March 21, 2013 • Kobo Live, Columbus, Ohio
I actually bought a ticket to this show basically on a whim when I saw it come up in my email, thinking that even though it's two bands that I'd never heard of at least it would be interesting to go to. Only an hour or so before I left did I even notice VYGR was going to be on the bill, a band I've been a mild fan of for years and whose debut EP is a long-standing favorite. Anyway, Kobo was a new venue for me—it's essentially a tiny bar, one that definitely wasn't built with having a stage in mind, it seems; though I suppose that since the crowd was so small (no more than forty people in the building at once, it felt like) it worked out okay. And it was definitely one of the better shows I've been to.
Meadowhoof
These guys are a newish, very obscure local band playing intricate, sludgy doom metal. One guitarist, one drummer, one vocalist, and they weren't bad. The guitar used an octavizer and consequently had a huge and heavy sound, which was neat, and the riffs and drums got nicely groovy. A good sound, but the vocalist left a bit to be desired (most of the time he just stood there, and I didn't care much for his screams).
• Most Out-of-Place Blastbeat Section Award
VYGR
It was no surprise to me that VYGR played the best show of the night; helping immensely was that they closed off their set with my favorite song of theirs, "Surfacing", from their debut EP. I wasn't a huge fan of their full-length album but maybe they're just a lot better live than in the studio (or the tracks off their new split are just that good). Heavy as heck, great atmosphere, etc.; it was too bad that they seemed a bit under-appreciated by the audience (who was presumably mostly there for the headliner).
• Best Mutton Chops Award
Black Table
These guys were also better than I had hoped. I sampled their EP over the last couple of weeks and had liked it—a very technical and complex sort of proggy-black metal—though they're even better live. Watching them play was a real treat; the main guitarist, bassist, and drummer are all incredibly talented and it's always interesting to see people play challenging material like that. I can't say as much for the vocalist/guitarist; her vocals weren't great on the EP and weren't much better live. Points for effort, though. Still, a highly entertaining and satisfying set.
• Best Bass Fingertapping Award, Like Seriously, That Was Awesome
Vattnet Viskar
Come to think of it, the majority of punk and metal shows I go to turn out that I really enjoy one or two of the supporting acts and the headliner is just okay. Vattnet Viskar was good, don't get me wrong, just not quite as good as the two that came before them. Stripped-down, raw black metal, a wall of constant noisy tremolo riffs and blasting, broken occasionally by some doomier sections. Honestly it's pretty typical material, but they did perform quite well and I warmed up to them, especially the somewhat cathartic end of the set.
• Most Honest Use of Vocal Reverb Award*
*"to mask my shittiness" (not a direct quote)
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