April has been quite the month for metal at the Granada. We Came as Romans, the Metal Alliance Tour, and the Decibel Magazine Tour all delivered their quota of shredding riffs, vocals from the gut, and most certainly a breakdown or two. All good things must come to an end though, as the April metal season comes to a close tomorrow night; the good news is, however, that All Shall Perish, The Contortionist, and Fleshgod Apocalypse are seeing the series to a close.
For those not in the know, All Shall Perish is a deathcore perennial, having been active since their 2002 signing with Nuclear Blast Records. If you don’t understand the difference between regular metal and anything with the suffix “-core” on the end, then take a detour to this link and get educated.
Why? Because knowing is half the battle.
ASP’s 2011 release, This is Where it Ends, topped numerous polls for the best metal album of 2011 when MetalSucks surveyed some other musicians on the international scene. If the whole world believing in you isn’t credibility, then I don’t know what is.
The supporting acts for this show are nothing to balk at either. One can never forget two things about metal shows: 1) they will always be far too loud for modest consumption and 2) there are always more bands on the bill. The “other bands” in this case are Italy’s Fleshgod Apocalypse and Indianapolis’s own The Contortionist.
If All Shall Perish is Budweiser, then Fleshgod Apocalypse is Stella Artois—they’re both lagers, but one is simply classier than the other. In that regard, Fleshgod dwells on a whole different level. Symphonic arrangements lead into blistering shredding and music that is, in the simplest terms possible, totally epic. Their sound is distinctly different from the rest of the bands which share this bill, which lends some enrichment to the whole experience of seeing a metal show. Repetitive metal shows are no fun. Why not get some operatic theatrics, too?
By the way, remember how We Came as Romans came as Romans earlier this month? They’ve officially been trumped. Fleshgod is actually from Rome, and that’s another goal for the Azzuri.
Finally, The Contortionist rounds out this motley line-up with a bit of progressive metal. The Indiana natives are probably not the most well-known group on this bill, but that doesn’t stop them from offering a hefty dose of thoughtful, carefully crafted progressive songwriting. Think of it as a break from the brutality. It’s bob, not bang, your head music.
Follow this link to watch some footage of their live show for this tour.
See April off right. Though May 18 is the Origin show, three weeks at the Granada without metal doesn’t make the house feel like a home. Thus, make it a mosh-pit Monday and take a gander at some of this metal crashing into our stage.
All Shall Perish, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Carnifex, The Contortionist and Renouncer perform at the Granada Tuesday, April 23. Doors open at 6:00pm. This is an all ages show.
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