Another Round Bar and Grill – Richmond, VA

Saturday night began with a burger and fries, getting me ready for what was to come, a killer show with some new-to-me bands. The first three were all from the Long Island/Hudson Valley area of New York, bringing something new to the area. A few of the regulars showed up again and brought a local energy while the New Yorkers brought a different, but very welcome, out-of-state vibe. One of the best things about this venue is the variety of Metal it offers along with comedy, karaoke, and better-than-usual bar food. Everyone who works here is friendly and makes the experience of a show there worth the price of admission. 

Grave Heist

Band Members:

  • Ethan Portes-Chaikin – Vocals
  • Zach Kenny – Guitars
  • Josh Obijiski – Guitars
  • Steven Gunther – Bass
  • Dan Shaw – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Long Game
  2. Territory
  3. Seventh Circle
  4. Never Enough
  5. Time To Die
  6. Hard 2 Breathe
  7. Blind Hate

New York sent some power and fury to Virginia. First up was Grave Heist, a Hardcore/Thrash Metal crossover band with Groove metal influences that just wanted to play. Using Hardcore riffing coupled with Thrash-inspired solos/leads, they amped the crowd up, getting the night started just like it should have been. They set the bar for energy, using the stage as a playground for chaos. The rhythms supported the guitars and the distorted vocals rounded out a frenetic sound that filled the room.

Speaking of sound, the mixer tonight was absolutely on fire. Each band was impressed with how well the mix was done and that the monitors and speakers covered everything they needed for their shows.

No one in the audience was sitting still. At this point, the crowd was a little older, so not as eager to form a pit, but they were in a groove and loving what they were hearing. A couple of the younger people did try to get more active, but there just didn’t seem to be enough fuel to start a proper fire. Despite that, Grave Heist blasted through their set and left the air charged with more than just electricity. This was one of those nights you knew was going to be awesome, even if you couldn’t really explain why.

I have to give a special mention to “Seventh Circle.” The intro was freaking cool and that song blew my mind. If I have to choose a favorite song from this set, this is it. It was the perfect Crossover Metal track for their style and attitude. That song grabbed me by the throat and did not let go. The show was so impressive that the guy at the door yelled that Grave Heist was his new favorite band. That is coming from the dude that sees almost if not every, show that goes through this venue. Grave Heist did their job tonight and Virginia is a better place for having hosted them.

Coronary Thrombosis

Band Members:

  • Jordon Mamaluke – Vocals
  • Giana McEnza – Vocals
  • Matty Doreson – Guitars/Vocals
  • Oli Sucio – Guitars
  • Paul Gruntz – Bass
  • Bill LaMothe – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Bonesaw Sodomy
  2. Coronary Thrombosis
  3. Tutti Frutti
  4. Chemical Masturbation
  5. Fisted And Penetrated Afterlife
  6. Vaginal Meatgrinder
  7. Tomb For All Mankind
  8. Barbequed Baby Bites

Coronary Thrombosis brought six people to this one. They had the old and the new vocalists, each having a similar sound but with differences that are notable enough to mention. Jordan was pure low-end with nothing but Death Metal fury. Gia brought some of that but also had a higher register squeal that added another dimension to the vocals. When they stalked the stage together, feeding off each other’s spirit, they brought a unique tone to their Death/Slam tone.

The drums stayed somewhere over 200 BPM for the entire show. Do not, under any circumstances, try to arm wrestle Bill. After that display, I have no doubt his forearms are steel cable. The bass was completely on the opposite end of the spectrum, running at a Sludge/Doom tempo, holding the pace beautifully. The twin guitar assault was based on speed as they tried to race the drummer. One of the guitarists had an injured hand and still managed to stay on tempo (though he said he did feel a little off). Dude, your hand damn near got crushed and you still shredded, take the win.

This set contained some nasty fucking breakdowns. Even the bass, which spent most of the time in a Melodic Metal tempo, slowed things down for these. My favorite breakdown was during “Chemical Masturbation.” There was just something about how they dropped the speed yet kept the power. Long Island Death Metal is something you have to see to believe. I need to get to New York one day to witness this in its’ natural habitat.

