Editor's Note: Due to time constraints, this is an abbreviated review. I apologize for the short review and I assure that this will not be a regular occurrence. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy this abridged review of the Allston, Massachusetts stop of "The Deathless Tour" featuring Revocation, Archspire and Black Fast.
Coagula: Ironically, these guys were also the local opener the last time I saw Revocation headline at The Middle East Upstairs in April. While they were pretty solid when I saw them in April, they were much better this time around thanks to a much clearer sound mix and sharper vocal performance. Coagula is one of the few bright spots in Boston's metal scene at the moment and I hope they get more opportunities to open big shows in the future.
Black Fast: Really solid blackened thrash (their new record, Terms of Surrender, is a must-listen for any thrash fan) that kind of reminds me of Toxic Holocaust with more of a traditional thrash influence. The vocals weren't as crisp as they are on record, but the guitarwork and drumming were excellent and their frontman Aaron Akin's good-natured persona and high-energy level was infectious. Once these up-and-comers get another release or two under their belts, they could very well become one of the premier acts in modern thrash.
Archspire: This was the band I was most excited to see on the bill and they managed to blow the doors off of my absurdly high expectations. The whole band sounded incredible, as they managed to nail every note of their extremely technical music and Oli Peters' vocals were even more sinister and spastic in a live setting. Their setlist was damn near perfect as they played a majority of the best material ("Fathom Infinite Depth", "Scream Feeding", "Seven Crowns and the Oblivion Chain") off of their excellent 2014 album The Lucid Collective as well as a couple of prime cuts off of their 2011 debut All Shall Align. These beautiful Canadian bastards put on one of the best shows I've seen in 2015 so far and I hope they'll return to the United States soon.
Revocation: Consistency is becoming more and more scarce in today's live music landscape, which is why you have to cherish a band like Revocation who comes out and delivers every time they take the stage. This show marked my eighth time seeing them and at every single one of those shows they've been technically-precise, generated a raucous response from their hometown crowd, and most importantly, been fun as hell to watch. The only downside of this particular show was the setlist. While it was great to hear Deathless standout "Scorched Earth Policy" and the fantastic instrumental track "Alliance and Tyranny" from their 2008 debut Empire of the Obscene live for the first time, the complete lack of material from 2011's Chaos of Forms and their 2013 self-titled album was a bit disappointing. It's clear from their recent setlists that they aren't overly fond of either of those releases, but for the sake of diversity, it would be cool to see a few tracks from those albums make their way into the setlist during their next touring cycle. Regardless of minor setlist deficiencies, Revocation put on another excellent performance and I will continue to go see them every time they play in the Boston-area.
Scores:
Coagula 8/10
Black Fast 7.5/10
Archspire 9/10
Revocation 9/10
Setlists:
Black Fast:
Haunted Vigil
Progenitors of Predation
To Propagate the Void
Tongues of Sliver
The Fall
Archspire:
Fathom Infinite Depth
Deathless Ringing
Seven Crowns and the Oblivion Chain
Scream Feeding
Rapid Elemental Dissolve
Lucid Collective Somnambulation
Revocation:
A Debt Owed to the Grave
Scorched Earth Policy
Enter the Hall
Bound by Desire
Leviathan Awaits
Alliance and Tyranny
Empire of the Obscene
Madness Opus
Dismantle the Dictator
Witch Trials
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