April 12^th 2019 will go down as one of the most important days in NYC Metal History. It is fair to assume that almost everyone in the New York City area was at a show that night. You had Dream Theater at Beacon Theater, Plini at Bowery Ballroom, Periphery and Dance Gavin Dance doing a sold out show at Playstation Theater, Psychroptic and Cannabis Corpse at Gold Sounds, Alesana and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at Kingsland, Uada doing a sold out show at St Vitus, and of course Baroness, Deafheaven and Zeal & Ardor at Terminal 5. Testimony from friends and fans who attended these shows has stated that all of these shows were packed to the brim.

We attended Baroness at Terminal 5 and we definitely made the right choice attending this one. All 3 bands on the bill were a perfect fit for one tour package, but also had plenty of differences that kept the show interesting. Plenty of people who attended this show were there to see all three bands, where as some may have been there to see one of the three specific acts, but regardless, as soon as doors opened at 6:30 pm that venue was packed on all three floors.

Opening this epic night, we have Zeal & Ardor. From St Vitus, to the Music Hall of Williamsburg to Terminal 5, Zeal & Ardor proved that night that they are beyond arena ready. The lights dimmed to signal the audience that the first act was about to begin. We heard a mysterious and atmospheric intro, the dim lights slowly immersed and Zeal & Ardor appeared on the stage as if they were there the whole time. Once they appeared, they let out their signature sound of aggressive soul, blackened stoner rock, and chilling Avant-garde sound. With their different sounds, they were able to insight a moshpit, a dance party and even tears for some people in the audience watching. They turned Terminal 5 from a concert venue to a brand new reality because not only did their sound create an environment, their lights and production supported it to a T. No matter where you stood in this large venue, you could not escape the atmosphere they created. Also have to give Nick Jost of Baroness a huge amount of props for filling in on bass for this tour. He pulled off each song perfectly note for note. Many fans of Baroness and Deafheaven are now fans of Zeal & Ardor.

Next, we get Deafheaven. Deafheaven has always had a unique sound combining shoegaze, melodic death metal and some black metal as well. It’s easy to simply refer to them as “blackened gaze” or “dream death”. Easily the heaviest band on the bill, the diameter of the moshpit nearly doubled and Deafheaven with their heaviness and their lights easily pulled you in to their own atmosphere and environment. Another thing that made them so unique was their stage presence. Most bands that utilize intense lighting and production tend to remain rather static on stage and let the overall environment speak for itself, which helps make the experience feel whole. Deafheaven however, hardly remained in the same spot the whole hour-long set. With their lights moving all around constantly, the rest of the band did the exact same thing. Everything at that venue started to move, from the lights, the people on the stage and of course, the people off the stage. Vocalist George Clarke is definitely a worthy opponent of George ‘Corpsegrinder’ Fisher with they way he was spinning his head and doing windmills. The sound of the screams over their dreamlike environment created both a dream and a nightmare. You could have easily have been sedated or terrified by their performance. Regardless of how you felt, Deafheaven was able to convey emotion no matter what, and again, no matter where you stood at the venue, you were not safe from the atmosphere they created. You were immersed in a new reality one way or another.

Finally, we get the headliner of the night, Baroness. Baroness is one of those bands that sound just as good live as they do on the album. Actually, while I was waiting to interview Zeal & Ardor, I was listening to them sound-check and I actually thought they were just playing their music through the PA. With that being said, while they sound just as good live, seeing them live is a completely different experience then listening to them through a pair of headphones. They kicked right in with their signature style of riffing, catchy rhythm and chilling, yet beautiful harmonies. With all their albums representing colors, it is always good how their lights adjust depending on what song they are playing. Someone who may like the band, but not too sure which song is off of what album can easily tell just by seeing them live. It is like having synesthesia. The colors support the music in which they play. Baroness live is able to trigger all five senses at their shows. What you hear is what you see as well which ultimately supports on what you taste, smell and ultimately feel. They were also able to make the audience part of the overall experience as well with easily the friendliest moshpit I have ever seen. Manuel from Zeal & Ardor actually participated as well. One minute, there was friendly pushing, some dancing, then your fair share of crowdsurfers, and even a conga-line, which was amazing and pretty funny at the same time. When Baroness kicked into Shock Me, we got the ultimate circle pit. Baroness themselves moved just as much on stage as the audience as well, which was impressive since it was the last night of the tour. We totally would have understood if they were a little tired and would have wanted to take a simpler approach on stage. Baroness created their own reality on stage as well as their own emotions. They were able to help us let out some aggression with songs like March to the Sea, let out some tears with a song like Chlorine and Wine, and create friendships when everyone was singing alone to Shock Me.

This concert proved the fact that at a metal show, there are no strangers, it is just friends we haven’t made yet. Once you entered this venue for this show, all notions of reality are completely gone. You entered a dream, a nightmare, and an atmosphere like no other. With all the shows that were happening in New York City that night, we sure as hell made the right choice this night.

Needless to say, this is easily one of the best shows of 2019

Baroness’s new album ‘Gold and Grey’ will be out June 14^th

Check out Deafheaven’s new album ‘Ordinary Corrupt Human Love’

Check out Zeal & Ardor’s newest album, ‘Stranger Fruit’