First, my apologies to the bands and venue for the very late coverage of this event. I have had some personal issues I’m dealing with and am on hiatus from this site for awhile, but I’m told it is important that this coverage goes live even at this late date. This incredible black metal tour hit The Pyramid Scheme way back on May 30th (incidentally my older son’s 21st birthday, and tickets to the the show were his present). Read on below for my thoughts on the night.
The Venue – The Pyramid Scheme
It’s well documented by this point that The Pyramid Scheme is my favorite venue in Grand Rapids. MoshPitNation has a close relationship with The Intersection, and rightly so, as they are also a fantastic venue, but I’ve been going to the Scheme since long before I joined the MPN team. If you’ve been to the Scheme, you know it’s quality, from the staff, to the pinball machines in the front room, to the near perfect setup and size (for my tastes) of the back room where shows happen, to the choice of acts they bring to Grand Rapids. This night was no exception, as the Scheme hosted another fantastic event.
Spirit Possession
Up first was Spirit Possession from Portland, Oregon. Going in, I didn’t know much about this project, though I had heard the promo for at least one of their releases, likely “Of The Sign…” from 2023. My memory is that I thought is was fine, but with so much coming in, the album didn’t make it to the review list. After seeing them live, I’m of the opinion that I really didn’t get what they were doing. The project is a duo (I didn’t know that) made up of A. on drums and synth (drums live…I think the synth must be pre-recorded. The drum performance was impressive though), and S. on guitars and vocals. One aspect I didn’t understand until seeing them live is that S. plays without a pick, fingering all the guitar work in some very unique ways. I spent most of their set watching S.’s right hand. I would go see this project again and am certainly more interested in delving into their so far brief discography than I was before.
Antichrist Siege Machine
I’ve been a fan of these war mongers from Richmond, Virginia for some time and was very excited to see them. I’m happy to report that they did not disappoint. From the opening moments when RZ came out with their signature spike guard knife and drove it into the top of a cab, they brought the brutality. SB hit his drum kit as hard as I’ve ever seen with both speed and ferocity, all while also handling primary vocal duties. The guitar work of RZ was also suitably obliterating. There’s something special about good war metal in a live setting, and here ASM proved the case further.
Spectral Wound
Up next, from Montreal, was the band my son was really there to see (I was excited about them too). I had to chuckle a bit that they came out on stage with more members than the first two bands combined. The quintet of Illusory (drums), Sam (bass and vocals), Patrick and A.A. (guitars), and Jonah (vocals) was, if anything, more impressive than expected. Their stage presence was magnetic, and their sound was essentially perfect, as far as I could tell. When they started playing Frigid and Spellbound halfway through the set (which contains one of the best riffs in all metal, for my money), the place went wild. It was clear that the audience knew the band, that song in particular, and were thrilled to hear it live. Overall, Spectral Wound was the clear favorite of the night for me, and for many in the crowd.
1349
The final act of the night was the mighty 1349 from Norway. Having been around since 1997, they are second wave black metal veterans and performed as such. The expected tremolo riffs and blast beats were in place. They sounded tight and looked like the veterans that they are. A strong end to a strong night.
