Electric City hosted a packed night of metal as Orbit Culture brought their Death Above Life North American tour through Buffalo, joined by Ov Sulfur and Atlas. The smaller venue created a close atmosphere that suited the lineup well, with the crowd packing in the floor early and the mosh pits lasting the entire night.

Atlas opened the show and immediately stood out as more than just an early warm up act. The Finnish band delivered a fantastic set built around tight riffing and strong melodic passages that carried well in the room. Their sound was clear and controlled, and the crowd was immediately hooked. For many in attendance it was their first time seeing Atlas, but by the end of the set, the reaction from the crowd suggested the band had made a strong impression, with a ton of new fans.

Ov Sulfur followed and shifted the tone toward a heavier direction. Their deathcore sound focused on crushing breakdowns and layered vocals that translated well in the compact space. Midway through the set, frontman Ricky Hoover called for a wall of death that rocked the venue. From the moment they took the stage, Ov Sulfur absolutely crushed it for nine straight songs of pure heavy metal.

When Orbit Culture took the stage, the energy in the room somehow rose even higher. The Swedish band has built a reputation for combining groovy riffs with melodic death metal, and their live performance showed why they are one of the best metal bands currently performing. Opening with the title track “Death Above Life,” the band quickly settled into a tight and epic performance.

Frontman Niklas Karlsson, sporting a Buffalo Sabres jersey, handled both vocals and guitar with ease, shifting between deep growls and melodic passages while seamlessly transitioning between songs. For this performance, it was hit after hit from their incredible catalog, with songs like “The Storm”, “North Star of Nija”, “From the Inside”, “Vultures of the North”, and “Bloodhound”. There was no break or slowing down, this was a constant, in your face heavy metal experience.

Electric City proved to be a fantastic setting for the performance. The smaller room kept the audience close to the stage, creating a direct connection between band and crowd. This show was something special, it’s one of those times when you see a band in a small intimate venue before they gain massive success and play arenas.

Taken together, the lineup made for a particularly strong night of metal music and stands out as one of the better touring packages currently making its way across North America. Fans in Central New York will also have another opportunity to catch part of the lineup soon, as Ov Sulfur and Atlas are scheduled to perform an off date show in Syracuse on March 15 at The Song and Dance.

Setlists

Orbit Culture: Death Above Life > The Storm > The Tales of War > North Star of Nija > Saw > From the Inside > Bloodhound > The Shadowing > Open Eye > While We Serve > Hydra > Vultures of North

Ov Sulfur: Endless//Godless > Seed > Stained in Rot > Befouler > Death Ov Circumstance > Wither > Forlorn > Vast Eternal > Evermore

Atlas: Sermon of the Dying Light > Tower > Coven of Two > Anodyne > I Whisper Your Name Like a Curse > Uni > Ukko > Salt and Sulfur