Yesterday marked the first annual(?) Worcester Deathfest at The Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. The lineup consisted of mostly local bands from the New England area with national acts such as Six Feet Under, Suffocation, Dying Fetus, Revocation, and Fit For An Autopsy throw in for good measure. It started off a little bit slow, but once the big bands played, it got fucking awesome.
The show started at 1, but my friend and I got there around 3 (Useless fact: This marked the first time I had ever bought tickets to a show at the door.) The first band I caught was Sirens of Povaliga. I only saw their last three songs, but they were horrible. Incredibly generic metal/death core with an abysmal vocalist. The drummer wasn't bad, but the rest of the band was just sloppy. They looked like they were really young kids though (Easily younger than me, so I would guess 17 or 18), so I will cut them a break. Hopefully they improve because right now they're atrocious.
Untombed was up next and they were easily the best local band of the day (That I saw at least, I later found out that the better local bands were playing upstairs). Pretty sick brutal death metal with two great vocalists. In the vein of Dying Fetus, they had one vocalist who did higher-pitched screams and one vocalist who did guttural pig squeals. The guy who did the pig squeals was especially good. They also had some pretty sick riffs and they got the first pit of the day started. One of the best local bands I've seen and I would definitely check out their stuff further.
Dynstery hit the stage after that. They have picked up a decent following around here, so I figured I would give them a shot. My buddy said it best right after they played "Once I saw the vocalist was wearing a Rose Funeral shirt, I knew it wasn't going to be good". They weren't deathcore, just pretty bad brutal death metal. They sounded like a C-grade Pathology ripoff (which isn't saying much considering Pathology is mind-numbingly average). Every song sounded the same and every asshole in the building came out during their set. I spent most of the time watching the pit because of how hilarious/sad the hardcore dancing. Pretty weak band and I definitely don't want to see them again.
Conforza was the next band and they were weird as hell. They played a mix of deathcore, progressive metal, and grindcore. This made for some interesting moments, but some others just fell flat. Their vocalist was alright and they definitely had some talent (especially guitar-wise), but their sound wasn't cohesive enough to work. I love bands with experimental sounds, but this experimentation wasn't fully developed and seemed kind of forced. With some direction and better songwriting, This band could be really good. Not bad, but not anything special either.
Nemecide was the last local band I watched and good lord were they bad. They had have one of the worst vocalists I've ever heard. His high-pitches were ear-shattering and drove me out of the building real fast. Didn't watch too much of their set, but I saw enough for them to make a lasting negative impression on me.
After going outside for a little bit, It was time for the first signed, national act, Vatnett Viskar, to play. They are a atmospheric black metal (aka hipster black metal)/sludge band from New Hampshire. This was the first time I had ever heard of them and they were alright overall. I am not normally big on hipster black metal (i.e Wolves in The Throne Room, Deafhaven, Altar of Plagues) and they didn't do much to change my mind. There were a few cool parts (mostly in set closer "Barren Earth") and the sludge aspect made them a little bit different than their hipster black metal peers, but I was primarily bored. There's just something about this style of metal that I can't get excited about. Not my bag really, but certainly not awful. I wouldn't be surprised if they were as acclaimed as the aforementioned Wolves in the Room and Deafhaven some day.
Fit For An Autopsy played next and they were the first band of the day to get a great crowd reception and deservedly so, they were pretty good. I was surprised it took me so long to see them actually. They are from New Jersey, but they play around New England all the time. Nate Johnson really makes this band enjoyable. His vocals set them apart from other by-the-numbers deathcore acts. He is also a good frontman and got the crowd into it without acting like a faux-tough guy like some other deathcore bands (**cough cough Oceano**). Definitely a solid performance and this is a deathcore act I get behind for sure.
