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Nehemiah, With Dead Hands Rising, The Lust, more
The Fireball Espresso Cafe, St. Paul, MN
4/27/2002
Reviewer: Andrew
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This was, as far as I can remember, the first local show that I caught in Minneapolis. To my surprise, there were eight bands on the bill, and for five bucks and a chance to see Nehemiah, it was well worth my time. Of course, in a local scene with a good variety of bands, your obvious young, inexperienced bands make their way through the venue, but the less talented bands weren't enough of a downer to ruin a show. Anyway, let's get going on this.
I honestly don't remember the names of the first two bands to play, but I didn't feel obligated to find out. The first band featured a female vocalist, most of what came out of her mouth was either completely inaudible or a repetition of "Ooooooh, Ahhhhh!" screaches. I tried to figure out if she actually said anything, but even covering my ears got me just a couple of actual words. The second band showed a bit more promise, but they weren't anything out of the ordinary. In the third slot was Paynriven, a band that displayed a lot of similarity to Hatebreed brand hardcore/metalcore. There was more mosh and less speed, and they actually got the crowd warmed up a bit. The vocals were loud and clear, and the band performed with a good amount of energy. You may want to check this band out. The following band, The Lust, was quite impressive, playing a blend of hardcore and metal with a lot of crazy tempo shifts and heavy mosh parts. For the most part, the music was thick and heavy, but the time signatures gave the music a lot of variety. The vocalist really did what he could do get the crowd into the show, and did a nice job. I picked up their demo cd after their set, and hope to hear more from these guys in the future.
The bands that had an obvious larger following were the next to take stage, the first being With Dead Hands Rising. These guys played a metalcore style similar to that of, say, older This Day Forward, but incorporated a bit more heaviness with some growling vocals. These guys show a lot of promise, and have a three way split coming out some time soon. If I would have had money, I would have picked up a shirt, but I am poor. Check these guys out on mp3.com for some samples, and hear how much potential they have. I can't quite remember which band came on next, but if it is the band I'm thinking of, I don't recall the name. I believe the next band was the somewhat-of-a-joke band, who brought out some inflated genetalia and lame masks. They tore up some stuffed animals and really got the crowd laughing, there was some good mayhem during their set, and did a good job of setting the stage for the band that I really came for--Nehemiah. I had only heard about four of Nehemiah's songs before the show, mainly because I didn't have any way to get my hands on the music other than their mp3s on their webpage. Luckily, the four or five tunes they played were fairly familiar, and the crowd really got into their music. Sing-along inspiring vocals drew mobs of people to the stage and microphone, while the mosh-heavy metal parts really got the pit of hardcore dancers to go wild. They played "The Asphyxation Process" which really made me happy, and based on what I saw here, these guys definitely have an awesome stage presence. Make sure to check out our feature on Nehemiah, and give them a good listen. Absolutely rocking, yet intricate, and just insane in a live setting. These guys made my night and I didn't leave without picking up their new two song demo.
We left before Devil Inside played, so I can't even tell you how the headlining band was. Overall, though, the show was quite good, and much fun was had by all. The small venue and energetic bands made for a very entertaining atmosphere, and for all of you locals, make sure to try and go to some shows featuring these bands if you get the chance. Now I need to go and learn to do some hardcore dances so I can take part in the dancing, and probably get hurt a lot.
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