August Burns Red brings heat to Rocketown

Metal is a pummeling, intense, passionate genre that no CD can truly capture. In order to understand the true nature of aggressive music, one must venture out to a venue and take in the ear-shattering sounds. One must experience the chaos of the crowd. One must witness the foolish young scene kid who ran into the pit, got punched in the stomach, and is now vomiting all over the floor (OK, most people could afford to miss that one). But the beast that is the heavy-music genre truly flexed its muscles Jan. 18at Rocketown.

Metal gurus August Burns Red headlined the main event, supported by Silverstein, Texas in July, and relative small-timers Letlive. The latter band took to the stage in front of a sleepy-looking crowd, and unleashed a spectacle that could only be described as a group of young adults that had far too much Red Bull and then learned to play some instruments. Vocalist Jason Aalon Butler was particularly energetic– constantly sprinting across the stage, doing front flips and generally acting like a mental patient.

Butler spent his time between songs introducing humor into the seriousness that permeates this kind of event. One point he spent some time dedicating a song to A Plea for Purging vocalist Andy Atkins and smothering him with praise, all while Atkins was present at the show. Another song was played in dedication of Linkin Park, with Butler exclaiming "This one's for Chester!"

One of the most noticeable things about Letlive's set what how practiced they sounded for a band that was so chaotic. The set list consisted of songs from their newest album Fake History, and was brought to the stage with all the skill of a seasoned touring band.

Next, metal act Texas in July took the stage. At the beginning of their career, the band seemed like nothing more than a less-experienced clone of August Burns Red. Indeed, none of their members were older than 18 at the time their debut EP was released. To be fair, while this similarity is still noticeable, undergoing a member change, releasing two more albums, and relentlessly touring has given them a more relaxed, natural sound.

They performed admirably onstage, working the crowd into a frenzy and forcing them to move to the sounds of their blast-beats and breakdowns. Their guitar work has grown a surprising amount. They played solos that could outperform many less talented heavy music acts that tend to be the center of alternative music's attention (see A Skylit Drive or Bring Me the Horizon for additional clarification).

The next act that took the stage seemed out of place upon first glance at the bill. Silverstein is one of the last bands in handful of surviving acts from the horrifying screamo trend of the early 2000s. While their early work was made up of nasally vocals and alt-rock guitars punctuated by throaty screams, they were forced to make the same decision that every screamo band had to make to survive: stay the same and risk becoming obsolete, go mainstream, or get heavier. Silverstein obviously chose the latter.

The band held their own in the night-long breakdown competition, and featured an increased frequency of growling and screaming. Unfortunately, the signature emo clean vocals were still present, making their set sound like a continuous whine. But, their showmanship was impressive, and they did not fail to keep the crowd attentive and involved.

And finally, the main attraction took the stage to the sounds of a flat-lining heart filling the speakers, and frenzied chants of "A-B-R! A-B-R!" coming from the crowd. All this was interrupted as the band launched into the song "Empire" from their new album Leveler and plunged the room into chaos. The pit cleared in seconds as the finely tuned guitars and drums filled the room.

Intensity is the best way to describe their set. Vocalist Jake Luhrs posed at the front of the stage and moved his arms like a man directing a choir, giving the impression that he held dominance over the evening. The combined effect of the ferocity of the players, combined with an excellent lighting setup made for a night that would not soon be forgotten by those in attendance.

This night, even with the low points, demonstrates why people should be taking advantage of Middle Tennessee's thriving music scene and get out to shows–especially heavy music, which is truly meant to be played live.