There were approximately several hundred people (300-400?) and the floor was pretty crowded, similar to the Children of Bodom crowd density. Not bad at all for a Sunday night! It was a little empty (the middle of the floor was deserted after Coke Bust, and before/during the start of Noisem. Then it filled up.
Merch: Carcass had shirts ($20, $25), a hoodie ($35), latest album, a patch ($5), some other items. Coke Bust had the most interesting merch because it was all underground /hardcore /DIY stuff. BDM had several shirts ($20) (including some odd purple viking one), the new album, some poster, and I swear I saw some sort of statutory ape ball. Noisem had some shirts, Gorguts had a couple shirts ($20), their latest CD ($15).
Coke Bust- Hardcore /punky/DIY from the Washington DC area. When I arrived I saw a bit of their set- a blistering 4 songs in 7 minutes. So they must have played like 12-15 songs overall O_O;! I will say they had a lot of energy and some of the crowd was into them. I, however, thought they sounded horrible (too raw?) and that I really should have gotten there later. A lot of hardcore/punk is def not my thing, and their brand of noise just made me irritable. Artistically I understand the DIY aesthetic/stance, and it's great that they are doing what they feel they need to- more power to ya brothers! But to me it just sounded like some suburban kid angry about bedtime. They also did a Minor Threat cover.
Noisem, also a band from the MD area was up next- their hectic brand of death metal was way better than the hardcore that preceded them, but still a bit too messy for me. The crowd seemed to dig them, and a couple pits broke out, but it wasn't until about the 11th or 12th song that I started to feel it (and that they perhaps had a couple songs that sounded like they were going somewhere). I think their guitar leads were a bit too buried to sound as good as the album versions. Their last 2 songs had some guest vocalist whose half Luke Skywalker bangs half white people dreadlocks, all mullet hair do combined with short shorts that were inching down his skinny frame were making me uncomfortable. I don't think I heard anything particularly amazing from the 2nd vocalist. Alejandro (bass) from Nausea was brought out to play a Terrorizer cover (best song of their set).
The Canadian power trio (what is it with Canada and Trios?) Gorguts was up next. I had heard raves about these guys, and I was pretty sure they wouldn't be a mess, so I was very interested in seeing these guys. Their blend of experimental technical death metal was mostly fun to experience. It was a definite change of pace to a slower sound, contrasting from the frenzy that was before (tho I would not go so far as to call them "BoreGuts"). Some guitar parts were rather odd paced, but it was interesting. There were parts that really reminded me of Gojira. Overall a pretty good set from them, and I recall people going a bit crazy for "Obscura" (try finding this album.. jeez).
The polarizing Black Dahlia Murder was next. I think you either really dig 'em or think they are lame. I really dig 'em, but there def are way better bands. I've never had a bad time seeing them live tho. There was a huge Circle Pit that took up basically the whole floor, and I recalled why I didn't get too close. They sounded pretty good, maybe not as good as last time, tho. The crowd that was on the floor was very animated for them, fists-a-pumping, pits-a-swirling. Of course the vocalist Trevor Strnad took off his shirt to reveal his beer belly and his 'heartburn' tattoo. Other than that complaint, they were rather entertaining and made me think of the description of "maniac metal" that my friend introduced them to me as. Trevor also had some odd conductor-type hand and arm movements that were oddly attention holding and he stomped around the stage. The experience was about the same as other BDM shows, so no surprises there.
Jeffery Walker and the Carcasses, whom I had not seen before, strode out to the stage to the excellent instrumental opener "1985." Their sonic bombardment was rather intense and a bit draining. Jeff Walker's vocals were guttural and his banter was rather droll. Bill Steer and Ben Ash took care of the twin guitar attack (mostly great, tho I swear a few solos seemed less clear than they should have... mixing issue?). The sound was pretty great otherwise- it started out very clear and precise.
Jeff was a pretty good ranter- and his set interruptions were surprisingly welcome. He had comments to make about most everything- from it being a "work day" tomorrow and demanding people "wake up" to taunting us that "LA where the fucking Hipsters live" was louder, to trolling about the last time they played in DC in '95 (WE NEVER PLAYED DC IN '95! BWHAHHA). He also mentioned something about a dropped wallet and people circling about that being akin to a disco back home, where people would dancing around purses in the middle of the floor. He mentioned that their set length... lengthened...from 1 hr to about 1 hour and 35 minutes, so we were getting our $26 worth (tho I paid $28). The best was his series of apologies- for (among other things)
- downtuning, which leads to Nu Metal which is a "pile of shit"
- No 7 string guitars
- white people dreadlocks
Overall, other than feeling really tired by the end, it was a very good show. It was pretty amazing seeing this turnout for a death metal band that isn't extremely well known (ex: Slayer), as well as seeing a ton of people I know!
Next Show: Nile w/ Metanium at Baltimore Soundstage
photos:
Merch
Coke Bust
Noisem
Gorguts
Black Dahlia Murder
Carcass I
Carcass
Setlists:
Coke Bust (?6:35- 6:42)
- ?
- No Authority
- ?(Minor Threat cover)
- Pain and Suffering
- Consuming
- Birthing the Bestial
- Desire and Disgust
- Rotten Remains
- Severed
- Split From the Inside Out
- Agony Defined
- Defiled
- Voices in the Morgue
- + Terrorizer cover
Gorguts (7:39- 8:12)
- Le Toit du Monde
- An Ocean of Wisdom
- Forgotten Arrows
- Colored Sands
- Obscura
Black Dahlia Murder (8:25- 9:05)
- In Hell Is Where She Waits for Me
- Moonlight Equilibrium
- On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood
- Their Beloved Absentee
- Statutory Ape
- Everything Went Black
- Phantom Limb Masturbation
- What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse
- I Will Return
Carcass (9:25- 11:02) (I think this is accurate, based on other sets of the tour)- oh wait here's the setlist
- Buried Dreams
- Incarnated Solvent Abuse
- Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System
- Carnal Forge
- Noncompliance to ASTM F 899-12 Standard
- No Love Lost
- The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills
- Edge of Darkness / This Mortal Coil/ Reek of Putrefaction
- Unfit for Human Consumption
- Genital Grinder/ Pyosisified (Rotten to the Gore) /Exhume to Consume
- Captive Bolt Pistol
- Corporal Jigsore Quandary
- Black Star / Keep On Rotting in the Free World
- Ruptured in Purulence / Heartwork /Carneous Cacoffiny
update: updated-Daniel's name, setlist 4/15 based on Metal Chris's setlist foto. YUS
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