King Misfit, Seven Year Riot, & Against All Evil @ The Room
Sunday March 18th, 2012, 8:45pm
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The Room Nightclub, above Chanosos on Ouellette Avenue started hosting rock shows a few months back, and this past weekend they held one that was another success.
Three local rock bands shook the walls and crowd with their performances to a packed house.
The first band was Against All Evil, the modern incarnation of a boy band. Only now, this staple of my childhood can actually play instruments, write their own songs, and have (luckily?) lost the choreographed dance moves. Although this band might have used it, because despite well-written and tightly performed ready-for radio rock, the stage presence was a bit lacking. Of course, I would rather go to a performance of good music and a slow show than the other way around, so I was still pleased. And with the tone of AAE’s music, it would be difficult not to get into the set, even the obligatory slow jam. (Thank you, Adam D’Andrea!)
Seven Year Riot is a name I’ve heard a number of times, but never had the chance to see before this show. And did they ever deliver. A band that admittedly likes to partake of the alcoholic beverages and cause a bit of destruction, this is a group that fuses the accessibility of modern alternative rock with the grit and edge of metal to create some extremely enjoyable music. And adding that to the ridiculously entertaining to performance, and it’s hard not to love this band. Frontman Justin Forsyth might be part feline, judging from his panther-like jumping and prowling around the stage, and Anthony Ricci’s drumming was as solid as it gets. With songs about zombies and psychotic ex’s, these guys are writing songs that audiences can sympathize with, which certainly helps their cause.
Windsor’s version of Rhapsody, King Misfit is a symphonic metal band with a strong tendency toward the epically progressive side of things. With an impressive intro and a large light set-up, these guys are setting themselves up for a big show before even hitting the stage. The performance certainly came through, with tight playing of their seven-minute songs which are undeniably well written and arranged, tunes that any Dream Evil fan is sure to love. A seven string bass put out a tone that almost made me cry is was so good, a wizard-festooned guitar blazed through lead riffs, and a Rob Halford-looking lead vocalist wailed his way through the set list, stumping around the stage during the frequent instrumental breaks.
And let’s also give props to the sound and stage crew of the night, who did a wonderful job, and to Mark McKenzie and The Room for putting the whole thing on.
