I Swear I Will Ruin This

I felt like I was driving through a dystopian nightmare as I drove to the 7th Street Entry on Wednesday night. The smoke from the wildfires up north finally hit the Twin Cities, and they hit them hard. The air was thick, and even walking from the car to the venue (which was only about a block) felt like a difficult task. By the time I got to the venue, I was ready to rip out my eyes and throat if only so I could scratch them, but, as the saying goes, the show must go on, and although it was nasty outside, the 7th Street Entry was packed with people ready to experience a magically dark and intense show.

Up first was Scaphe. I had never heard of this band before, but they had me absolutely captivated within the first thirty seconds of their set. Those first thirty or so seconds were a full track, and I was in love. Okay, maybe it was more than thirty seconds, but Scaphe seemed to have this grindcore kind of style to their set on Wednesday. Their songs were super duper quick but full of intensity and sonic chaos in all of the right ways. This is the kind of band that doesn’t let you get comfortable. From the way they would fall into an infectious groove, but then, right when you started to really get into it, they would flip the script, to the way they performed 30 seconds of pure chaos and followed it up with this severe feeling ambient noise– nothing about this band was settling, and all of it was fantastic. I had never heard of Scaphe before this show, but from my super light research this morning, I’m thinking this is a local band, so I hope that means I will be spending many more nights with them in the near future.

The chaos that Scaphe had laid out for all to hear and see was followed by more chaos from BIG|BRAVE, but it seemed to take a turn into something a bit more calming. There was something almost spiritual about BIG|BRAVE. Their sound was just as large, loud, and severe, but there was something a bit more flowing and organic about it. It felt like a dark meditation of sorts. What I mean is that you could absolutely get lost in the sound of BIG|BRAVE and the thoughts that it brought up in your own mind, but it was all darkened by this veil of mystery and air of intimidation. I was captivated by this whole band, but it was guitarist/vocalist Robin Wattie who really had me stuck. The way they were able to go from intense and heart-shattering screams into something much more calming and almost zen-like had me floored. It wasn’t just the vocal talent that it clearly took to do this; it was also the self-restraint and control that this showcased. Between that and watching the other two members of this band mess with guitars and tables of electronics to make the distinct sound coming through the speakers, I was transfixed and felt like, although they played a solid set and had more than enough time on stage to lay out their distinct sound and style, it just was not enough.

Closing out the Wednesday night show was the one and only The Body. Not to be confused with Show Me the Body or local newcomers BODY, The Body is a legendary duo based out of Rhode Island. They are kings of the scene and have led this movement of experimental metal music by creating their own lane. The duo, consisting of guitarist/vocalist Chip King and electronics/ percussionist Lee Buford, has been around for decades and has put out more releases than I have time to count, let alone list. Truthfully, their sound is not my normal thing. I like the chaos of it. I love the intense and almost primal screams of Chip King and love how they fit into the heavy and mostly chaotic instrumentation and insane beats from Lee Buford, but this is one of those acts where I start to feel a bit like my parents. They are so angry. They seem to have so much rage. Why? I mean, okay, I get why, and you do too (just look around this world right now), but it is extremely angry music to me, and, honestly, I was not angry on Wednesday night. I was afraid that, because I was not in an angry mood, The Body wouldn’t hit me as hard as I wanted it to. I was wrong.

I don’t know what kind of mood I was in on Wednesday night, but I know that The Body’s soundtrack was what I needed to settle my brain and my heart. I channeled some confused feelings and thoughts into their chaos. I let Chip’s screams feel like my own in a way that I just don’t have all of the right words to describe. With every hit of the drum, I felt myself let one more thought free as if releasing me from the racing thoughts that had been plaguing my mind, heart, and spirit. I don’t know how, but I found a sense of peace and calm within The Body’s set on Wednesday night, and I think it surprised me as much as it let me feel insanely refreshed and free. That’s the magic of The Body. Yes, at face value, this is an extreme band with an extreme sound that is not for the faint of heart, but when you dig into it, and when you let yourself go while watching them perform, you come to realize that it is so much more than chaos, it’s therapy, and that’s just what I needed on Wednesday night.