Being that neither of us stood a chance at securing a ticket to the Mannequin Pussy benefit show for Carolyn Haynes at First Unitarian Church, we each opted to stick with our original plans. Having seen MP with Turnstile last year and our Editor-in-Chief, Conor, seeing them this year with Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, I think I’ll be able to survive a short wait (maybe) until their inevitable and triumphant return to their hometown after their next batch of tour dates.
And it’s a bit serendipitous that Commitment served as one of Mannequin Pussy’s openers Wednesday night, since the last time I saw them, also here at Underground Arts, was a show that distinctly mirrored the night’s bill. (Quick note: Mannequin Pussy also played with KulfiGirls, Dark Thoughts, and Cult Objects, all acts very much worth supporting.)
Back in the Fall of 2008, I fell into a dual rabbit-hole of Baroness and High on Fire. For that era of discovery, I will always associate the two acts. Like the Baroness show in March, last night followed the trifecta of big-riff-metal act, hardcore act, then iconic, genre-pinnacle-metal headlining act. It was the best kind of deja vu...
HIGH REEPER
Do you like Kyuss, The Melvins, Fu Manchu, Clutch, The Sword, Alice in Chains, and the headliners of the night, High on Fire? Do you like supporting Philly local bands? Have I got the act for you…
According to frontman Zach Thomas, High Reeper’s emergence on stage last night was their first performance in two years since releasing their LP Renewed by Death in 2024. It was their first real opportunity to showcase the album, and boy did they deliver.
The entire scene of anything considered to be ”stoner” or “sludge” metal is contingent upon one primary foundational element: gargantuan riffs. And with the dual-wielding of guitarists Pat Daly and Andrew Price, they have no problem delivering, and then exceeding that expectation. The massive sound is amplified by Justin DiPinto’s presence behind the drum kit and Shane Trimble’s deep, droning basslines.
The band came out ready to blast their heaviness in the most unpretentious and dedicated fashion, and they did just that. To be honest, there’s not much to say beyond the fact that these guys just genuinely rock and they rock hard. If you find yourself in a movie-montage fighting wasteland monsters in a post-apocalypse landscape, here’s your soundtrack to kicking ass. If you asked me to conjure up a sound association with the word “headbanging,” it would sound exactly like this. With soaring, impassioned vocals reminiscent of the current Alice in Chains lineup featuring Wiliam Duvall over the top of heavy guitars, bass, and drums that feel like a tidal wave, the band crushed it from start to finish with zero time wasted.
It’s actually hard to believe they haven’t played in so long, given how incredibly tight they were. So much for needing to shake off the rust.
PISSED JEANS
Allentown-bred hardcore outfit Pissed Jeans is the kind of band that lives up to their unapologetic namesake; they are abrasive in the best possible way. And while their sound can be compared to pretty much everything from the most avant-garde underground to IDLES, Big Ups, and Sub Pop labelmates Metz, they remain critical darlings largely because of their singular identity and top-tier songwriting and performance craftsmanship. They remain the perfect balance of melody, unpredictability, and exploration. From screaming anthems born of ambivalent feelings to hyper-mundane observations and sardonic quips, the band's lyricism and overall sonic content span the punk rock map.
A couple of technical issues aside (which the band impressively powered through), their performance was exactly the type of explosive display of hardcore punk you’d expect. Frontman Matt Korvette, now rocking a fully shaved head, moved erratically around the stage–at one point having a makeout session with a skeleton hanging from the ceiling–while guitarist Bradley Fry and bassist Randy Huth supplied an onslaught of riffs that ranged from melodic to heavy to dissonant. And while the three mobile members played with an edge that felt like danger was lurking just around the corner for their set’s duration, drummer Sean McGuinness kept pace, acting as an explosive throughline amongst all the sonic chaos.
This is a band whose stellar reputation is completely warranted. And when you need a heavy dose of just how wild and energetic a punk rock band can be, look no further.
HIGH ON FIRE
My man’s still got it and then some.
Frontman and founding member Matt Pike has been around the metal block for a few decades, starting his career with genre legend Sleep before pivoting to form his own project, High on Fire.
From the first time I heard “10,000 Years” in a record shop in Pittsburgh nearly 20 years ago, I knew I’d found something truly special with this band. Like Adam Jones of Tool, Matt Pike writes the kind of riffs that I can immediately identify as his. He has a sound that dances effortlessly between super heavy and super trippy, incorporating everything from thrash to doom to psych to shredding. And in that display, he both pummels and hypnotizes the listener. It’s the type of riffage you could just throw on repeat and not realize you’ve been banging your head for three hours straight.
His signature guitar sound remains fully intact, and it’s a testament to his performance chops that he can elicit such an insanely huge sound as the band’s sole guitarist. Overlaid with his signature growling vocals, bassist Jeff Matz’s Earth-shaking bass, and Ben Koller’s machine-guns-and-cannons-firing drumming, the three-piece converges into a super-tight-with-just-enough-room-to-explore trinity of epicness. The phrase “melting faces” has probably never been more applicable than with a band like High on Fire.
While Pike has had some health struggles in years past, it’s genuinely heartwarming to see the guy still doing what he loves at the level he’s able to perform more than thirty years into a career known for its hard-living and unforgiving lifestyle.
The set contained a pretty even mix of the band’s longstanding output, including the aforementioned “10,000 Years” from debut The Art of Self Defense, with the most crowd-pleasing moment perhaps being “Fury Whip” from 2007’s Death Is This Communion. Nine albums deep, the band has yet to deliver anything that falls short of “fucking awesome.” That consistent quality translates into an impossible-to-disappoint setlist.
All in all, I’m just grateful to see Pike and co still at the top of their game.
Underground Arts continues its function as a heavy metal treasure trove, and I’m just glad this city continuously shows up for these gigs.
Hell yeah.
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