Another Round Bar and Grill – Richmond, VA

It was a bit strange being at Another Round on a Monday night. I’m usually there on weekends, but this gave me an opportunity to catch a different side of the place. Monday night hosts a pool league, so I watched people who have actual skills play. The chicken and fries hit the spot and fueled me through the show. I wish the crowd had been a little bigger, but it was a Monday, so it’s hard to fault people who have to work the next morning. Those who were there got to see an excellent show. As always, the sound mixed well and the bands sounded great. Another Round maintained their mixing excellence through a fantastic show.

Ametropia

Band Members:

  • Tyler – Vocals/Guitars
  • Eric – Bass
  • Dave – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Erectative Execution
  2. Fright Night
  3. Exhumas
  4. Satanning Booth
  5. Operation Ametropia
  6. Original Sin
  7. Miasmatic

Ametropia is an Extreme/Death Metal band with a few wild curveballs in their musical arsenal. Tyler is the pup of the band. Both Eric and Dave have been around a long time, and that showed in how they handled the bottom end. The guitars were a combination of shredding and melodic. I was impressed with the different things from each musician. Tyler’s solos were closer to melodic in many places, not relying solely on speed or power. This, coupled with Dave laying off the blast beats to perform more intricate phrases, tied directly to the bass line was quite impressive. Then, Eric would occasionally throw in some slap bass and even did a few Jazz runs for good measure.

Most Extreme Metal bands fear getting away from anything that is not epic brutality, but Ametropia did this and it worked for them. They also did not throw heavy breakdowns into every song, though there were a couple. Fusing in bits of Doom, Melodic, and Jazz gave this band a unique feel. They hit on tonal choices that are very rarely heard, which I find brave. It takes cojones to stretch the limits that far and I applaud them for it. I hope these guys keep at this for a good long time. Tyler can learn a lot from Eric and Dave and they can use Tyler’s youth and vigor to keep themselves up with the trends. What a killer match!

Offensive

Band Members:

  • Nick Courtney – Vocals
  • Leon Sohail – Guitars
  • Rane Garmon – Guitars
  • Ashley Maccabee – Bass
  • Christopher Coleman-Bey – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Slaughter The Forsaken
  2. Your Devotion, Your Demise
  3. No Speed Limit
  4. Nowhere To Run
  5. Naruto
  6. King Of The Underworld
  7. Song Of Victory
  8. Babylon
  9. Outro/Ending

Offensive is a Speed/Thrash metal band with a tendency to crash over into Power Metal for fun and frivolity. Being a combination of some of my favorite styles, it was hard not to love them. Nick has a powerful voice that can get into heavy distortion or soar with some of the best Power Metal vocalists out there. I mean, he spent time in Vicious Rumors, one of the iconic bands of Power Metal. Now, he has himself surrounded with a different set of skills and this may be where he fits better. His ability to go gritty is something that sets him apart from many vocalists in his realm.

The band has a fantastic drummer. Christopher’s ability to shift in and out of blast beats is more than impressive. He uses excellent pattern variation to move the songs in and out of the Speed/Thrash realm to the Power side of the house. Helping him build the foundation is Ashley, a bassist capable of handling everything that was thrown at him. Leon took the backseat on guitars, handling most of the rhythms and supporting the riffs much of the time, though he did solo and even took on vocals for one song while Nick played rhythm guitar. Rane was the primary lead guitar and he is definitely capable of handling those duties.

This band hit the stage and did not stop once. They were highly motivated and driven to perform at the top of their game. Speed, accuracy, finesse, and technicality were the highlights. The show was intense and one I would go see again in a heartbeat.

Kazha

Band Members:

  • Kazuha – Vocals/Bass
  • Hideki – Guitars
  • Futa – Drums

Setlist:

  1. Fight no More
  2. Red
  3. Daybreak
  4. Face your Fears
  5. Wonderland
  6. Singing To The Same Stars
  7. Break Into Pieces
  8. Breathe Through Your Dreams
  9. Far And Wide

And now for a complete change of pace. Kazha is a Japanese band fronted by Kazuha playing bass and singing. Hideki is the guitarist and co-founder of the band. This is a Rock band and not anything like the Extreme or Speed/Thrash Metal they are playing with; however, they have a very real appeal to fans of more than just Hard Rock. First off, Kazuha has a dynamic, powerful voice. She can hit and hold very impressive notes. She hovers lower in the female vocal range but is capable of stepping up and hitting higher, head voice tones. And she does all of that while hammering down on her bass (check the picture above to see her epic instrument).

Hideki is a stunning guitarist. His tone and style range from precise picking to masterful hammer-on melodies during his soloing. He has an incredible ability to fit the guitar into the song without dominating the track. His playing leaves room for Futa to insert his drumming into the rhythm, coupled with the bass, and all of them build a perfect foundation for the powerhouse voice of Kazuha. Her belting vocals were mesmerizing, especially when she held some of those notes for extended times, showing off her remarkable control.

Kazha impressed everyone there despite being kind of the odd band out on the bill. As Kazuha said, they are used to playing conventions, not clubs, so this was a different atmosphere for them, yet they fit in beautifully. I have listened to a lot of their recorded music now, and know they shifted from a more Rock sound to Hard Rock for the live show, and that shift sounded perfectly natural. They know how to play to the audience in attendance, making sure to catch their attention. I for one, am a new fan and will be listening to them for years to come!

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

Once again, Sacrificial Betrayal and I crossed paths. I think this was the fifth time I’ve seen them since February. Somehow, they keep tightening up the set, showing that practice is something bands should do regularly. The guitars flow better into the rhythm, which is constantly improving as Nate and Brian become more cohesive, improving the nuances of the bass/drum patterning. Tom gets more animated every time I see them, gaining more of the frontman’s confidence. Granted, part of that is just becoming more of a fusion of his past and present personae. As a Marine, he became a warrior and as a singer, he’s becoming a leader, bringing the crowd into the show with both charisma and presence.

Aaron and Morgan consistently get their performance closer and tighter. Part of that is because Morgan is just so damn handsome (his top fan told me this is the reason). The way they interact, whether physically or musically, is hard not to notice. They can hit the riff together and go full juggernaut guitar tones or run separate, one holding the rhythm while the other takes the lead and gets into a zone. They work very well together in any capacity. Sitting at the back is Brian. He just quietly handles the kit like a pro, holding the tempo with Nate, and keeping the whole show on track.

Part of what was so cool about tonight’s show was the diversity. None of the bands fit into similar styles; we had Hardcore, Hard Rock, Extreme, and Speed/Thrash/Power Metal. This bill should have alienated at least one of the bands, but they all just kicked ass and showed us we just love music, not one particular style. Kazuha jammed with all the bands, Hideki watched all the guitarists, and Futa air drummed for every set. The bands all supported each other, cheering, waving their arms in the air, whatever moved them.

This was an epic show for that reason alone, then, when you add in the excellent music and musicianship, you see just how magic a night of live music can truly be.