Feb 20, 2010 – By Brian Cross

The Webster Underground in Hartford, CT may be a tiny venue, but it was bursting at the seams with some serious heavy metal when Skeletonwitch played there on February 20, 2010.

Howl

First up was local metalcore band Starvation. Their set was brief but unremarkable, save for a cover of Celtic Frost’s “Procreation (of the Wicked).” Following them was Howl, who sounded like a sludge and doom metal hybrid. They’ve only got a CD sampler out now, and they’re trying to drum up support for their upcoming debut; given their well-received performance, I don’t think they’ll have trouble acquiring fans as the tour continues. Next on the docket was Iron Age, another metalcore band. Their songs often started thrashy, before slowing down into a post-rock groove. As more and more fans started arriving at the Underground, it was Iron Age’s job to rile them up. The final opening band was the post-metal act Doomriders. Even though they were just an opener, there was a throng of devoted fans out to show their support. There might’ve been just as many Doomriders fans as there were Skeletonwitch fans! The band played some older material, as well as plenty of songs from their latest release, “Darkness Come Alive.”

And then…there was Skeletonwitch. The Athens, Ohio-based lords of metal wasted no time, beginning their set with the blistering “Submit to the Suffering,” then going straight into “Upon Wings of Black.” While this tour was to promote their new album “Breathing the Fire,” Skeletonwitch also bestowed songs from “Beyond the Permafrost” upon the crowd, seamlessly mixing them into the more recent selections. Aside from the flesh-rending music that Skeletonwitch cranked out, they were all about adding a bit of rock ‘n’ roll atmosphere to the tiny venue. They made good use of a fog machine, strobes, and even antlered deer skulls hanging on amp stacks drenched in crimson light. It doesn’t get much more metal than that! Vocalist Chance Garnette is the quintessential metal performer; he made sure to get right in the crowd’s face while unleashing his guttural growls and death shrieks. Additionally, Chance mimed sword thrusts, breaking bones in two, and even ripping off his own face during the course of his performance, all perfectly in time to the killer riffs. At no point during the set did the band’s energy diminish, and neither did that of the crowd. At times, the pit nearly spilled onto the stage, and that only made the band play harder. Most importantly, though, was the sense of gratitude that Skeletonwitch conveyed. They made sure to tell the crowd on multiple occasions that they were proud to perform for their fans, and thanked everyone repeatedly for showing up and supporting their music.

Four opening bands, a killer set list, and Pabst Blue Ribbon flowing like blood…Skeletonwitch made their performance a night to remember. If you can’t see them on their headlining tour, be sure to catch them this summer in support of Cannibal Corpse!

For more information on:

Skeletonwitch : www.skeletonwitch.com

Doomriders:

Iron Age:

or their blog

Howl :

Starvation :