“Turn the lights off, turn the lights off
Your daddy better lock up his girl
Say a prayer boy, call on the cross
Cause you ain’t got no more when the music comes on”
Every Time I Die will never be described as a “weak” band. Out on tour promoting their latest record, Low Teens, ETID has a reputation built for being the ‘in your face’ band. Having gained an audience the old fashioned way, through relentless touring and Warped Tour appearances galore, ETID always seems to bring it each and every performance. Earlier this year, Pittsburgh was able to witness them open for Fall Out Boy and not compromise their style, language, or stage antics regardless of a completely different demographic than their norm. It’s that type of integrity that keeps audiences coming back again and again and has much to do with why the band sold out Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh.
Opening with “Emergency Broadcast System”, the Buffalo-bred band burst onto the stage and immediately the crowd started a frenetic pulse wave with bodies flying in every direction. It’s all part of the good time that ETID provides, an outlet of letting off the monotony of the work week and losing oneself to the music. The 21-song set (which can be viewed here) was vast and deep, covering a lot of ground throughout their recording career that dates back to the late ’90s. The vocal work of Keith Buckley is gruff and gorgeous at the same time while the guitar work of the mustachioed Andy Williams pulverizes in quick downstrokes as Jordan Buckley adds the scorch with blazing leads. Of course, the rhythm of bassist Stephen Micciche and drummer Clayton “Goose” Holyoak add just as much ‘oomph’ as possible to make this thrilling combination.
It was great to see ETID in the more intimate setting of Mr. Smalls as well, often having to witness them on the, now defunct, Warped stages or as previously mentioned, at PPG Paints Arena. The band went on to a seel out extravaganza a few nights later in Buffalo when they hosted their annual Christmas party Tid’ The Season 2018 with great bands and Blackcraft Wrestling matches, including guitarist Andy Williams who professionally wrestles when he isn’t melting faces.
Speaking of having great bands, ETID brought some well-known heavy hitters and one up-n-comer. Vein, AngelDu$t, and Turnstile all bring unique sounds to the table. But it may have been Vein who made the biggest impression as the “breakout”.
Vein has actually been around since 2013 and hail from Boston. Having performed with the likes of Pittsburgh’s own Code Orange, the band has been touring relentlessly. Their 2018 release of Errorzone (2018, Closed Casket Activities) has finally put them on the hardcore map, but their range of metalcore, Nu-metal, mathcore, and screamo appeal to a big audience. If you can imagine Dillinger Escape Plan mashed with some Ministry and Stick To Your Guns you are getting the idea. They only got to play for roughly 20 minutes, but it was fiercely intense in sound and motion. If you missed them look out for them to be on quite a few tours coming up because they are worth getting to the venue early and often.
Angel Du$t (not to be confused with the German heavy metal band) is made up of a few members of Turnstiles and Trapped Under Ice while possessing a completely different style. More in the avenue of traditional punk and have sometimes been referred to as “girlfriend hardcore”, the Baltimore bunch has a pop-punk appeal while remaining fairly heavy. Having signed to Roadrunner this year, the band released “Big Ass Love” to some critical fanfare for its lyrical content and maturation by way of a more cheery tune. Singer Justin Tripp got close and personal with the crowd quite a bit and they loved him all the more for it. You can few the 15-song setlist here.
And last, but definitely not least. Turnstile turned it up to 11 before ETID went on. The band has a serious rep for putting on high energy shows and they definitely did not disappoint in Pittsburgh. Turnstile, also out of Baltimore (go figure), formed in 2010 and have two full-lengths and three EP’s to their credit so far. Typically described as hardcore punk, the band is led by the energetic Brandon Yates on vocals and is often said to have a 311 vibe. These guys are one of the biggest bands in hardcore despite defying many of the tropes of the genre. Also on Roadrunner their latest, Time and Space, is 25 minutes of hardcore mixed with R & B as well as nu-metal and dare one say prog-rock. They definitely do not fit the mold and maybe that is what is so damn appealing about them. That and maybe a performance that is not only riveting but exhausting in its force.
All photos 2018 AWeldingphoto- ETID
All photos 2018 AWeldingphoto- Vein
All photos 2018 AWeldingphoto- Angel Du$t
All photos 2018 AWeldingphoto- Turnstile