When we booked the Sindependence Metal Bash with the great staff at Fontana's Bar, they were concerned that not too many people would show up to the show since it was on Independence Day weekend. We literally told them that with the lineup we had in mind and the devotion of the New York City Heavy Music fans, that we would have a room full of hungry friendly moshpitters. This and more, is exactly what happened. So first of all, thanks so much to everyone who came!
The event kicked off at 8 PM with a DJ set by Alissa Shimansky from Brutal Bitches Productions, followed with a revolutionary rendition of the Star Spangled Banner performed by the very talented Cassandra Sotos. Why was this revolutionary? Well, she played the SPB with a 7 string electric violin that penetrated everyone's soul!
Without giving a chance for the attendees to take a deep breath, Tim Martinez (A.K.A. DJ Tim No 37) from No Mercy Metal welcomed Eyes Like Cyanide got on stage, who made a very strong statement through a crushing performance. There is no question in our minds, that they made every band that followed them step their game up for this very special night. We had never seen the band with their new vocalist Tracy Misery Gonzales, and she totally blew our minds up! The pipes on this young lady are up to par with any vocalist out there! Whoever says that you need balls in order to be able to brutally scream like a maniac, is in the wrong!
Next up was Ashes Of Your Enemy from central New Jersey who delivered a vulgar display of power and sounded like musical dynamite! Its always refreshing when a band gets the crowd moving, and the crowd gets the band moving. They will definitely be part of future Horns Up Rocks events and if you haven't check them out yet, you HAVE TO!
Just when the crowd thought the night was going to mellow down, No Remission took center stage and once again performed their brand new album titled "Through Blackened Skies" with a lot of power, stage presence, and great attitude. They also got the floor shaking when they covered Pantera's "Domination", for which our founder Jo Schüftan stepped on stage to do backup vocals. This guys are on the right side of the tracks!
"Death of the American Dream" is the new full-length album by Lies Beneath, and on Saturday night they presented it to a full room of headbangers with a flawless set. During their furious performance, the Serr brothers thanked their mom in front of everyone after everyone sang Happy Birthday to their singer Nick, which we thought was very Metal! What we really liked about Lies Beneaths' performance, is that their new songs transmitted very naturally on stage, and the whole band was on point! This is another band you must check out, and what better way to do that then by purchasing their new album (
Click to Purchase)?
Ending the night of mayhem was Brooklyn's own Alekhine's Gun, a band that we have dubbed as the most extreme Heavy Metal in the New York Heavy Music scene. These guys got on stage with the arduous task of following four bands that could have easily headlined the show. But Alekhine's Gun are always fired up and nothing can stop them! They always seal and deliver a can of whoop ass to the crowd, who always leave with their melted faces when their vocalist "The Crusher" gets close to them and rages out her powerful lyrics. And for the record, this band consistently brings in a very good amount of heads to their shows, so we think you should feed your ears some Alekhine's Gun, you will NOT be disappointed.
All in all, the Sindependence Metal Bash was a complete success! Our next event will be the Mahavatar CD Release Show on Saturday, August 6, at Mercury Lounge in New York City. Hope to see you all there!
"Holy fuck! Nights like this remind me of why I started Horns Up Rocks! The sense of unity inside that was present inside that basement inspires me to keep working hard at booking the best Heavy Music shows in New York City, and soon in a town near you! I want to thank my partner in musical crime Alissa Shimansky from Brutal Bitches Productions, the staff at Fontana's Bar for kicking ass, Nick Serr and the Lies Beneath dudes for giving Horns Up Rocks the chance to present their album release show, Eyes Like Cyanide, No Remission, Ashes Of Your Enemy, and Alekhine's Gun for being a pleasure to work with! And most importantly, I want to thank everyone who came out and celebrated Independence Day the METAL way with some pure American Metal!" - Jo Schüftan (Founder of Horns Up Rocks)
Photo credit:
Steve Lars
Related links:
Lies Beneath
Alekhine's Gun
No Remission
Ashes of Your Enemy
Eyes Like Cyanide
Brutal Bitches Productions
Cassandra Sotos
No Mercy Metal
