March 7^th, Reaping  Asmodeia, By the Thousands, From Concept to Chronicle, and Thee Massacre.

Photos by Tanner Morris, Riley Downs and Matthew Weber.

Writing by Matthew Weber.

 

Matthew: I showed up too early as usual so I hung out near the back and set up my gear while watching the people flow into the venue. There were 4 local extremely talented bands on the roster; most people coming in were friends and loyal fans. Behind the merch tables Louis Hamel from By The Thousands was chatting up fans as Thee Massacre was setting up the stage.

The lights go down, having never seen Thee Massacre before I wasn’t sure what to expect. The stage erupts in a blast of sound from the first band of the night. I notice right away that they have a keyboard player onstage, something you don’t see with many death metal groups. It set them apart from the rest of the bands playing that night. Overall their set was a good opener, and warmed up the crowd for what was to come.

 

Next up, From Concept to Chronicle.  First off, I was thoroughly impressed with their stage presence and overall sound. They have a loyal group of fans, which can be identified as the people throwing down hard in the pit, located just feet away from the stage at the Triple Rock. The dynamic duo of screamers, Tyler Nelson and Cory Gazda, make for a formidable sound, contrasting between Tyler’s eccentrics and Cory’s hunched over growls. It was an excellent performance. As their set went on, I noticed guitarist Ado Džubić thrashing around with increasing intensity. FCTC is not afraid to wild up on stage, so much so that the fans, and the photographer’s cameras, ate it up.

 

The energy FCTC carried with them onstage seemed to power the air for the next set. By The Thousands did not hesitate to throw the crowd into a world of calculated rhythmic chaos interrupted by high-powered drum fills (by drummer Dakota Testa) and melodic guitar riffs. Guitarists John Riviere and Dustin Korth bang their heads furiously to the beat, throwing their big ‘80’s metal’ hair around as they played. Bassist Adam Sullivan also brought his flavor into the mix. These guys throw Minnesota Nice out the window; if you haven’t been out to support these guys yet, stay tuned to their social media to find their next show.

 

The headliner, Reaping Asmodeia, enters the stage slowly. A hollow drone through the speakers accompanies an eerie green under light, which illuminates the stage. Drummer Daniel Koppy sits behind his kit wearing all black with his hood up, wearing a black cloth to cover his face. As the rest of the band comes out, they sport a similar look to Koppy, which is their signature appearance. All 4 members of the band take their place on stage standing still, glaring and scowling into the crowd. Suddenly they explode into their first song. They premiered a new song and delivered it with the utter brutality they are known for on the rest of their tracks.  Unfortunately, most of the crowd did not take advantage of this intimate venue and stayed well back. Their reaction can only attest to the intensity that Reaping Asmodeia brings to the stage at their performances.