ADDED COLOR + THE MAXINES + INFINITE FREEFALL
FRI SEP 4 | 8 PM | COASTAL EMPIRE BEER CO.
Decades ago, Rush showed the world how a traditional rock power trio can come across like an army of musicians. Proper use of synthesizers adds weight, drama, and fullness to strong songwriting. Added Color has figured this out as well.
The band formed when São Paulo brothers Daniel (drums) and Kiko (keys/guitar) Soares moved to Brooklyn and teamed up with guitarist Tim Haggerty. All three sing, adding big harmonies to the slick, massive sound. Style-wise, it’s a compelling blend of hard rock, accessible industrial, and non-violent metal. Brazilian rhythms show up occasionally, as do touches of new wave and alternative rock.
The vocal mood and mature vibe recall Placebo’s Without You I’m Nothing. The modern hard rock is akin to Filter’s Title of Record. The soaring, majestic wall of music works a lot like Type O Negative, without so much darkness and gloom. Somehow, it never feels confused. What you can hear is confidence and the talent to back it up.
Speaking of confidence, Maxines frontwoman AJ Grey puts on a live self-assurance symposium every time the band takes the stage. Savannah mainstays of the highest order, their modern grunge style was way ahead of the current ‘90s retro craze.
Formed in 2021, they dropped their sophomore LP This Is What Happens back in March. It’s a strong step forward, cramming more metal into the songs. Guitarist Maddie Oke continues to churn out chunky, head-bobbin’ riffs, and that killer buzzsaw tone has more menace for Grey to play off of.
Charleston’s Infinite Freefall gives the bill its unintentional theme: immense sound. Added Color uses synths, The Maxines match a Gibson SG with thunderous rhythms, and Infinite Freefall builds a thick haze of shoegaze atmospherics that can envelop a room.
Like the headliner, they shake up a genre cocktail of post-punk, space rock, electronic, and danceable garage rock. Synths add fullness and layers that give the entire presentation a psychedelic edge, but referring to them as that alone would be shortchanging an endlessly interesting band. As always, the vocals of Maxton Stenstrom stand out and pierce the din.
LOOSE HELMET + BREATHWISH
FRI SEP 4 | 8 PM | STARLAND YARD
Starland Yard is a strong supporter of local bands, but the family-friendly space doesn’t screw around when it comes to out-of-towners. Mexico City skate-punk/dub act Cardiel and Nashville/Dublin pub rockers The Sleeveens are prime examples of the risky and adventurous. Loose Helmet continues that trend. The Houston four-piece runs through a bevy of prefix punk, including art-, post-, garage-, synth-, and electro-.
The band itself calls it “weirdo synth punk.” Guitars are sharp and angular, packing loads of treble. Keyboards supply odd tones and spacey textures. The rhythm is tight, but the show is intentionally ragged and chaotic, underlining the suffix in the aforementioned subgenres. Moments of snotty abrasiveness (Flesh Simulation) outpace rare examples of harrowing sadness (Kill the Pain), but there is more range than an initial listen might suggest. What’s really unexpected are the two smooth trance remixes of otherwise grinding original compositions Little Death and Weird Fantasies.
Support comes from newer Savannah emo/math rockers Breathwish. Featuring former Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir bassist Aaron Cooler on guitar, the band tore it up at the Tanner Hamilton benefit show and has already been booked to open for post-hardcore touring act Glitterer at District Live on Sept. 21. That’s a sweet gig, but this one is free.
BURIED WITHIN + CORRUPTED EMPIRE + STABBED TO SUBMISSION + NECROFEAR
FRI SEP 4 | 8 PM | THE WORMHOLE
Unadulterated metalcore can get a little blurry with no unique selling point. Buried Within fixes that problem with a few audio and visual diversions. Symphonics, goth, and post-hardcore seep into the sound, and a variable set of corpsepaint patterns decorates their faces. When the Atlanta quintet is not looking like the feral children of King Diamond, they lean toward an evil dead clown motif. Naturally, they just played the Gathering of the Juggalos.
A Corrupted Empire live show is as reliable as a Honda four-cylinder and the sunrise. Scene favorites that play out consistently, they keep getting invited back because they deliver the goods. The furious metal is decorated with guttural vocals, crushing breakdowns, and grooves as deep as an axe wound to the chest.
Stabbed to Submission must spew the vast majority of venom and rage from their pleasant little hometown of Greenville, S.C. Their brand of highly aggressive hardcore and metal isn’t often found in a town known for a quaint downtown, impressive art scene, and natural beauty. If the sewer there ever explodes, sending blood and shit everywhere, the Greenville po-po will know who to blame.
Atlanta deathcore beasts Necrofear have turned heads in their two-year existence. Interesting syncopation and unusual rhythm patterns give the expected punishing breakdowns and throat-destroying vocals a break from carrying the unimaginable weight of the songs. Their full-length Hades intertwines the topics of video games and our dark lord and master. Who knew Atari would lead to this?
MAXIMUM QUEEN
FRI SEP 4 | 7 PM | COACH’S CORNER
With a name like Queen and high-profile theatrics in their music and live shows, some Neanderthals might think Freddie and the boys weren’t too tough. One famous story ends this dated thought process. Almost a half-century ago in the summer of 1977, Queen was recording News of the World in the same studio where the Sex Pistols were cutting Never Mind the Bollocks.
An inebriated Sid Vicious, a man so devoid of talent that hardly any of his “playing” made it to the record, invaded Queen’s space. While the band was recording future classics like We Will Rock You and We Are the Champions, Vicious mockingly asked whether they had “brought ballet to the masses yet?” Freddie, not too amused, called him “Simon Ferocious” and physically tossed his ass out of the room.
Bringing the voice and personality of Freddie Mercury to legions of fans who were too young to see the real thing, or not ready to give up on it, also takes grit and resolve. Martyn Jenkins of Maximum Queen has been singing the songs for more than three decades. The music industry may be unfair and insane, but a tribute artist lasting this long is no easy feat.
The U.S. version of his band has been in the game since 2010, and if there is one example of a true meritocracy in the business, this could be it. Maximum Queen recreates an early ‘80s live show with note-for-note accuracy, full vocal harmonies from all members, and Jenkins up front displaying the benefits of studying a legitimate rock legend for 35 years.
AJEVA
SAT SEP 5 | 8 PM | BROUGHTON STREET BOWL & BREW
Despite being from St. Petersburg, Florida, a city-by-the-beach, Ajeva dwell in a fertile swamp where funk, jamtronica, and psychedelic rock grow tangled and go deep. The five-piece started back in 2013, building a reputation backed up by the company they keep. They’ve shared stages with jamtronica pioneers The Disco Biscuits, jam-funk kings Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, and acoustic jam rocker Keller Williams. All that said, they aren’t a noodle factory.
The groove is paramount, their songs have hooks, and their improv skills can make a four-minute single a 15-minute trip without getting lost inside themselves. It’s a ton of quality musicianship for a free show. Plus, you can dance to it.
by Frank Ricci