Ken Geiger's Week with Pig Destroyer, Napalm Death, Carcass, Deafheaven, Dillinger Escape Pan, and more, 11/15-11/18/16

Dillinger Escape Plan by Ken Geiger

Slave to the Grind

by Ken Geiger

Napalm Death, the Black Dahlia Murder, Pig Destroyer, Power Trip and Abnormality @ Le Poisson Rouge, 11/15/16

My week started off at Le Poisson Rouge to see perhaps one of the most insane lineups in recent memory: Napalm Death, Black Dahlia Murder, Pig Destroyer, Power Trip and Abnormality. This kind of show sold out for a reason. Each band has their own take on the wonderful genre of music we refer to as heavy metal, thus giving fans a chance to perhaps open new doors of opportunity with music they had yet to hear… Plus, the absence of a barricade meant anyone could just lose their shit if they wanted to.

Abnormality came up first with a brutal punch of straightforward death metal. What had everyone surprised, though, was how low the guttural vocals of their female singer, Mallika Sundaramurthy, could go. I think there are plenty of guys who wish they had pipes like that. Gender truly does not mean shit in extreme music as far as I can tell, and Abnormality proved that (I would like to add, if they read this: I won the circle pit competition you guys said you were doing in the set. I want a free shirt now.).

Power Trip brought an old school crossover thrash vibe to stage, which I am always down for. The Power Trip fans definitely made the energy for this show, though, as I don't think I could've felt the music as powerfully as I did without millions of young kids stage diving left and right each song. Although they have been a mainstay in underground metal for about 8 years or so, Power Trip are on a great rise and it's worth catching them before they blow up (which I would not be surprised if they did).

Now here came one of the two moments I was mostly here for: Pig Destroyer. I saw these guys play back in March at Music Hall of Williamsburg. It was one of the best shows I had ever seen. This time around was probably even better, in all honesty. Despite the shortened set, I could feel that the intimate setting played so much more into the intensity that the band is known for. The songs were on point; the crowd was going wild and the writer of this show review even caught a few moments of mic time during the set. Always love to do that when these guys roll through. Pig Destroyer are definitely a recommended band to see live, no matter what the rest of the bill is.

Pig Destroyer by Ken Geiger

I took a breather for a bit of the Black Dahlia Murder's set, but from what I saw it was as crazy as I expected it to be. These guys probably had the biggest fanbase of the night, and those who waited to see them definitely took in the moment. Almost anyone who went up onstage was greeted by the band's lead singer with a hug or selfie of some kind. Most musicians would hate that, but it's cool to see a band like Black Dahlia treat their fans with as much respect and dignity as when they first started out.

But everyone knew the big moment was to come after BDMs set was over. Now it was time for the all-powerful Napalm Death to grace us with their presence. Like Pig Destroyer, I saw Napalm Death a few months ago in a much larger venue. And, like Pig Destroyer this time around, Napalm Death were much better. Their set was filled with many more deep cuts, such as the amazing opening number of "Evolved as One" off of From Enslavement to Obliteration, to their big crowd-pleasers like "Scum" and "You Suffer." These guys have earned their place as elder statesmen for a reason with their sheer intensity and relentless work ethic, and that showed on Tuesday. A week after that crazy election, I needed a man like vocalist Barney Greenway to just come out and say, "Fuck that homophobic, bigoted, asshole [Mike Pence]," and play a song called "Nazi Trumps Fuck Off." God bless music for allowing more cathartic moments like this, yet again.

Napalm Death by Ken Geiger

Carcass, Deafheaven and Inter Arma @ the Stone Pony, 11/17/16

Home sweet home. I cannot believe that the Stone Pony actually booked Carcass. That was pretty crazy in and of itself. Whoever is booking shows like that has my respect now. So seeing as I was already going to be home for the weekend, I bought myself a ticket to witness one of the most influential bands in the whole metal genre of the past 30 years play 10 minutes away from my house.
Inter Arma was the first band to play this loaded bill. 2016 has truly been the year for these guys; considering their newest album, Paradise Gallows, has been met with critical acclaim and they now have the opportunity to open for Carcass. That opportunity was not squandered on their part. They tore it up with their great mix of technicality and slow-churning sludge riffs. Although repetition can be a turn-off for many, I felt like they played it to their advantage in songs. I guess now I have to hear the rest of this album to feel the true hype around them.

Deafheaven continued their tradition of overcoming adversity in their career on this Thursday night. The band is constantly being put through the ringer by those who make distinctions on what is "true" black metal and what is not. Although Deafheaven certainly do not follow the definition offered for "true" black metal, I do not think that was ever their goal to begin with. They do what they do well, and it showed Thursday night. Even when guitarist Kerry McCoy had major technical difficulties on guitar, the band managed to throw together a quick improvised jam to alleviate the situation so it would not be as awkward. Props to them.

