Iowa City was packed on the eve of the highly anticipated Cy-Hawk game (sadly, the Hawks lost) on Friday night. While the college students were hitting the street to party non-stop, something different was brewing inside Gabe’s. Something dark, break-neck & evil. An evil invocation was beginning unbeknownst to the gleeful students & visitors surrounding the downtown area as Goatwhore, Vitriol & Necrofier were set to take the stage. The acolytes of this spurned event descended into the pits of chaos that awaited them.
Our first of this unholy liturgy that was taking place was Phantom Threat, a local band known for breakneck speeds & hardcore-like energy. And controlled chaos was the theme of this sermon. The vocalist’s wild and enigmatic performance, clambering into the rafters & within the disciples that were still amassing, Pure, raw energy delighted the onlookers & brought forth the prelude for the night to come.
Next to take the dais & begin their Satanic ritual was the Melodic Black Metal band from Houston, Necrofier. Christian Larson’s mic stand was adorned in antlers & skulls, presumably of past rituals. As they began their ceremony, Christian held high, a Ram’s skull as an offering to the wicked beasts that were about to commune with the crowd in miserable adulation. The low drone of the intro could only sustain for so long & the lightning fast blast beats & shredding of the band suddenly flooded the crowded room. Blast beats from Dobber Beverly provided the bed for the wall of sound black metal has achieved legendary status for, as the high pitched screams from Christian pierced over the cacophony of shredding guitars & footwork to spread the dark lyrics for the listeners to engage in fellowship with. The cramped stage did not allow for much movement between the members, but Christian was allowed some maneuverability to stand over the excited metalheads that craved for a closer look at their cleric leading them in worship. Smoke billowed from the machine, but did not provide the ambience that one may have hoped and was the only mark against an otherwise fantastic set for the band’s first real outing for this leg of the tour. For the hardcore Black Metal fan, Necrofier is a worthy addition to the bill & is sure to find new fans with their well-crafted performance.
As the stage was being assembled for Vitriol, there was a silence that fell over attendants. What was the setup going to be? Would they mention the recent & sudden departure of longtime bassist Adam Roethlisberger from the day before? As far as the setup was concerned, if you ever wanted a close up look at Technical Death Metal drumming & Matt Kliner’s inhumane speed & finesse, now is your time to experience a front row seat to some double snare blast beat action. You could feel the anger & pain at Adam’s sudden departure in both Kyle Rasmussen and Matt’s performances. Kyle brought forth their shared feelings in between songs. Despite the lack of bass, Vitriol impressed the crowd with their skill & technicality in each respectives craft. Kyle’s raw aggression, possibly enhanced with the fresh wounds, truly transformed their performance of such songs as Shame and Afterbirth and the hauntingly beautiful instrumental Survival’s Careening Inertia off their 2024 release Suffer & Become. The group of onlookers surrounding the stage were in awe of the performance that laid bare before them. Everyone was gobsmacked at the precision & ferocity of the drums, while being enthralled with Kyle’s belligerent and exact performance. The 2-piece only had two, slight technical issues that were more of a minute annoyance than a roadblock. Mid-song, Kyle’s primary guitar had a string break near the final minutes. Providing us a glimpse at a raw, clean drum track until Kyle could effortlessly pick up mid-ending of the song. For the final song, there was a false start due to Kyle’s pick-up coming loose and needing to be tightened down. But as Kyle stated he is “like Batman” as he always comes prepared. Someone in the crowd responded he should fire his guitar tech, to which Kyle playfully responded that his guitar tech gets paid nothing so not much would change. For the readers that are curious if Vitriol can still function as a 2-piece, the answer is a resounding yes. Their skills overcome the new adversity with ease, but we will all be curious who will replace Adam’s role in the band.
The ritual however, must continue & the main act has taken the stage. There was no time to waste for Goatwhore. They launched into their sermon with Hellish aggression & speed. Robert “Trans Am” Coleman’s rapid assault on the bass complimented Sammy Duet’s furious strumming on guitar. Louis Ben Falgoust dominated the stage with his screams & growls, getting up close and personal to the devout followers that were screaming every word, headbaning & circle pitting to show their love and admiration of Goatwhore and Blackened Death Metal alike. Zack Simmons’ precise drumming drove the beat through the speed & ferocity of each song. The band never skipped a beat playing such songs as Alchemy of the Black Sun Cult, Born of Satan’s Flesh, Angels Hung From the Arches of Heaven & the fan favorite of the night: Carving Out the Eyes of God. The only reprieve from their crushing liturgy was small breaks for tuning & water to replenish energy. While Falgoust made sure to high five & fist bump every one he could; even those “too cool” to do anything but cross their arms in solemn appreciation for the act before them. The acolytes demanded more from their leaders on stage and Goatwhore delivered a set for the ages. No one went home that night unsatisfied and for those of us who experienced Goatwhore for the first time, never was there a better venue to appreciate the experience & skill the New Orleans group brought to Iowa City. With plenty of more shows for the remainder of the month; there will be many more rituals to perform & new followers to gain. But as for Gabe’s in Iowa City, the pits of Hades have been shut, festering while they await their call for the next worthy summoner to appear.
Now is the time to live vicariously through the images that were captured of the Venomous Evocation that transpired:
Phantom Threat
Necrofier
Vitriol
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Goatwhore
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