If Vatican's set was the most antagonizing, then Greyhaven's was the most welcoming and accessible - which is not to say that they didn't kick ass too. Those airy interludes only made the rest of the set hit even harder. And though Vatican were largely about blunt force, they did mix things up a bit, incorporating some of the electronic samples that they also use in the studio. With a thick, crisp rhythm section, every note felt like a bludgeoning attack, and vocalist Mike Sugars had the vicious bark needed to compete with the rest of the band's thunder.
Up next were Vatican, who are fresh off signing to UNFD and putting out a two-song single, and they've got much more of a meat and potatoes metalcore vibe - direct, forceful, straight and to the point. Justin's the clear leader, but the band have three vocalists who all scream and sing, and you could tell how tight-knit they were from the way they traded lines seamlessly. It also showed how much chemistry WMR have.
#VISIONS OF GLORY REVIEW PLUS#
Wristmeetrazor were supporting their excellent new album Replica of a Strange Love (Prosthetic Records), and they played pretty much all the major highlights off that, plus some older stuff too, and the show only reinforced how strong of a record it is.
Lead riffs cut through the mix like knives, and chugged breakdowns hit you like a punch in the gut. Justin not only looked the part, he was also a commanding frontman, and the rest of the band were as tight as can be. They look like they stumbled out of a Hot Topic in 2004, and yet it never feels pastiche. The band - especially lead singer Justin Fornof - have the theatrical goth look down to a T and they do it in a way that's really convincing. Things kicked off with Wristmeetrazor, who already seem ready for way bigger crowds and stages. Each one had their own spin on the genre, and the musical diversity of the bill (and the tightness of all the bands) made the show feel like it flew by. All of the bands exist somewhere under the metalcore umbrella and go great together, but this was an especially good tour package because no two bands on the bill sounded alike. The SeeYouSpaceCowboy / Greyhaven / Vatican / Wristmeetrazor tour rolled through NYC last night (11/21) for a show at Brooklyn's Market Hotel, and it was a killer show from start to finish.