The underground NYC metal scene came out to support Angel Vivaldi in his only NYC appearance at the popular Queens Metal bar Blackthorn 51. The night kicked off with relatively new instrumental, progressive metal act The Astral Cadence. Made up of members Arturo Enamorado III on the drums, Sean Washington on lead guitar and Dennis Lars Torrent on the bass, The Astral Cadence will fulfill any progressive metal junkie’s need for a fresh new sound. The Astral Cadence combines progressive metal, jazz and even classical influences to create authentic, atmospheric music. With no lead singer, the band fills in every song with eargasmic guitar melodies. Just take a listen to their track “Time Machine” and enter the beautiful, rhythmic world that is The Astral Cadence. A truly talented and distinctive band among the rest, The Astral Cadence is only getting started stirring the underground metal scene with their instrumental greatness.
As The Astral Cadence packed up their equipment, a young group of musicians unpacked theirs. With X’s drawn on their hands, the young group Oblivion walked on stage and began to shred on their guitars. The young musicians did not let their age affect their performance, putting on an energy filled show with some serious shredding skills. Members Angel Oquendo on drums, Marlon Moran on bass, Ruben Jessurum on lead guitar and lead vocals, Christian Lazaro on lead and rhythm guitar brought a youthful and fun energy to the show. Lead singer Ruben Jessurum and lead guitarist Christian Lazaro cracked jokes on everything from the presidential election to themselves. Oblivión’s sense of humor made it apparent that the band has a close knit relationship, a connection that reflects itself on the music as well. The bands ability to put on a live show was impressive to say the least; everything from their sound to their performance was perfectly done. At such a young age, it’s safe to say that Oblivión has a bright future ahead.
Flags Don’t Matter were the third group up, with members of diverse ethnic backgrounds (hence their name), the band brought a new look and atmosphere into the venue. Flags Don’t Matter is made up of Md Fahad (Jay) on vocals, Shahrear Arefin Walid on lead guitar, Jose Lopez (Anchan) on rhythm guitar, Jose Bello on bass and Javier Hernandez (Gordo) on the drums. Flags Don’t Matter exudes angst and powerful energy, the kind of energy that’ll make a room riot. Lead singer Jay knows just how to work a crowd, making the venue and audience feel bigger than it actually was. Heavily influenced by groove metal, the band brings heavy guitar melodies and catchy chorus’ to make their sound a memorable one. From their look, to their presence, Flags Don’t Matter stand for something important and bring a much needed diversity to the heavy metal scene.
The direct support of the night was Libricide, who combines many of the beloved 90s sounds together for an addictively groovy rock n roll sound. The band consists of Harun Gadol on lead vocals and guitar, Dylan Stark on guitar and backing vocals, Will Harris on bass, and Dan LaConti on drums. The catchy guitar melodies are reminiscent of the alternative staple acts of the 90s, à la Stone Temple Pilots. While melodies draw similarities to the alternative sounds, lead singer Harun Gadol’s vocals add a hint of of the post grunge era, similar to that of Third Eye Blind. Their undeniable catchy rock songs and distinctive sound drew a large crowd to the show, all of who were front and center for their set. If you’re looking for a new band to check out, make sure to check out Libricide’s new self-titled debut on Spotify!
Also remember to go give all these bands some support by liking their Facebook page:
The Astral Cadence:
Oblivión:
Flags Don’t Matter:
Libricide:
