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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Hardcore Bonded By Blood: Party Like It's 2002

Posted by Kevin Diers on Thu, Nov 29, 2012 at 1:40 PM

Killswitch Engage

This past Tuesday I was transported, via time warp, to 2002. On the stage at SODO area venue Studio Seven, a band by the name of Killswitch Engage unearthed their most influential album, 2002’s Alive Or Just Breathing, in it’s entirety—complete with original vocalist Jesse Leach. Sure, you might scoff at the melodic cheesiness of their music, but like I said in my column giving respect to recently deceased vocalist of Suicide Silence, Mitch Lucker—a quick glance at the ridiculous amount of Killswitch clones that started popping up worldwide after it’s release is a true testament to how big this record was, and continues to be, on the metalcore family tree. And who was opening? Why, Shadows Fall of course. The stage dive count was high and the invisible ninjas were fought quite heartily in a pit that resembled a UFC fight.

If you’re currently sleeping on Heiress, do yourself a favor and click here, light up a soon-to-be-legal bowl, and sit back. Their new album, Early Frost was just recently released on Converge vocalist Jake Bannon’s hardcore/weirdness label Deathwish Inc. Not bad for a bunch of grandpas. (I kid, I kid.) Tomorrow night, Heiress will be headlining a show at The Kraken in the U-District, alongside a couple raging bands that rose from the ashes of Throne Of Bone—Brain Scraper and Don Peyote.

Tonight, The Zoo Tavern on Eastlake is presenting “Metal Night”, an event that promises bands (most notably local shredders DA-27) beer specials, a head banging contest and a whole lot of brutality. One little suggestion for the next event? Three words: Death. Metal. Karaoke.

After making us wait eight long years for a follow up their 2004 self-titled melodic-death meets folk metal masterpiece, Wintersun returned this month with Time I. Apparently this thing was scheduled to be released in 2006, but various delays pushed it back again and again, making us wait in Dr. Dre–like anticipation for six whole years. Is it worth it? If you’re a fan of complex, melodic death riffs placed alongside Lord Of The Rings-esque imagery? In short, it’s folking awesome.