LIVE(STREAM) REVIEW: Pulse Of The Maggots Fest
There are moments in a metalhead’s life that make them proud to be one. Seeing a crowd hold up concert goer in a wheelchair, or perhaps seeing others help a kid at their very first show work their way up the front so they can get noticed by the band. Maybe it’s a band, artist, or a single show that is so impactful that the paradigm can’t help but be shifted. Maybe it’s just taking a moment to see the solidarity and joy of the crowd in the throes of rapture, ripped away from their daily problems as one and brought together to release the hardness of the world in hard music. And lately, maybe it’s seeing the metal community begin to stand up in solidarity on the side of all that is just in the world: black lives matter, gender and racial diversity, progressiveness, anti-racist, anti-sexist, and overall a pure sense of welcoming to all who wish to explore the world of heavy metal. This is why the team at Knotfest deserves all the praise for putting together Pulse Of The Maggots Fest, a six hour livestream concert experience across three virtual stages featuring some of the best upcoming talent in heavy music.
The stream was a digital second stage at Ozzfest experience of yore; seeing bands set to potentially take the world by storm in a culture that is fast re-embracing heavy music in the mainstream. It’s the next SLIPKNOT, the next SYSTEM OF A DOWN, but the bands on Pulse Of The Maggots Fest truly represent the modern diverse world of today. Many races, genders, and ages from across the world came together to say “this music is worth your time, and we are here to be the rebellion against the system, as metal has always been.” And it must be said, it’s hard not to take in this globetrotting concert experience and not have a smile, a warm heart, and a very sore neck from start to finish.
The three stages of Pulse Of The Maggots Fest featured shows recorded in a myriad of different formats, whether it was a show recorded at an actual venue, or in the intimacy of a house, or even in some unexpected but really unique settings. After each set concluded, the stream jumped immediately to the next location, leading to a non stop celebration of what metal is in 2020 and more importantly, what it’s going to be from here on. What was truly special, from start to finish, was the pure excitement and enthusiasm bleeding off every band. Each member of every band was palpably excited just to play a show, and they left it all out on the stage for the most part. With times being tough for all musicians, let alone members of a small metal band, an opportunity like this brought out their best efforts.
First up was the Musicares Stage. ONCE AWAKE (7) led off with a strong performance of melodic metalcore right out the gate, at an actual venue with light and smoke effects to boot. The vocals were powerful and their stage presence set a tone for the hours to come. A short set bled right into another full on venue set by THROWN INTO EXILE (6), an American band who continued to bring the energy, though with a less ear catching set despite some guitar theatrics. There was a horror tinge to their set, which was a bit exciting. Jumping over to Finland, I REVOLT (7) raised the bar for the stage and set it for the two hours spent there with their death metal brutality and vocal power. On top of being heavy as hell, they gave a great live performance full of energy and talent. The video screen behind only added to the ambiance and gave them visual spectacle to match their playing, which sounded great.
There were some absolutely ripping hardcore bands represented during the evening, and first up were 156/SILENCE (7). Their wonky, noisy brand of hardcore was tight and focused and the intimate performance inside one room of a house felt perfectly suited. The performance felt powerful, and everything was in sync perfectly for the band. They even busted out a hardcore version of ALICE IN CHAINS‘ Them Bones which sounded amazing.
But next up came the highlight of the Musicares Stage. Hardcore punk trio DEATH TOUR (8) delivered perhaps the most powerful set of the whole evening with a moving performance of tracks making statements on police brutality, racism and a host of other societal issues currently fracturing America. Their righteous anger was heard in full force as the band slid from hard and fast guitar punk to hip hop that felt just as heavy, if not more so than the tracks with guitar. And this brings up a point about the bands on Pulse Of The Maggots Fest that ended up feeling the most vital and on the edge of the next level.
It’s no secret that nu-metal is back on the rise, and it is far and away both the most important and the best thing to happen in metal in some time. The fusion, once again, of hip hop culture, delivery, and groove with hard rock and metal is again the music that feels most tailored to capture the international angst and moment of the current world, just as it did twenty years ago. Bands like DEATH TOUR and a few others on later stages would really emerge as the groups that impressed the feeling of capturing that zeitgeist and being ready to run with it. That’s not to say any of the other bands featured are not talented to ready to ascend within the metal community, quite the opposite in fact. But Nu-Metal is coming back hard, and those who adopt its traits are the ones to watch closest.
Which leads to England’s DEATH BLOOMS (5), the next set on the Musicares docket. Honestly, this was the first set that felt fairly forgettable. The band brought energy for sure, but nothing jumped out about their metalcore style or performance. Even their performance space didn’t add anything special. The next band, VCTMS (6) had a solid performance and another powerful vocalist who really seemed to be spilling some very personal lyrics that felt very rooted in the here and now. However, their sound felt a bit dated and again, their performance felt a bit separated and wasn’t among the highlights.
Unfortunately the last performer on the Musicares Stage, DIAMOND CONSTRUCT (6), didn’t finish out the first stage strong. Their brand of electronic tinged djent sounded good instrumentally and the band delivered performance wise on a colourful and video screen filled stage, but the whole act felt a bit all over the place, and the vocals were not as appealing as other preceding bands.
The next two hour stage, the Rock Against Racism Stage, which, first off, is to be commended for being a sponsor of the event, is where the livestream really picked up steam. First act WARGASM (7) just felt like a breath of fresh air by their very makeup. Seeing them was a real reminder that rock and metal truly are for everyone, and their live set full of punk and nu-metal energy felt, again, really on the edge of breaking to a new level in culture. They even used a vocal sample that expressed excitement about nu metal coming back. That, among their frenzy and frenetic energy, the Jennifer’s Body reference, Black Lives Matter shirt, and METALLICA‘s Fuel outro, they gave an exciting performance through and through.
INTROTYL (7), an all female blackened death metal band from Mexico, slammed like a ton of bricks. Their intimate, small room performance was filled with absolute brutality, including perhaps the most drummer of the whole evening. It was moments like this one that gave out a warmth and sense of pride in the community. Galloping and chugging riffs galore with a classic guitar tone, this was an unexpected treat. But here is where things jump another level.
SCARLET (9) is headed for big things after this performance. Her live show brought the most theatricality and showmanship out of every single group, and her brand of music feels among the most pertinent in the Nu-Metal returns discussion. She delivered a groove and hook first mentality show with her wide ranging vocal styles, and this felt like the first act destined for really big things. With big stage presence with tons of energy and swagger, she is the next big frontwoman that metal needs. Extra props for the captivating live show at an actual performance venue, and for the whole accompanying band wearing COVID masks.
Sweden’s DEMOTIONAL (8) followed up with a one two punch. Their energetic and flashy live show was punctuated by their brand of melodeath/metalcore with high empahsis on absolute earworm hooks. Keyboards and lush electronic textures gave out SONIC SYNDICATE vibes, another Swedish band that had a degree of crossover potential. The band was high energy and talkative throughout, which added a degree of friendliness and familiarity to their set. Here’s hoping these guys get some more attention following this performance, as they have talent in spades.
When the sons of Corey Taylor and Shawn Crahan form a band, there are obviously going to be some high expectations there. But luckily, VENDED (8) put on an absolutely ferocious performance that was quite literally “like father, like son.” The shades of SLIPKNOT are definitely there in the heavy, bouncing groove and the utter maniacal, animalistic bite that Griffin Taylor and company delivered in this performance, perfectly punctuated with flashes of art that is pure Crahan. These guys are feral animals in a way their fathers, and fans of early 2000’s nu-metal, will be for sure. This was another standout performance.
