Nachtmystium and Wolves in the Throne Room Live Review
by Mark Hensch
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Mac's Bar of East Lansing is the perfect venue for a show like this. Mac's is a tiny venue, the likes of which reeks of stale alcohol. It contains that gritty aesthetic necessary for intense concerts, being just the place for passionate music. Thankfully, tonight's bill has plenty of both, as a bevy of thrash and black metal bands collide in a set that is both transcendent and manic.
Unfortunately, no one realizes this in the wake of the two opening acts. The first – a local wannabe thrash outfit – is so bad I legitimately do not remember their name. As they ply their uninspired riffs and spout inane social commentary, things devolve into an aggravating confrontation between the band's frontman and a couple locals intent on heckling them. As valuable set time for later, more talented bands is wasted again and again, the act reveals the night's bickering as nothing but a staged ploy. The whole move is a tacky one, and definitely illustrates why these hacks are in the gig placement they are.
Follow-up group Genocya is barely better. It might be because they share members with the previous group, or maybe it is the fact their lead singer needs to temper his vocals a bit as they are definitely well beyond his range and should lead into later screaming issues. Whatever the reason, Genocya bust out a bland mix of grooving death metal that is easily forgotten.
In jarring contrast to this nonsense come local hellions Sauron, a thrash band without any new material in four years and counting. Despite this, the power trio kicks out the kind of wickedness that made thrash so worshipped back in yesteryear. Flying through a set of oldschool war anthems, Sauron heap devastation upon all attendees and incite near-riotous behavior. Beers and cigarettes whiz towards the stage, while crowd-surfing hooligans kick the ceiling amps. During this, blitzed headbangers create mosh pits with more fighting than the last UFC main event. Soldiers of thrash rush the stage, all of them intent on howling into the microphone and slamming down cans of booze. By the last song, guitarist Victor Ruiz has broken his guitar and spends the entirety of the tune humming his riffs, solo and all, into a microphone while chugging a pitcher of beer. It makes for quite the spectacle, and one I would love repeating sometime in the near future.
Once the crowd wears itself out from Sauron, the evening is now primed for an appearance from Olympia, Washington's Wolves in the Throne Room. As the lights dim and mystical smoke drenches the venue, WITTR churns out a gripping set that is less concert and more spiritual experience. Alternating between primal ferocity and lush atmospherics, the band quietly unleashes a series of winding songs which stun and soothe. Restraint is forgotten---some wave their hands, some mosh, some headbang, and still more stand in reverent awe. Truly WITTR are a powerful entity and one well worth encountering.
At this point it is about 2:30 am and no one at Mac's is the worse for wear. As Chicago, Illinois' Nachtmystium takes the stage, the night feels like it is only just beginning. Focusing almost entirely on their latest album Assassins, Nachtmystium display a raucous energy that owes as much punk as it is metal. This becomes especially true when the venue cuts the stage power following G.G. Allin and Motorhead covers; Nachtmystium simply keep playing a couple more songs regardless. Such raw power is just what the doctor ordered, and the fans leave grinning ear to ear.Sauron Wolves in the Throne Room Nachtmystium
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