It was very cold night at the Corpus Christi, bay front venue Brewster Street Icehouse… It was standing room only for the people attending the February 11th, 2014 show. The energy could be felt immediately after entering the venue. Emphatic was doing their sound check as people started gathering up closer to the stage… After their sound check was finished the crowd gave a very enthusiastic cheer sure to pump Emphatic up for their performance later on…
The music over the loudspeakers faded gradually as the members of Emphatic, took to the stage via the photo-pit… One by one the band took their places on the small stage. Steadily the crowd’s cheers got louder & louder as front-man Toryn Green (former front-man for Fuel, For the taking & touring vocalist for Apocolyptica) made his way to the front of the stage via the back. Emphatic, opened their set with a very intriguing track Time Is Running Out, a power house ballad originally recorded for Toryn’s band For the Taking…
Emphatic, continued their set with their chart topper Get Paid, blowing the crowd away with the tracks catchy riffs & crunchy bass. Emphatic, then played another chart topper (their lead single of their 2013 album Another Life) Remember Me sending people’s heads bobbing & fists flying in rhythmic beat to the drums, which was nothing short of phenomenal.
They continued their night with tracks like Forbidden You, Life after Anger, Take Your Place & yet another hit single Put Down the Drink. To which after, Founding member, songwriter & Lead guitarist, Justin McCain Proceeded to tell the crowd to indeed not “put down their drinks” and to “make sure they tip the bartenders”… Emphatic, ended their set with their Title Track Another Life & yes yet again, another chart hit Bounce. Emphatic, left the crowd with mouths agape and eyes wide open as never has there been an opening act so well put together & music so tightly preformed as the band Emphatic.
The anxious crowd barely had time to recover from the first band before Gemini Syndrome took stage… The crowd still pumped up from Emphatic as it only took about 10 minutes for the set to be broke down & Gemini Syndromes set was in its place. Deep indigo blue lights enveloped the stage as the guitarist’s elevated platforms illuminated the mic stands… Bassist A.P. took stage first followed by Guitarists Rich Juzwick & Mike Salerno, drummer Brian steel Medina… Last & certainly not least, the Amazing front-man Aaron Nordstrom. Each band member more than ready to wow the crowd with tracks off their first debut full-length studio Album LUX.
Gemini Syndrome’s night began hard & heavy with Left of Me, a solid, hard-hitting track sure to make the crowd jump on queue with the beat. The set continued on seamlessly with Belleview, A metal injected track that keeps bassist A.P.’s fingers busy sliding up & down the scale as well as truly testing front-man Nordstrom’s vocal capabilities, passing with flying colors. Soon after wowing the crowd with the heaviness of their metal Gemini Syndrome, played their lead single & first official video Basement, off their debut album Lux. Yet another track that seems to send the crowed jumping to the beat as if some unknown source was driving them to do so. This is something a lot of metal bands have been lacking yet Gemini Syndrome has this un-natural knack for. Do they know they do this to the crowd? I believe they do. Have they found the formula that grabs their fans by the booboo’s and makes them jump? The answer is an astounding YES!
Gemini Syndrome continued their night giving the fans exactly what they were wanting, needing & longing for with their track Syndrome… Briefly, Aaron Nordstrom, engaged the crowd with conversation. Dedicating the song Mourning Star, to those who hate certain things about their self(s) & wish they could change it/them… Gemini Syndrome began the track with some fast paced guitars, bass & drums spitting the lyrics “Sick of myself my world my life Get out of my way this truth can’t lie I stop myself every second I try every minute of time is an hour I die” out as fast as the track suggests it is.
‘Each fan was deeply affianced to the heavy-metal music and the dark, soul-touching lyrics that came along with it. Gemini Syndrome’s set continued on with their rocker Resurrection, and ending the night with their single Stardust! Producers Kevin Churko and Assistant Engineer, “Mr. Kane” Churko are up for an award during the Juno Awards for their work on the phenomenal, mind-numbingly genius hit Stardust.
This band’s live performance is not one to miss, when coming to your nearest venue. And the band’s album Lux is well worth the money.
The night went on as expected. Gemini Syndrome’s set was taken down & RED’S urban set took its place. Replica brick wall surrounding the drum-set & elevated, illuminated guitar stands with graffiti spray-painted to add to the urban environment look…
Red came out fast & heavy, something unexpected from how the band was described to this photojournalist. But then again this photojournalist is pretty bad at judging books by their cover(s)… RED, started off their set with If We Only, an amazing song that begins with an industrial warble combined with heavy chest vibrating bass hits & symphonic, keyboard orchestra-hits. Driving the fans wild with crunchy guitar riffs & Brazilian style drumming.
Off their latest album Release the Panic came RED’s hit Damage. The intro seemed like an interlude from the previous hit which blew lids right-the-f-off. More industrial warbles of a more pronounced kind began this song with more chest punching bass, whining guitar & crispy bass guitar & even more of that beautiful Brazilian drum beat, we all have grown to love through time with bands like Koяn & Soulfly.
The night rolled right along with hits like Faceless, Mystery of you & Lie to Me (Denial)… Each song better than before, RED then played their hit Feed the Machine… The song began with more fast paced crunch guitars & bass with heavy guttural screams coming from the depths of Michael Barnes emotions… More face pealing hits came from the band RED, like Hold me now, Already Over, Let Go & Fight Inside. But did it stop there? The answer is an Emphatic No (see what I did there?) they kept it going with Love will Leave a Mark, Death of Me, & Perfect Life. Just to leave the fans with two Phenomenal Encores! From their 2013 album Release the Panic, their title track Release the panic & Breath into Me, A Christian metal-ballad sure to turn heads of every rock genre Christian or not.
Review by: Jared Wingate
Red
Gemini Syndrome Live
Gemini Syndrome Posed
Emphatic
