Uniform, Wrekmeister Harmonies, and Bell Witch at The Acheron

Another night, another show, but not really - not when the show is this god damn good. The Acheron is a 10 minute walk from my house, so if I don't go to a show there it's honestly kind of fucked up, and they put together some truly special bills too. Last night was no exception with Uniform opening up for Wrekmeister Harmonies and Bell Witch, two of the most fascinating bands on the scene right now. Suffice to say - it is the unique and beautiful experiences like last night that make New York City such an amazing place.

Uniform where the first band I got to catch and though they had a bit of a weird start once they hit their stride they blew me the fuck away. Their uniquely bleak sound, powerful tone and heavy sampling makes for a brainy performance that starts off dense and ends triumphantly. Everything about this band hints at their capabilities to reach out and do something greater. The way they present themselves live is interesting to say the least and sort of hints at all that this band stands for. This two piece have figured out a distinct visual aesthetic between the two of them that made for a fitting debut to the evening.

After having seen them at St Vitus the week prior I thought that Wrekmeister Harmonies had show me everything they had. I was wrong. So gleefully wrong. With an almost Arthur Todd Brown-like approach and a sound that was absolutely transcendent Wrekmeister Harmonies guided us through fifty odd minutes of pulsating heaviness. With gentle crescendos and moving denouments this is a band who bring a grander aesthetic to the world of underground metal. It's impossible to understate what this band means live, everything from the eerie violins to the tortured bass playing courtesy of Bell Witch's Dylan Desmond is evidence that Wrekmeister Harmonies are in a league of their own.

As much as I loved Wrekmeister Harmonies though even they couldn't prepare me for what Bell Witch did at The Acheron last night. With less than twenty people left in the room the band took the stage and played an hour of new material and stuff off their latest record. Dylans acrobatic bass playing matches perfectly with Jesse's devastating growls in a way that feels organic and fresh even though the dudes have been on tour for weeks now. This is a band who know how to bring it live and managed to keep the few huddled doom freaks at Acheron at one in the morning in a weird state of trance.

Walking home I reflected upon first hearing Wrekmeister Harmonies and being shocked at how broad the sound was. It's like JR can do anything. Then I remembered listening that Bell Witch demo when I was in high school. The band was so heavy and slow that I thought they had to be a joke. A band couldn't possibly be that crushing right? Now here I was having just seen two of these bands a ten minute walk from my door. I don't know what that says about rock and roll but fuck it dude, if you can't get into these bands rock n roll might just not be your thing.

Find them on Facebook!

Uniform: https://www.facebook.com/thebanduniform/?ref=ts&fref=ts

Wrekmeister Harmonies: https://www.facebook.com/wrekmeisterharmonies23/?fref=ts

Bell Witch: https://www.facebook.com/BellWitchDoom/?ref=ts&fref=ts