GAZM, Faze, Doxx, Torpor, Liquid Assets at The Legion
Ev has synesthesia, and they incorporate their sensory experiences into music reviews. Synesthesia is a condition in which the brain links a person’s senses together in a rare manner, prompting unusual sensory responses to stimuli. People with synesthesia, for example, might see a certain color in response to a certain letter of the alphabet. Those who experience synesthesia “hear colors, feel sounds, and taste shapes” in a remarkably consistent fashion.
Review
With a start based on “punk time”, Liquid Assets thrashed into the dimly lit scene—crowd added in the occasional shout of “ass” and so the night began. The band tumbled in with a rage which later started a pushpit.
The vocals tore through the air with grit and held a fiery passion, greatly contributing to the harsh and staggering motions exhibited by Felix. The low and sloppy growls emit from the back of the throat contributed to the start and stop feel of the rest of the instruments, melding in with the continuous guitar.
Bodies jerked back and forth to the driving rhythm of the guitar. Almost prog-punk, more upbeat than d-beat, the guitar added jovial notes to an otherwise juvenile progression. The scenes got stained with yellow-green, turned to blue-greens and aquamarines. The deep greens flow in through the bass notes and swim through the scene, with the occasional little orange blossoms.
The bass finds a way to ripple under your feet and blasts through to your chest. It’s felt through the body yet provides a solid backbone while shaking you up for good measure.
The drums chill you with their thrashing and drench the atmosphere a cold blue, save for the hollow toms which throw in some comforting and stark reds into the mix. The headbanging and jolting of bodies came from the crash of the cymbals and the resonance of the snare.
The band invited Ruby of Torpor up as little surprise, and Ruby destroyed the vocals. Passion was pitted in every word and the delivery followed with a punch of unfiltered energy.
Following Liquid Assets was Torpor. The set was ripped into with a deep chugging of power chords and the shrill voice of none other than Elodie. The delay in vocals gave a haunted vibe but the frantic anger that came through was undeniable. The social issues about our current political climate rang out into the open with severe agression.
The bass and guitar bit at one another, chugging at a nasty tempo, the bass nearly swallowing any of the higher notes that rang out from the guitar. The red swallowed the green that was produced and spit it back out as a murky bubble. The two instruments asserted the message loud and clear.
All that in combination with the white cold, harsh thrashing of the drums and cymbals, the crowd progressively became more aggressive. Elbows flew into ribs and arms, and the push pit escalated further. It crept up to the drum kit and managed to recede back just in time.
Shortly after Torpor’s electrifying set, the brutal minute and sixteen seconds of “Old Man” resonated through the dimly lit basement. DOXX tore through some songs off their recent release with sheer vigor. The dramatic delivery that screamed I-don’t-give-a-fuck-about-you while simultaneously addressing greater societal issues was hard hitting and did not miss a beat.
With Kieran mauling the drum kit, the cold crashes came through as an onslaught and did not stop rolling through. Even with the new releases they’re working on, the intensity just built up and got expelled into the scene. The drumming intertwined with the bass and the vicious guitar and created unfathomable aggression, especially within the new songs “Bitch”, and “Cut”. Each bit at the other and worked collectively to expel the greatest mass of coherent chaotic noise possible.
Bringing back the crowd surfing and dance-punk vibe, Faze gave the punk pit the thrashing that was deserved – careless, groovy, and assailing. With their latest release “Struggling to enjoy ourselves while the world slowly implodes”, the vocals became far more dominant and less mellowed out. the extreme fury that was demonstrated during Ottawa Explosion Weekend only grew and became an outburst. The magenta and raw sienna still clouded my vision but the feedback turned blue, colder and in contrast to the otherwise yellowing soundscape.
The sheer anger that plowed through the air could be heard through the intensity of the drumming. The reliance on the toms and snare proved to pack a stronger punch with lower timbre. The lack of cymbals provided more of a sludgey and heavy beat which allowed hell to break loose in the pit.
The guitar and bass worked as a team to create an array of progressions. Starting low and chugging a rhythm out, coming up high before bringing itself down by a semitone or two. The rumble of the bass sent shocks and rattled your ribcage as you danced and bobbed to the infectious rhythm.
Faze seemingly had the most violent pit, with elbows to the ribs and face. Despite the wild flailing and dancing, the aggression was channeled and came in waves that barreled towards or away from you at rapid rates and yet it was incredibly pleasant. The vigorous movement reflected the enjoyment of the crowd.
Headlining the show were the much anticipated GAZM, from Montreal, QC. The pit they procured was wildly different from any other. Based around moshing, it was easier to manoeuvre and could have swallowed you up if you weren’t careful. If someone came out without some damage, I’d be surprised.
The crowd was wild and dared get up in the bands face – which nobody had an issue with it seemed. The interaction between the performers and the pit
The screams ripped from the back of the throat and out into the open, charged with rage. The vocals sounded shredded and assertive. The passion that was placed into the performance was clear and it got everybody moving. The energy didn’t falter once.
The chords weren’t particularly heavy but the packed quite the punch. They created an overwhelming sensation that was easy to move to. The bassline, with the patterns in which the guitar chords were played created the illusion of a muddy and chaotic noise and it pounded in your chest. When the breakdowns were played, they became raunchy, holding the crowd together long enough before creating an explosive release of tension. It was nasty in the best way.
GAZM pulled out some much newer and yet to be released content which held clear Tomb Mold influence. You could hear it in the drumming but it became incredibly prominent in the bass lines and solos in particular.
The heavy use of the snare and cymbals turned everything cold amidst the otherwise orange and red scene. The drumming came out as it’s own powerhouse and captivated. The balance between the full sound of the kick drum, the tight snare, and the fills between the thrashing was exeptional.
The band created a soundscape that dripped with orange and red blossoms, spills of green, and cerulean splatters. They’re a band you don’t want to miss. The stage presence never falters and the pit is a guarantee of bruises that will leave you feeling proud to have been a part of it.
Gallery
