The Assimila-Tour Hits Echoplex On November 24th

- advertisement -

Review/Photos By Thomas Delgado/@batforcetom/@forthehordeprod

There is definitely something in the water in Texas as evidenced by 3 of the 4 bands billed for the Assimila-Tour. TRIBAL GAZE, JUDICIARY, and FROZEN SOUL all hail from the Lone Star State and have proven individually, and now collectively with this tour, that Texas has been churning out insanely fresh Death Metal over the last several years. Not to be overlooked are 200 STAB WOUNDS, who along with others, have introduced the world to a fertile scene in their own state of Ohio. As important as noting the scenes they've come from is the platform that has helped bring them to so many ears. 3 of the 4 bands on this tour have also graced the roster of Maggot Stomp, the current reigning champion of underground Death Metal labels. So successful in curating quality Death Metal that labels such as Metal Blade and Century Media have now taken note and signed multiple of their bands in an attempt to keep up. Additionally for Maggot Stomp, you know you're doing something right when keyboard warriors and gatekeepers in the dark recesses of Twitter and Reddit start to cry about their success. Sweet glorious tears.

Right off the bat, as tour openers TRIBAL GAZE ripped into their set, I knew it was going to be one of the more violent shows I’ve been to in a while. The basement of the Echoplex in Los Angeles barely seemed to be able to contain the frenzy. Groove and hooks peppered the ferocity of the riffs almost demanding for moshing and stage diving. They may have been the opening band of the tour, but their sound made it known that these guys were way too heavy to be contained for long. Plenty of tracks off their 2022 album The Nine Choirs were played, keeping a steady chug and churn for the pit. A+ start for the night. Next up were JUDICIARY whose 2023 album Flesh + Blood has been one of my favorite releases of the year. With more of a crossover Hardcore/Death/Thrash sound, it was time for the crowd killing to begin. Only the advanced pitters were able to handle the whirlpool of chaos that seemingly tossed out any apprehensive attemptee. At one point during their set I looked over to see a kid literally hanging off the scaffolding of the side of the stage pumping their first and headbanging at the crowd. It looked like a breakout at a zoo, but heavier.

The crowd pushed forward and swelled as 200 STAB WOUNDS took the stage. These guys have been busy at work touring since venues began opening and mandates began lifting post pandemic. Easily one of the more well known names of the current Death Metal landscape, and their live set explained why. Fast, ferocious, vulgar, and unrelenting. This is probably the closest today's generation will get to seeing what the old classic Death Metal bands looked and sounded like when they were first starting out. Exciting to see how much further into the consciousness of extreme music, and even beyond, they will push.

Headliners FROZEN SOUL came out next to cap the evening off. With an immensely swelling popularity due to an infectious groove filled heaviness, they caught the attention of TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy who assisted in producing their latest offering Glacial Domination. Vocalist Chad Green had an open invitation to crowd surfers and stage divers leading to an absolutely frenzied crowd. If you closed your eyes you'd swear you were hearing a younger and in their prime BOLT THROWER with a modern twist. From start to finish, the pit was circling and moving all set long. There were a few breaks for throwing decks of Magic the Gathering cards into the crowd and encouraging the importance of mental health and self care. Green shared a touching tribute to his brother who he recently lost, urging the crowd to remember to reach out to those they love and make sure they know it. The evening was truly an example of where the current state of Death Metal is in the US. And it's crazy to realize how young the bands are and only have about 2 full lengths each sounding as tight and precise as they do. The future is in good hands.

Check out some more photos from the show!
Photos By Thomas Delgado/@batforcetom/@forthehordeprod