Deafheaven by Ken Geiger

Carcass came on last and played with the pinpoint precision they are known for on record. Every guitar note, every drum fill and every shrill yell were hit perfectly. Considering this band is nearing 30 years of existence, that is extremely impressive. Many bands would wish to have that skill still (it just requires practice, people)! But along with that technical proficiency was the fun the band was having. It resonated well with the crowd. Guitarist Bill Steer (who also did his time in Napalm Death) looked like he was having a grand time, while the vocalist / bassist was cracking jokes about how they are now "old farts" in the scene and throwing in some Bon Jovi references throughout the night. It's great to see legends be as humble as these guys were. National acts need to be more like that, especially if they want to win over the very kind-spirited base of the Asbury Park music scene.

Carcass by Ken Geiger

The Dillinger Escape Plan, O'Brother, Car Bomb and Cult Leader @ The Paramount, 11/18/16

It is safe to say that I am a huge fan of The Dillinger Escape Plan. Seeing them once on their final tour was not going to cut it for me. Since they were playing in Philly the same night as the Napalm Death / Pig Destroyer show, my only other option was to drive up to Long Island and see them. The hellish traffic was a downer to have in the middle of the day, but would not be enough to dash away the hype around this show.

Coming up first was Cult Leader, who sounded like a whole different band than from what I saw last month at Webster. Their music was heavy, clear and translated well with the crowd. It's pretty clear now as to why they were invited for this whole tour.

Car Bomb were the new addition to this tour I had yet to see. Being dubbed as a band that loves Meshuggah by some audience members had me turned off at first, but I realized more into their set that this band was not so one dimensional. Traces of grindcore, noise, electronic music and even Dillinger could be heard in the mix as well. As much as the Meshuggah rip-off sound is an annoyance to me, Car Bomb earn my mark of approval.

O'Brother has received complaints from many for being slotted right before Dillinger, due to the contrast in sound. They are much more laid back and quiet than the monstrous headliner. I see that as a great calm before the storm, though. Their set was good despite some technical difficulties, and it gave the audience one last chance to hang onto their sense of safety before the featured event of the evening.

Sadly, the Paramount made Dillinger deal with a barricade. What a bummer. That could not stop the insanity, though. The band ripped through the same set as last time (albeit the addition of Dissociation cut "Low Feels Blvd."), and executed them with the same ferocity they did a month ago. Considering this was the second to last night of this huge US tour, it’s amazing any of them could even stand up by this point. What was even more surprising is the fact that singer Greg Puciato even managed to remember my face amongst the thousands he had seen over the last few months. That is either a sign that I did something right in my endless obsession for them, or I should be fearing my life (hopefully not the latter please, Greg!). The set ended appropriately, too, with guitarist Ben Weinman smashing his guitar into millions of pieces for the audience to catch and suffer awful splinters from (that is the one thing I thankfully did have to experience from the band).

The drive back from that night was long. It was certainly exhausting as well. But I can also tell you, it was worth it. When you have the drive for music, whether it is about seeing or playing it, distance should not be a factor. The Dillinger Escape Plan taught me that lesson that night. It's just one of the many lessons they have taught me with their music.

Who knows what the hell I would be like today without all the crazy show lessons? I never want to know.

Ken Geiger on the Swan Song of The Dillinger Escape Plan: A Review of Both Dissociation and the Band's Last-Ever NYC Show at Webster Hall on 10/15/16

Photo: Ken Geiger

Farewell
by Ken Geiger

The Dillinger Escape Plan, Dissociation, 2016

Saying goodbye is one of the hardest parts of this path called life that we walk with others. We think of all that could have been said, done, and appreciated more after all is said and done. That is initially how I felt upon receiving the news that The Dillinger Escape Plan were going to break up after this tour cycle. But after listening to their final offering, Dissociation, I realized I have no "if only" or "what if" statements about this band. They ended on their own terms, and my God did they end it perfectly.

Holding nothing back from the listener, Dissociation throws us right into the fire with the ferocious opening number "Limerent Death." With schizophrenic instrumentals being accompanied by the vocal gymnastics of frontman Greg Puciato, this song harkens back to the crazier days of the band's debut album, Calculating Infinity. While that is certainly refreshing for long time fans to hear (and for new listeners to be shocked by), this album is certainly no trip down memory lane for Dillinger.

Songs like "Low Feel Boulevard" and "Honeysuckle" throw in some great moments of jazz influence. Instrumental track "Fugue" is a total nod at IDM pioneers Aphex Twin and Squarepusher with its mind-boggling drum and bass basis. Then the title-track goes into territory the band has never dared to go before. Orchestral instrumentation anchors the track, as Greg Puciato mournfully sings "finding a way to die alone," which cannot help but evoke an emotional reaction out of any listener, especially a hardcore listener like myself. But I have to say by far my favorite track on the album is "Nothing to Forget." This is just a classic modern day Dillinger track. It is raging, technical and has some brilliant flashes of melody that even an outsider to the band's music can appreciate.
 
