There were plenty of familiar faces as doors opened for Day 2 of Berserker at the Crofoot in Pontiac, Michigan. Many in the audience had purchased the two-day pass to allow them to take in every band during this smorgasbord of extreme music. As with the first day, Berserker featured music on three stages. This allowed fans to sample a bit from every band or pick and choose as they see fit.
The festivities promptly started at seven on the Pike Room stage with Fell Ruin. Blending elements of black metal and doom, they created a bewitching soundscape. The bass playing was especially adept. Getting the Vernors stage moving was the intriguing sounds of Sweat. There had a vibrant urgency to their music which was embodied in the physical performance of the band. Their songs had the tantalizing impact of such counterparts as early Deftones and Russian Circles.
Against The Grain is one of Michigan’s musical gems. This band burns with the living soul of speed rock as defined by their progenitors Motorhead and Zeke. They ripped up the main stage with rapid fire guitar, drum and bass to the delight of the crowd. They were joined on stage for the last song by none other than Brent Purgason (lead guitar for GWAR).
Unfurling a barrage of death metal layered with buzzsaw riffs and blasting beats, Centenary took the Pike Room by storm. Fans of the classics from Unleashed and Dismember would dig the meaty tunes that this band played. Back downstairs on the Vernors Stage, OFF-OX shook up the mix with an eclectic blend of melodic electronic music accompanied by bass and drums. This instrumental music was captivating and a breath of fresh air from the surrounding frenzy of sound.
Shawn Knight brought along his friends from Child Bite to sprinkle their brand of madness into the Berserker mix upon the Crofoot Ballroom stage. The band bounced around the stage and delivered a frantic set. In their creative cacophony, you felt your soul rejoice. Sunlight’s Bane gave one of the most threatening and savage sets at Berserker. They spewed blackened death with brutal force and malevolent aggression. Their performance on stage was outstanding.
Night Vapor led the crowd in the Vernors Room on a turbulent avante-rock parade. Dissonant and full of twists and turns, this Pittsburg band had you either intrigued or confused. The Obsessed came out swinging with a groovy set of fist-raising heavy rock. They took no prisoners with songs delivering lots of low-end punch. It was good to see that Wino is still kicking ass.
Imagine the unfathomable power of a black hole sucking away your life force as you smile into the blackend face of death and you may grasp the shocking audio attack of Immortal Bird. Their performance was stunning and frighteningly beautiful. Wrapped in the darkness of the stage with only blue lights to cast shadows, the fierce blasting beats and droning undercurrents gave the impression of being buried in ice.
From way out in left field came Cotton Museum. A man with a small folding table full of electronic gadgets held a few of us in awe. As he pitched and tilted the table, he worked the synths into a weirdly fascinating yet slightly disturbing experiment of sound.
Weedeater busted out a big bag of their patented weed metal and spread the love around the Crofoot Ballroom. Thick dank riffs and harsh biting vocals defined a fat set by the band. The award for most absorbing and transfixing set of music went to Brain Tentacles. They cooked up a brine full of chunks of noise rock, sludge, and rhythmic journeys. They invited others on the stage to finish off in a tribal séance. Inflicting technical death brilliance upon the Pike Room stage were Boreworm. Their performance was heavier than the heaviest thing with a nod toward Meshuggah and Rivers of Nihil.
Topping of a spectacular Berserker festival with a crack pipe full of blood and Jager were the Scumdogs of the universe; GWAR. Sleazy P. Martini came out to introduce the band as the audience cheers soared. In between beheading Obama and disemboweling Trump, GWAR unleashed a torrent of metal. Many in the crowd had special edition white Berserker shirts which quickly became “GWAR-dyed” as the band doused them in gore. Shawn Knight joined the band on stage for a raging rendition of “Sick Of You” to close out the set.
Amazingly, Berserker IV was the best Berserker festival to date. Each year, all the hard work pays off with an outstanding show that features a wide cross-section of the best in extreme and heavy music. Having the festival at the Crofoot was a step up as the venue provided fans with a fantastic space to enjoy the music and share the experience with friends. Berserker offers music fans maximal diversity in a setting that welcomes and embraces the festival experience. As they left the show, many fans were already making plans for next year’s fun filled extravaganza.
Also check out our Photo Gallery of the event here.