The killer line up of Mastodon, Deafheaven, and Alcest came to Brooklyn Paramount on Thursday night and unleashed metal fury on welcoming crowd.
There's a chance that in some dream world I would think up a show that featured the triple billing of three powerful and combustive bands like Mastodon, Deafheaven, and Alcest. However, even in a dream, it might seem too good to be true. Assembling such an impressive tour made it not only a must-see event, but one of the premier metal highlights of the year.
I arrived a little more than half-way through French black metal act Alcest, but as soon as I entered the floor, I was hit with their wall of sound that was blanketing the rather packed theatre, an impressive sight for the first of three bands on the bill. Shifting between more melodic rhythms and blast beats that were accentuated by strobe lights, the band put on a display of their pioneering efforts that no doubt inspired the bands to follow, but also allowed for them to put their own talents on display and convert those in attendance who were introduced to them on this very occasion. Not long after they closed out with "Kodoma," their brethren from America's west coast, the one and only Deafheaven, took to the stage an unleashed absolute power that instantly commanded the crowd. Singer George Clark appeared on stage and, with his arms raised in the air, immediately began to direct the crowd with a vigorous motion before he lurched into the most vicious screams of deep, scathing growls that amplified the intensity to the nth degree. The set consisted mostly of them ripping through their most recent album, Lonely People with Power, with incredible force, each member of the band (save the drummer, naturally) taking their place at the very edge of the stage, engaging with the crowd at the closest possible intersection. Headbanging and raising hell, Clarke was pouring sweat as he marched over the stage, barking his orders with a mortifying gravitas that somehow feels even more punishing in person than it does on record, his voice truly that powerful and demanding of attention. When the band hit the heart of "Incidental II" and the industrial rain began to fall over the crowd, the night hit its most brutal and most persevering moment of the night, the wicked screams shooting over an enraptured audience already at the mercy of those on stage. As the track shifted into "Relevator," the intensity prevailed and had the crowd ready to give their all to make it a moment to remember forever. Of course when they began to strum the opening to "Dream House," it ignited the floor and the pit swallowed whole the entire middle of the audience. The fusion of shoegaze and black metal hit their max when the band churned out a pummeling rendition of "Winona" to bring their portion of the night to a close and it made it clear that even as the middle act of the night, Deafheaven had drawn their fans to the show and gave them a set to remember.
After a full on sing-a-long of "Crazy Train" by Ozzy, Brann Dailor settled in behind his kit as the rest of the band took to the stage and they hammered away with the opening track from their newest record Marrow Deep. For nearly two hours the Atlanta metal titans decimated the crowd with their proggy riffs and epic drum fils that seemed to roll on forever. Pulling from their debut Remission, the band tore into "March of the Fire Ants" with extreme purpose and pulverizing force. Troy Sanders stood front and center throughout the night, taking full charge of the group while Dailor's vocals led the night with driving focus. "Megalodon" was another highlight from the band's back catalogue that surged with primal passion and ruthless riffs. With blast beats galore and endless fills there was no shortage of energy from the band and the crowd was ready to soak it in in pure glory. More than halfway into the set, the band dove into "Snakes for Dinner," perhaps the best track from their newest release, when John Baizley jumped on to the upper platform next to Dailor and began to howl away in unison with Sanders. Adding a new burst of transcendent rage, Baizley's own excitement in joining the band swept over the crowd and helped to elevate the night (and the tour at large) with a newfound sense of enthusiasm that carried over everyone in the building. As the night wore on, things felt more rowdy and the band continued to unleash their raw power that made them such a name in the scene over twenty years ago. As they closed the night with "Blood and Thunder," the presence of the band was magnified to new heights and their resounding appeal laid over the crowd entrancing everyone under their magical metal spell. It's been a turbulent year for Mastodon, but after surviving their worst nightmare, the band has triumphed beyond all expectations.
Alcest set list:
02 "Sapphire"
03 "Écailles de lune - Part 2"
04 "Eclosion"
05 "Kodama"
Deafheaven set list:
02 "Doberman"
03 "Magnolia"
04 "Incidental II"
05 "Revelator"
06 "Dream House"
07 "Incidental III"
08 "Winona"
Mastodon set list:
01 "Barbarians Blood"
02 "March of the Fire Ants"
03 "Crystal Skull"
04 "Black Tongue"
05 "Megalodon"
06 "In the Ruins"
07 "Your Ghost Again"
08 "More Than I Could Chew"
09 "Mother Puncher"
10 "Steambreather
11 "Poisonous Weapons"
12 "Snakes for Dinner"
13 "Curl of the Burl"
14 "Oblivion"
15 "The Czar"
16 "Sultan's Curse"
17 "Colony of Birchmen"
18 "Blood and Thunder"
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