2-12-05 at Ash Street Saloon in Portland, OR
Almost Milwaukie, Harm Family, Last Second Left, Devour
By Robin Steeley
Tonight is the newly formed Local Entertainment Alliance showcase at the Ash Street Saloon. The crowd is packing in and it looks like a full house will be had before the end of the night. I arrived late and was told I missed a great set by locals Almost Milwaukee, who are a dark, moody female fronted rock band that by all appearances really set the mood for the night.
Next band on stage is Last Second Left, and I have to tell you that after reviewing their recent recording, 00:00:01 I had high expectations upon hearing this band and I definitely wasn’t disappointed, this band is brutally heavy with solid chunks of metal and a grave dose of death. Performing they really work together as a unit and its all too obvious how intense they are about their music. Belting out tune after tune of unrelenting hardcore, two of my favorites were “Rotting” and the riff dense “Thieves” with its gut wrenching vocals and meaty percussion, backed by some evil guitar work and thick sludgy bass. I would have to say that overall, it was a very strong performance and I look forward to seeing what this band can do in the future.
Harm Family is up next and never having heard them before I wasn’t sure what to expect but I can tell you with utter certainty that I was blown away from the first crushing note. This band is no bullshit, ball-dropping metal. Really highlighting the music is the vocalist who has a solid grasp on the vocals and an interesting range, a throaty whisky drenched sound that is heavily punctuated by the driving force of the ferocious percussion and excellent timing. Guitar and bass are also excellently delivered and an easy compliment to the rest of the band. One of the things that really hooked me was their dynamic drops and changes and the heavy thudding breakdowns that made me want to jump in the pit and tear something up. I have to say I have become a little jaded watching bands almost every night of the week but this band has the potential to do great things, I am convinced of this after hearing the astonishing news that this is only their SECOND SHOW. Look out for Harm Family; I have a feeling they are going to work their way into a strong presence in the Northwest music scene.
Closing out the night is none other then the mighty Devour, a straightforward death metal outfit that judging by their performance has been taking victims from the stage for a long time. The vocals are screaming, raw, tirades of abuse that must take some serious lung capacity to handle. I was only able to catch the first few songs of their set since my crazy friend accidentally took to much cough medicine and was walking around looking like she had been riding the H train all night. Needless to say, it was time for me to go, but I hated to see the night end after so much talent. I would have to say that the first LEA showcase event was a huge success.
