It's been about a year since I've posted an entry to this blog. The extended dry spell has nothing to do with a decrease in my interest in vinyl or attending shows (or my desire to write about them). My life has been so hectic that it has been difficult to find the time to relax and make an entry. Between establishing an intimate and wonderful relationship with my girlfriend, finishing up graduate school, starting a new corporate job and the return and subsequent departure of my sister and her children, 2010 was a whirlwind of a year. Despite all of my personal happenings, vinyl was purchased (Floor - Below and Beyond box set; Converge - Jane Doe reissue; Krallice - Dimensional Bleedthrough) and show were attended (Gorguts/Portal/Bloody Panda/Krallice at the Knitting Factory, Brooklyn; Eyehategod/Unearthly Trance/Tombs at Europa, Brooklyn; Floor/Gods & Queens at the First Unitarian Church, Philly). Now that life has seemed to have temporarily relaxed, my pen will be put to paper as the vinyl spins and the extremity is delivered in the live setting. Here's to hoping that 2011 will be a prolific year.
My first show of 2011 took place on January 14, at Union Pool in Brooklyn and featured a vicious lineup of Trap Them/Black Anvil/All Pigs Must Die. More about the show later. Let's talk about the venue. Living in New Jersey definitely has it's pros and cons, and close proximity to Philly and Brooklyn is on the plus side. Union Pool is located directly off of the BQE at exit 32 which is very convenient for those who drive to shows. It's located in the uber hip Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. In terms of the venue itself, it could very well be the most unique setting for a metal or hardcore show in NYC. First, there is no sign outside the venue, so you could walk right by it and not know that it's there. Upon entering, you're in a dark L shaped bar with a mediocre beer selection, a photo booth for the hipsters, a DJ spinning calypso music and Michael Jackson, etc. If you can get passed that stuff, you'll notice a faint smell of chlorine. The venue was once a pool supply shop, and some of the original mirrors and other decor from that old establishment persist which give the venue some character. In the back of the bar is a door to a large outdoor area. This section consists of a large fire pit (very desirable in the winter) and a taco van, if you can believe it! The taco van, which is adorned with dancing skeletons and other cinco de mayo themed artwork, offers some of the best soft tacos I've ever had. They also have burritos, nachos and Jarittos soda to wash down the delicious Mexican fare. Needless to say, the line at the taco van is rarely short.
APMD were first to hit the stage. Their claim to fame is clearly the fact that their drummer is Ben Koller of the almighty Converge. That is enough to hype up any hardcore/metal band, but they also include a members of Boston hardcore acts The Hope Conspiracy and Bloodhorse. So did they live up to the hype? Eh, sort of. The bass player (who was wearing a sweet Hell Hammer shirt) had a punchy bass sound and kept up well with Ben Koller's energetic drumming which created and awesome rhythm section. The guitar player's jangly riffs were kind of washed out by the power and force of the drum/bass attack, so overall they weren't very cohesive. The vocalist (awesome Integrity shirt with artwork my the famous Stephen Kasner) sang with a straightforward yell style which was appropriate but not outstanding. Integrity is actually a good starting point to describe the overall dirt-punk/hardcore sound of the band. After announcing that it was their first show, everything seemed to make sense. These guys have a lot of potential. They just need to work out the kinks in the live setting and their individual performances might converge (no pun intended) into a formidable beast.
Next up were local black metal dealers Black Anvil. I've heard plenty about them and know they get a lot of shows in the area but I haven't had the opportunity to see them live yet. They were formed out of the ashes of infamous NYHC veterans Kill Your Idols, but this new band bears little resemblance to the hardcore punk of KYI. These guys definitely have the black metal look down pat: one guy had a sick Celtic Frost shirt, they were clad in all black (is there a darker color?), long flowing black hair, bullet belts, intimidating stage presence, etc. So was their performance style over substance? Yes and no. Black Anvil have there moments, don't get me wrong. At times, the loathing spewed forth from the vocalist sounded like Johnny Morrow (RIP) of Iron Monkey, which is a good thing. The band's thunderous attack is best when played fast and melodic. At those times they are catchy and super entertaining. But almost half of their songs were long, mid paced plodders, almost like a weak version of Bolt Thrower. I did see a few people yawn and someone scroll through their smart phone during those tracks which means they shared my sentiment. Not much else to say about these guys except to reiterate that they are middle of the road.
Prior to Trap Them's set I decided to refuel with a shrimp taco (ah, the stuff of life) and a Newcastle brown ale. The heavy malt of the classic English brown complimented the flavorful salsa verde quite well. With my hunger now satisfied I made my way back into the venue for the headliner.
I'm going to come right out and say that Trap Them is some really good shit, especially live. They are kind of like a complete package: the buzz saw guitar tone of Brian Izzi coupled with the rasped bark of Ryan McKenney and the confident dirt-sludge attack of bassist Stephen LaCour is a true force to be reckoned with. The set consisted of tracks from most of their back catalog including a few off their new album, Darker Handcraft, which is to be released by Prosthetic Records in March. Whether old or new, all tracks were played with a ravenous hunger for filth. A pit understandably broke out (none were present for the other two bands), much to McKenney's delight. At some point towards the end of the show, blood started gushing from his forehead and I'm not sure if it happened intentionally or not. Either way, it made his appearance extra seedy and dangerous. My only complaint about the band's performance is that it was too short. We all could have used at least 2 -3 more songs. With that aside, the headliner was clearly the standout performance of the night.
Overall, it was an enjoyable evening of extreme music. I'm looking forward to my next trip to the Pool, which never fails to entertain. The next two shows on my calendar are Eyehategod/Misery Index/Black Anvil/Strong Intention at Johnny Brenda's in Philly on 2/16 and back at the Union Pool again on 2/12 for Doomriders/Sweet Cobra/Unearthly Trance. Stay metal, cheers!
