By ÆRæder & Iron Mike
Venue
Amsterdam Bar & Hall – 6 West 6th Street, Wabasha St N, St Paul, MN 55102
ÆRæder: One of very few St. Paul metal hotspots, Amsterdam is a solid facility with an exceptional tap list, food menu, and physical layout. The gender neutral restroom setup always creates a bit of awkwardness, but just be ready and be sure to lock up your stall and it will be fine! Parking can be pricey at times, but there are plenty of options, and during this show no big events were going on so it was fairly reasonable. Sound quality and HVAC were on point. Hot outside, but fans and A/C were blazing and for a 5 band show with a decent amount of bodies, it was enjoyable to not be sweating and feeling sick.
Iron Mike: It’s a bummer St. Paul doesn’t have more places for metal shows. When The-Place-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named went under due to Creepy Creeperson, it really hurt the scene in the East TC. Thankfully, Amsterdam is still going strong. It ticks all the boxes of what you would want from a concert hall. Hope they continue to provide opportunities for local bands to play there more frequently.
Sound
ÆRæder: Sound on the floor was top notch, but mix was inconsistent around the room. I don’t like standing in one spot unless there aren’t many options. At Amsterdam there is usually enough space to check out different areas and pick out the sound mix that you prefer. I have not been to a show that highlighted the bass players so well. Standing in front of some of their amps was physically disconcerting when some of those guys hit their low end; I could feel the guts in my chest cavity quivering. Further back in the room the power of the sound lightened up, but for the most part all mics picked up and worked and came through clearly.
Iron Mike: I didn’t move around the room as much as ÆRæder. I like to find a spot where I can see and hear “best” and take it in from there. All the bands I saw sounded solid. The overall front of house mix was a little less defined than it could have been. The FOH still did it’s job well enough though. It wasn’t the best sound quality I’ve ever heard, but closer to that than the worst. One thing that did come through in mass quantities was the heaviness. Even Defiled Sacrament who had no bass player, still thundered along.
Crowd
ÆRæder: Numbers were fairly consistent through the whole show. For such an early show, the first few acts had a thick turnout, but it tapered toward the end of the night. All the bands got the pit swirling to some extent, but the crowd up front for Begravement and Torment were noticeably more energetic. The merch setup in the back of the room was easy to access and tableshop; lots of folks were in line to pick stuff up the entire evening, which is great to see.
Iron Mike: I wish more people would have been there, but it never felt empty. For the sheer volume of metalheads living in the Cities and surrounding ‘burbs, these shows should never have less than 250 people, but local show attendance always seems to fall far short of that. With all that in mind, the crowd for this one seemed bigger than average. And, best of all, the audience was engaged. The give and take between bands and crowd was killer.
Band Mix and Performance Flow
ÆRæder: I had been excited about this lineup for quite some time, but was unsure if this was a gig I could pull off attending. Luckily we were able to get some schedule readjustments done at home and my son and I were able to make the whole thing! All of these bands have been on MnBleed’s radar for some time for recent shows, prior or upcoming releases, or just because we have heard good things but haven’t been able to see them in person for some time for whatever reason. Each act brought a different flavor of death that kept things interesting and engaging. Setup times were seemingly swift, and this thing just flowed and pounded so well (even better than anticipated). Also cool was the mix of bands; older, more established guys, coupled with some younger up-and-coming bands; a fresh and (more or less) diverse overall lineup.
Iron Mike: Begravement is one of my favorite bands, so seeing them was the major motivator for me. But, knowing Apothic and Torment were on the bill added to the initial draw as well. Unfortunately, I had to bail before Torment got on stage, which meant I also missed Bloodgeon.
- Apothic – https://apothicmn.bandcamp.com/track/am-become-gods
- Minneapolis
- 4 Piece (Vox, guitar, bass, drums)
- Bandcamp tags: black death metal, metal, Minneapolis
ÆRæder: Been awhile since seeing them live, and it was great to see them again up on a big stage. That bass…Neal Pruett… Wow. Just physically thundering and coupling up with the drums to make the rhythm section really carry the band. This band is such a complete representation of black death, and in the past few years have been on a writing spree with a couple singles and an album (not on Bandcamp? Found it on Prime…). Hoping this show gets things going and we can hear and see some more from them.
Iron Mike: The only thing I really knew about these guys pre-show was Nate “Natanic” Pehler handles the guitar work. If you’ve never seen him play – or better: heard him play – you’re missing out. Dude makes playing complex, extreme metal guitar look easy. And his tone roared. Having him and Neal Pruett as the strings in one band just isn’t fair to the rest of the band world. Allan Towne was, hands down, the best frontman of the 3 bands I caught. He had killer stage presence, worked the crowd and even called out the other bands to come up front saying something like “get to the front of the pit cause you know I’ll be at the front when you’re on stage.” I know these guys had taken a break from gigs and whatnot, but the scene is better off now that they’re back.
- Defiled Sacrament – https://defiledsacrament.bandcamp.com
- St. Paul
- 4 Piece (Vox, guitar, guitar, drums)
- Bandcamp tags: blackened death metal, blackened deathcore, metal, deathcore, slamming deathcore, technical death metal, technical deathcore, Saint Paul
ÆRæder: While this whole lineup was solid, Defiled Sacrament was one of the bands I was most excited to see again. I’d heard word on the street about them awhile ago, and checked out some of their recordings and a show they did this past winter at Pilllar Forum. They did not disappoint back then. This is seriously a band we should be keeping an eye on; their stage presence, song writing, and ability to play are going to take them places and make them worth seeing.
