Thick As Thieves Review

Thick As Thieves
Review

THICK AS THIEVES TOUR
Atreyu
Unearth
Norma Jean
Scars of Tomorrow
3/13/05
HOB
Reviewer: Sharita Lumpkin
Photos: Kimisha Pierce

Playing to a sold out crowd meant high expectations for these four young bands. Not only did the crowd expect the best performance, they also expected a perfect one from start to finish. This tour brings three west coast bands together: Norma Jean (a Christian hardcore band), Scars of Tomorrow (a metalcore band) and the heavyweight headliners Atreyu, who are a twist of the metal/hardcore genre with a dose of punk and rounding out the lineup, were the princes of New England hardcore, Unearth. This band brought the house down like they were the headliner.

Ultimately, the mostly 21 and under crowd were treated to a good performance by all. Unfortunately, due to interviews and such I was unable to see Scars Of Tomorrow nor were photos taken, but because I interviewed with Mike Milford, I do have their setlist: To Watch You Burn; Abandonment; As We Choke; Reflections; Suffocating Words; This Autumn Bleeding; Design Your Fate.

Lineup: Alex Varkatzas - Vocals; Brandon Saller - Drums; Dan Jacobs - Guitar; Travis Miguel - Guitar; Marc McKnight - Bass Alex Varkatzas vocalist of Atreyu (Photo: Kimisha Pierce)

Alex Varkatzas vocalist of Atreyu (Photo: Kimisha Pierce)

The headliner was well received by the sold out crowd. Dressed in black and white just like their latest video The Crimson, they took the pitch-black stage amid flashing lights. Atreyu is touring in support of their latest album, The Curse, off Chicago's Victory Records which also represents such hardcore acts as Premonitions of War, Martyr AD, and Scars of Tomorrow.

Even though the aforementioned album is not one of my favorite records, I have come to like "Five Vicodin Chased By A Shot of Clarity" and "Right Side of The Bed". Although the lyrics are usually about depression or the complexities of life, a lot of them are catchy and very hard to ignore.

The audience was delighted by their performance of hits like "Bleeding Mascara" and “Right Side...” Atreyu is often maligned by critics (including myself) and peers for being too emo or pop sounding but the band actually put on a good show. Crowd surfers and mosh pits were going at full speed and security was having a hard time keeping up. Fans knew the words to every tune and vocalist, Alex Varkatzas was most appreciative.

In our interview, Travis Miguel and I talked about how he feels his band is the most boring band on the road, that they are video game nerds, and don't party much. Seemingly the guys in Atreyu, get all of their partying out on stage by letting all their aggressions out and allowing their talent to speak for itself.

Setlist: Bleeding Mascara; Song For The Optimist; Right Side; This Flesh; [sample]; Remembrance; Deanne; Ain't Love; Crimson; Lip Gloss

Lineup: Trevor Phipps - Vocals; Buz McGrath - Guitars; Ken Susi - Guitars; John "Slo" Maggard - Bass; Mike Justian - Drums

Trevor Phipps and the boys of Unearth put on yet another great performance tonight. Unearth is now one of the most respected bands in hardcore always connecting with their fans and making new ones. Tonight, they would support Atreyu on the Thick As Thieves Tour and would match the headliner for every note. They’re still touring in support of their latest The Oncoming Storm which is one of the best hardcore releases out right now.

Ken Susi and Buz McGrath always wow the crowd with their guitar musicianship, while John “Slo” Maggard and Mike Justain. hold down the rhythm on bass and drums, respectively. Trevor constantly encouraged the crowd to mosh and crowd surf during the songs. He also stood on the barricade to connect with the fans and have them sing along with him. During the set, Unearth performed “One Step Away” in tribute to Dimebag, the crowd erupted.

Make sure to catch them on this latest tour, if not, they will be at New England Hardcore Fest and the Sounds of The Underground Tour this summer. You will not be disappointed!

Partial Setlist: Endless, Zombie Autopilot, The Great Dividers, Black Hearts Now Reign, One Step Away

NORMA JEAN Lineup: Scottie Henry - Guitar; Chris Day - Guitar; Cory Brandan - Vocals; Daniel Davison - Drums; Jake Schultz - Bass

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to see much of Norma Jean's performance but from what I

Cory Brandon of Norma Jean (Photo by Kimisha Pierce)

saw they’re very high spirited and know how to put on a show. These young men from Atlanta and are touring in support of their newest album, O’ God The Aftermath, on Solid State Records. Before its release, they lost their lead singer and another member. Once all the smoke cleared, they settled on the lineup you see below.

Norma Jean came on this tour highly touted and from the reaction of the fans, they're a welcome addition to the sometimes annoyingly copycat world of hardcore. Even if you don't understand the words when first heard, you'd still want listen to the album again with the lyrics so you can hear the message of hope through hard times. The band's lead singer, Cory Brandan, screams with the best of them and the passion definitely shows through his vocals.

In our interview, Daniel talked about drawing inspiration from current events and books of the bible. He also mentioned how they like the Deftones, Nirvana, and Unsane. Listening to their music, you can hear those influences as well as a sound that is definitely unique.