March 23rd, 2018 marked the date that the Dying Fetus and many other bands would take the stage at the Aftershock Live Music venue in Merriam, KS. Like many other venues in the Kansas City area, the Aftershock is a small venue that could maybe hold about 200 at once, maybe a bit more including the outside area. Apparently, later that night, the space would be tested once the main bands reached the stage but the experience never waned.
The show started at 6:00 p.m. and I arrived barely on time. After a few minutes of getting my bearings, Mechanize, a band local to the area, took the stage and immediately impressed with their showmanship and sound. They definitely had quite the following compared to other local bands I’ve witnessed in the area, as about a quarter of the general standing began to fill up. They kicked the night off with an interesting take on deathcore, incorporating minor death metal elements, post-hardcore (the high ended, almost shrieking vocals) choruses, and an eerie, underlying guitar riff underneath it all. One could definitely hear how their band name incorporated into their actual sound.
Next up, Sanction, another deathcore style but they brought about a grittier and dirtier version of the sub-genre to the table. Before the set even started up, the lead vocalist was hopping around like mad. He never let this energy up, constantly moving around and interacting with the crowd, which by the way started to grow even more surprisingly. This energy fed itself into the audience as many more people were being drawn to the stage and movement started to become more apparent. So far, the bill was showcasing an excellent array of music, even if they were deemed to be in the same sub-genre.
Enterprise Earth hit the stage and surprisingly they blew the previous bands out of the water performance and sound wise. Enterprise Earth brought about the technical and slamming side of deathcore, especially when they played their newest single, “Only Hell Will Embrace The Damned”. The vocalist, Dan Watson, didn’t let up at any point and time during their set, constantly standing on the railing that separated the bands from the crowd, causing many of the attendees to start banging their heads and create circle pits. I found myself to the right side of the stage, just outside the circle pit, watching as a dozen or so complete strangers thrash and tackle each other senselessly. The real show had started at this point with all inhibitions being shed.
Only half of the show was done at this point. The Aftershock was starting to get packed in the main area as Rivers of Nihil began to set up their gear. Although I was pretty excited about the entire tour package, Rivers of Nihil were the main reason I came to the show. I’d recently listened to their newly released album ‘Where Owls Know My Name’ and had been a fan of the record before that, ‘Monarchy’. This is where the tour package takes a bit of a turn (besides Dying Fetus being on the bill) and introduces a technical death metal project that has been suddenly rising in popularity, with good reason. Rivers of Nihil started off their set with “The Silent Life” immediately thrusting the crowd into an immediate circle pit. This intensity remained even through to their final song “Sand Baptism”, as Jake Dieffenbach would scream out “I AM THE SUUUUUNNN… AND I AM THE MOOOOOOOONNN…” in the final moments.
Next up, Thy Art Is Murder took the stage, complete with fog machines and the most erratic light display I’d ever seen. The vocalist, Chris McMahon, was the most talkative person of the night out of the whole show. After one of the first songs to be played, someone threw a water bottle up at him and his response was “I will decapitate a motherfucker,” in the ever so funny Australian accent. These interactions and the overall aesthetic of the show really helped them stand out. I wasn’t too familiar with their music but I did recognize their last of their set, “Reign of Darkness”. “I AM HEEEELLLLLL…” Reverberated throughout the entire venue and suddenly bodies began to fly around in chaos. Luckily, I didn’t get too beat up so I could stay for the final and main act, Dying Fetus.
In all honesty, I wasn’t the most prepared. I made my way near the front to where I’d been the entire night, hoping to be out of the way of the circle pits and close enough to see Dying Fetus destroy everything. The lights dimmed, with John Gallagher, Trey Williams, and Sean Beasley getting onstage and taking their positions. Suddenly, the Aftershock erupted in bass and screams as Dying Fetus began to sonically induce hemorrhages into every attendee. From start to finish, I was in complete awe seeing these three individuals creating so much brutality and raw power. It’s just completely unheard of, yet there I was witnessing it all unfold. “Induce Terror”, “Justifiable Homicide”, and “In The Trenches” were a few among many songs that were played, each destroying another organ separate from the previous. The most impressive display was the interactions within the band, mostly in the vocals, as John Gallagher and Sean Beasley would exchange passes throughout each of the songs. John consisted of the more brutal, yet meticulous style while Sean took on the filthier, more sickening vocals. The constant tempo changes from the slam styled death metal to the more technical death metal was also intriguing, as the band never faltered. The amount of skill and experience shown was remarkable and truly legendary.
Each band brings about their own personality to the forefront, whether it be straight up death metal eviscerating every fragment of your body or the anthemic cries of their hardcore influences. These elements and more will cater to most, if not all, fans of the death metal tag. This tour package is easily one of the most underrated of the year and defines the term of the utmost quality AND quantity that can be offered. If you do happen to attend this lineup, be sure to get to the shows early to support the opening acts. Musical acts of this caliber are forged with the support of the community and fans.