Fucking Amazing.
There aren’t enough words to describe the show I just saw. I can try though. What Passes For Winter, Blood By Dawn, SWWAATS, Rose Funeral, and Architect played at The Dungeon tonight. While What Passes For Winter, Blood By Dawn, and Rose Funeral were good bands, SWWAATS and Architect were incredible.
SWWAATS has had it’s share of struggles in the last year, since being signed to Nuclear Blast. Their new album, which is still undergoing some production work by James Murphy (Obituary, Testament). They’ve also got a new manager, Frank Watkins (Obituary).
In the last year, SWWAATS has lost 2 members of their band, which forced the release of their new album back nearly a year. Fortunately, they’ve filled the vacated slots with some amazing talent. One of the new folks, is the drummer.
JR Daniels doesn’t strike the casual observer as a Death Metal drumming afficionado. It probably didn’t help that he took the stage wearing the most horrendously lame Christmas sweater you’ve ever seen. He even managed to play the first couple songs in that cacophony of fleece sewn trees and ornaments. That’s an incredible feat, given how amazingly difficult SWWAATS material can be for a drummer.
Matt Simpson is the new guy on bass guitar. Matt definitely does look like a seasoned musician. He plays his parts very well. He has has a good balance of stage presence and restraint.
I had the chance to chat with Aaron and John after the show. Both are amazingly friendly guys, and I can’t express enough gratitude towards them for their hospitality to me. That’s the sort of thing that separates folks who like playing music from dedicated musicians. The best of musicians are part of the music, which means being part of the fans as well.
Architect was the headliner of the night. I’ve never heard them before (probably because they’re from New York), but I’m very glad I had the opportunity to hear them tonight. While outsiders might think Architect and SWWAATS are similar, there are a million differences between the bands. SWWAATS is a much more technical band than Architect. What Architect lacks in proficiency however, they amply make up for in sheer attitude.
At one point in Architect’s set, the singer handed the microphone off to the singer of Rose Funeral, who then handed the microphone off to another guy (I dunno who), who managed to sing the entire song without missing a beat. The band ended their set by literally demolishing it all. Some people pretend to have issues, but these guys will fuckin rip your face off.
The show was put together by the Sanchez Sisters. Both of which are in film school in Orlando, somehow have the time to put together shows on the side. A ton of praise should be given to them, for rounding up the talent for such a killer show.
SWWAATS and Blood By Dawn will join Obituary on Dec 19th in Tampa. The show should prove to be equally exceptional. If you’re reading this, you definitely should go.
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