TesseracT at Studio B, Skyway Theatre, Minneapolis (10/16/13) concert review

Progressive metal is alive and well again in Minneapolis. After seeing tours bypass the area more times than stop, we were treated to a gargantuan lineup at the Skyway Theatre’s Studio B, headlined by UK prog metallers TesseracT on the first date of their current U.S. tour and first trip to the area, in front of a feverishly happy audience.



Studio B itself, like the main room of the Skyway, is a converted movie theater; smaller in size, but without the sloped inclined floor that the larger room has. Acoustics are basic without being bad and the room features couches, chairs, and a full bar near the back with an open area near the stage. Think of it as the 7th Street Entry to its First Avenue Mainroom and you have the comparison, with minimal primary-color lighting rigs being also unfortunately similar to the often-darkened Entry stage as well.

PURIFIED

What was billed as a three-band event was in actuality, a 6-band show instead, starting at 5pm and something that may have been booked at St. Paul’s Station 4, had the club remained open. Local esoteric black metal band Astral Blood began the festivities in only their second show ever, followed by young metalcores, The Broken are Crowned. Progressive groove locals Purified also added a short but heavy set as openers.

ANCIIENTS

SCALE THE SUMMIT

Vancouver, B.C.’s Anciients kicked things into gear with a crushing performance anchored by singer/guitarists Chris Dyck and Kenneth Paul Cook, despite frequent reoccurring monitor problems, in support of Heart of Oak (Seasons of Mist) that was somewhat stoner/sludgy in scope and Mastodon-inspired in sound. Houston instrumental quartet Scale the Summit dazzled with a technically brilliant 45 min. of progressive jams, many culled from its 4th and latest effort, The Migration (Prosthetic Records) with guitarist Chris Letchford leaving mouths agape in the crowd as they watched the technique on his headless 7-string guitar. Fans of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, and Dream Theater should actively seek out the band’s revelatory releases.



Under the auspices of a darkened stage and brooding background music, TesseracT began their hour-long performance to immediate enthusiastic applause from the young and mostly male audience. Newest vocalist Ashe O’Hara was first out and introduced himself to the crowd before the band rushed headlong into the opening cuts from their latest album, Altered State (Century Media).



Pioneers of the so-called progressive ‘djent’ movement which showcases a high-gain, palm-muted guitar sound, the band’s complex and jagged riffs immediately transported the crowd down a virtual groove river with O’Hara’s melodic vocals (similar to Dream Theater’s James LaBrie) providing the guiding oar. The band came across as perfectionistic yet still casual; with O’Hara’s range moving from just over a whisper to growling rage, set to the underbelly of dynamic chord changes and intricate song structures—a band that demands your full aural attention.

TESSERACT

The ‘Concealing Fate suite’ from their first album, One, was equally creative live, O’Hara more than ably taking the vocal reigns from Daniel Tompkins, who recorded the original, while guitarists Acle Kahney and James Monteith along with bassist Amos Williams and drummer Jay Postones kept the layered polyrhythms in full groove.



“The future’s bright!” O’Hara remarked before their closer of ‘Acceptance’, referencing the previous struggles of the band with its numerous vocalist changes and other difficulties. With the switch to their current lead singer and the move away from harsher vocals to a more melodic style, while still embracing their adventurous edge, TesseracT ‘s troubles seem far in the rearview mirror, with only greater musical acclaim laying ahead and are a live act worth seeing in person.

john
()
♥ weheartmusic.com
♥ tesseractband.co.uk/