By By Shaun R. Killroy
There is a heavy metal show in existence that far surpasses Megadeth, Opeth, System of a Down, Metallica, or even the once great Pantera. There is a band that puts so much energy into their live show and even more passion into the writing of their music, they leave the audience spellbound after the conclusion of their set. That band is Unearth and that heavy metal show took place on Nov. 17 at the Ritual Club in Levittown. The show, headlined by the band Unearth, also featured the bands Nora, Anterrabae and E-Town Concrete.
The evening began with a more than worthy performance by the opening act, Nora. This band is well known within the hardcore/metal scene and they quickly made it obvious why. The band’s combination of stingingly straightforward lyrics and raw, unadulterated breakdowns was more than enough to loosen some hoodies and commence the audience’s participation in the show.
Nora was followed by an up-and-coming band, Anterrabae, who shows a healthy amount of potential. Lending themselves toward the metal side of hardcore and vice-versa, this band has found a melodic and technical combination in sound that gives them definite worth in checking out on Myspace or Purevolume. Unfortunately for the show, E-Town Concrete happened to be one of the bands playing. The highlight of the band’s half-hour rap-core set was a funny T-shirt worn by the lead vocalist, and the only saving grace given to their performance was the fact that its awfulness was anticipated by 99 percent of the audience. The remaining one percent was comprised of parents chaperoning their children.
Finally, after hours of waiting, Unearth took the stage at approximately 9:15. Opening after an introductory track with the first song off their latest release, The Oncoming Storm-“The Great Dividers,” the band played a 45-minute set that featured an impressive array of musical precision and variety.
This kind of acclaim comes to no surprise from anyone who has seen the band play. In the six years they have been together, Unearth has not only formed a unique sound themselves, but they have also developed a reputation for an extravagant and impressive stage show within the hardcore/metal community. Marked by an endless display of adrenaline, a direct connection with members of the audience and a technical prowess that can be matched only by progressive bands such as Theater, the band is able to provide something freshly unique among it’s genre and induce pits that are reminiscent of Dillinger Escape Plan shows.
The Massachusetts band feels as though they have evolved and matured over the six years they have been together. The band’s bassist, John “Slo” Maggard commented on this evolution, “I think the way we write is structurally more of a complete thought. It doesn’t seem like we’re just kids throwing riffs together anymore.”
He also feels the Boston, Mass. scene was good for the band. “A lot of the bands help each other out, I think there’s a friendly competition between the bands writing their music,” he said.
The band’s latest CD, The Oncoming Storm, was released on Metal Blade records in June of 2004 and has since sold more than 100,000 copies, which is nearing a significant enough number to garner interest from major record labels. But the band is not interested in any offers at this point, says Maggard.
“The label we’re on, Metal Blade, they made that record sell that much. They stuck with it and promoted it to the fullest,” he said. “That’s a good type of relationship.” The band will be taking a break from touring in December to record their third full length album. When asked what to expect on the new album, Slo replied, “Who knows what’s going to come out. We’ve got a few songs right now; I’m feeling really good about them. I think that it’s going to be a heavier record than The Oncoming Storm, but I think it’s going to be a more inventive record at the same time. It’s still going to be Unearth, we’re not planning on going in a crazy different direction and throwing people in a curve. That would be discouraging.”