Led To The Grave / Forced Asphyxiation / Nothing But Enemies / Jumper
The Workshop, Quincy, MA 10/11/14
The Workshop is no more but I still have this show, and one more to review. Unfortunately, as it is with all underground show places they have a shorter life expectancy than most clubs. Which is too bad because they tend to be better than most clubs and provide an outlet for folks under twenty-one who have a very limited amount of shows they can attend.
The good news is The Wreck Center is still going strong, some place just sprung up in Dover, New Hampshire and the seeds are planted, so to speak, for other places to arise.
But this place I’ll miss, (I was there at the final show when they closed it down), it was twenty minutes from my house, not too cramped, seemed more like a party than a club experience and had some really good and interesting bills.
But now we return to the present- a show that pits two punk bands against two metal bands in a fight to the finish! Meaning they play their sets and then finish and go home.
Jumper representing the more resplendent genre “punk” is the first to enter the ring. They are a three piece playing pop/punk and I notice the bassist is a guy I’ve always seen in the pit at shows, especially ones that Neighborhood Shit’s played.
It’s always neat to see someone I’ve only known as a fan, to suddenly see them playing in a band. It’s like when I first saw Alex, the bassist in Neighborhood Shit, recognizing him as someone I saw at many Midway shows.
Jumper is more than your typical pop/punk band throwing some slower songs in there as well and have a bit more grit than some of the too polished bands of this genre can tend to be.
Their bassist is named Danny, his girlfriend is the tiny and delightful Kendra (she works with some of the OC45 boys but don’t hold that against her), their CD has been reviewed by us since this show and their passionate, fun set sets the night off right.
Nothing But Enemies is next. That’s their nice name. If you’re aware of their naughty name, Slimy Cunts and The Fist Fucks, then there’s no question what genre these guys choose.
This band is led by Opie, Boston’s answer to Sid Vicious, and he’s wild and unpredictable as a punk front man should be.
This is not hardcore. This is not any new, fan-dangled crossover metal/ punk/ gypsy music fusion. This is pure, uncut punk. More like from Sex Pistols days and a little crazy like from G.G, Allin days.
Nothing too crazy happens during their set, just a lot of good traditional punk songs which is more than fine with me and the metal team will have their work cut out for them if they’re gonna win this battle.
Forced Asphyxiation is up first to represent the demon worshiping metal side. They describe themselves as death metal with a grind edge. Their vocals are definitely death metal like many metal bands today.
I’ve seen them before and though I knew they were talented and highly regarded in the metal scene, I’ve always found them too progressive for my tastes. Tonight, though, I’m understanding them much better. Perhaps they’re playing in a more streamlined manner because of the gig but for whatever reason I dig them.
They turn in a loud, powerful brutal set and I look forward to seeing them again.
Now, the smoke is rising, the moshers are hitting harder, the crowd gets a little wild and Led To The Grave take the stage.
People are headbanging, thrashing- it’s like we’re in the eye of a volcano. Oh, Steve the Volcano is here, with his dog.
The band plays death thrash and are one of our favorite metal bands on our site. The songs are energetic with death vocals and occasionally spiraling duel guitar lines emerge venturing towards more progressive musical planes.
The harmonic unison guitars crash headlong into the thrashing rhythms as bottles topple off of tables and people eyes roll into the backs of their heads as they head-bang like they’re in a voodoo trance. A girl comes out of the crowd with her finger cut on glass and is given a band-aid.
I want to give the win to the punk side, the Godly side, but I feel Led To The Grave played the best set- so let’s just call it a tie.
The lights come on, the smoke still rises, empty beer bottles roll across the floor, the people shuffle out, rolling out the doors, past the extinguished cigarettes, the spent blunts, the empty Jameson pints- out into the cool October night.
(Slimedog)
