Kicking off this bonkers lineup at Red Gate was the second-ever show from DIRTY VICAR, who dosed out beautiful old-school hard rock/metal that this packed crowd fervently ate up.
The lead singer evoked several leads from the cradle of metal, the late 70s/early 80s, with their stage presence and style. Had a lot of those old-school theatrics down, adding to the vibe they had going on.
There were some fun solos in there, all the squealies one would expect, and the drummer was solid with sexy double kicks. Great start to get this voracious crowd warmed up.
Next was another offering from the always epic AK-747S, who didn’t miss a beat, keeping the crowd burning with their heavy, epic, massive songs that evoke a range of emotions fed by the lead singer, who is pure passion up there.
The drums give them their massive, crashing sound, and the relentless bass riffs are so juicy and thick. The two of them create such a killer foundation; the lead singer can just pour everything into the vocals and fucking shit up on that guitar.
Even without the rest of this bill being killer, whenever APE WAR is in the lineup, there is never a question of attending. From their gorilla of a frontman to the absolute murderer on drums, fucking APE WAR is simply outstanding.
The lead singer climbs the speaker stack, rolls around on the floor, and fucking screams the whole time. Their low end is so fucking thick; it is lovely to have my earholes assaulted with such sonic intensity.
The crowd was, of course, fucking bananas for this one, and rightly so. It was a relentless and brutal attack that didn’t let up, only increasing until the end: the sweaty, hot end.
God damn fucking APE WAR.
Next offering was the always crowd favorite JISEI with their cyber grinding death metal core offering, featuring one of the best screams in the game.
From a low guttural growl that is a thing of fucking beauty to a gorgeous scream of such intensity, they are in rarified air with that voice. I am always excited for a set when I get to have that scream five feet from me.
This duo, a singer and guitarist, plays with pre-recorded drums, which can be an asset sometimes but also an issue. They had technical glitches at several spots that broke the set up a bit.
While momentum was lost, the lead singer didn’t need much to crank everything back up quickly as this crowd was burning white hot. Got me a good foot stomp on my ankle at one point, so that will be with me for a while.
Finally, as if we needed another powerhouse to destroy what was left of our sanity, we received EMMA GOLDMAN to fan the flames until the place collapsed. It is no easy feat to follow the last two offerings, but god damn if EG doesn’t pull it off beautifully.
With one of my other absolute favorite screamers in the city unleashing their power tonight, this night was an exceptional treat for all. Their lead vocals have such an incredible voice, filled with passion and intensity. Yet, they can control all that power perfectly. So fucking incredible.
The band was so tight and responsive, reading each other perfectly as they blasted through their melodic hardcore offering; they weaved such a perfect balance of melody and intensity. An EMMA GOLDMAN set is always over far too quickly.
Despite being battered and bruised and covered in the sweaty grim from a sea of people, I stumbled up to the Fox Cabaret, where I continued my flailing, albeit in a slightly crippled and broken manner.
Needless to say, He was pleased with tonight’s offerings.