Review: Obey The Brave at Kingsland, Brooklyn

     Mother Nature is truly unpredictable at this point in time and that’s a shame. A massive snowstorm hit NYC on November 15th and it was incredibly annoying to travel around the city. Canada’s Obey the Brave was rolling into NYC that same day and unfortunately the storm left some consequences. The turnout for this wonderful show only probably had 17 to 20 people max. But honestly, I’m not surprised. Plus, the local bands that were supposed to perform tonight all dropped off. Honestly? Can you blame them, the storm that hit was absolutely horrendous. But those few who managed to brave the storm and come to Kingsland that night had an impeccable time. This is a band I’ve always wanted to see live and they legit delivered on all fronts. No matter who OTB is playing for, they will always deliver it 100% of the way. Along for the ride on this lineup was Ghost Key and Downswing. For the rest of you who want to see a bunch of solid hardcore bands, don’t sleep on this tour.

     A fun fact to also know that this is their very first headliner in North America. Obey the Brave hasn’t been to NYC since 2014, so you can see why I made it the best effort of mine to come to this show. The last major stop this band did in NYC was for The Amity Affliction’s “Let the Ocean take me” Tour. So I wasn’t about to wait another few years to honestly see these guys again. However, Obey the Brave was just on tour with For the Fallen Dreams in September this year. As they were supporting them for the tenth anniversary for the album Changes on the west coast portion of the tour. This trek through the cold snowstorm was truly worth it. If you like pure hardcore anthems that make you want to mosh, Obey the Brave is a band you need to see. Songs like Get Real, On Thin Ice, Raise your voice & On Our Own are all super positive songs that are all about standing up for yourself. Which is extremely reminiscent of bands like Bane, Rage Against the Machine and Sick of it All. With their jumpy melodies, proficient guitar riffs and breakneck breakdowns. Obey the Brave is truly set to get you in the mood. OTB’s setlist was only eight songs, but it was a great mix of everything they had from their entire discography. Frontman Alex Erian, who is also known for being in the veteran deathcore band Despised Icon gets the crowd involved in such a positive mood. He always encourages people to mosh and start two stepping. The energy this band has is impressive and it really gets you in the mood. Truly a band that can play for every type of crowd.

     Ghost Key is a melodic hardcore band that wants you to indulge in their struggles. Situations such as losing their management and a former bassist all got to them. But the band has bounced back and now they’re stronger than ever. This was also a special night for the band, as their newest album, “See this Through” was coming out the next day. But those who wanted to pick up a copy of the album could get it at the show early. For fans of Silent Planet, Dayseeker and Being as an Ocean. This band features some extreme slowed down melodies. Plus, the band has lyrical topics that delve into things like abuse and being able to find yourself as a human being. Vocalist Austin O’ Brien expresses those thoughts in a very aggressive way and you really become drawn to those screams. This is a band that’s that delivers a painful message and these people want to show you how much stronger you can become through overcoming those obstacles.

     Downswing is a hardcore band that gives this lineup much more intensity. These guys feature tons of mosh worthy beatdowns that make you wanna rush into the pit at full force. Super downtuned guitars and fierce lyrics are what Downswing has to offer. For fans of bands like Knocked Loose & Stick to Your Guns. This band offers up all of the intense action that those modern groups have. But they speed up their pace so much. Truly a band that really adds to the worthwhile experience that this tour package offers.

     Overall, despite all of the local bands dropping off and the snowstorm making travel extremely difficult. Obey the Brave did what it could to make sure that the few fans who went to this show had a great time. It was well worth the wait to finally see these guys for the first time. Truly a spectacular and intimate experience.