FOE: BDM at One Centre Square Easton PA

This was the first show I've attended at the new Lehigh Valley PA venue, One Centre Square. Great place. It is the perfect size venue that was needed in our area. Sound system is awesome. My ears were still feeling it Sunday from the Friday night show. And I wasn't even planted in front of the speakers like I used to do at City Gardens when I was a youngster. Love this One Centre Square. I recommend it.

ABORTION DISTORTION

Nazareth Pennsylvania's Abortion Distortion started things off. Nice that the tour and venue gave a young, local band a chance to warm things up on this STACKED bill. This photo is from Abortion Distortion's FB page

I was trying to figure out my camera as I was talking to the drummer's grandmother. The balcony was full of relatives of the band. Gotta love it when the whole family comes out to support what the kids are doing. Especially when it is shirtless, sleeveless leather vested thrash and death metal being played on a flying V!

Abortion Distortion photo by Frank FOE

I enjoyed Abortion Distortion's set almost as much as Grandma did. Hope to hear more from these hometown thrashers. I had to take a serious look to make sure that wasn't Chuck from Weston wailing on that guitar.

WORMWITCH

Next up was Wormwitch from Vancouver, BC. They have a new album, "Strike Mortal Soil" on Prosthetic Records. Loved their set. Influences range from vintage Celtic Frost, d-beat, Motorhead and black metal. The diversity did not hamper their set. All the influences meshed with crushing power. Glad I got to check them out. Check their video of "Everlasting Lie" below:

Wormwitch, photo by Frank FOE

NECROT

Necrot, from Oakland California were the first band of the night I actually know. Love their LP "Blood Offerings" which came out earlier this year on Tankcrimes Records. Talking with Chad (drummer) before their set I found out they have released an LP that contains their three demos prior to "Blood Offerings". "The Labyrinth" was available on vinyl at the show and I purchased it from singer Luca, to accompany the "Blood Offerings" LP. Necrot play old school death metal the way I love it. Grooves, blasts, song structures I can follow, melodies rather than a blizzard of notes. I even hear a bit of vintage Bolt Thrower coming through.

Check out their LP "Blood Offerings":

You can tell Necrot love playing their music and interacting with the death metal fanatics! Pure love of what they do.

Necrot photo by Frank FOE

You know, part of writing about music is learning the tools. I know I'm not a good photographer. I'm learning. Slowly. Tonight I learned how to deal with EXIF data that was having the above photo of Drummer Chad Necrot playing on his side. It's called a learning curve.

DECREPIT BIRTH

Decrepit Birth are technical death metal from Santa Cruz California. Singer has an "Everything Went Black" Black Flag t-shirt on, so all is good in my book. New album "Axis Mundi" out on Nuclear Blast. By now, the attendees of this gig know we are covering a lot of bases in metal, making this a pretty diverse and spectacular show. Decrepit Birth's drummer plays so fast and so effortlessly. I was inspired. I need to up my game behind the kit. Impressed and inspired.

Decrepit Birth photo by Frank FOE

SUFFOCATION

I have seen Suffocation before. They've been around since 1990. This was without a doubt the best I have seen Suffocation. One of the very cool things about One Centre Square is the balcony. The second floor provides an amazing viewpoint for anyone getting there early and planting themselves in the front, along the railing. Amazing to see the insane pit that Suffocation generated from a story above the chaos. Suffocation's brutality on stage is replicated in the pit. So much fun. Great live band. Drummer has 8 cymbals plus the high-hat, which would make for a total of 10. Nice. Lots of sore necks and circle pit bruises were induced by Suffocation's set.

Suffocation photo by Frank FOE

BLACK DAHLIA MURDER

Exhausted as I was, Black Dahlia Murder thrashed for well over an hour and delivered as expected. The kids in the pit were non-stop. I was done man. Wow. I just wrote up their new LP "Nightbringers". BDM are as advertised. Veterans that love to have fun and bring the relentless thrash. Punishing good fun.