BUT, I want to keep it real, and throw in shade if I see or hear it, and unfortunately the low point in the show for me was Defiled’s set. Hear me out on this though; it wasn’t for lack of playing effort, songwriting, etc. This band is heavy, and Defiled has detuned/extra strings on guitar that can compensate in a smaller venue so that the missing bass isn’t as noticeable. The sound setup at Amsterdam really highlighted the bass, and sandwiched between Apothic and Begravement (Matt Schrampfer), the lack of a true bass really stood out. Defiled Sacrament relies on some very tastefully incorporated slam elements, and at this venue without the low end, this aspect of their music was sort of deflated.
Iron Mike: Of the 3 bands I saw, these guys were my least favorite. Notice I didn’t say I didn’t dig ’em, just not as much as the other 2. No bass player was a negative for me. And the singer kept his eyes closed most of the show, rarely actually engaging the crowd. He has a great voice – but part of the singer’s job is to connect the crowd to the music. Hard for people to connect with you if they can’t make eye contact. For a band with this much talent, it seemed like those 2 things were holding them back from being even better. The riffs, rhythms & overall sound was killer, but as good as they were, Apothic and Begravement outshined ’em at this gig.
- Begravement – https://begravement.bandcamp.com/album/horrific-illusions-beckon
- St. Paul
- 4 Piece (Vox/guitar, guitar, bass drums)
- Bandcamp tags: death thrash, metal, death metal, melodic death metal, technical death metal, thrash metal, Saint Paul
ÆRæder: Begravement is another younger band with a whole lot of talent and potential. Check out the review of their 2023 album Horrific Illusions Beckon here: https://mnbleedsmetal.com/retro-reviews-begravement-horrific-illusions-beckon/ . Saw them in April at Pilllar, and in the bigger venue on a taller stage these dudes took it to the next level. Seriously, these guys can wail. They have such a unique blend of a variety of metal styles, and that fretless bass adds some funk and groove that is truly unique. So much back and forth shredding it was hard to keep track of what was going on. Crowd turnout and movement in the pit seemed to peak for their set, and in my mind they took the show.
Iron Mike: I’m convinced if Begravement was a young band in the late 80s or early 90s, they’d be one of the biggest metal bands on the planet by now. First off, every member is extremely talented. Their songs weave in and out of several subgenres without getting pigeonholed into one (think Gojira). They work cohesively as a unit, where there isn’t one obvious person either carrying the band, or (as you might see with some bands), holding them back. And, best of all, they get that they’re entertainers, not rock stars. With all that said, they got on stage, ripped through their set and had a great time doing it. That excited energy bled all over the crowd, and was given right back.
A lot of times when I really dig a band’s recordings, seeing them live might take it down a notch for any of a number of reasons. (It can also make me get into a band I wouldn’t have otherwise if they’re really good on stage.) Maybe a poor performance, a bad attitude from a member(s), inability to act professional, or just a vibe they put out that turns me off. None of that happened with Begravement. They stole the show for sure.
- Torment – https://tormentmn.bandcamp.com/album/the-pain-ep
- Duluth
- 5 Piece (Vox, guitar, guitar, bass, drums)
- Bandcamp tags: beatdown deathcore, death metal, hardcore metal, Duluth
ÆRæder: Torment has been around for a bit, but still younger, and in the last few years have started building some momentum in the studio with some solid releases. Check out the review on their latest album, The Pain EP, here: https://mnbleedsmetal.com/rage-therapy-torment-the-pain-ep/ . This is the first time I’ve seen them, and the hardcore aspects of the band on stage really stood out. What I appreciate about this band is the hardcore seasoning sprinkled into some legit, heavy, brutal death metal riffage and rhythm. They picked up on the energy and circles Begravement induced, and added a bit of two-step to take it further.
- Bloodgeon – https://bloodgeon.bandcamp.com/
- Minneapolis
- 3 Piece (Vox/guitar, bass, drums)
- Bandcamp tags: black metal, death metal, extreme metal, metal, hard rock, heavy metal, rock`n`roll, Minnesota
ÆRæder: This show was billed as “Bloodgeon’s 20th Anniversary Bash”. Kudos to them for having stuck it out for so long with legit pride and purpose! Their set was some solid meat and potatoes Death; plenty of headbanging and hair swinging on stage and in the crowd. Driving, relentless riffs and blast beats, and a noteworthy amount of shredding guitar work tastefully placed within most of the songs. Even though this was an early show, the crowd had started tapering a bit by the time Bloodgeon took the stage around 8:30…Not sure the deal here. Figured an early start time (5:00pm) would have kept the energy high, but five bands can get long if you are moving the whole time. If you left early you missed out; these dudes brought it.
Highlights
ÆRæder:
- The sound, especially the bass in each act. Pruett set a HIGH bar for the others, and for the most part they did well in following up. That dude is probably one of my favorite metal musicians to see live.
- The mix of bands; similar, yet different, and the order of the lineup seemed to flow well. I can tell it’s a good show when I take a ton of pics and vids of things that stand out to me. I had A TON of good (shitty iphone) material to look back on to relive the event and jog my memory for the review.
Iron Mike:
- The sheer amount of talent in all these bands. My mind is regularly blown by the fact that the local TC Scene doesn’t get worldwide recognition and these bands just pushed that further for me. MN has no lack of world class metal musicians and an abundance of world class bands.
- Good job to Bloodgeon for hammering out 20 years of extreme metal! And for celebrating it with this killer lineup of local bands. And huge thanks to Amsterdam for giving a Saturday evening to the local metal scene!
Summary
ÆRæder: Great show at a great venue that does a good job of bringing in both local and nationally touring metal acts. They need to do more, and bring that local metal presence more solidly into St. Paul. Curious how the sound on stage was. There are a ton of PA speakers, and up front right in front of the stage it felt and sounded heavy.
Iron Mike: Killer bands, killer venue, killer show. If you missed it, you missed out.