The Beaumont Warehouse is one of those places that defines punk rock. It provides a sort of romantic view of what the genre can be and provides an escape from the bleak reality that the real world provides. These four bands help to define the scene and give us a sense of freedom. A lineup that crossed genre boundaries and united punk and metal, this is the sort of event that proves the magic of Philly's scene. Sure everything is punk oriented, but now that Infernal Stronghold are back, the scene may be saved.
Nightfall played punk rock in a way that spoke to the magic of the genre. Extremely tight and almost machine-like in their precision. They got the crowd moving and captured the collective imagination. They drive forward and grab you by the hair, smashing your face into the ground and proving that this type of music is not dead. The way that this three piece left it all on the floor was impressive. They grab you by the throat and the anarchistic glory that defines the band shines proudly, giving a sense of freedom to all gathered.
The next band to play, Nothing Is Over were strangely inspiring. In many ways they reminded me of Cult Leader, but they haven't yet invoked the power that Cult Leader has. While they aren't incredibly serious the doomy touches onto their grindcore attack are truly fascinating and help to make music that captures the imagination. Nothing Is Over have a truly distinct sound, and that is something special in the Philly scene. They have the potential to go far, they simply need to polish up the rough edges a little bit. Yet at the end of the day, these guys are really fun to watch and they could go far.
Backslider are probably my favorite local hardcore band. They seem to be like a more grown up version of my boys in Bandit. Truly exciting though, these guys have an all out hardcore attack and will rip your throat out. With a tight live show (including a very active bassist) and wonderfully brutal vocals these guys will force you to move. They get the glory of what hardcore should be about and they are tighter than a goblins wallet. This is one of the few bands who could transcend the scene and rise up far beyond Philadelphia, this is perhaps one of the most exciting bands in Philadelphia.
The night was closed out with the all out death metal assault of Infernal Stronghold. With the highlight being their classic track Destruction these guys are back on track to crush skulls and bite off noses. Truly violent and glorious in their blasphemy Infernal Stronghold have the bloodthirsty riffage that allows this kind of music to truly thrive. The thing is, these guys look and feel like a death metal band should. A bunch of young long haired guys thrashing it out in a basement, this is what inspires me and forces us to keep going. Death metal is all that we can know for certain in this world and Infernal Stronghold get it.
Now it's almost three in the morning, I'm talking to people from my school, and I'm too goddamn tired to really handle this. All I can say is that these are the nights that make life in this scene worth living. With a belly full of Jack and a few fun stories to keep me going till next time, these bands give life. If we didn't have this sort of cathartic release what would we even do? So go forth, check these bands out, and realize that supporting local music may be the only return to sanity that we have anymore.
Find the bands on Facebook or Bandcamp!
Nightfall: https://www.facebook.com/nightfall.philly
Nothing Is Over: http://nothingisover.bandcamp.com/
Backslider: https://www.facebook.com/backslider215
Infernal Stronghold: https://www.facebook.com/InfernalStronghold
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