It had been 10 days since I've been to a show, things were getting drastic, but the almighty magic of doom had been missing from my heart. Two of my favorite bands ever on one bill, what more could you ask for? This is the kind of crushing and groovy experience that tackles your ears and holds you a thrall to the music we all love. These two bands put on a show that blasted me to bits, tearing me apart, a slave to the almighty riff. On top of that, this was my first time at the Union Transfer, and I had the joy of discovering a new venue, which is always excellent.

Windhand got on stage half an hour late, because of some of the usual backstage craziness. That being said, they utterly rocked the stage their riffs dominating my soul. Part of what I love so much about this band is their dominating live presence. Every member headbangs and brings their own unique presence to the stage. Asechiah had shaved his beard and it gave the performance a strange new twist for me. The band was extremely tight tonight, and getting to see them with full stacks was a lot of fun. Their is a glorious all consuming magic to their epic levels of volume. It gets into your bones and gives you a sort of cleansing rush, doom metal for the heavy heart.

Then it was time for Sleep, a band I had never seen before and have always wanted to see. It had been a dream since I was 15 to get to see these guys, and now I was finally allowed to hail the riff masters in person. They grooved and jammed for nearly two hours. The set was full of tracks from Holy Mountain, although it did bring in other pieces from throughout the bands career. The Black Sabbath cover that led into the final portion of the set was especially glorious. The cry for "A moment of reverence for Tony Iommi" defined the night, ultimately Sleep are all about Sabbath worship, and that makes them better. Their is something distinctly satisfying about a band who have such a profound understanding of what they want to do, and it really allowed Sleep to shine.

In conclusion, this was one of the best nights I've had in a while and certainly my best since coming to college. Asides from becoming more familiar with one of my floor mates and meeting some students who had graduated from my college (Who gave us all sorts of tips about smuggling in alcohol) I simply had a better understanding of the glory of stoner and doom metal. Every time I see Windhand I feel cleansed, ready to take on any challenge, meanwhile, Sleep provided the unique rush of seeing one of your favorite bands for the first time. This is what rock and roll is about, and that's the way I like it.

Find the bands on Facebook!

Windhand: https://www.facebook.com/WindhandVA

Sleep: https://www.facebook.com/officialsleep