Boston's own death/thrash gods Revocation were up next and as expected, They destroyed. I was stoked to finally hear stuff off of Chaos of Forms live and the setlist was awesome. Watching such a great guitar player like David Davidson play is such a pleasure. The fact that he can hit the solos to "Dismantle the Dictator", "Conjuring the Cataclysm" and "No Funeral" flawlessly live is awe-inspiring. Besides being an incredible guitar player, he is a great frontman too. His between song crowd banter is hillarious. When he was introducing "Conjuring the Cataclysm" he was talking about the song was about awkening demons, partying with them, and having one of the hot female demons finger your peehole (and you enjoying it, though you're not sure why). The entire crowd was in uproarious laughter almost every time he said anything in between songs. I'm legitimately ashamed this was only my second time seeing Revocation since they are one of my favorite bands and they are from Massachusetts. Hopefully I can catch them again soon (They are coming back on the Shockwave Festival in July, but I'm not sure If I'm going to go to that.)
Dying Fetus was on next and they never fail to impress. This marked my third time seeing them and it felt like I had never seen them before. It almost seems like I keep forgetting how great their live show is because every time I see them I am surprised by how awesome they are. Their music is just so damn heavy and enjoyable live. The set mixed staples such as "Praise the Lord", "Homicidal Retribution" and "One Shot, One Kill" with new material from their upcoming record Reign Supreme (Which is fucking awesome, expect a review from me later this week) and even a deep cut with "Fornication Terrorists". Dying Fetus was brutal death metal perfection as always and I hope their headlining tour later in the year has a sick lineup and comes through here.
Suffocation closed out the night for me and they put on possibly the best show of the night (It's a toss-up between them and Dying Fetus). I saw them the last time they played here in October 2010 on Rock and Shock and they were even better this time. Their style of old-school death metal is so heavy and incredible in a live environment. Every song crushes just as much as the last one and their set was relentless in intensity. I was so glad to see them again after the break-up rumors and Frank Mullen's brief reprieve from the band on their European tour in the spring. Frank Mullen was in top-form vocally and banter wise. Mullen is seriously one of the best funniest frontmen in metal. His anecdotes and jokes are just hillarious. Topics for this show included him playing a lumberjack and killing hippie zombies in a low-budget horror movie, Catholic television preachers, and best of all, the start of the zombie apocalypse in Miami (were he dropped the line of the night with "the government tries to tell you it was bath salts. Well I put bat salts in my bathtub and I felt pretty good, I didn't feel like eating flesh.) I also have great news: Frank Mullen confirmed on-stage that they are recording a new album in late August and should be out next year (He announced the title as well, but I don't remember the name). Epic performance from Suffocation and it was badass to see these death metal pioneers again.
I didn't stay for The Chris Barnes Zoo Animal Experience (aka Six Feet Under), so I don't have a setlist from them. Following the two heaviest live bands I've ever seen (Dying Fetus and Suffocation) and an amazing band like Revocation, is a really hard task plus Six Feet Under is fucking awful so I wasn't go sit through them again if I didn't have to.
Scores:
Sirens of Povaliga 2/10
Untombed 7.5/10
Dynstery 3/10
Conforza 6/10
Nemecide 2/10
Vatnett Viskar 5.5/10
Fit For An Autopsy 7/10
Revocation 9/10
Dying Fetus 9/10
Suffocation 9/10
Setlists:
Vattnet Viskar:
Weakness
?
Barren Earth
Fit For An Autopsy:
The Jackal
The Consumer
The Colonist
The Juggernaut
The Wolf
The Conquerer
Revocation:
Reanimaniac
Unattained
Harlot
Dismantle the Dictator
Conjuring The Cataclysm
No Funeral
Dying Fetus:
Praise the Lord (Opium of the Masses)
Homicidal Retribution
From Womb to Waste
One Shot, One Kill
Shepherd's Commandment
Fornication Terrorists
Invert the Idols
Your Treachery Will Die With You
Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog
Suffocation:
Thrones of Blood
Effigy of the Forgotten
Catatonia
Pierced From Within
Liege of Inveracity
Abomination Reborn
Funeral Inception
Mass Obliteration
Cataclysmic Purification
Devoid of Truth
Infecting the Crypts
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