Ekktoplasm/Alcindor/Vulcanite/Sacrificial Betrayal – Another Round RVA – Richmond, VA, Saturday, February 10, 2024
Another Round Bar and Grill – Richmond, VA
On a weird weather Saturday in Richmond, VA, Ekktoplasm and friends played at Another Round Bar and Grill. One key thing about this venue is they do not go with just the standard bar fare of burgers and sliders. They take the time to actually come up with killer specials. I’ve had the blackened chicken pasta and it was AWESOME! Good bartender, good food, pool tables, and a jukebox with some of everything. What’s not to love? Chow down, catch a show, shoot some pool, or just shoot the breeze with friends, the choice is yours. The venue hosts trivia, comedy, and a variety of musical styles, and definitely supports the local metal scene, so get out there for a show and show some love to one of the best Metal spots in Central VA!
Sacrificial Betrayal
Band Members:
- Tom Fuller – Vocals
- Aaron Setliff – Guitars
- Morgan Murphy – Guitars
- Nate Murphy – Bass
- Brian Fisher – Drums
Setlist:
- Killer
- Violence Captivates
- Gorilla
- Pathbreaker
- Slaughterhouse
- Coffin Confessor
- In Death We Unite
- Internal Decapitation
How much can you really expect to like a show when the owner of the place puts his band on stage? Isn’t that just Heavy Metal nepotism? Absolutely not! Sacrificial Betrayal brought a high-energy show with musical skills to match. Brian is a damn good drummer and he kept a solid time for the band to hook on to. Shredding guitars and thundering bass rounded out the musical portion. Tome put the stamp on the show with his harsh vocals and dominant attitude.
As a former Marine (OORAH!), Tom conducted the show like a military exercise, demanding the crowd participate, even going so far as to jump off the stage and get the audience motivated Drill Sergeant style, right in their faces. This was Hardcore meets Thrash Metal meets Deathcore. A circle pit did form, though not as big as we would have liked. We almost got a conga line formed by following the guitarist around the floor. Alas, with there being only three of us, I think it was more of a conga dash than a line. I’ll try harder next time I see them.
The set was raucous, the crowd was into it, and the guitarist/bartender’s shirt asked how he could block us in real life. We concluded the best way was murder, but that carried the worst consequences, so must be limited to only the most annoying people on social media. There were tributes to fallen soldiers, a longtime friend who kicked cancer’s ass three times out of four times was honored, and everyone got a bit of relief from the stress of life, venting their emotions with a healthy dose of headbanging and alcohol. The key thing… the bar was set high for the rest of the bands; Sacrificial Betrayal brought their A-game.
Vulcanite
Band Members:
- Jamie Rose – Vocals/Guitars
- Wolfman Dan – Bass
- Pretty Ricky – Drums
Setlist:
- Time Out
- Your Last Chance
- Ball Your Eyes Out
- All Nirvana
- Every Lil Bit
- Pick A Lane
- Breakdown Song
- Fears
Part jam band, Vulcanite just wings it with a setlist. They got on stage and just let it rip, hammering through eight songs with technical grace and a combination of genres they lovingly call “Whatevercore.” The mix of styles they cover is too exhaustive to list, so just know that if you like something metal, it’s in there. Three guys, three instruments, some sound effects and backing tracks to help keep things interesting, and exactly one song with a breakdown. Yeah, it’s called “The Breakdown Song.” Yeah, the breakdown is killer. Any other questions?
There were elements of Doom, Sludge, Thrash, Alternative, Progressive, Death, and Hardcore, just to name a few. All of that blended into a wild amalgamation of tones and textures that defied characterization, which is exactly what this band strives for. Uniqueness is often not rewarded on radio stations but has its’ own level of fulfillment that allows the musician to sleep at night knowing their art is uncorrupted.
By the end of the show, the crowd was happy, having rocked out with their socks out (trying to keep this thing PG, you know). The stage had people near, heads were bobbing, and one dude was getting his hardcore dance on. When the crowd is hooked, dialed in with what the band is delivering, you cannot help but appreciate the groove that is flowing between the band and the fan. It did not hurt that Wolfman Dan’s beard was a vision to behold. Flowing red follicles that bobbed with the music added a certain je ne sais quoi. Seriously, Vulcanite rocked the stage just as hard as Sacrificial Betrayal did right before them.
