A note on Black Bear Bar: I have to say, I am disappointed with the venue at Black Bear Bar. Upon walking into the bar I was stoked by their indoor halfpipe and tasteful, if not metal, music choice. However, upon entering their venue space the problems began. First, the lighting: I don’t know how the people at Black Bear could possibly have thought this was a good idea, but the whole stage was lit blue with a purple spotlight over the drummer. It didn't just hurt the eyes, it looked terrible. Second, while I laud the musical taste of whoever picked the interlude music, it was way too fucking loud. Like holy shit guys, I was trying to buy a t-shirt and they couldn’t even hear me. Totes inappropes. What makes me especially upset about the way Black Bear put on the show was how it detracted from one of the best nights of music I have seen in a while. And it would have been so easy to fix. Seriously. Really cool venue, and they totally fucked it up.
On to the music...
Wrist Deep
There is no doubt Wrist Deep are an incredibly talented group of individuals and this is reflected in their sound, heavier than an Easter Island statue. Wrist Deep brings the kind of aggression and raw sound that brought us to love Powerviolence in the first place. While edging away from the genre’s hardcore roots, they remain too stately for Thrashcore, moving in an almost Sludge-like direction. While no less brutal for it, Wrist Deep's performance felt less cohesive than it could have been. However, this is completely understandable for a group who have been together for a year. While drummer/vocalist Joseph certainly brought energy to the stage, guitarist/vocalist Mike and bassist/vocalist Jay could have brought it harder. The lighting certainly did nothing to help this “one man show” effect, but that's on Black Bear. Further reinforcing this were some slightly self-indulgent breakdowns. Everything else was technically sound, and you can tell Wrist Deep put a lot of time and effort into the composition of their songs. All in all, I feel like Wrist Deep are an incredibly promising group who I’d love to see again when they are a little more comfortable on stage.
Buy their album here
Follow them on Facebook here
Mary Todd
There are very few bands who bring as much energy to the stage as these Bushwick Grindcore badasses. It’s refreshing to see a band get up and so obviously enjoy what they are doing. With all the fierceness you expect from Grindcore, the chabois (as they call themselves) put out a consistently heavy sound with guitarist Ashley Levine’s stunningly complex math riffs, bassist Christopher Day’s deep groove, and Josh Harris’s flawless drumming. Mary Todd put out a set that started in a good place and ended in an epic one with the unveiling of a new song T.R6. This song harks back to the Hardcore Punk origins of Grindcore, and if it is any indication of the direction they intend to take in the future, I want to be there.
Buy their album here
Follow them on Facebook here
Disparager
Most good shows have one band that’s a little bit different, pushing the edges of the genre. On this bill it was Disparager and it was wonderful. Displaying a remarkable amount of versatility during their set, this Brooklyn band flowed seamlessly between an almost Pop-Punk lightness with *gasp* clean vocals and a Grindcore/Sludge beat-down brutal enough for your favorite dictator. Their juxtaposition of heavy throbbing beats with soaring clean vocals against the scratch of screaming accompanied by light almost airy backdrops is stunning. That’s not to say everything hinged on the interplay between light and heavy, because when they went for it Disparager was just as heavy as anyone else in the room. Contrary to the almost frenzied energy brought by the previous band, Disparager played it cool, and it worked with their more pensive, questing sound. Everything was exactly where it needed to be when it needed to be there for a full polished sound that is oh-so-difficult to categorize (kinda like the Deftones?) but entirely worthwhile to listen to.
Buy their album here
Follow them on Facebook here
Church Tongue
Hailing from Indiana, Church Tongue picked right back up where Mary Todd’s energy left off. Though slightly more restrained, vocalist Mike Sugar’s presence in the room was no less felt as they blasted out a set of what they call “Chaotic Metalcore” (which is as close as I can get to it, so that’s what we’ll stick with). They still had all the heavy Sludge riffs we expect, but overlaid with the rawness and charisma of Metalcore. Once they started, it felt like the sound would never stop pouring off the stage. Particularly on point was the coordination between guitarists Chris Sawicki and Nicko Calderon, they doubled up and played some of the sickest “solos” I’ve heard in a while, in almost perfect synchrony. If you can catch them before they finish their tour, it will be worth your while if just to see Mike Sugar’s adorable dance.
Check out their music video here
For tour dates or to follow them on Facebook, click here
Hollow Earth
Holy shit guys! The big boys came out to play. This Michigan band closed out and perfectly ended what has been one of the best shows I’ve been to in New York. Just a beautifully polished, blaring, bone-shaking, relentless sound. Everything they did on stage was right. They struck the horrible Black Bear Bar lights and set up their own. One industrial light placed behind the drums back-lit the band. Clean. Simple. Incredibly effective. The band themselves were slightly slower, almost Doom Metal in stateliness, but with an aggressive straining vocal and symphonic sounding guitars sweeping to and fro paired with a more meditative interludes with almost Middle-Eastern guitars. It’s almost post-rock in feel, but with a strongly militant aggression. Hollow Earth bring everything you could possibly want from Hardcore, but more.
Buy their album here
For tour dates or to follow them on Facebook, click here
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