The Relapse Records Contamination Fest, Take 2
Rating: 5 Skulls
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The Relapse Records Contamination Fest, Take 2
Rating: 5 Skulls |
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Reviewed by Metal Militia (5/15/03, Downtime, NYC):
Dysrhythmia
Photos by Lenny LaPollaRelapse has proven to be one of the best labels around. The label roster is bursting at the seems with cutting edge bands from a diverse array of genres. From the smoke filled dirges of Bongzilla to the spastic hyper grind of Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Relapse has some of the top bands from every genre and the Contamination Fest was the perfect sampling of the talent Relapse holds within its ranks. Dysrhythmia and Uphill Battle represent the plethora of young and developing groups on label, while Cephalic Carnage and Mastodon are more established and recognized names in the world of extreme music and all four bands played amazing sets that set the stage perfectly for the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.
MastodonDysrhythmia opened the show and set the standard for all acts to follow. Their high energy brand of technical prog rock is at once frantic, energetic, and tight and controlled and it is simply inspiring to witness live. Playing one new song and tracks from their new album Pretest Dysrhythmia are due. Although I had hoped they would play some material from No Interference, the new material sounds great and is definitely on my list of albums to acquire.
Cephalic CarnageUphill Battle were up next and were the only band that I had not seen live before. Their self titled debut has been one of my favorite releases so I was expecting a lot from these Southern California kids and the delivered. Their sick brand of metalcore was on point and potent. Vicious breakdowns and shrieking vocals permeated their set which included the tracks "The Stench is Spreading," "Ripped Off Face," "Forked Tongue" and several others songs off of their debut. However the new track they played was the most impressive song of the night, stop on a dime instrumental passages and deadly breakdowns abound, this is a new record that will contend with the best of the metalcore genre.
Uphill BattleAfter Uphill Battle's blistering set, Hydro-grinders Cephalic Carnage were next. With their over the top compositions and marijuana induced song themes they played right up to par with the rest of the bands of the night. Their set included "Pseudo," "Lucid Interval," "Observer to the Obliteration of Planet Earth" and ended with the amazing "Black Metal Sabbath" where they put on their Kiss masks and spiked gauntlets and just destroyed the entire venue. Cephalic always put on a killer show and tonight was no exception.
Cephalic Carnage - We love metal!Topping off the perfect night was Mastodon, finishing off their first ever headlining tour and proving why they were the headliners. Their heavy brand of death-rock has taken the world of extreme music by storm and is changing the very face of the metal scene as it is known today. In a night when drumming was a strong point of all bands involved, Brann Dailor shined. While their set was basically the same as the other times I've seen them, it hasnit lost any of its potency. A crushing performance and an amazing show.
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