Gig review: Thou, Resurrectionists, Grinding Halt

This review comes extremely late due to various reasons. I've been taking some time to enjoy life a bit before some upcoming problems and also I waited quite a bit to recollect my thoughts about the gig appropriately, since it left a really magnificent impression on me. Additionally, it has been hellishly warm in Serbia these days and I can barely think straight, let alone find myself in an inspiring or creative mood, so this will probably be shortish.

The show seems to have happened ages ago, when it was in fact only ten days ago. On 13 June 2012 the venue called "Emo-Keller", translated to "emo cellar", hosted these three amazing bands. Not only was I extremely excited about seeing the live manifestations of these projects, but this was also my first time in Germany which increased the thrill that much further. After an hour or so train ride from the Netherlands, my companion and I arrived to the town of Essen. We took our time walking through the city, finally arriving to the venue which is located in a really nice and secluded location surrounded by other buildings and greenery. The very name of the place very well justifies the interior, since the venue is in fact a cellar. Once you step into the building, stairs await you on the right and they take you down to the gig space. A rather small, tight cellar with walls filled with writings, posters and stickers, one tiny bar and toilets. The lighting was quite nice, since it was really bright during breaks which was excellent for browsing distros and rather dim when the bands were playing, making a great atmosphere. No matter how the interior seems plain and minimalist, it provides everything you need for a diy show, including a great sound and enough room for everyone who attended. The funny thing is that although this is probably the smallest venue I have attended thus far it was packed with an insanely high amount of merch and distros. 

First in line was a local German band, the well known chaotic screamo project named "Resurrectionists". After a number of releases, some including splits with bands such as "Arse Moreira" and "Battle Of Wolf 359" to name a few, I am sure that everyone has heard of this act thus far. Even this blog has seen its share of mentioning their name in the form of an interview back in December 2011, which you can read here. In any case, their performance managed to live up to the awesomeness of their recordings and it was a true enjoyment witnessing them play, despite the band lacking one guitar player and one vocalist. All that aggression, speed and overall massiveness of their sound was transferred to "Emo-Keller" that night, being increased even further and coming out as a real chaotic beast. Their set was a true beating to the senses, flinging between being extremely dark and melancholic to brutally fast and pounding, making you feel surprised and unaware of upcoming tunes even if you know their songs all too well. Some of the songs which were played that night include "Schein Und Lüge", "In Der Stille", "Necropolis" and "451". I am looking forward to seeing them play on "Cry Me A River" warm-up and the actual festival, since I wonder how they will sound in a different venue. Although the show space in Essen fully supported their sound, there seemed to be a certain aspect of music you couldn't really discover and delve into amid the chaos, so I'm quite excited about future shows. And of course, seeing them with a full line-up. Nevertheless, this performance was quite intriguing.

A small break ensued which we used for digging through the distros, but soon enough it was time for the second act. "Grinding Halt" was up next and there is really nothing else to say other than the fact that they were simply breathtaking. This was their second show I was attending in a rather short time span, first one being in Arnhem and about which you can read here, and I honestly thought that there was no way that they could top that performance. They managed to do just that in Essen, pushing the scale of my liking for their music way up high. Although their recordings are amazing to listen to, their live performances seem to beat everything. The pissed off and rushing hardcore at home turns into a gigantic savage monstrosity of chaos and aggressive passion during shows. Their transformation is so thorough that the two can hardly be compared, which is by no means a flaw. Much like in my review of their previous show, it is quite hard to describe the amount of energy they amass during a particular set. Standing there in the front row and being soaked with those emotional waves created by the band, especially hailing from Mark who is continuously moving and throwing himself around the stage and into the audience, is something not for writing and is just needed to be experienced live. Much like "Resurrectionists", "Grinding Halt" will play on "Cry Me A River" and I am absolutely thrilled to see them for the third time, feeling quite honored to do so. Something tells me that this band still has a few aces up its sleeve and that they will provide an outstanding performance on the festival, which will definitely be the climax of my infatuation for their music. Absolutely no one should miss out on this!

Yet another break and then it was time for the guests from the USA to play. What to say about "Thou" that people already don't know? Simply put, Baton Rouge, Louisiana succeeded in giving birth to one of the most hardworking bands out there, the quintet continuously touring, doing shows and creating scores of astounding releases every year. After a truly impressive number of performances and a really admirable discography, there they were in front of me in Essen. Although I wasn't introduced to their sound from their very beginnings, my love for their work lingers and grows for a couple of years now and it was unbelievably exciting for me to finally get to see them live. From the very first moment when guitars started to buzz, screech and scream through the venue it became apparent that a true spectacle will transpire for the audience. This is probably the first band I ever saw that managed to set up a certain type of mood the very second it started to play. There was no introduction, no musical buildup to drag the crowd into the band's story, just an instant incantation entrancing the listener. I always considered "Thou" to have a completely unique sound which no other band has, but I never expected that they will be able to transfer that energy so fast and so strong. All that gloom, depression and dread found in their recordings was detonated in the venue, the senses left drenched in ultimately melancholic and atmospheric sludge...or doom or however people like to call it. For example, "Tyrant" completely blew my mind away, since the song was executed perfectly, but the sound and experience was increased a thousandfold with each song section shining under the spotlight. The atmospheric instances were eerie, the melodic parts extremely driving and the crescendo moments just came falling down like a ton of bricks. I could go on and on with describing what kind of an impression was left on me with their performance per song, but my review would end up being a true praise fest. Thus I will stop here, saying that this is definitely the band that gets the highest of marks in regards to making their set into a real work of art. Slowly, but surely, crawling into my top favorite concerts.
This review doesn't seem to need a special outro, seeing as how its length and description of sounds give a really full and complete circle. The only thing needed as closure is a definite plea to all readers to check these bands out, if you haven't done so already, and be on a lookout for future shows. Hope you enjoyed the read.
Additionally, I would like to thank both Bryan and Lars for being involved and concerned about where my girlfriend and me would spend the night, as well as all those wonderful German people who offered their help. And of course, thanks a lot to Christian and his roommates for providing us with an awesome place to stay.