Sickbay

Band Members:

  • Jeremy – Vocals
  • Jim – Guitars
  • John – Bass
  • Chris – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Punishment Of A Sick World
  2. Cursed Child
  3. Prisoners Of War
  4. Faceless Lobotomy
  5. Insidious Intentions
  6. Fueled By Hate
  7. Controlling Corpses

Sickbay is more of a Melodic Death Metal with shades of Deathcore. Also hailing from the Hudson Valley area, they use the bass for the rhythm/riff feel and the guitar for leads and solos in addition to supporting the riff. The drummer spent more time in a Melodic Metal tempo rather than going full blast beat all the time. The vocals ranged from the low gutturals to a higher squeal, mirroring the previous band somewhat.

Sickbay is guitar-heavy, but they allow time for the bass and drums to step out front for a couple of leads. The guitars tend towards Death Metal for the rhythms but feel like they cross over into Thrash Metal fairly often. Straddling that line was probably the second most impressive feat of their set. Musically, they are tight, well-rehearsed, and right on time/tempo.

Speaking of killer facets of this set, Sickbay likes to play with the speed of their rhythms. Some tracks have a repeating rhythm that slowly speeds up, drops, and then speeds up again. Other songs go from faster to slower in the same way. The differences in speed are not huge; it’s not like they are going from 80 – 180 BPM, and then back to 80. The speed shifts are subtle but noticeable. It was fun to watch them do this with excellent synchronization. Three bands in and it’s obvious the New York scene, whether you’re talking Death, Melodic, or Hardcore Metal, is alive and well.

Sacrificial Betrayal

Band Members:

  • Tom Fuller – Vocals
  • Aaron Setliff – Guitars
  • Morgan Murphy – Guitars
  • Nate Murphy – Bass
  • Brian Fisher – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Killer
  2. Violence Captivates
  3. Gorilla
  4. Pathbreaker
  5. Slaughterhouse
  6. Coffin Confessor
  7. In Death We Unite
  8. Internal Decapitation

And now for the headliner! Sacrificial Betrayal knew they had to bring their A-game to the stage. After three killer bands from distant lands, and knowing parts of this show were going to be filmed for an upcoming video, they took the stage with pride and determination. Then, they proceeded to rip the roof off the place!

Tom was fired up. He spoke a little less than I’ve heard him during other shows, but he was more animated. He wanted this one to be special. He came off stage numerous times and got right up in the faces of those holding cameras. He stalked the floor, looking for people who wanted to get involved. During “Slaughterhouse,” he came to the edge of the stage and got three fans to help him get the rage of the song across. I was happily one of those people, gleefully shouting “Slaughterhouse” into the microphone. I love audience participation.

The video they were shooting is for my personal favorite song of theirs, “In Death We Unite.” The videographer roamed the edge of the stage for that song, capturing the band and crowd as they had something akin to a spiritual experience right there at a Hardcore Metal show. Ozzy said it best when he uttered the phrase “’Cause Rock and Roll is my Religion and my Law.”

I rarely go in the pit anymore. At my age, with my screwed-up back, one wrong hit and I’m flat on my back for a week unable to walk. I made an exception tonight, though fortunately, there were no collisions. During “Internal Decapitation,” both guitarists and the bassist came into the crowd and formed a triangle while some of us circled them. Those who stayed in one place pumped fists into the air. We all knew this was a special night for the band. They’d been at the venue since 1 PM filming for this video and we gave them some cool shots for the live footage. That’s what fans do, they love their bands and try to help them in any way they can.

Ultimately, this was a night of fucking killer music. Two Death Metal bands sandwiched between two Hardcore acts. The crowd was smaller than I would have liked, but damn they had an undeniable energy. Gia from Coronary Thrombosis hit the circle pit a few times, members of all the bands did some Hardcore dancing, the old people tried to protect themselves in the safe spaces and four bands ripped Another Round a new one. What the crowd lacked in quantity they more than made up for in quality. Each band left it all out there, showing they deserve all the love they get from anyone who hears them.