Archspire Delights And Destroys At The Fineline
So many sick lineups in the Twin Cities, and it seems like Fineline is getting a healthy lion’s share lately. Minneapolis has an insatiable need for metal, of course Archspire would prove to be the big bite everyone needed. Snagged a slice of pepperoni from Pizza Luce and an ice cold Size 7 IPA before heading over to bruise my body and fill my mind.
Saw the boys of Mutilation Barbeque before they got on stage hanging by the stairs. They were exchanging some fun tour stories and giggling, love to see the comradery and friendship that must flow through almost every band. Or I hope it does. Wished them a “Have fun, good luck!” as they made their way to open the show, vocalist Tristan Wright beamed back a big smile saying a joyful “Thank you!” before hopping up the steps. As one could imagine with a band name like Mutilation Barbeque, the songs that followed were of a groovy but grotesque fashion. Songs like “Necrophiliac Obsession” and “Acid Tub” got the crowd lubed up.
Wright felt a bit cramped up on the stage, so a few songs in hopped down to the floor and performed the rest of the set from there which was sick. The band has a great sound that includes some modern death metal flair, but definitely some 90’s vibes. This group was a great way to start what would be an absolute chaotic night of HEAVY metal.
Denver, CO ‘s Crown Magnetar was next in line. There was something in the air in Minneapolis when these guys took the stage because upon the first note of “Desecrate Infinite” being struck the audience lost their minds. Never have I seen the Fine Line erupt into a maelstrom like this before. The Fine Line staff paid their dues tonight as crowd surfers enveloped the floor and stage continuously through Crown’s eight song set. Many times vocalist Dan Tucker had to offer a helping hand to make sure people landed without issue. Some people couldn’t get enough as there were some stage divers too. Crown’s brand of deathcore was fast and furious. These guys gave off headliner vibes tonight for sure. After Crown ended a much needed breather was had before Undeath consumed the Fine Line.
Undeath was main support tonight. They brought a New York attitude tonight (hailing from Rochester). Like Mutilation Barbeque, Undeath brought an old school death metal vibe which I love. Relatively new in the grand scheme of time, having formed in 2018, Undeath sounds like a band that has been doing it for a long time. They have a solidified sound and aura that any death metalhead should be a fan of. Songs like “Brandish the Blade” and “Chained to a Reeking Rotted Body” had many in the venue banging their heads. Oh, and the crowd surfing did not let up either. Again, something was in the air on this fine May evening.
The mood was good and fun, but still a little wild. People were watching out for each other on the floor, not letting the pit pool out into the main crowd. LLead singer Alex Sason was assisting the people who braved surfing to the stage like a true friend. So many elated crowd surfers who ranged in ages pre teen to retiree kept the last few songs very entertaining for the audience and the band alike. For a few seconds before Undeath was complete, Tristan Wright from Mutilation Barbeque came on stage to sing along for a bit. Smiles all around, gotta love a collab.
Alas! It was time for the boys of Archspire to make their presence known. And boy did they. For those who have seen Archspire before, we know that the show is a blender of very fast metal and comedy show as front-man Oli Peters likes to crack a joke or two between songs. It is quite amazing that a band that plays as technical as Archspire does can translate it live so well. I can imagine it is no small feat for the band to bring this production to live audiences.
The band roared open with “Drone Corpse Aviator” and “Remote Tumour Seeker”. New drummer Spencer Moore seemingly took the impossible task of filling in for Spencer Prewett and made it look easy. He was in beast mode on the kit. Archspire covered good ground on their new album “Too Fast To Die” playing four songs from that one as well as some from the album that made me a fan, “Bleed the Future”. Lead singer and frontman extraordinaire Oliver Rae Aleron could easily be a comedian in another life, he was fricken hilarious. In-between songs he paused to tell stories and dark jokes to the crowd with glee betwixt the band’s brutal musical explosions, in a sick Dolly Parton black and white t-shirt, no less. There also was a flurry of bubbles during a song to everyone’s delight.
Archspire was a wonderful nightcap to a night of brutality. Only saw one person get carried away from the floor by some friends so I’d say success! The tour is already a month old, but goes through June 6th. If this tour comes to your town, spend the $35 and go. Support these bands. An absolute steal of a deal for a really well put together bill.
