Bloodywood Amazes At Varsity
April rain soaking the streets, was a bit drippy on the way in. Ate my Taco Bell in the car after scoring a free spot a few blocks away from the venue. Huzzah!
As I walked closer, gripping my hood tight to my head as the sprinkle turned into rain, spied a very mighty line outside Varsity. People were READY. Staff got us safely and speedily through security, the cue for merch greeted me as I got past the metal detectors. $40 for a tour shirt, and pretty sick designs, too. Four bands on the bill and an almost half-full crowd immediately on doors cracking open. Was gonna be a sweet sold-out show. Grabbed myself a Foggy Geezer tallboy to people-watch a bit before the first band. Some great fits and boots in the audience. A few casual band tee boys, but lots of sweet jackets and choice jewelry to ogle.
Starting with a fiery and spunky start, Ankor launched the night off right. “Endless Dreams” was a fantastic song to open up the night. Soft and melodically airy, but with a touch of techno and industrial flair. Their chemistry could be felt right away. Bandmates playing off of each other, and at times, taking a hand at each others’ instruments. Feeling almost play-like, the drama was there from start to end. Beginning with a deep red light for their first few songs, all the focus was on the talent on stage. No need for flashy distractions, they sure didn’t need any. These Catalonians came to PLAY.
Lead singer Jessie Williams knows how to entertain. Using her voice to its' full power, she flourished when needed and double-downed on the intensity when it called for it. Each member knew where to go every second on stage. Dancing around like a perfectly choreographed ballet. But metal. Honestly, they made a new fan out of me. Having heard a few of their songs before the show, loved their live vigor and will be listening to their catalog with enthusiasm after that performance. The half-hour went by way too fast.
Only a few minutes to wait between sets, Ladrones was set to start just 15 minutes after Ankor finished. Hailing from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was pretty pumped to see this style of music. “Flow Pesado” is the type of music they perform, which I had not much knowledge of before but was very curious. It consists of a blend of not only metal, hip hop, and rock, but also had injections of traditional Mexican folk music blended in. Having heard it before, the definition made perfect sense after hearing Ladrones.
The crowd was in love. Seeing a ton of the audience hang on every word, the two vocalists Zxmyr and Cirujano Resendez were a fantastic pairing together. Having not only the soft crisp clean vocals, but fast tonged raps over very addictive beats. Guitarist José Macario was a standout member to me. I could easily melt into his soulful and highly technical playing talents. Was hard to see drummer Diego Zornoza from where I was, but could definitely hear him. If you get the chance to see them, make sure you take it. They have a nuanced sound that I have not heard often in the metal scene, and am can’t wait to listen to more.
The Pretty Wild were a trip. When looking up some info on them, found out that they switched their genre from country/pop to metalcore for a bit more freedom with their sounds. I can see how country/pop could be a muzzle creatively, lots of preconceived notions and constraints on how and what they should perform. Two two sisters leading the band, Jyl and Jules Wylde are something else. Love when a vocalist can do it all, and it seems they truly can. Opening up with “PARADOX,” starts out nice and soft with a dash of cutesy, before transitioning to the traditional metalcore vibe and sound. Very easy to listen to, love this fit for the band. Well, I am not a big country fan, so yeah. Happy they moved to the metal side. It’s more fun over here, anyways.
With both lead vocalist being able to switch between vocal stylists, it keeps you watching and listening to each step in the song. Plenty of cool atmospheric accents with breakdown pauses that remind me of a few decades back when the sound of a lot of bands was being lured into that direction. They know how to player their voices so well, being sisters and all, was not expecting anything less. If you choose to form a band with your sibling, guessing the relationship is stellar. It shows on stage. A short but punchy set of seven songs, ended on one of their more popular tunes “sLeepwALkeR.” Fun all around, an interesting choice for the bill, but I really dug them for going in blind.
All the way from New Dehli, Bloodywood has some hardcore dedicated fans. While in line before doors, chatted with some folks about why they were there. “They are my new favorite band.” And now after seeing them live, I can see why.
Didn’t have to wait long for their mega-hit, “Dana Dan,” which opened up their set. Exploding onto the stage is an understatement, every member immediately gave me the sound and energy I went to this show for. Headbanging to these guys is effortless. The Varsity stage was insane to see this type of performance on. Even though it was a bit tight at times, the bandmates know how to swirl around to avoid blocking or bashing their neighbor. Though they started as a comedy and parody band, they have now stepped into more serious shoes and it fits them just right.
Not losing their human element, made time to engage with the fans in the audience between songs. Giving some motivational words that honestly made me a little emotional with how genuine they seemed. Being able to relate on a human level and being badass as fuck is a pleasant combination. A spine of metal, lips of a poet, and the musical precision is the triple threat Bloodywood arms itself with. Their performance is artistic and mindful without holding back any of the combustible energy a metal band needs. The audience was loving every moment. Varsity’s “Catch Crew” had a lot to do, plenty of crowd surfers coming through with monster smiles permanently on their faces. I am beyond happy to finally have witnessed live songs that have been living in my youtube playlist for years.
Bloodywood, you were bloody good.
