By Andrew Bansal
February 18th 2014, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: Los Angeles-based heavy/groove metal band Darwen’s Theory formed in 2007 and have existed in a few different incarnations through the past seven years, but in the recent past they finally settled into a solid five-piece lineup and released an EP called ‘Retribution’. In support of the EP, the band has been playing gigs more actively than ever before, and in their current run of shows, they played at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in West Hollywood on February 18th, opening for Boston MA-based post-hardcore band Ice Nine Kills.
Considering it was a Tuesday night, there was already a sizable queue outside the venue even before the doors opened at around 7:30, and by the time Darwen’s Theory took the stage 25 minutes later, they had a decent audience to play in front of. Being the first band in the lineup for shows at this venue can be disadvantageous as in most cases that slot comes very early in the evening, but Darwen’s Theory benefitted from the fact that this particular Whisky show started much later than usual. As a result of having an actual audience to play to, Darwen’s Theory were able to portray a true representation of themselves as a live band.
It’s fair to say they made the most of their short 25-minute set by playing five of their best songs, starting with ‘Bloody Fingers’, a tune comprising fast classic thrash segments interwoven with slow, brutal grooves. It certainly got the audience’s attention and a generous applause followed the conclusion of this very dynamic and progressive tune. They capitalized on the good start and presented four more tunes laden with grooves reminiscent of Lamb Of God and Pantera, fast-paced passages more akin to classic Metallica and Slayer, and frontman Mike Johnson’s excellent death metal-style vocal delivery. His voice really cut through with full force and filled the entire room, drawing more and more people nearer to the front few rows of the general admission floor as the set progressed.
Guitarists John Shaw and JJ Paterak did a great job laying down the riffs and solos while bassist Tyler Rollins showcased some creative musicianship on his instrument, combining finger-picking and slap-bass techniques and employing some of his jazz background. Drummer Al Serrato dictated the tempo of the tunes and put on a strong showing behind the kit. They ended with the song ‘Into The Ether’, which was just as strong as the opening tune. The first and last song of the set were the best from the audience’s point of view, mainly because they presented more variations in tempo and contained more of the faster bits.
Darwen’s Theory put on a mighty fine performance and got a well-deserved positive response from the audience. They managed to hold the attention of everyone for the entirety of the set, which is not exactly common for a local opener at the Whisky. With that said, every good band strives to get better with each show they play, and for Darwen’s Theory the next positive step from this would be to incorporate more tempo changes and thrashy segments in their songwriting, and more importantly in the live set.
Darwen’s Theory can definitely pride themselves on the quality of their live performance, and it seems to be their strong suit. So, regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with the band’s music, their live show does not disappoint whatsoever. Keep an eye on their schedule and catch them the next time they play a show near you.
Set List:
01. Bloody Fingers
02. Manifesto
03. Cadence Of Cruelty
04. Cleanse
05. Into The Ether
Visit Darwen’s Theory on the web:
DarwensTheory.com
facebook.com/DarwensTheory.page
twitter.com/DarwensTheory