Metal As Art in Cincinnati

The first leg of the Metal As Art Tour just wrapped up here in the ol' US of A, and one of the last stops was my oft-overlooked hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. This was good for the bands in that they surely impressed some new fans (myself included), but bad because they could have impressed more elsewhere. In total, I don't think 75 people circulated through Dirty Jack's that night, including the bands, the fans, and those working the bar. Still, there were more than I was expecting for a Thursday at a particularly low-profile venue, and those that came out got far more than their $8 worth.

The shit-tastic local openers do not factor into that value. Not at all. 'Scuse me while I hop on my soapbox. To local opening bands that get tacked on to an actual tour, don't act like you have some scripted stage show. Just rock and play your absolute best. Thank the crowd, thank the touring bands, and get the fuck off the stage. That's your best bet to make some new fans. That was mostly for the first band (who were godawful anyway). The only thing I remember about the other is a blatant ripoff of "Mandatory Suicide" somewhere in their set.

So, after we got that out of the way, it was on to the actual Metal As Art touring bands. First up was The Binary Code. I was really expecting a big pile of breakdowns, spinkickery, and bree bree nonsense, mostly due to their scratched up logo. Never judge a book by its cover kids. While you could still say they're a bit in the "deathcore" grouping, this would be in the ideal sense of the term, much in the way Converge (not As I Lay Dying) would be the ideal definition of "metalcore." What they brought was a very technical mixture of Meshuggah-ish rhythms, Between the Buried and Me's prog-plus-spastic tendencies, and plenty of classic brutal and technical death metal. Plus, axeman Jesse Zuretti provided some very smooth leads, providing the glue for their songs.

Revocation followed, garnering by far the biggest reaction from the modest crowd. And for good reason: these boys tore the place down. DOWN I SAY! With a live presence far beyond their years, they played a combination of jams from both full lengths. To say that I was impressed would be a gross understatement. To say that I've been spinning debut Empire of the Obscene nonstop for the past week would be a tad more accurate. Revocation really seem to have that special "IT" factor that connects with fans, combining the classic death-thrash of bands like The Crown with an extra layer of shred and a distinctly modern American feel. It is also extra refreshing when you can't punch the smiles off of the band member's faces, and guitarist/vocalist David Davidson was sporting a particularly wide grin the entire time.

Finally we got to Hypno5e. Unfortunately, most of the kids left the venue after Revocation played, and there weren't 15 people left in the crowd. To bad for them, as these Frenchmen have a kickin' (see: HEAVY) live show. Comparisons to countrymen Gojira are apt, but Hypno5e are much more expansive, adding a flair for post-y tendencies, trippy clean sections, and extended breakdowns (in the acceptable sense of the term, trust me). An extra cool touch was that frontman Emmanuel Jessua played rhythm guitar without a pick, adding to their sludged-up bottom end, while making his clean guitar work that much more interesting to watch. Another extra entertaining bit came from very skilled bassist Gredin, who I honestly thought was going to get on the mic and scream "WARRRIOOOORS, COME OUT AND PLAAAAAAAAYEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" at some point in their set. Goofy, talented, AND crazy-eyed.

All in all, a great reason for my 8 am-workin' ass to stay out until 2 am on a Thursday. The name Metal As Art may only really refer to Hypno5e, but I must say, all three of these bands could have a viable future in the scene, with Revocation being especially primed for success. So if you didn't see it, too bad for you, but Hypno5e will be coming around for another leg with Starring Janet Leigh and Fallen Martyr, so catch that if you have the opportunity. The headliners alone validate it, and they deserve much larger crowds than my native town gave them.

Sorry for the lack of pictures, I hadn't really planned on doing this write-up until after the show. Being unexpectedly impressed leads to unexpected actions.