Editor's Note: Adam Schwartz recently joined us a photographer, and show reviewer, over in the City of Eastern Sin, New York, New York. So hey, that's a thing we're doing again! If you're just here for the photos, scroll on down below. But why not read a few words from Adam about how much death metal rules first?
Picture this: it's Sunday morning. Coffee in hand, staring out the window into the hellish sun of Daylight Savings. You take a deep breath and sigh, yearning to squeeze every last juicy hour out of your weekend. Luckily there's a show tonight, and a big one no less: The Black Dahlia Murder and Dying Fetus at NYC's Irving Plaza. You unlock your phone to check the openers. Suddenly your Sunday just got a helluva lot better.
This was my experience on November 3rd, 2024, a certifiable mosher's buffet serving every flavor of "Death" between Vomit Forth, Angelmaker, SPITE, Dying Fetus, and our boys from Detroit, Black Dahlia Murder. I would not be leaving hungry.
Let's start with the first course: Vomit Forth. I've been following these Nutmeggers since they became an obsession in lockdown (and yes, that is how people from Connecticut refer to themselves, I don't make the rules). Regardless of nicknames, I can't deny just how hard these guys have been working. Somehow between their endless bouts of touring they seem to have managed to release three full lengths, each with their own unique and consistently maturing sound. They keep it old school, but dynamic -- not easy given the saturation of today's OSDM offerings. And based on the crowd size for opener one of a five band bill, it was obvious I wasn't the only one ready to be Vomitted Forth. People were there for the entire menu, and the bile was served to perfection. Playing a selection from their already deep discography it was a pleasure to see them on stage, clearly ecstatic to be on this varied tour. Their latest album, Terrified of God is a major step up in fidelity and it sounded big when they played "Victim Impact Statement". With a rhythm section that may have changed my heart beat, I was shocked back to life with every pinched harmonic. I can't wait to see these guys on their own headlining tour.
Next on the chef's menu was Angelmaker, a group I will readily admit I'd never heard of before. A buddy in the crowd told me that I'll know when Angelmaker is up because suddenly there will be seven Canadians on stage. Well: he wasn't wrong. Not only was I aware I was in the presence of something orchestral, but I was completely unprepared to see dual lead singers. Folks, as someone who grew up in the era of early 2000s deathcore (Through the Eyes of the Dead's Bloodlust will forever be a gem to teenage me), I can say with certainty that this genre has evolved into something new.
This was pure breakdown delight with enough bass neck slides to make Hans Zimmer sit down. The dueling vocals of Casey Tyson-Pearce and Ian Bearer was a sight to behold. Playing off each others' energy beautifully, Casey took the role of the possessed siren while Ian was a beautiful compliment with commanding intensity. Are four guitars necessary? Who cares? The crowd certainly didn't. I also have to hand it to drummer, Steven Sanchez, who provided some the cleanest fills of the night and if you take a look at the shot below, was clearly feeling his oats. Their latest single "Relinquished" did not get any play time unfortunately, so you better believe I'll be coming back for seconds next time they're in town.
At this point I was worried I'd be too full before the main course of Dead Fetuses and famed hollywood murders. But from the moment SPITE took the stage, and I felt the bassy intensity of their opening note, I knew I was ready for more. With the stage bathed in a deep hue of blood red, orchestral music played as a harbinger for what was to come. I looked to the wings of stage left and saw a figure in a mechanic's suit jumping up and down, slapping his chest in anticipation before ascending the stairs onto the platform. This was Darius Therani, lead singer who I can say with certainty is one of the most energetic and commanding presences I've seen. I'm always suspect when a band has a stand alone lead singer, no instrument in hand, but Darius can not only growl and shriek with the best of them, he is a per-form-er. I adored watching him interact with the crowd, cursing his way through intense lyrics about try-hards, scavengers, and leeches. The red hue never changed on their set, and as a photographer that can feel like a curse, but it was perfectly matched with their immense vibe.
Thank satan there was a breather before Dying Fetus. With a moment to digest as the crew revealed the "Make Them Beg for Death" flag we'd all been waiting for. With the prior bands' gear moved back, the table was set and the stage was suddenly 50% bigger, which was just barely enough room for the for the giant inflatable baby that graced the stage with Dying Fetus' set. Yes, there was a complimentary soundtrack with a crying child and the famous "Fuck the baby, let it die". In a word: goddamn. Seeing Dying Fetus do their thing on stage is one of the greatest delights I've had this year.
The fact that a three piece is able to create such perfectly synchronized, yet melodious grind is truly incredible. Guitarist, John Gallagher and bassist, Sean Beasley act as a single unit, dueling with finger taps across their combined 8 strings, and trading off vocals to the delight of all hungry for OSDM. With 30+ years behind them, Dying Fetus has proven themselves to be canon in our world of metal, and hearing the absolutely perfect grooves of the latest album made me wonder if this is their pinnacle. That was, however, before they ended with "Subjected to a Beating" from their legendary Reign Supreme. What a delight. Yum.
Finally, it was the moment of truth: The Black Dahlia Murder's last show in the US before heading to our brethren in Canada. For those who are unfamiliar: The Black Dahlia Murder are nothing short of melodic metal royalty. Known for their varied but always harmonic sound, it's no surprise that late singer / founding member Trevor Strnad had Carcass' Surgical Steel design tattooed on his forearm. Unfortunately I never got to see TBDM before Trevor's passing, but in the two times I've seen them since I can say it's clear fans have fully embraced Brian Eschbach as their new lead singer.
And why shouldn't they? He sounds like a perfect analog to our beloved Strnad. Playing a whopping 14 songs across their 10 studio albums they opened with "Evening Ephemeral" and "Panic Hysteria" from Servitude, their latest, and first album with Brian on vox. They then moved into their nascent sound, the one that made me the metalhead I am today with What a Wonderful Night to Have a Curse and Statutory Ape. Oh, and I'd be remiss not to mention that their mythic ape mascot joined them on stage, complete in an orange TBDM workout outfit.
The crowd was rowdy and when a hat flew on stage Brian picked it up reading out "Fuck Trump" from the logo before smiling, throwing it back into the sea of fans, and saying "let's just not talk about that for tonight." It was truly a feast for the old heads at the dinner table as they included the titular song that started it all, Unhallowed. One big takeaway from this set is that regardless of when the song was written, it's clear TBDM have always been absolute virtuosos of their world. Seeing original guitarist, Ryan Ellis sweep his way to infinity alongside the soaring solos of Brandon Ellis, who joined in 2016, made the metalhead in me tear up a bit as the buffet of death metal concluded.
