The New York Metal scene has remained strong throughout the years despite claims of its demise. That being said, New York continues to play host to to a multitude of Heavy Metal shows, both big and small. While Manhattan boasts a good number of mid-sized venues that have become popular stops for many a national tour, Long Island has also been keeping up with the heavyweights, and the night of Sunday, August 7th, belonged to Amityville, NY’s Revolution Bar and Music Hall when Industrial Metal icons Fear Factory rolled into town. A big deal for many reasons, this was only one of three North American shows this summer for Fear Factory, including a stop at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ and Heavy Montreal Festival, it was also a special anniversary celebration of 1995’s Demanufacture. A warm-up if you will for Fear Factory’s Regenerate Tour European run where they hit Spain, England, Germany, and many stops in between, Long Island was pleased to be hosting the event.
Supporting Fear Factory for this stop on the tour was a killer lineup of local Metal and Hardcore bands that are responsible for keeping the Long Island scene relevant, and drawing heavy hitters like Fear Factory into town. Starting the evening in front of a growing crowd, Heavy Rock powerhouse Black Dawn, from Carle Place, NY, showed why they have been a mainstay in the New York Metal scene since their formation in 1996. Always in the conversation of great live New York bands, Matt Kotten on Guitar/Vocals, Tom Kelly on Guitar, Bassist Shawn Cox, and Drummer Enzo DiPaolo received big responses to “I Wanna Fly,” “Upon Your Lips,” and “Reflect.” Kotten delivered gritty vocals over heavy, raw guitars, bass, and drums as they churned out “Help Me” and “Dangerous,” to finish a great set. Check out Black Dawn if you are into great Hard Rock and Metal.
Next came Egyptian Metal band Anubis,which took the stage amid much anticipation. Fans waited to see the band with the wild stage show. This band has made a lot of noise during their limited existence. Guitarist Anubis and Vocalist Typhon were heralded by a beautiful dancer with golden Isis wings. The crowd cheered loudly as the two took the stage. Anubis, with the head of a dog and the body of a man, played complex riffs and leads as Typhon, with the body of a man and three snake heads, growled and sang to the masses. Both wearing golden armor, they hammered out “Phalanx,” “I, Gorgon,” “Sins of Oedipus,” and “Cobra Tempest,” and to a delighted crowd.
Moving on, The Hard Way, another Long Island stand out Heavy Metal band, took the stage next. Vocalist Billy Handy Jr., Guitarist Bobby G., Bassist KK Miskovits, and Drummer Mike Podber have put together a great formula combining heavy guitar riffs with a rhythm section that grooves and a vocal style that is both gritty and melodic. The crowd was all in as they pounded out tracks from their 2014 release, The Hard Way, and 2015’s Sonatas of Anger, Hatred, and Frustration. A now shirtless Handy told the crowd that it was an honor to be on the bill with the legendary Fear Factory. The crowd cheered just like they had the entire set as The Hard Way gave them a strong finish to a great set of original Metal.
The last of opening acts, Vibrater is a band featuring original members of the well-known Bile. This Experimental, Industrial Hardcore, Metal outfit consists of Kirk “Slash” Farrington on vocals, Brett Pirozzi on vocals, Eric Roi on vocals, Guitarists Jeff-X Lombardi and Chuck Lenihan, Drummer Gregg Cook, and Bassist Steve Evangelista. This night marks the band’s first show, and they were ready to go. They filled the stage with three masked singers up front, behind them, two guitars, bass, and drums, all faces covered. The crowd moved closer as the three commanded the front of the stage. The band was aggressive and powerful as they performed songs from their as-yet-to-be-named debut album. “New Era of Terror” was a stand out song and the band’s first video release. Look for these guys to make a lot of noise very soon.
Without any further ado, it was time for Fear Factory to grace the stage. Evolving almost constantly, Fear Factory was born back in 1989 and has since incorporated many styles including Nu Metal, Death Metal, Groove Metal, Thrash Metal, and Industrial Metal over their nine full-length releases. Releasing Genexus in 2015, it was a highly praise effort from critics and fans alike, delivering razor sharp brutality with an intriguing Sci-Fi backdrop. That clearing in the mind of devoted supports, they knew this night was in honor of Demanufacture, and for that purpose, Fear Factory would be performing the record in its entirety. For the band and fans, Demanufacture represents Fear Factory’s defining work and has become a classic in the world of Heavy Metal. So what could everyone expect on the final night of the brief North American tour? They were just about to find out.
An opposing force, Vocalist Burton C. Bell, Guitarist Dino Cazares, Drummer Mike Heller, and former Soulfly Bassist Tony Campos took to the stage as the capacity crowd sang along with “Demanufacture,” screaming, “I’ve got no more goddamn regrets! I’ve got no more goddamn respect!” Going in track-for-track order, “Self Bias Resistor” was next, followed by “Zero Signal,” which also had the crowd loudly singing. It was then that Cazares stepped up to the microphone and said hello to the crowd. Encouraging everyone to get involved, they continued to move down the track listing of Demanufacture with “Replica,” where the lyrics “I don’t wanna live that way!” echoed through the air. Then “New Breed,” “Dog Day Sunrise,” “Body Hammer,” and “Flashpoint” had the pit swirling as the band showed deadly precision and pure brutality.
Keeping their delivery extremely tight, Heller was locked in with Campos delivering blast beats and non-stop double bass beneath Cazares’ razor-sharp guitar work through “H-K (Hunter-Killer),” “Pisschrist,” and “A Therapy for Pain” as they concluded the Demanufacture portion of the show. Cheering, hoping the band had more, their noise paid off, resulting with an encore set that began with 2001’s “What Will Become?” before “Shock,” which ended with the crowd singing, “Where is your savior now ?” Then, keeping the adrenaline flowing, “Edgecrusher,” 2015’s “Soul Hacker,” and finally, “Resurrection” ended the night with everyone gasping for air.
Worth coming out on a Sunday night for, fans were treated to a heavy show filled with great bands and the legendary Fear Factory who seem to get better with each tour. With strong local support from Black Dawn, Anubis, The Hard Way, and Vibrater, Fear Factory gave Long Island fans a taste of the new record, celebrated a milestone in their history, and set the stage for a European tour that is sure to be one for the ages.
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