This is a very interesting bill. All three bands are complementary to one another. It’s very much Hard Rock then some may call it heavy metal. But not heavy metal in the classic sense like Iron Maiden or Judas Priest. This Heavy metal is more in the vein of the newer group of bands like Wage War, Gojira and Trivium.
The first band, Above Snakes had a little bit of street to them in a hip Hop way. It was more visual than it was musical. They are a straight up metal band. They had some catchy songs and, like the other two bands will fit in great on the touring circuit with other similar bands as well as large festivals. Their song down was probably my favorite of their 35-minute set. They’re very energetic and a lot of fun to watch. You can find their music on YouTube, give them a spin.
Moon Fever is a straight up Hard Rock band with a punk sensibility. As I was watching them even though they sound more metal, it took me back to the 70s punk shows I used to go to when I was a kid. Nothing but raw energy throughout the entire performance. They are a little bit more melodic than some of the other newer rock bands. Moon Fever also has some catchy songs. I would start with their single “I’m Gone”. I think this band has great potential and I could see them making a real impact on the music scene.
I had seen the band Otherwise before and knew I was in for a great show. This band has everything that you could want in a modern metal band. Their songs are a little bit more pop oriented than some of the other bands on the scene right now. Just as heavy but more melodic. I also think that some of their songs are not only cleverly written but creative in the storytelling. You can tell that they have performed a lot of concerts and really have entertaining the crowd down to a science. At one point the guitar player jumped down into the audience and interacted with the fans in the front. I’ve always been a sucker for that type of crowd engagement. Sometimes bands lack it completely. I would say their song “New Way to Hate” was the highlight of the set for me.
All in all, it was a great package and all three bands gave it their all. I love club shows like this when the bands have as much energy as all these bands do. It gets the crowd really pumped up and engaged. I think the music fans leave the concert feeling like they were a part of the show. That’s one thing some of the larger shows can’t hold anymore. When you have a smaller audience, it really ramps up the energy because it’s in your face.