Alcindor
Band Members:
- Tim Madison – Vocals/Guitars
- Greg Branch – Bass
- Geoff Silver – Drums
Setlist:
- Vivland
- Norma Rae
- New Song
- Dragging Sticks
- I’m Not Writing Horse Hunt
- Foment Insurrection
Tech/Proggy/Hardcore/Death Metal with a bit of panache and flair was on stage third this night. Alcindor is another band that wants to defy simple characterization. They will not be pigeonholed into one simple genre. Seven-string guitars and five-string, fretless bass, coupled with a drummer who spells his name Geoff and you get a hell of an interesting set musically.
The vocals were brutal, hitting new lows for the night. As harsh as the previous two were, Tim decided to sink lower into the darkness, throwing his hair in his face and letting rip with gutturals that were determined to raise the dead. It’s good someone wanted to bring the dead in because Ekktoplasm was ready to celebrate their death next. The precision and speed Alcindor plays with is stunning to behold. All three bands so far are to be considered top-notch, but Alcindor had something to prove. They were not going to be outdone.
Alcindor put on a show equal to the other two bands without it being a competition; rather it was a celebration of how good each band is. They got the crowd moving again, which was not difficult since they all wanted to be involved anyway. Once again, thanks to the fans for giving the bands something to play to and for. That helped make the night one to enjoy and remember. They like to call themselves an “Experimental” Metal band, and I cannot disagree with that point. There was so much in there that I had fun just trying to catch all the new and wild combinations being tossed around. Three bands in and I’m already worn the hell out in the best way.
Ekktoplasm
Band Members:
- Kim Dylla – Vocals (Vulvatron, ex-Gwar, Cruachan, The Burned Over)
- Larry Shreddy – Guitars
- Justin Melton – Guitars (primary songwriter)
- Benjamin Linden – Bass
- Raphael Arruda – Drums
Setlist:
- Intro
- Shadow Figure
- Ticket To The Burial Ground
- Bell Witch
- Necropolis
- Western State
- Bunny Man
- Dunlora
- The Hollywood Vampire
- Succubus
- Peyton Randolph House
- Jilted Bride Suicide
Ekktoplasm is an experience, not just a show. Kim is dressed in all white with black boots and a nice harsh/raspy voice that will put the hair on the back of your neck on end. She can screech and wail and growl and then speak sweetly to you between songs. They kept referring to Raphael as their Italian drummer, but he’s from Brazil. Good thing he plays drums in English. Larry, when wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses with all his face paint reminded me of a dead Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick). I so wish he’d had a five-neck guitar (fortunately, he felt this was a compliment, which it was)… Benjamin and Justin rounded out the lineup with proper glow-in-the-dark coverings and massive musical talents.
Each song is about a haunted location in Virginia, except for the one set in New Orleans. They mentioned which it was, but I forgot. Sorry, I had too much fun and lost my damn mind, get over it. The guitars were fast and spent a lot of time harmonizing on the riffs, but ventured through different paths when taking on leads and solos. While they did play some leads together, they traded off more often than not. Bass took the lead a few times and even the Italian dude from Brazil ripped off a few fills and intros.
Any one of the members of this band is capable of shredding whenever and wherever they want. Family and friends alike were in attendance, as were people who were new to the band. Since the band is fairly new, that’s no real surprise. No matter how long you’ve known them, you fell in love. This was more than just a bunch of songs played at full speed and top volume. It was a full show, replete with spoken pieces, visual effects, and historically accurate lyrics.
All four bands crushed it. No two bands filled the same space musically, but they all gave the crowd something to take home with them. Whether that was just memories or new merch, everyone left with a piece of the show. Nights like this are special because these are not touring shows. There is just something wonderful about a one-off show that may not ever happen again. The unique mixture of styles comes together for one evening of Metal Worshipping, then fades into history, lovingly brought forth in the memories of those fortunate enough to witness the moment.
