Spotlight - October 10, 2008

Unearth, Protest the Hero, The Acacia Strain, Whitechapel, Gwen Stacy

Gothic Theater, Denver, CO

The following is a recap of the show:

We arrived a little past the show start time, but I was a bit surprised that Gwen Stacy had already played. The show was listed as a 7:30 start and apparently it started early or the band only played for ten minutes. Either way, I can’t comment on what we missed, so I guess it’s on to what we did see.

The first band of the night (for us) was Whitechapel. Hailing from Knoxville, the sextet delivered their punishing brand of deathcore with energy, but did little for me. I am not much of a fan of the genre, so it’s hard for me to get into the band. The three guitarist approach certainly gives the band the ability to make things heavy and fast, but the lack of flow to the music is frustrating. It’s like speed bumps on a racetrack.

Next was the Acacia Strain. Vocalist Vincent Bennett is one of the more entertaining front men in metal. His energy is constant and he conveys the passion of the bands music on stage very well. Also impressing me was the band’s sound, despite the fact they tour with only one guitarist (and record with 3). Obviously, some of the depth of songs is sacrificed by this approach, but nevertheless, the band was solid. Their mix of older material and a few songs (“Skynet”, “Dr. Doom”) from their latest release, Continent, was well received.

Protest the Hero is one of those bands that people either love or hate. I, for one, love this band. The depth, technicality, and uniqueness of the band’s sound are something that the metal world needs. The fact that they don’t really care what other people think only helps the effectiveness of the band. Their set flowed well with offerings from Kezia and Fortress. Highlights included “No Stars over Bethlehem” and “Bloodmeat”. Every time I see this band, the more impressed I am with their musical abilities.

The headliner was Unearth. Supporting their recent album, The March, the band is as strong as ever. This was, hands down, the best set of the night. And I would venture to say, one of the best Unearth performances I’ve seen. Especially in the last 3 or 4 years. The band blistered through “Endless” and “This Lying World” before taking so much as a breath. The energy and power conveyed in their set is something that cannot be described, it has to be felt. There are countless reasons that I think this band is the best in the business, but shows like this only further my point. My only complaint was the overuse of the strobe lights, but that was offset by the guitarists taking turns with a beer bong. The band mixed in “My Will Be Done” and “Crow Killer” from the new record, as well as the staples “Giles”, “The Great Dividers”, and “My Desire” before ending with “Black Hearts Now Reign.” It was an excellent end to good show. I feel sorry for anyone who missed their set.