Report

Ghoul Stole The Show...And A Few Bodies

Red 7 held the concert in their outside stage, which due to the previous days storms, we were wondering if we would be rained out. As if the gods were fans of this tour, there was no raining on September 20. However, the rain did leave a muggy residue that was heated even further by packed crowd. Being on a Saturday certainly helped nudge area metal heads to get downtown, as did the lineup itself. Ghoul probably brought in the most fans, as evidenced by all the Municipal Waste and other crossover shirts and hats. Skeletonwitch shirts were also in abundance. Black Anvil was a nice complement to Ghoul and Skeletonwitch.

Locals, Sore put the night in motion. Their sludgy sounds added another distinct flavor to the three tour bands who possessed unique styles in their own rights. Fronted by ex-The Roller vocalist Mike Morowitz, Sore’s sound was akin to tearing away a sore from one’s flesh. It was abrasive and loud and divergent in tempo. Stomping doomy grooves saw bodies beginning to warm up. Faster grind seemed too caustic and it was too early in the evening to start a pit. But people took notice.

The crowd’s participation stepped up a level during Black Anvil. More heads move in unison to quick drum beats and the band’s aggression started small pits. There were still a lot of people standing around up front, but the crowd was definitely taking to the songs this New York black metal group had to offer from their recent opus “Hail Death.” While not a theatrical band in the since of Ghoul, the band used some stage props as evidenced by singer/bassist Paul Delaney. He wore a black leather vest with NYBM painted on the back. He was doused in blood—I’m not certain of its genuinely—and wore a necklace of bones. The band’s energy, especially during grooves—was noticeable and they’re diversity of sound heard in clean vocals, guitar harmonies or raging speed kept the band dynamic. Some scene critics believe they are a hipster band. I think they play with passion (read my review of “Hail Death.”)

I was really surprised I was able to work my way to the front to catch Ghoul’s act. Once they got started, fans pushed in all around me. They sought a piece of the front to catch fake blood or to jump on stage for a dive. I had heard Ghoul was similar to Gwar and the Creepsylvanian tourist who walked out to begin their set showed me how close they are. This tourist had a bulging belly, which I knew was that way so his guts could be spilled on the crowd. And sure enough, a steady stream of fake blood spilled on me and the first three or so rows of the crowd. Other characters became part of the parade—a Nazi skeleton cop pumped a huge vat of “mase.” A voodoo doctor sprayed the crowd with an animal carcass. A biker, a robot, a massive ape-like creation and other large, homemade characters stalked the stage. The hooded group made jokes in foreign accents and fought with the characters. One fan even took a blow from the Killbot's massive fists. They played a set of macabre grinding thrash metal from throughout their career that included “Maniaxe,” “Spill Your Guts, “Graveyard Mosh/Ghoul,” “Gutbucket Blues,” “Your Casket Closes” and “Destructor.”

After Ghoul’s set, I grabbed Paul Delaney and headed out in the ally to find a quiet space for an interview. I could hear Skeletonwitch play, but wasn’t able to make out the crowd. I felt that they had a tough act to follow after Ghoul. When I stepped back into the venue, I noticed there a step down in energy. Nobody had left the building and their were pits and banging heads, but there was definitely less energy. The Ohio band seemed very tight and their black thrash/melodeath/ attack was catchy. They were on their game, for sure, and there were many fans who came specifically to see Skeletonwitch, but I feel Ghoul should have ended the night. It’s kind of confusing in that Ghoul is still an opening band. While the night belonged to Ghoul, I would come out to support Black Anvil and Skeletonwitch by their selves.