Closed Casket Shows

REIGN SUPREME -- MAY 1... Let's try this again.

2010-04-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

Last time we tried this, things went sideways due to Jay from Reign Supreme tearing his rotator cuff. Now my man is healed up and ready to do this. And the package is nice: Advent is former members of Beloved dropping the sissy aspects of the music and letting their inner mosh show. This is a last-minute affair here, but I'm confident Albany/Troy can make this thing pop. Prove me right. Don't get TOO ignorant because then we gotta not let you into the next one. Come and have a good time, mutants.

Oh my! Due to a fortunate double-booking, we are now going to merge this show with The_Network show and call it a party. Surrounded by Teeth and Astronomer will open the show with a split-set. Come out and have a good time.

HARMS WAY -- MARCH 21

2010-02-08T17:03:00.000-08:00

Harms Way is roughly as brutal as you can get with instruments before those shits break apart. Instead of wasting my time trying to sum this band up, just read this instead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_by_elephant

BearTrap on a show with Harms Way is a lot like that movie "The Princess Bride". You've got Andre the Giant and that Spanish dude with the sword. BearTrap is the dude with the sword. Fast and relentless. Prepare to die.

Born Low is, well, Born Low. If you are from the area, you know this band and if you aren't from the area you should get with it. They recently released their full-length on Reaper and are becoming hard to ignore. Big things in 2010.

Damnation Alley is about as heavy as a band can get before they are so dense that they plummet through the Earth's crust and find themselves at the mantle. I fear for the Capital District and the world because any heavier and we could be looking at a black hole.

REIGN SUPREME -- MARCH 6

2010-02-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Reign Supreme. Not much else to say. You either love it and want to dance or think it's for apes who punch each other. You'll probably come either way.

Vessels have tried to convince me they are no longer a soft-rock group with clean vocals. Supposedly the new material is hard and heavy. We'll find out.

Nothing to Nothing is the Mid-West's best secret. Imagine if Down to Nothing was dark and evil. There you go.

Colony is a downstate band with upstate members... figure that out. Rough and angry from top to bottom this is recommended for fans of Ceremony... so essentially recommended for almost every hardcore kid on Earth.

BLACKLISTED -- MARCH 3

2010-01-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

Unless you are massive hick, you recognize Blacklisted as one of the few hardcore bands willing to push the creative envelope. Are they reinventing the wheel? No. But in a scene where people value familiarity over expression, Blacklisted may as well be reinventing wheels, roads and affordable public transportation.

In an effort to flatter one creative band with another, we asked Aficionado to play. Making equal nods to At the Drive-In and The Polyphonic Spree, this local has helped up the Albany IQ (now above 80!).

Columbia are the new-comers here. Every town has their local Mineral clone, but we're blessed to have a Mineral-inspired legitimate band. Rare thing. They've begun to play out more often in the past few months and the Capital Region is better for it.

TIGERS JAW / BELL COUNTY SILENCE

2009-12-19T15:43:00.000-08:00

IRON AGE / MAXIMUM PENALTY -- SUNDAY OCTOBER 11

2009-09-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

IRON AGE, more so than any of their contemporaries, define their own terms. They've had a LP recorded for a dog's age and have refused all offers to put it out until recently. They knew people wanted it, but were not willing to go with just anyone. They wanted things to be perfect. It's much the same thing with their music. They've drifted from the Cro-Mags into 13th Floor Elevators territory, but the riffs are just as aggressive as ever. Prove you have some taste, Albany.

MAXIMUM PENALTY carry more hardcore cred in their dicktips then most scenes have in total. Proving that NYHC doesn't have just one sound, MP have maintained their roots while expanding in more directions than Peter Gabriel. With a new record out on Reaper, these stalwarts are gaining visibility with a whole new generation of hardcore kids. About time.

CASTING CURSES are the unsung heroes of Central NY. They've taken their Hope Con / 108 / Burn inspired sound and ramped it up to unrelenting storm of heavy modern hardcore.

BORN LOW have come a long way since we first saw them take the stage. At the time we were all impressed, now we're blown away. We're lucky to have bands of this caliber as our local openers, because soon, they'll be headlining someone else's city.

HALLOWEEN BASH -- COLD WORLD -- THIS IS THE BIG ONE

2009-08-31T10:36:00.000-07:00

This will be huge. Come in costume, leave with a smile.

BANE / DEFEATER / FOUNDATION -- SEPTEMBER 25

2009-08-31T09:20:00.000-07:00

BANE doesn't really need an introduction, do they? One of the most significant hardcore acts for more than a decade. You either know them and love them or you will probably be at the show anyway because you know it will be big and you don't want to miss it.

DEFEATER is some heartfelt shit. I guess like if Modern Life Is War was faster and not as dull. The LP they released on Bridge 9 Records made a lot of Best Of lists and I meet tons of weird dudes who worship this band. Get into it.

FOUNDATION has that hype going strong. When I told people they'd be playing, more than a couple people actually used the phrase "they're the next big hardcore band." Which might be true... what do I know?

