The All Things Dead Tour kicked off in Clifton Park, NY on Wednesday, Aug. 13. Promising to be one of the heaviest tours this fall, it is a month-long assault on the United States and Canada. Fresh off of the Summer Slaughter tour, Origin headlines an impressive lineup, and this first show at Trickshots Billiards started with a bang.
The first band on the stage was the only local support, Declension, playing practically right in their own backyard. Having shared the stage with bands like Dying Fetus already in their short career, they showed no nerves warming up the already sixty plus crowd. Starting with an epic intro, it foreshadowed the five-piece band’s talented dual guitar harmonies in later songs. Crushing riffs and old school metal guitar solos, reminiscent of King Crimson, made for a good start on the night.
Next up was Texas band Abolishment of Flesh, who wasted no time diving into their brand of southern extreme metal. The bass and guitar launched into tapping riffs and the singer showed an impressive range from guttural low screams to almost black metal highs. They employed interesting musical breaks in a few of their songs, which was a little surprising, but worked very well with their overall sound.
Trickshots has been putting on consistently good shows, along with Joelggernaut Productions, and this night was no different. A big, heavy sound and a great light show highlighted the talent on stage, and the bar was slinging drinks and food at a rapid pace. Beyond Creation, hailing from Montreal, Canada, was the first band of the night to draw a big crowd right to the front of the stage. The attendance was steady from the time the doors opened at 6pm, and they were all happy to be there. Lots of familiar faces from the Upstate metal scene, and also many new fans as well, giving the bar and the merchandise booths a lot of business.
The first two bands on the night were showered with impressive strobe lights, to accent their brutal music. Beyond Creation projected talent and precision, commanding the stage in a hard red light, allowing their music to speak volumes. Two eight string guitars lent to the deliberate sonic destruction they were dealing to the audience, and the crowd response was just as huge. Parallels could be made between the tight, honed presence of Cryptopsy and the intensity of Lamb of God.
All of the great moments of the night so far could barely prepare the crowd for the incredible energy of King Parrot. All the way from the other side of the world, Australia, they joked at one point that they thought they might be in Billiards, New York. But, this was actually their second time in the states, and definitely feel at home being on stage in America, or more likely, anywhere. Toddy, the singer, strutted on the stage shirtless and began to whip the crowd into a frenzy, running to the back and the front of the club with his wireless microphone. It was a sight to behold, and it felt much like catching a crazy punk or metal band at CBGB’s in late ’70s. They instigated the first ever Wall of Death at Trickshots, and the audience happily obliged. A cross between Rob Halford and Iggy Pop, the singer brought everything he had and more, at one point jumping on the bar in the middle of a song. Their unique brand of heavy thrash metal and punk impressed the entire club and set the stage for the headliner.
Origin just released their new album, Omnipresent, to great reviews from fans and critics. Fitting nicely into their own headlining tour, they were poised to bring their special brand of shredding death metal to Clifton Park. Exploding onto the stage with a relentless onslaught of metal, they drew the biggest screams of the night. The also had the best mix from the soundboard, allowing the audience to really hone in on the intricate music they produce. John Longstreth, revered by many as one of the top drummers in the metal genre, kept the entire set in perfect time with crushing percussive energy. Both John, and the singer, Jason Keyser, call Upstate New York their home, and it was a treat for the crowd to see this band in this area. Jason led a three-part vocal assault that mesmerized the crowd as well as riled them up. They had incredible energy and an amazing stage presence that even allowed for Jason to crowd surf at one point. Being a weekday show, it abruptly ended at 11PM, with Origin possibly cutting their set short. But no one in attendance was unhappy with all of the incredible talent presented before them, getting what they played for and more.
Origin is a very hardworking band, and headlining a tour like this shows all the fruits of their intense labour. For the rare time they, and the rest of the bands, graced the stage in Upstate New York, it was definitely a show that the people who were in attendance will wear that like a badge of honor. For anyone reading this in cities where this tour might be making a stop, it is a heavy metal experience that is not to be missed.
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