You know what I love about going to local shows? I love the vibe you get from the room when every band that hits that stage absolutely kills it in the little time they have. This to me is one of the main reasons that I love being apart of the underground metal scene here in Southern Alberta, Canada. Just recently I had the pleasure of booking and working sound for four amazing bands, Crimson Caliber, Bring Us You Dead, Assimilation, and For A Life Unburdened. Now for those of you that don’t know any of these bands let me tell you a bit about their sets. Crimson Caliber is this fresh new Thrash band from Medicine Hat, Alberta that just debuted this past February after releasing their debut EP “Red Dawn Rising”. When they hit the stage back in February I was impressed with them simply because they were extremely tight, but that is also to be expected when a band comes right out of the studio, This time around though I was amazed at how much they had progressed in just 3 short months. The new song they debuted was just crushing, it showed wicked progression for the band while still harnessing the traditional thrash sound that they showcased on their ep. I am very excited to see what this three piece does in the future and you should to. Go get a copy of Red Dawn Rising at https://crimsoncaliber.bandcamp.com/releases
Second up we had Bring Us Your Dead from Edmonton, Alberta. I don’t know what else to say other then hands down these guys stole the night, and that s not knocking any of the other bands in saying that because again everyone killed it. Its just one of those things where when you hear a band live for the first time and then you see how much energy they have, and holy damn do these guys have energy. There songs are intensely groovy, the riffs are tight as hell, the bass player and drummer are just maniacs on their instruments, and the vocalist had some of best stage presence and crowd control I have seen in a long time. As I am writing this up I am listening to their Demo “ The Grave Yard Demo” and its just as ripping recorded as it was live, Long story short, go check out Bring Us Your Dead. https://bringusyourdead.bandcamp.com/music
Then there was Assimilation. If you haven’t heard of these guys and you are into straight up in your face, face melting thrash combined with extreme death metal then damn go check them out, get their music, and just start rocking out. That's what everyone at the venue did when these guys hit the stage. Every song slayed, and they never missed a beat. I really cant praise these guys enough for their performance and their energy. You can get their debut album “The Laws of Power” at https://assimilationvancouver.bandcamp.com/
Ending the night was local metalcore band For A Life Unburdened. These guys have been going hard for the past 4-5 years, hell could be longer, and every-time the show just how good they are. Full of intense melodic riffs, harsh vocals, blistering drums, and tight bass, these guys slayed from start to finish. It was a great little send off for their drummer, who was performing his last set as a member of the band. The crowd was into every song, and the new material they have been working on showed just how much they have progressed. This isn't your typical metalcore band. If you haven’t had the chance to check them out then go to https://foralifeunburdened.bandcamp.com/album/waiting-for-us-to-die and get on it.
Nathanael Bohnet - WAIL Music Magazine