September 20 - HAVE HEART FINAL NEW YORK SHOW

2009-08-02T21:33:00.000-07:00

HAVE HEART is saying "peace out, world" and calling it a day. Come out and say goodbye to a band that means a lot to a lot of people. Come sing along.

CRUEL HAND is tighter than a duck's hiney and grimier than the area behind your refrigerator. Full length on Bridge 9 is straight-up awesome. Come stage dive.

CRIME IN STEREO has been around a long time. They've pushed their own boundaries with each release and have gone from melodic hardcore band to something all their own. Come smile.

FOUNDATION is the hardcore band of '09. If you are late to the game, here's a primer- the band is 90's influenced with a deep hatred of drugs and religion. That's Atlanta style. Come mosh.

END OF A YEAR SELF DEFENSE FAMILY is the odd-men-out on this one. Is it hardcore? Is it punk? Is it food band? Cum.

This one is taking place at Valentines. Upstairs. Big show. Expect a lot of people to come out just to treat it as a social event. Should be that big.

17 New Scotland Ave. Albany NY

August 20 TITLE FIGHT / GAINING GROUND / ALPHA AND OMEGA / CALEB LIONHEART

2009-08-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

TITLE FIGHT is receiving a ton of hype right now, apparently they are the pop punk band credible enough that hardcore bros love'm too.

GAINING GROUND are the locals who are swiftly transcending that title and becoming a national act. Back from their US tour, this will be the area's reminder that GFHC never fell off the map.

ALPHA & OMEGA epitomize LA hardcore in the year 2009. Confrontational in approach and fearless in its influences, this band makes me want to riot like it's Olympic Blvd in 1992.

CALEB LIONHEART are the sleeping giant of the local scene. This band packs out basements and maintains a loyal following, but never gets the press. Why? Because it's legitimate pop punk and not a boyband posing.

COLISEUM / ENGINEER -- MAY 19

2009-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

COLISEUM is the US answer to the progressively bigger-sounding crust music coming out of Europe. But here's a secret: It's better than most of the stuff coming out of Europe. And BIGGER. This is real Halloween shit here. Serious monsters. Aggressive and biting. Not for fans of government, religion, or sneakers.

ENGINEER is a favorite of Closed Casket Shows. One of two bands we'll book any day of the week, on any package, with any guarantee. Simply put, they are the absolute best heavy band currently playing the club circuit.

AMALGAMA stands alone locally, and maybe regionally, as the one TRUE metal band. This is not "throwback" music, this is "never left" music. This is for people who see NO irony in denim vests. Lifestyle music, man.

PLANET EATER started out as the heavy band for local stoners and has quickly become the heavy band for people who love heavy bands. This shit is gross. Heavy heavy. Reminds me of Clutch, and I mean that as a compliment.

Lil' Video from the last show.

2009-04-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Gaining Ground 3/21/09 from Christopher Scesny on Vimeo.

With footage from Have Heart, Polar Bear Club, and Trapped Under Ice in the following link:
megaupload.com/?d=KWL7EFMG

THANKS / NEW SHOWS

2009-03-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

This past week was a huge success, with both shows being real monsters. Video from the shows will be posted later this week, as well as photos. We'll be announcing new shows in April. Stay tuned. We've got a late summer show that should make your life before it seem pale and uninteresting.

MARCH 21 HAVE HEART

2009-03-12T03:11:00.000-07:00

HAVE HEART is the new Bane, the new Sick of it All, the new Youth of Today. Whatever hyperbole you might want to use isn't an overstatement here. This band is important to a lot of people. Hardcore history coming to Albany. Don't miss it.
POLAR BEAR CLUB is something akin to Small Brown Bike, but waaay better. The Hot Water crowd goes crazy for it.
TRAPPED UNDER ICE has been gaining momentum nationally and has become particularly loved in the Capital District. Street music with a soul.
GAINING GROUND hails from Glens Falls and has been playing the local scene for awhile, quietly becoming a great live band. They are done being quiet in any way and are going to knock your dick off at this show. Album release show!
CALEB LIONHEART might be a nipple-twist for the "hardcore-for-the-hardcore" set at this show, but will have the whole crowd eating out of their hands by the end. Pop for non-morons.

This show brings hardcore back to the Shelter Skatepark, 35 Commerce Ave, site of many great shows in years past. Doors will be at 7pm, show will start at 8pm on the dot. Show up on time and respect the locals. Locals play local-length sets. Show will not go late.

Month of March. BIG THINGS MAN, BIG THINGS.

2009-03-12T02:54:00.000-07:00

BANE needs no introduction. People live and die by this Boston band for more than a decade.
CRUEL HAND is so tight it's gross. They play Madball's style without any posturing. Shit is hard but not tough.
END OF A YEAR is likely the softest band on the bill, but don't let that fool you. It's too irritating to be mellow.
AFTER THE FALL has been bringing a unique Fat Wreckords-inspired jam for almost a decade. The vibe is great.
TRANSITIONS is the youngest band on the bill, but the dudes are veterans of tons of bands and are usually the ones moshing for your bands. Come on time and support a great local.

Show will be upstairs at Valentines, 17 New Scotland Ave, in beautiful Albany NY. It will start on time and will not run late. Local bands, including End of a Year, will be playing local-length sets.