By Andrew Bansal
July 13th 2016, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: Australian progressive extreme metal group Ne Obliviscaris completed their first ever North American tour as an opening act earlier in 2016. Having been around since 2003, their stateside arrival was a long-awaited one, so much so that fans were far from satisfied with a mere 30-minute set, and five months later, Ne Obliviscaris returned to the continent, this time as headliners. They brought with them Black Crown Initiate and Starkill as support acts, and embarked on this month-long trek starting with a show in San Diego and then visiting the Los Angeles area for a gig at the Whisky-A-Go-Go in West Hollywood. It was an enticing lineup for the city’s extreme metal community, and fans of the genre packed the venue in high anticipation of an enjoyable evening.
Chicago, Illinois symphonic metal quartet Starkill was the first of the touring bands to hit the stage, and they created quite a positive impression on this crowd, as they were by far the most energetic band of the night, with the fastest-paced set. They used backing tracks of which keyboard samples formed a dominant portion, but they were far from reliant on these tracks and were able to utilize them effectively because of the expertise they showcased while playing their respective instruments live, and specially in the vocals, both clean and growling. They’ve been in existence since 2012 and have gone around the continent a few times on tour, but they’re still a very young band with only two full-length releases under their belt. They presented a brand new song or two, which are slated to appear on their third album, which they said will be released later this year. The moment Starkill walked out and urged the crowd to get involved, their call to arms was met with indifference in typical LA style, but the band clearly succeeded in winning over this crowd, as the response and volume was raised song after song. It just goes to show that contrary to popular belief, LA crowds will respond to your set if you’re really worth it. There are a lot of mediocre bands in the symphonic/power/melodic death metal realm, but with their impressive song arrangements, performance levels and stage presence, Starkill are doing a fine job at not being one of them.
Next up, Reading, Pennsylvania progressive death metal quintet Black Crown Initiate took their turn to bring their brand of extreme heavy music to this stage. Another young band that has made rapid progress through sheer strength of their live performances in the three years since their inception, Black Crown Initiate served to be more directly up the alley for the Ne Obliviscaris fans that comprised the majority of this gathering at the Whisky. Their brand new sophomore full-length ‘Selves We Cannot Forgive’ would be released on eOne Music the week after they played this show, and they devoted a good chunk of their set to the new material. Speaking in the absolute sense as well as in relation to Starkill’s set, Black Crown Initiate definitely came across as a low-energy band but they simply let the music do all the legwork, as their songs transitioned brilliantly from ominous heavy parts to incredibly clean and mellow passages. Lead vocalist James Dorton delivered some high-quality deathly growls but guitarist Andy Thomas was just as spectacular on the clean vocals, which in all honesty make all the difference and push Black Crown Initiate above other bands of similar style. This band has a long way to go and they’ve already done enough to indicate that they’re here to stay.
And lastly at 10:30, Ne Obliviscaris descended down the side-stage staircase and arrived amidst huge cheers, as the audience’s excitement knew no bounds. They proceeded on to play a 75-minute set ablaze with technical progressive extreme metal sorcery, and proved that the tremendous amount of hype surrounding them is not unfair, unjust or unwarranted. The band started out in 2003 but have exploded onto the U.S. market only this year, which is something not as uncommon as one might think, and happens to a lot of international bands. But, judging by the rate at which they’re expanding their fan base, Ne Obliviscaris look poised to make up for lost time rather rapidly. Their six members took their respective positions to begin the set, and at first they played with two vocalists that did not play any instruments, and the set would have been far less impressive had it stayed that way throughout, because no band should require two members that only sing and don’t play any instruments. But very soon after the start, clean singer Tim Charles brought out his violin to decorate most of the remainder of the set with, which was the single most notable and commendable component of Ne Obliviscaris’ musicianship on stage. The manner in which the violin is worked in with the vocals and conventional instruments is excellent, exemplary and classy, and singlehandedly makes Ne Obliviscaris a worthwhile and unique band. Charles’ five band mates played their part as well, and combined to orchestrate a beautiful exhibition of dynamic, multi-dimensional heavy music. The crowd loved every minute of it, as it was interesting to note that Ne Obliviscaris is not quite a mosh pit inducing band but rather the kind that garners undivided attention.
In a parallel universe, all three of these bands would have live keyboard players in their lineups, but somehow none of them do so in this world. Would they benefit from adding a human keyboardist to their stage setup? Perhaps, but that’s for them to ponder over, and regardless, all three are undeniably impressive in their current incarnations. All in all, quite an enjoyable evening of world-class extreme music of three different varieties.
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Remaining Tour Dates:
07/22 Calgary, AB @ Dickens
07/24 Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze
07/25 Chicago, IL @ Reggies
07/26 Cleveland, OH @ Agora Ballroom
07/27 Toronto, ON @ Moo Club
07/28 Montreal, QC @ Petit Campus
07/29 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
07/31 Boston, PA @ Once Ballroom
08/01 Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge
08/02 Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
08/03 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
08/05 Austin, TX @ Dirty Dog Bar
08/06 San Antonio, TX @ The Rock Box
08/07 Ft. Worth, TX @ Rail Club
08/08 Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
08/10 Denver, CO @ Bluebird
08/11 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
08/12 Phoenix, AZ @ Joes Grotto
08/13 Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction