There's something fantastic in the air when the tattooed, long-haired vocalist of My Children My Bride takes a breath in between guttural roars to "Praise the lord Jesus Christ." To the average Joe the plumber or Will the Hopkins student, hardcore music and the gospel seem like two concepts least likely ever to marry - the proverbial lion and lamb.
And yet here I was at the Solid State tour on Tuesday night, featuring Christian metal/hardcore bands Oh Sleeper, My Children My Bride, The Showdown, Haste the Day, and of course, the almighty Norma Jean - and by God they were mighty. Christian undertones have done nothing to muzzle these bands. The intensity at the concert was protracted and immense. First of all, the intimate atmosphere at Rams Head Live and the fact that the floor wasn't packed meant that anyone who wanted to could get right next to the stage. Which I did. Furthermore, the sound system was well prepared. The tricky equilibrium between guitars, drums and vocals was just about mastered. This tightened the sound like a blade.
The first opening acts successfully warmed up the crowd for the headliners. Oh Sleeper and My Children My Bride are something like generic metalcore bands in the tradition of Underoath and Killswitch. And though not much can be said of the originality of their studio material, originality has no bearing on a live concert where it is execution and timing that spell the difference between a crowd on fire and a crowd bored out of their minds, with dying eardrums to boot. These two bands laid it out with all they had to the general approval of the crowd (which was holding back, obviously, for the headliner).
Next was the Showdown, which set itself apart as a heavier, and in some ways more traditional, group. The music, with machine-gun riffs reminiscent of Slayer and a deeper, throatier vocal style, had overall a style of grittiness that defines the band and where they're from ("the dirty South," as the lead singer said). No frills same thrills. And perfect execution.
Haste the Day was up next, and the short set was well-executed. The band's stage presence was energetic, but, as is true of most bands out there, it was just more of the same.
Finally, after about two and a half hours, Norma Jean took the stage. My legs were sore. My ears hurt. But this was the reason I had come all the way to the Inner Harbor on a Tuesday evening.
The stage was completely dark. Four pale fluorescent lights, standing vertical side by side, flickered on and off to the introductory sound effects. A deep boom, industrial noises, a narrator from some '50s zombie movie and a disturbing light show ensued. The fluorescent poles coming on in series seemed to herald the arrival of some huge supernatural force as the members of Norma Jean took the stage. Behind them hung a huge tapestry declaring "The almighty Norma Jean," complete with garishly drawn zombie faces.
The set they played was awesome, filled with all of the signature Norma Jean riffs; the thudding chords pounded in my chest. The rhythm held my heart in its grip (only possible because of the sharp sound quality). The most memorable was also the last song of the night, an encore performance and a throwback to Norma Jean's first, and my personal favorite, album: Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child. "Memphis will Be Laid to Waste" is even better live.
Between shouts of the chorus "Mediocrity is the killer," the crowd going wild, the guitar player ascending the stacks of amplifiers and the monolithic rhythm breakdowns, I couldn't help but be swept up in the fist-pumping, crowd-diving, head-banging atmosphere. And in the end this is what going to these shows is all about; the collective energy, the catharsis, the immediacy and intensity of rocking out. It was after all an amazing concert. There was not a hint of mediocrity.
