Concert Review: Beartooth, The Holy Guile, Witness and more (Dayton, OH)

By Ryan G

Review by Jamarr Stokes

The metal scene is strong in Dayton.

The much-anticipated show at the Rockstar Pro Arena in Dayton was almost to capacity on March 16th, as 10 bands came through and put together an awesome show. This venue is somewhat new, but everything worked there. The acoustics were great and the venue had plenty of room for people. I should note that beside Beartooth, Witness, and Hail to the King, I hadn’t heard any of the bands before. I was pleasantly surprised by them, though as they were all good bands (some exceptional) and all deserve kudos for a good show.

The first band to go on was Pledges, a hardcore band from Cincinnati, Ohio. This was their first show in Dayton, but it didn’t matter, as they connected with the crowd early on in their set. There were some good things here, great tempo changes in their first song, some nice drum in the second song, and some nice breakdowns to boot. Their last song really had the crowd moving! They mentioned they are working on an EP, so be on the look out for that!

The second band was Square One. They are also a hardcore band, although don’t look them up under that name, as they said they are changing the name to Overstep. I had a few nitpicks with this band, the vocals were a bit rough and at times they seemed off-tempo. However, they had a decent sound and got the crowd moving so that’s always good.

The third band was Alyeska, a metalcore band from Sidney, OH. I didn’t really dislike their set, but it lacked the energy of the first two. Musically, however, they were very sound and talented. Expect to see more of them in the future!

The fourth band was It’s Either Me Or The Mailman, a metalcore band from Union, KY. The drummer had a broken symbol and was still laying down some awesome stuff, though the sound was off a little bit. Their vocals were very well done and they had some very good melodies. I kept feeling during their set, however, that their guitars weren’t loud enough. I’ll blame it on the sound guy. These guys gave a good show though, at one point the entire band (minus the drums) were sitting on the floor playing the song. They had a few songs that wow’d me, so these guys definitely get a thumbs up!

The fifth band to go on was Lammes Lane, a hardcore band from New Carlisle, OH. I actually almost didn’t get notes on these guys, as my phone almost died. The theme for this and the rest of the bands was great guitar play, because these guys brought it. They were working with some new songs and new backtracks so they weren’t as sharp as they could be in a couple shows, but they still were tight. Their third song had a very droning intro, almost like something you’d hear in a movie at the beginning of a big adventure. Really good set overall.

The sixth, and final “local” band to go on was Witness, a metalcore band from Dayton, OH. These guys are always killer, especially on this night. I’ve seen them about 4 or 5 times, but the crowd was as alive as I had seen them all night. Everything about this band is very well done, the vocals, the guitars, the drums, even the bass(even though at one point I told the bassist to turn his down cause I could hear it over everything). They actually started off their set with the Stone Cold Steve Austin entrance music, as it was National Stone Cold Day, which got the crowd going. They did a cover of “Too Close” by Alex Clare and the moshing was in full-effect at that point. They have an EP out, Of Great Importance, and we have done a review for that already. Lastly, they did shoot a video for their song “Infamous” here, expect to see that floating around soon!

The next band to go on was Watch This Burn, a metalcore band from Columbus, OH. These guys immediately wow’d me with their fantastic guitar work, reminded of bands like Coheed and Affiance with a few of the songs, and thats a great thing. Their sound is impeccable and in my opinion, should be looking at some big things in the future, like getting signed. They do have an EP out, “The Unveiling” and they’re working on another for the summer. Keep your ears and eyes open on these guys!

The seventh band to go on was Hail to the King, a hardcore band from Dayton, OH. I’ve seen these guys a few times, and they always bring their best. The crowd is always very hyped and always wild. Musically these guys are tight. They had a pretty good set.

The final band before Beartooth was The Holy Guile, a hardcore band that is just beyond words. Their lead singer is really short, but I was blown away at the vocals that came from his small frame. Their drums were also something worth noting. He had the biggest set of the entire concert and boy, did he know how to use it. Phenomenal skill from him had all the other drummers in the house mesmerized.  They also just put out an album, FSU. Definitely go check that out!

Last, but certainly not least, we had Beartooth. Beartooth is Caleb Shomo’s (ex-Attack Attack) new band and it was their second show overall. I was at their first show in Columbus and that was quite possibly the most awesome concert I’ve ever been to. Beartooth is tight musically, and despite that they have yet to be signed. The crowd was into all the songs and everything, however it didn’t seem to have the same energy as they did at Kobo Live. One thing I really noticed about Caleb just in general is that he speaks with so much conviction, whether he’s singing or talking in between songs. I also really connected with his lyrics, they meant a lot to him, so it felt good to sing along to. Overall though, it was a really great set and I’m looking forward to what they will be bringing to the table in the future.

Credit: Official Beartooth Facebook page

Credit: Official Beartooth Facebook page

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