Sounds of the Underground Qwest Center in Seattle, Washington
By Robin Steeley
After finding Qwest Center, we got inside just in time to almost miss Devil Driver! They were already on stage and although we missed shooting pictures the first three songs, we were able to catch the rest of their set and it was absolutely brutal. Devil Driver has become one of my favorite new metal bands over the past year and their second album is amazing. With their set moving along the crowd is starting to vibrate and finally get up off the floor. You can tell Dez Farfara is nearly worshipped as he incites a vicious circle pit in the crowd. Devil Driver is impeccable musically and the sound is sheer rare brutality.
After wandering around and checking out the inside of the venue we caught A Life Once Lost, who are a guttural and fast tempoed hardcore metal blend. Overall I think some of their sound is lost in this huge venue but I assume as more people arrive that it will get better as the room fills.
All That Remains is sick, it’s amazing how tight they are even though they are minus their regular bass player. “Tattooed Remains” has some incredible breakdowns mixed with gut wrenching screams and monumental percussion. This is a band I have never seen before and will definitely check out again.
Next band we caught was the mighty Terror, a band that shot out of the underground like a cannon ball, they are so loud and insane it’s almost painful to hear. They have a huge energy and presence, and maintain a steady connection with the fans, even throwing the mic in the crowd so they can sing along. I like that their music has a positive bent even though it’s delivered through angry sounds.
Strapping Young Lad was not what I expected of them, this being my first time catching them live. Devin Townsend is a maniac, literally, insulting the crowd and offering free t-shirts to anyone that will touch his wiener. Devil Driver’s bass player sits in for Byron during their set since he is on tour with Exciter. Townsend is insane, undeniably, he throws the music out like a sonic assault but he looks like a complete freak doing it, which is, I’m sure, the desired effect. Devin ended the set with the unlikely saying “We fucking love you, now suck a turd to a point and stab yourself with it!”
Throwdown is up next and they are a crushing example of true metal core. The cruel raw breakdowns finally got this mediocre crowd moving again, as it seemed like half the entire crowd was waiting across the venue in lines to meet the bands at their merch booths. Every Time I Die is so fast it’s almost hard to see and hear what’s going on, they are just a super powerful energetic force. The guitar riffs are amazing and the band is a tight unit. Never missing a beat, raw ferocity from the very first note to the last they never let up through the whole set.
I think by the time Norma Jean came on I was just numb. So many bands, in such a short amount of time, in one room is just crazy. Excellent music but after awhile it all starts to blend together. Norma Jean is technically perfect and definitely delivers.
Next band is the mighty GWAR, and I have to say I was a Gwar Virgin, and when I saw the security guys coming out in RAINCOATS I started to freak out. Grabbing the plastic off the top of a water case, I covered my camera as best I could and got ready for the onslaught. The band is a spectacle that will sicken and amaze you complete with bloody nakedness, rotten penises, and blood spraying everywhere from the headless George Bush, soaking the crowd who were eating it up like candy. I crawled under the stage at one point, but I have to say no matter what it was hilarious, tremendously exciting, grindcore retch metal at its best. Funny thing was,
I expected the music to really suffer in the wake of all the theatrics and gore, and I expected to hate it, but in the end, it was a great experience, music and all.
Unearth is next, and one of the bands that has become a personal favorite recently. They played songs off their latest release and the crowd sings along although it was apparent that people were wearing out after all day walking around on the cement of the Qwest center, and with most of the crowd still stained and bloody from Gwar. The bands timing and dynamics stand out in a line up that is all very genre similar. Their album “The Oncoming Storm” is as good as the band is live. My surprise band of the day is Poison The Well. I love the various elements that make up their sound.
Chimaira is the highlight of my day! A violent explosion of spewing metal, I love their crushingly heavy breakdowns and the dynamics in the music. I love the drops and slow parts as much as I love the raw edgy heaviness. This band is the real reason I traveled all the way to Seattle for a show.
The unlikely group today is Clutch, although they are the type of band that can fit in with any genre. They bring a lower key, groovy, funk laden style to the table that had people lighting up and dancing, a swift change from the circle pits of the day. They brought the energy in the room up a huge notch, the change was almost palpable.
I nearly missed Opeth because I was in the bathroom trying to violently scrub the remnants of Gwar off my face and arms, but I made sure to catch part of their dark, epic, and moody set. They rocked the crowd and were a good band to support headliners, Lamb Of God, who always tear it up, a fit ending to a long day. They are always amazing and never disappoint, putting on an intense display of power.
Overall, it was a long day with crappy expensive food, and $3 water, but the music made it all worth it, with a line up to rival any summer festival.
