Coming all the way from Connecticut, Currents got Lakewood jumping as they opened up the main show. This metalcore band captured the attention of the crowd at the Foundry in Lakewood, Ohio with shifting tempos and ferocious drops. Playing to a smaller crowd didn't stop this group from commanding the stage and tearing open the ears of the citizens of Lakewood.
Taking the stage with Apnea, they hyped up the crowd with their heavy tempo changes and clean, vicious vocals. As they continued to play through their set, they highlighted their synchronicity and blend of clashing drums and melodious guitar rifts as their lively stage presence and ever-changing feel continued to draw in the crowd at the Foundry.
Coming out fists swinging with some of the most nefarious vocals to hit this side of the midwest was Aversions Crown. Flying all the way over from Brisbane, Australia, this deathcore group knew how to open the floor up. Sticking mainly to their newest album, Xenocide, they did veer of course a bit and played Hollowed Planet off of their second album Tyrant.
With Xenocide being their heaviest record to date, I'm glad their set list was for the most part comprised of songs from that album. Inciting the first riot of the night, Mark Poida's malific howls tore through the crowd and induced a rage only satiated on the floor. Combining sinister guitar melodies with extraordinary drumming, this band enticed the crowd unlike any other that night.
Skipping over the main support slot (for obvious reasons) I'm going to move on to Within the Ruins.
Where do I start?
Having had their lead vocalist drop off the tour due to health issues, this band still came on and tore the fucking house up. Thankfully, former Silence The Messenger vocalist Steve Tinnon stepped up on short notice and was incepted into the show and filled the role with gruesome and enticing growls. With their sound being sightly altered with the new vocalist, it didn't stop the rest of the group from slaying the stage. Giving Tinnon a break after a few songs, Joe, Andrew and Kevin took over with the Ataxia Medley, and man was it BADASS. Bred for the sole purpose of highlighting the true talent of their instrumentation, it did not disappoint. These guys hit the stage with such malicious intent, one couldn't help but to thrash. And thrash we did. (Well...some of us...others not so much).
Playing through all Ataxia (I,II,III,IV) releases, the predatory guitar solos and use of the whammy bar were enough to blow one's fucking mind. Augmented only by the slamming bass, exceptional peddling and thunderous crashes from Kevin "Drummer" McGuill, the sound reverberated through the minds of the masses and encouraged them to assault the floor. Following this menacing mash-up, Steve Tinnon took the stage again with the group and continued to impress. Adding a deeper range and a more baleful sound, he blended with the group like he was there from day one (despite only having a few weeks notice to learn the set).
This video is from the Santa Cruz, CA tour date.
With an imposing stage presence, he encouraged the crowd to scream along and even put a few of them on the mic (including your very own). Even with a shortened set list, Within The Ruins indulged Lakewood's hunger for destruction and left us wanting more. I would love to see how Within The Ruins' energy resonates through a larger crowd and venue...maybe next time we can get them on a bigger stage. Warped Tour 2018?