If you remember the days of DIY shows at your local VFW, fire hall or church basements, get ready for this blast from the past. It all started from a social media post that Pipe Bomb posted reminiscing about old church basement shows. A couple months later and we were able to make that memory a reality with Pipe Bomb, PRDGMS, Plead the Widow’s Cause, Prevailer and Diamonds to Dust for only $10 in a church basement. Solid Rock Productions started back in 2014 and we produced several shows till early 2016, until it became unfeasible with our schedule. For years, we’ve talked about doing shows again, but it just didn’t happen. This was our first show we produced in ten years. Wow, this was a great show to get back into the mix!
As the crowd started to settle in, Diamonds to Dust took the stage. Christian (vocals), Brandon (guitars) and Melvin (drums) came out and started strong. They started with “Bond Servant” and from that opening scream and guitar riff, the crowd knew they were in for a solid show. The pit opened up immediately. The band kept pushing through with songs like “Consequence of Our Transgressions,” “Deny Thyself” and “The White Rabbit’s Nightmare.” These songs were all off last year’s release Echoes of Grace and Strife. The crowd was electric with wall to wall mosh pits, circle pits and hardcore dancers. They finished their set with “Manipulation by Design” and Matt McNamara from local ban, As Lions and Lambs was there to lend his screaming prowess to the stage.
After a quick set change, it was time for Prevailer to hit the stage. After a couple dormant years, these guys have come back in full force with the announcement earlier this year that they signed to Rottweiler Records and released their first full-length album Convalescent. They came out firing on all cylinders as the lighting effects gave an eerie shine on lead singer Franklin Peer. They tore into “Diseased Frames” as their set consisted of a mix between old songs and new songs off the new album. The crowd was hyped to hear this mix as they played songs like “Into the Furnace,” “Entry Wound” before ending with “Inversion.”
The volunteers were quick to get Prevailer’s equipment off the stage and bring up fellow New Jersey-based band Plead the Widow’s Cause. I first discovered this band through the KingdomCore podcast and loved their take on incorporating Scripture into their music. They took command of the stage and brought it with fervor and intense passion. The first three songs, “Marah,” “Jet Black Heart,” and “Emerald Eyes” (off the full-length release Silver Glass Stare) got the crowd moving along. We were three bands in and the crowd was still in full force. I loved watching these guys play and you could see that they absolutely loved what they were doing. They were giving it and the crowd was eating it all up.
PRDGMS was the next band to take the stage. This band came to us from the Bronx. They also recently released their self-titled debut album that featured guest vocals from Danny Vitola (Bloodlines), Matt McNamara and Christian Roche (Diamonds to Dust). One of the benefits of doing a basement show is that the band members could walk right out into the crowd and join in the pit. Jasiel Rodriguez (bassist) took advantage of being able to play while the circle pit commenced around him. They pulled out songs like “Exodus” and “P.T.C.D.” which they brought Matt up to join them on the mic. At the end of the set, they played “Trisagion” and brought Christian (Diamonds to Dust) to finish the song. There was a miscommunication about the ending which gave it some comedic flair. Overall, they had a great set filled with deep guttural screams and driven guitar riffs that show that PRDGMS is a band to keep an eye on.
It came down to the main event, Pipe Bomb. Mitch has a great presence online, showcasing his love for chaotic metalcore and an appreciation for the gospel. As the opening guitar riffs rang out, the crowd was eager to get rowdy. “Under God’s Heel” was the band’s opener and the crowd took off. The band egged everyone to stay up front and close, before diving into the crowd. In fact, Mitch told them to grab the mic and scream on his behalf. This led to somebody diving off the little step box and accidentally unplugging his microphone. It didn’t matter, because the crowd knew every word. There was even a MMA dummy dressed as the Devil being thrown around and stomped on in the pit. During “Tabloid,” they got the crowd to split into two sides and run down into a wall of death. The band played quick songs like “Dirt” and “Straight Edge Hate,” which Mitch mentioned that yesterday was Straight Edge Day and he explained why he prefers to be straight edge, which means he abstains from substances like drugs and alcohol.
The crowd surfers, moshers and hardcore dancers were aplenty throughout the set. It was a sight of pure chaos. They finished with one of the first songs they ever wrote, “False God.” As the band started to catch their breath, the crowd wasn’t ready for the night to be over. The crowd started clamoring for one more song to which the band responded, “We don’t know any more songs!” The suggestion was made to play “Under God’s Heel” one more time to which the band obliged. Cue the unrelenting chaos and it wasn’t just limited to the audience as Darell from PRDGMS took a dive and Ian Kelly (bassist for Pipe Bomb and lead singer for Plead the Widow’s Cause) took a dive as well. What an incredible way to end a show!
All in all, this was a night where there was anticipated chaos and it delivered. The crowd delivered. The bands delivered. Each band played with intense drive and passion. If you remember going to church basement shows, this was a great throwback to those days. If you haven’t been to a church basement show, this was a great introduction. We had stage divers, crowd surfers, circle pits, walls of death and so much more. We had fans screaming the words back to the bands. Ultimately each band shared why they do what they do and that they play to bring glory to the one true King, Jesus Christ! This was easily one of the most entertaining shows that we’ve ever produced and it was a great show to come back to.
Set Lists:
Diamonds to Dust
Bond Servant
Consequence of Our Transgressions
Deny Thyself
The White Rabbit’s Nightmare
Overstayed Welcome
Temporary Affliction
Corpus Christi
Manipulation By Design
Prevailer
Diseased Frames
Conflux
Into the Furnace
Entry Wound
Malady
Inversion
Plead the Widow’s Cause
Marah
Jet Black Heart
Emerald Eyes
Pain Split
I’m Afraid of Final Goodbyes
Burn Bright, Burn Out
Trapped Within
True Love
PRDGMS
Agnus Dei
Exodus
P.T.C.D. (feat. Matt McNamara)
Extraction
Eschaton
Trisagion (feat. Christian - Diamonds to Dust)
Pipe Bomb
Under God’s Heel
Tabloid
Stomp
Bliss
Dirt
Straight Edge Hate
Concrete
False God
ENCORE: Under God’s Heel
