Necrophagist / Arsis / Neuraxis / Alarum / Anagnorisis
Headliner’s Music Hall – Louisville, KY – May 1st, 2006
By Jason Jordan
To say this show held special interest for me would be a gigantic understatement, but at the same time, it didn’t really have anything to do with the bands that were playing as much as the people who I thought I’d run into during the course of the night. Like I predicted, this concert did indeed bring out several of Louisville’s homegrown musicians. Hanging out with Ryan Shea (
Demon Wind), Brian Omer (
Stonecutters), Corey Banet (ex-
Wake the World), Matt Mooring (MetalReview.com), and members of
Assisting Sorrow was actually my favorite part of the show, though a great deal of the music proved scintillating, too.
Local boys
Anagnorisis – filled to capacity by ex-members of the now-defunct
The Whitman Tragedy – were first to open, splashing the crowd with a mix of
Opeth 101 and harsh, brutal death metal. “Overton Trees” and “The Weakness of Our Father’s Hand” were not the best they had to offer during their 30-minute timeslot, as the light/heavy transitions ultimately sparked a surge in audience interest. In other words, a harder song like “The Corpse in the Silo” is simply easier to warm up to because there’s less jerking around. The group as a unit had average stage presence, each dude rarely venturing out of his allocated spot on stage, plus the closing number dragged on, which lessened the overall impact they had on an antsy crowd. Still, I have no complaints in regards to the musicianship.
Afterwards, Australia’s
Alarum climbed aboard the meager platform, and I was truly looking forward to their set. In tune with early ‘90s technical death metal a la
Cynic,
Atheist,
Believer, et al,
Alarum displayed high-caliber skill during their performance. Tracks from their latest Willowtip album
Eventuality made appearances, and while they were fairly detached as far as interaction was concerned, they were genuinely thankful for the opportunity to play. Looking like Devin Townsend (
Strapping Young Lad,
The Devin Townsend Band) – minus glasses – Palfreyman (vocals, bass) soiled the music with his lackluster voice, but with four virtuosos hammering away simultaneously, it was difficult not to appreciate the level of musicianship as well as their ability to match live what they’ve laid down in the studio.
Next came one of Canada’s premier technical outfits, namely fellow Willowtipsters
Neuraxis. Energizing the onlookers with crushing death metal and furious headbanging – perhaps pissing them off, too, with tasteless jokes about KFC and Colonel Sanders that were filtered through a heavy Canadian accent –
Neuraxis were relentless in their pursuit of audience endorsement. In my opinion, they clinched it from the start. Not only were their compositions fast and heavy, Campbell’s mimicking of his comrades via air-guitar and air-drums made for an entertaining set. Drenched by the end, Campbell’s long frizzy hair had morphed into spaghetti noodles due to sweat, implying that
Neuraxis presented a rousing 30 minutes of music, most of which they pulled from their most recent full-length
Trilateral Progression.
Then entered Willowtip’s go-to mob,
Arsis. Prior to inciting a frenzy of overwhelming magnitude, Malone thanked us for buying merchandise – an honorable act on his part. Blasting through renditions of “A Diamond for Disease” (edited for length, of course), “The Promise of Never,” “Return,” “The Face of My Innocence,” “Seven Whispers Fell Silent,” and new tune “Lost Before the Maggot’s Conquest,”
Arsis became the catalyst for the crowd swooning under sheer intensity and unbelievable songwriting, which translated to the live setting quite well.
Headliners
Necrophagist finally occupied the forefront as 12:30AM loomed. Respected for their technical proficiency, I was awestruck by just how proficient they are. Louisville – for some bizarre reason that I can’t possibly even begin to fathom – has embraced the Germans like no other, pointing most groups in the direction of the wayside. Consequently, the audience fed off
Necrophagist while, in turn, they leeched energy from their hosts. But despite my affinity for staggering, well-played music, I have to admit that I was more enraptured with
Arsis than anybody else, with
Neuraxis trailing closely behind. Since I had to rise early the following morning, I jetted immediately after the headliner’s set, leaving the venue in the distance, smelling of rum, and thinking of sleep.
Official Anagnorisis Website
Official Alarum Website
Official Neuraxis Website
Official Arsis Website
Official Necrophagist Website
Official Willowtip Records Website
Official Relapse Records Website
Official Headliner’s Music Hall Website
