Packed with a fantastical menagerie of all things heavy and extreme, day 1 of Berserker IV sunk its teeth into the full house of the Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan. This was the fourth year of Berserker which is spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Shawn and Veronica Knight. For this year’s festivities, the Crofoot in Pontiac served up three stages of fun with music running non-stop throughout the evening.
Fans of heavy music were also treated to craft beverages from Cellarmen’s and Fillmore 13 breweries. Cellarmen’s had the honor of brewing the official beverage for Berserker with their Blood Troll wildflower mead. Blood red in color and delicious. Fillmore 13 had their War Cry IPA which kept this writer well hydrated during the festival. They also offered up delicious pizza and sandwiches to keep hungry concert goers happy.
An hour after doors opened, a hardy crew headed up the stairs to the Pike Room stage to check out Detroit’s own Euphoria. This band wasted no time in unleashing a hell-storm of thrash. The intensity and power of the music threatened to tear apart space and time. However, the only real victim was the bass player’s low-E string which he ripped apart during the first song.
Popping down to the smaller Vernor Room stage, the crowd was treated to Law. This straight-edge hardcore band bled raw power and rage upon the stage. A sparsely lit Crofoot Ballroom stage was the scene of the immense and intense music of Hollow Earth. The white light against an overall dark stage added to the feeling of desolation as the band raged. I was blown away by the depth and power of their music. On one hand, I thought of Cult of Luna and on the other ‘Remission’ era Mastodon.
It was time to run upstairs to start another tour of the stages at Berserker. Up on the Pike Room stage was Horrible Earth from Boston. Grindcore was the method to their madness. These guys had fun and engaged the audience. Their music was well received by the audience. It was tight quarters in the Vernors Room when Artillery Breath took the stage. This Ohio band likes to play fast and spared no time in getting into the face of the crowd. This band defines snorting whiskey and drinking cocaine.
Ringworm’s music may blur the lines between thrash and hardcore, yet their performance at Berserker was all about fury. One of Cleveland’s greatest metal exports gave everything they had to the Berserker audience. Thrashing in the red stage lights this band tore a hole into Hell.
Cemetery Piss did a fine job in saturating the audience in blackened thrash. The music glowed with the fires of the pit while not getting overly theatrical. We spilled down the stairs and into the Pike Room which was quickly reaching capacity as S.N.A.F.U. erupts on the stage. Both in their music and stage presence, S.N.A.F.U. combine the fierce emotion of punk with the damaging riffs of hardcore and thrash. When this band stops in your town, do yourself a favor and go see them.
One of the treats on the awesome bill of extreme music at Berserker were hardcore pioneers Negative Approach. The band got their start not far away in the infamous Cass Corridor of Detroit. Many years later, Negative Approach continues to scream at the world and inspire a new generation to seek more from this life.
The upstairs Pike Room was packed for the explosive blackened death of Nightkin. Their set was a non-stop festival of rapid riffs, terrorizing vocals, and bone jarring rhythms. This band was one of the best on the Berserker bill.
Fuck You Pay Me were rowdy, loud, and a fuckload of fun. The vocalist nearly toppled the PA as he climbed on top to encourage the crowd into riotous acts of good clean moshing delight. At this point in the evening, the fans at Berserker were primed for a big dose of punk rock rebellion and LA’s Off! delivered. These legendary punkers put on a vital and exciting show. The music was fast and in your face. A bonus for this gig was that Dale Crover (Melvins) was putting a hurt on the drum kit.
The Pike Room stage was bathed in an eerie green light when the acidic grind of Blurring began. This super-group of grind wasted little time in shattering nerves. Their music was literally blurring the senses as waves of sound smashed the crowd in rapid succession. Reviving the speed metal of yore was the band Nuke. There was a Running Wild/Leigh Lord vibe running through their tunes. This was no holds barred horn throwing metal.
The special event to close out the first night of Berserker was the return of EyeHateGod to the stage. This was Mike Williams first show after his transplant. He looked and sounded incredible considering how ill he had been just 6 months ago. The audience was in prime shape with a decent mosh pit rolling through much of the set. The band fed off the energy of the fans and looked like they were having a great time. Mike mentioned the entire band’s love for the fans and thank everyone wholeheartedly for their support while he was recovering.
In addition to this show marking the band’s return to the stage, it was Mike’s birthday. The Berserker crew made a liver shaped cake to share with Mike on stage at the end of their set.
Day 1 of Berserker IV at the Crofoot was a spectacular celebration of extreme and heavy music. The fans had a great time and the staff supporting the show were outstanding and friendly. The Berserker crew and staff at the Crofoot should be commended for running a smooth and successful day of musical insanity.