Exmortus, Cauldron and Warbringer at the Gramercy Theater

New York City fascinates me because there is something vaguely cinematic about the metal shows here, as if you are stepping into a movie, where kids wearing jackets covered in patches hang out and discretely smoke weed, older dudes stand around and drink beers and complain about their wives, and depressed music writers look around and try to figure out what the hell they are going to write about tomorrow. The point being - Gramercy Theater is a great place to see a show, especially one as over the top and triumphant as this particular bill.

Exmortus were up first and blew me away, as they always do. It's always a lot of fun to see a band who are clearly enjoying themselves on stage, shredding it up and smiling their way through hyper speed version of The Moonlight Sonata. Exmortus is perhaps the most enjoyable and over the top death metal band out there today - and they know it. This is exactly why I think the band is exploding right now, and the best part is that these heavy metal maniacs already have more material in the works, trying to get it out by the end of the year. Exmortus know what it takes to put on a great live show, and headbanging yourself into oblivion is always going to be a good time when these fine young men are on stage.

I've wanted to see Cauldron for years now, so last night was obviously a blast. Their powerful choruses and rapid fire riffs speak to the bands ability to craft some truly magical music. Sure, their set was impeded by subpar mixing but they pulled through, a titanic stage presence hearkening back to the 80s and reminding us why we all got involved in this music in the first place.  I had forgotten how much I loved this band until I saw them break out classics and prove that not only is Cauldron a veritable rock and roll force, they may very well be icons in the making. Far to much fun to watch live, I can only wonder when I am going to get to see these raging madmen take the stage again!

John Kevill of Warbringer is one of the great rock and roll frontmen of our generation. The dude is an absolute beast and holds the crowd rapt in attention as he athletically guides them through one circle pit after another, shouting on encouragement and general encouraging everyone to have a hard rocking good time. Beyond that - this new iteration of Warbringer is tighter than ever, featuring young blood as well as longtime partners of Kevill in his thrash metal odyssey. This is a band who understand that they are building a legacy and watching them thrash it up has you feeling like you are part of something greater than yourself.

The night came to an end with me interviewing Mario from Exmortus and simply reveling in all that I had seen. Far too often in the metal world it is easy to get our heads stuck up our collective asses and forget the fun that so many of us had with the genre when we were younger. This is a bill though that brings back that magic, that reminds us of the eternal power of metal and recalls that first ever circle pit you stomped into when you were 15. These three bands represent something far greater than themselves and they, along with Enforcer who I unfortunately had to miss, are storming the nation in one of the greatest tours I've seen in years.

Find the bands on Facebook!

Exmortus: https://www.facebook.com/exmortusofficial/?fref=ts

Cauldron: https://www.facebook.com/CAULDRONmetal

Warbringer: https://www.facebook.com/Warbringermusic/?fref=ts