Switching quickly to a darkened stage with striking white lights casting up like pillars, Sweden’s ORBIT CULTURE (9) delivered one of the best performances of the evening from a pure technical and musical standpoint. They could not have delivered a more massively crushing sound as their GOJIRA tinged slam stayed tight as a drum in the whole set. The choruses were massive, and the way the band mixed textures on stage shows that these guys are on another level. This was Wacken material, straight up. With such brutal heaviness mixed with really great melodic sensibility, this is a band that may not be destined for crossover potential, but will most certainly rise in the ranks and ascend to the heights of the metal world.
The last performance on the Rock Against Racism Stage was nu-djent upstarts HACKTIVIST (7). Their performance was recorded with each member in a different space spliced together, which was a bit jarring, but their political message and passionate and tight performance felt like it fit right along with the tide of bands here using hip-hop and groove as a major influence. It was an exciting performance, but following after ORBIT CULTURE is a thankless task to be sure.
The final stage of the night was the ESP Stage, which led off with YEAR OF THE KNIFE (7) delivering some ferocious hardcore. Circling the room with reckless abandon, the riffs were absolutely brutal and the energy was boiling over. It didn’t come as a surprise to learn that the solid set was produced by Jami Morgan of CODE ORANGE,as the fish eye lens and wildly moving camera fit his bill perfectly. But watch out for this group in the hardcore scene, they’re going to make waves.
The next set by OCTOBER ENDS (6), a djenty metalcore group, wins the prize for being shot in the coolest location: inside a church. But BEHEMOTH they are not, as this band brought to mind the sound of Warped Tour groups like ISSUES, with talented clean singing that was far and away the standout. There wasn’t too much that jumped out about their performance, however, and that was in stark contrast to PRXJEK (7), an alt hip hop act that was all at once powerful, vulnerable, noisy, heavy, and intimate. They managed to capture an air of darkness but with such high energy that the prevailing thought was that this is very much a big part of the future of heavy music. The dissection of each song in between gave the performance a true storytelling feel, even paying homage to KORN frontman Jonathan Davis with a song that sounded right off Follow The Leader.
Next came one of the major highlights of the stream: TALLAH (9). The nu-metal group once again affirmed that this is the moment for a comeback in the sub-genre, and their set, filmed in a dilapidated barn with Saw like traps looming in a horrific scene. The grooves came fast and heavy with a performance that rivalled any of the night. The quirkiness and weirdness of the group gives pure SYSTEM OF A DOWN vibes, with their electronic shrieks and the twitches, moans, and pig squeals of the vocals. Wild tempo changes were played with precision, and every member was having a blast. Most importantly, TALLAH was all about the bounce. The set was begging for an audience to be writhing and jumping up and down like a Woodstock ’99 set. Combined with bizarre found footage out of late 2000s horror movies, this was a non-miss event in a night full of great performances. This was a glimpse into the next era of metal, coming sooner rather than later.
Finishing the night was a bit of an interesting palette cleanser, the full ahead power/trad metal group CERBERUS (8). These guys had the most elaborate stage set up with all the bells and whistles, and they had swagger in spades. Guitar theatrics, gritty and soaring hooks, and an arena ready sound was the pure opposite of most of the bands before, but nonetheless a heavy and rollicking good time. It was all fun, all frills excess and debauchery. They may not have sounded like anyone else here, but that was a good thing, and their musical talent has already landed them a spot on Sirius XM Liquid Metal, and hopefully they’ll continue to leave their mark.
Pulse Of The Maggots Fest was the window into the next five to ten years of trends in heavy music, and it didn’t disappoint in the slightest. Some performances stood out over others, but this was a moment to revel in the best parts of the music this community loves so much. Seeing young bands, struggling from the pandemic and just so excited to be back playing at least one show was heartwarming, and their performances reflected that passion, as well as a real show of diversity both in style and in makeup. The future of heavy music is for every person, and no matter which bands rise to the top in the next wave, this livestream showed each band stood together both in the catharsis metal provides, and in the true rebellion and freedom it represents for all people.