If you did not know this was an album review, you probably would have assumed that the first two sentences were for a eulogy I was writing for a lost family member or something along those lines. Knowing this is just a band to some, I naturally come off as being an oddball for talking about the end of a band in such emotional terms. But New Jersey's own The Dillinger Escape Plan is far more than "just a band" to me. Over the past seven years that I have known of this group's existence, they have found their way into my family life at home. My mom, who is in no way well-versed with any heavy or underground music at all, knows exactly who I am referring to when I start to talk about Dillinger. All five times I have seen them live, I have been accompanied by my father. Initially going as a labor of love (as he calls it), he now anticipates their shows. He even expressed feelings of sorrow to me when he heard the news the band was calling it a day.

Clearly, Dillinger cannot simply be "just a band" to me. This is a part of my own family I am discussing by this point. This is the hardest thing I have ever had to type out, but I did it because I want to let anyone reading this know: If you do not know about The Dillinger Escape Plan already or have not had the chance to catch them live, you must acquaint yourself and go. Listen to this album. To me, this is THE gold standard of a "swan song record." Do not miss out on the chance to be part of something that is truly moving.

Dissociation is out now via Party Smasher Inc. / Cooking Vinyl America.

Photo: Ken Geiger

That Which Webster Hall Could Not Handle

When I first arrived to the vicinity of Webster Hall at around noon on October 15th, I ran into a person that was all too familiar to me: Greg Puciato, singer of the Dillinger Escape Plan. I was amazed, considering I had never seen him offstage before, just hanging out. Of course, my natural impulse was to approach him and finally tell him how much his crazy vocals and stage antics over the years have meant to a fan like me. We ended up chatting for a couple minutes about a multitude of things: Eyehategod, his synth-driven side project the Black Queen, working out and of course all the countless Dillinger shows I had seen over the years. I finally mentioned the last time I saw them was in 2015 at Irving Plaza. Puciato quickly threw out the claim that the Irving Plaza show was his favorite New York City show he has ever done. He took a quick pause after saying that, though, before telling me, "I don’t know about that actually. Let's see how tonight goes." That was the sole indication I needed to realize that The Dillinger Escape Plan were holding nothing back for their final NYC show.
 
The evening started out with experimental rock outfit Bent Knee. They managed to combine great piano melodies and harmonious female lead vocals with intricate rhythm sections and some of the darker chord progressions of heavy metal music. Out of the 3 opening acts of the night, they grabbed my attention the most. I would say they are fairly accessible to both fans of Dillinger as well as more indie rock audiences.

I ended up missing a good amount of the Cult Leader set, so I have no input on how they were. But O'Brother managed to rile up some momentum for me with their own unique twist on post-metal. While most of the genre where they reside relies on the power of spaced out riffs and powerful drumming, these guys managed to find spaces where fast-paced, busy drumming and prog-rock guitar could fit perfectly within your typical post-metal structure. Another band I am going to have look into for the future.

But, of course, my mind had been on one thing the entire time: seeing what kind of craziness The Dillinger Escape Plan would bring to the table. How would the crowd be for this? Needless to say, I think that Puciato may need to change his opinion on what NYC show is his favorite now.

From the opening drum fill of "Limerent Death" to open the show, right up to the ending crowd rush to "43% Burnt" to close things out, the band brought an otherworldly intensity that I had not seen before that night. Guitarists Ben Weinman and Kevin Antreassian managed to perfectly play the songs while crowd surfing, swinging their instruments around their necks and anything else you can possibly conceive as entertaining. The rhythm section of Billy Rymer and Liam Wilson is always reliable in keeping the songs moving forward and anchored down, even if half the audience may bum rush the stage.

Then, of course, there's Puciato. He is more than just your average frontman. He is probably the most insane stage performer in the music industry today. He sings, he crowd surfs, he wrestles around with fans and he does some of the most insane leaps of faith that no other rational human being would probably attempt. This show might have seen the most impressive of those leaps, though, as he jumped off the second story of the Webster Hall grand ballroom and into the crowd during the tail-end of the main set closer, "Prancer." Anyone who has seen that room before is definitely picturing the insanity of living from such a feat. But, somehow, Puciato managed to pull it off and then brush it off as no big deal. Of course, I am a little biased as Puciato let me add a few yells throughout the show on the mic. That I always love.

Photo: Ken Geiger

So I don't know what else I can really say beyond, this had to have been not only the best time I have seen The Dillinger Escape Plan play live, but also one of the greatest shows I have ever attended. The amount of energy the band produce onstage is infectious. It has only been a few days now since the show, but I long for November to come already; so I can go to Long Island and catch them again. At the same time, I don't want time to move because that means we only come closer to the end of Dillinger. This show was just one of those times where you wish you could be in the moment for an eternity.