There is a certain kind of mid-week slump that can only be remedied through a savage sonic beatdown. This week, two of Austin, TX’s most prolific underground acts, Street Sects and Portrayal of Guilt, brought their particular brand of suffocating artistic tension to Off Broadway. The show brought out a crowd of like-minded artists and creatives from across the spectrum of St. Louis’ alternative scene, with a few visiting dignitaries from sister scenes in Kansas City and elsewhere as well.
The Patio Protocol: Critical Intel from Morgan
I arrived at Off Broadway just as the opening set from the local support, Man With Rope, had wrapped up. To get some context on MWR’s performance, I consulted a local expert, Morgan from South County, who was resplendently Goth in her face makeup which she applied with strategic assistance from a piece of angled cardboard to accentuate her cheeks. Morgan has seen Man With Rope at least five times, including a performance at Platypus in which a mosher accidentally decked their vocalist in the face but she kept performing. Morgan and I both agreed that this kind of endurance is the mark of a true performance artist.
Grateful for this critical intel, I thanked Morgan and proceeded to catch the tail end of Taraneh’s set. A melodic, post-grunge band from NYC fronted by the performance artist of the same name, Taraneh provided a mellow, melodic counterpoint to the intensity of the two headliners who followed her. She was high-spirited and a class act, thanking the crowd sincerely for showing up on a Tuesday night. As odd as it might sound given who she is touring with, I would compare Taraneh’s band favorably to Mammoth WVH, the post-grunge project fronted by Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang Van Halen. It left a similar impression of cathartic, relaxing, mid-tempo groove paired with impeccable musicianship that definitely left me interested in hearing more.
Hazel, a Visiting Dignitary from the KC Scene
Following Taraneh’s set, I met Hazel, who drove from Kansas City for the show. Hazel works for Merch Table, a merchandising and promotions company that has previously partnered with Portrayal of Guilt. Hazel lavished praise on Portrayal of Guilt’s more recent album …Beginning of the End, which she accurately described as “sexy and seductive.” These might sound like odd descriptors for a band hailed for combining black metal and screamo, but as Hazel and other Portrayal of Guilt fans know, this is a group that constantly mutates their sound record to record, and their latest album finds them tapping into nu metal, of all genres. Prominently featuring a guest spot from rapper Slim Guerilla, …Beginning of the End seems like it was at least partially inspired by the legendary self-titled Korn debut, delivering something that feels simultaneously nostalgic and fresh.
Before parting to catch Street Sects, I asked Hazel if she had any recommendations from the KC scene for our readers. She hyped up the venue RecordBar, which books tours similar to those that come through Off Broadway. She recommends that our listeners check out the KC independent hardcore scene, citing Nerver as one of the top bands, and told us to keep an upcoming show at RecordBar featuring three female-fronted acts: Faetooth, Nightosphere, and Latter. [Editor’s note: I don’t see Nightosphere on the bill, but Faetooth and Latter play with Bosses at RecordBar on September 1; details here. –JG] I am incredibly interested in branching out to the KC hardcore scene, and RecordBar will doubtless serve as a critical entry point.
Street Sects: Nine Inch Nails Goes to Hell
After thanking Hazel for her KC lore drops, I went back inside to catch Street Sects. Sounding something like Nine Inch Nails suffering from an acute case of homicidal ideation, Street Sects is the brainchild of vocalist Leo Ashline. Their intense live performances feature Ashline’s collaborator on the decks while he prowls the stage as if on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Between the strobe lights, the fog machines, and the pulsing, dark, EDM beats, I truly felt like I was transported to an industrial rave from hell, which is the highest praise that I can give an act. The highwire tension of the act is seamless, with walls of instrumental beats transitioning from one rage-filled club track to the next. When the act finally reached its apex, Leon Ashline momentarily broke character with a sincere thank you to the crowd and a highly professional hype-up for the headliner, Portrayal of Guilt.
Portrayal of Guilt: A Blastbeat Straight from the Bowels of the Lonestar State
Much like Street Sects, Portrayal of Guilt’s sets involve a single, unbroken stint of relentless vocal and instrumental pressure. Songs transitioned seamlessly from one to the next, with prerecorded instrumental passages (such as the aforementioned Slim Guerilla rap) acting as segues while they tuned their instruments for the next onslaught. And speaking of instruments, this band truly defies your expectations for just how throat-shreddingly loud a three-piece act can be. Vocalist and guitarist Matt King and drummer James Beveridge both donned sleeveless t-shirts, the lack of cotton drag on their arms contributing to the high velocity of their sonic assault. Much like Street Sects, there was no room for banter between songs, just a wall of pure, malevolent fury.
As the lights came on, I retreated to the patio one final time to ask for Hazel’s take on the set, which had only solidified her expert opinion that Portrayal of Guilt is one of the most important underground acts on the scene today. If you weren’t there, be aware!
Those looking for their next show to get their hardcore jollies should consider the upcoming Terror show at Delmar Hall, and you will absolutely not want to miss trap rap-infused slam death metal legends PeelingFlesh when they push Off Broadway’s soundsystem to the limits in July. | David von Nordheim
