Words – Rickgrimm.music
Photos – Photo.amai
Pallbearer’s arrival was heralded by sleets of rain and lightning-cracked skies, as if nature itself was an omen beckoning the funeral doom legends to grace Max Watts tonight. Walking into the room, I was pleased to see a wall of amplification across the stage and a single drum kit on the riser. This setup was an early indicator of two things that promised a good night ahead. Firstly, the dual-stacked cabinets meant these bands were going to be loud and deliver incredible tone. Secondly, sharing a single kit indicated a level of camaraderie between the international headliners and the local supports—a rarity in the scene. The riffs awaited me as I awaited them.
Ghostsmoker took the stage first, and bassist Rhys Brennan was, as always, putting on a clinic of showmanship. Their set was a truly oppressive display of heaviness, thanks to guitarist Ben Astbury’s swampy distortion, drummer Brayden Becher’s primal grooves, and vocalist Nathan Brunning’s perturbing shrieks.
The second track, Bodies to Shore, was a standout. Its interesting use of fuzz and feedback as musical elements created a dense, suffocating atmosphere. The red and yellow stage lights pushed through a thick haze, and if you were willing to lose yourself to the moment, you’d be forgiven for believing the band was riffing so hard that the building began to burn down around them. The bridge build-up was fantastic—pulling back to a solo guitar before the toms brought a primal energy that evoked a sense of impending doom. A drum solo outro was the cherry on top of this apocalyptic cake. Haven had a sense of density to it. The beat drop felt like pushing through failure on the last rep of the last set of bench press with no spotter—if you don’t push, you die. The final track, Incarnate, was a tone stack worship service. Simple guitar fills were elevated by Brayden’s fuzz distortion settings grating against themselves in a way that made your bones tremble. Ghostsmoker set a strong tone for the night, leaving the crowd hungry for more.
As I allowed my bones to un-shatter from the brute power of Ghostsmoker, another hometown act’s aura glided across the stage. Mammon’s Throne summoned a different style of sinister majesty, complete with candles burning atop the amps.
The quintet surprised us by opening with an unreleased track titled An Angel’s Grace. This new track showcased a more prominent black metal influence without outright succumbing to the genre. Vocalist Matthew Miller was in great form, delivering impressive gutturals and displaying a much more developed stage presence since my last encounter with the band.
During the bridge, Sam Talbot-Cannon unleashed a killer bass riff that gave way to the first instance of intense double kicks for the night, delivered by Nick Boschan.
Their performance of Return Us to the Stars, the opening track off their eponymous record, was a crowd-pleaser. This track kicked up the stage energy, showcasing Mammons’ emotional range. Guitarist Amesh Perera conjured a majestic clean tone during the bridge that left me in awe. Speaking of Amesh, for the next track, he wielded a white Flying V that glinted beautifully in the stage lights. The vocalist switched to a more hard-rock timbre, and the headbangeriest riff of the night so far was followed by a shred solo from Amesh that left the crowd in awe.
The closer, another unreleased track titled Elixir, was as good as the last time I saw them—maybe even better. It was the highest-energy moment of their set and a great finish to a stellar performance.
Conan brought the noise—literally. Their set was a relentless barrage of heaviness, with a few surprises thrown in. Unfortunately, I’m not familiar enough with their material, nor was I able to get my hands on their setlist, so you’ll just have to dive into their catalogue like I’ve been doing while writing this review.
Their set started with arguably one of the best flexes a band can do to show how well-rehearsed they are: no count-in for the first song. Just a glance between them and a sudden plunge into rifftopia. Jon Davis’ performance was flawless, with his vocals soaring like a vulture above the cacophony of brutality created by the instruments below. David Ryley, on supporting bass and bass vocal harmonies, added a level of thickness to what was already ear gravy. Let’s not forget Johnny (the) King’s relentless hammering of skins and cymbals.
By the second track, the crowd was headbanging hard, and the pit began to form. Conan’s riffs are tailor-made for this kind of physical response, and by track three, crowd surfers started to emerge from the sea of whipping hair and pumping fists. Throughout their set, Conan would barrage us with an onslaught of destructive riffs, pull back to something slightly less intense, and then deliver a groove change that would reinvigorate the mosh.
Visually, the stage lights drifted between colors, at one moment resting on a beautiful mystic purple and blue wash that delivered a powerful aura. It felt like we were about to participate in forbidden chants and ancient rites pulled from their Hyborian slumber.
By the set’s end, crowd surfers were coming thick and fast, and the encore chant was deafening. After the final note dissipated into the aether from which it came, Jon Davis took the time to shake every outstretched hand across the barrier—a classy move that capped off a formidable set.
Pallbearer closed the night with a set that was equal parts emotive and crushing. The set opened with Silver Wings, and the quartet wasted no time displaying their individual talent. Brett Campbell and Joseph Rowland harmonized their vocals perfectly while delivering evocative harmonized performances on guitar and bass, respectively.
Cheers of admiration erupted from the audience as Pallbearer shifted into a more subdued, moody sound for the track Signals from their 2024 record Mind Burns Alive. I saw a few couples embracing each other in the audience, sharing a moment of tenderness in a space that Pallbearer had prepared for them. As the song reached its crescendo, I couldn’t help but understand why they call this “funeral doom.” The music evoked the feeling of inner turmoil while watching a loved one be buried. If it had rained inside somehow, I don’t think anyone would have questioned it, given the weight of the music.
The Arkansas artists followed with another track from the new record, With Disease, which garnered more cheers of appreciation. This track was where Rowland really stood out as a player, and the first guitar solo by Devin Holt piqued my interest greatly.
We were then treated to some crowd favorites from earlier catalogue entries: Worlds Apart and Devoid of Redemption. The former’s intro lead was incredibly memorable, and I was a big fan of the tone choice. Rowland took the lead vocal for this track and did a great job. My favorite moment was a few minutes into the epic, where all the tuned instruments played a riff in unison that felt gargantuan in the room. The latter track felt like the heaviest Pallbearer would offer for the night, reigniting the pit once again. Devin’s lead work and stage presence in this song were exceptional.
Pallbearer didn’t bother with a fake encore. Instead, they came back for an actual encore, with the band having to put their IEMs back in and negotiate with venue staff. For the finale, we were treated to Thorns, a super-riffy track that finished the night in style.
From Ghostsmoker’s oppressive doom to Mammons’ blackened majesty, Conan’s relentless heaviness, and Pallbearer’s emotional catharsis, this was a night that showcased the breadth and depth of heavy music. Each band brought something unique to the table, and the crowd responded with energy and enthusiasm. But don’t take my word for it—go catch one or all of these bands live yourself and see with your own eyes.
A massive thanks to Max Watts and United Front Touring for having us.
