The Acheron is rapidly becomign one of my favorite places to see a show in New York City and not just because it's a ten minute walk away from my apartment. Nay - this runs deeper than that. The Acheron is one of those venues that reeks of the underground, with seedy posters lining the walls and a bar next door that serves some of the best food you can find in Williamsburg. The point being - it's the kind of place where we are meant to see extreme music, and with the three bands that played last night we were all left in awe.
First up was Austerity Program who played one of the most unique sets I've ever seen. Aided by a powerpoint they helped us identify which bands they ripped off. I kid you not. It was one of the funniest things I've ever seen and a bizarre reflection of the oh-so-serious attitude that has come to define the underground music community in recent years. Musically these guys are pretty tight too - a wonderful fit to open for an act like KEN Mode. There sound is abrasive and intelligent - like a more extreme version of Swans. They were a joy to watch - and not just because of the silly presentation - truly a band for the whole family to get fucked up too!
Child Bite played a very impressive set as always. Their distinct brand of Mr Bungle driven punk and hardcore always captures my heart. They're one of the most fascinating bands on the world today and watching a maniac like Shawn Knight tear up the stage for each and every ode to violence, madness and the generally fucked up state of the world is just unreal. Is the barren mean more to the underground that I think even they realize they're sound is just perfect for this time and place of chaotic it's weird but it's also incredibly intelligent. And yet despite it all - these guys are a blast to listen too - maybe that's why Phil Anselmo likes them so much!
Finally the hour had come for KEN Mode. Relying predominantly on material from the new record - the stellar Success these guys simply blew me away. The other time I had seen them had been in a massive room in Texas so getting to watch a band this genre bending in such a small club was really fun. They destroyed the room - Jesse Matthewson's demented faces casting a strange pallor onto the audience. These guys feel it in every bone in their body and it's strangely unsettling to watch them perform. On their classic Never Was everyone in the audience seemed entranced, crying out nihilistic anthems for a new generation. KEN Mode are still pushing boundaries years into their career and it's kind of exciting to see that their brainiest and most extreme stuff is still to come.
I walked home on that beautiful October evening and felt content in what I had witness. I had met good dudes, reveled in the murk, and found myself drowning in volume - a great way to spend any night on the road. Child Bite and KEN Mode remain two of the most exciting bands in metal and watching them continue to destroy the globe is never going to get old. The scene is about to hit it's most exciting moments yet and bands like these are leading the charge, there aren't many more dates on this tour but if you get a chance - go see it, it's not one to be missed.
Find the bands on Facebook!
The Austerity Program: https://www.facebook.com/theausterityprogram?fref=ts
Child Bite: https://www.facebook.com/childbite?fref=ts
KEN Mode: https://www.facebook.com/kenmode?fref=ts
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