Report

Whitechapel Headlined Day 2 of Texas Independence Fest

Deathcore was the chosen style of music for day two of Texas Independence Fest in Austin, Texas. Whitechapel headlined and Oceano and Boris The Blade were two of the bands providing support. All those bands played the main stage, the Garage Stage. Before getting into this this stage, I would like to look at some of the small stage, Control Room Stage. Metalcore seems to be alive and well in Temple, Texas, a town located an hour north of Austin. Insonomist out of Temple played yesterday’s show and In The Trench played today. Vocalist Steven Harding’s refrain was infectious and the band got the small crowd in motion.

Terror Universal is best known for its recent tour with Otep. Otep dropped off their tour with Terror Universal due to Otep Shamaya claiming the band’s front man, Chad Armstrong sexually assaulted her. Consequently, Armstrong was let go by the band and the group debuted its new singer right here on this day at the Texas Independence Fest. The group’s new singer did a fine job. His vocal approach is akin to Corey Taylor. The band’s nu metal sound was ok, but their masks made for a visually stunning performance, especially the lead singer who wore a face that had been dissected and reassembled. These masks were part of the band’s horror show, which was also related in their lyrics.

Reaping Asmodeia headlined the side stage. The Minneapolis band played a much more technical form of deathcore than the other bands of the day. Their notes were mathematically inclined, constantly changing up their rhythms. These parts could seem to not hold my interest, but their breakdowns helped reign in all the technical aspects. It is aggressive yet intelligent at the same time. Although the band is unsigned, they play like pros and presented their music in a professional manner with stage backdrops.

Boris the Blade describes their music as violent, ruthless Melbourne Death. This is an apt description for these Aussies as they played material from their “The Human Hive” LP. Their form of deathcore bludgeons the crowd with hard breakdowns and breakneck speed. The band’s vocalist Daniel Sharp was at the center of this “violent, ruthless” form of death metal. Tattooed seemingly from head to toe, he was an absolute maniac climbing speakers on the stage, getting in the crowd’s face and pushing the outer fringes of the pit to get it going. The pit was warming for Whitechapel.

Another front man who came out to challenge the crowd around the pit was Brian Werner of Vital Remains. The satanic front man had been away from the group for a while due to having fallen off the stage in Chile and breaking his ribs. He was back tonight and in full on obscene mode. He brought out a bible before one song, tore out the pages and threw them into the crowd. Nobody was upset over this like the club owner in Orlando who Werner called out for hanging a cross on her stage. The band played a furious set of songs from their last couple of albums “Icons of Evil” and “Dechristianize,” the later title track serving as their end point. Werner said no matter where the band goes they always get the question of when are they going to release a new album. He said it will be soon and the band played a blazing fast new song.

The night ended with two of the most popular deathcore bands in the scene taking the stage, Oceano and Whitechapel. Both bands played material from their latest recordings as well as past records. Oceano came in supporting their “Ascendents” album which thematically deals with extra terrestrial life. Whitechapel, one of the groups recently announced for Mayhem Fest, was in support of their “Our Endless War,” which has political overtones. Both groups gargled guttural throat emissions and produced crushing breakdowns that resulted in brutal pits.

Breakdown after breakdown became tiresome throughout the day, but I couldn’t deny the energy produced by this musical technique. These groups brought in a young crowd I wasn’t use to. Tomorrow’s bands, Cavalera Conspiracy, Corrosion of Conformity and Death Angel promised an older crowd to watch bands that weren’t so breakdown heavy.