SHADOW OF INTENT: Pushing The Limits
It’s hard to believe how fast Shadow of Intent has risen in Heavy Metal. In just nearly six years since the band launched, the Connecticut fronted Symphonic Deathcore ensemble have risen to the ranks to become one of the most popular bands in the genre. Leading the way to definitely become one of the future heavyweight contenders in metal alongside groups like Suicide Silence, Whitechapel, Job for a Cowboy and Thy Art Is Murder and are proving that they can stand the test of time. In support of their latest album “Melancholy”, the band has gone out on a small, but extensive Winter tour with a number of other great heavy weight bands in Deathcore! Inferi, Signs of the Swarm and Brand of Sacrifice are all great bands that any fan of extreme music should check out instantly if they’re looking for an experience that will blow their minds.
I had took the journey to Amityville, Long Island from Brooklyn because of how eager I’d been to see this lineup. Shadow of Intent’s music provides a violent heaviness while featuring insurmountable musical integrity that will keep plenty of people intrigued in their style both in recording and live. What I most enjoy about the group is their lyrics being based upon topics from the video game series “Halo”. Which adds to the insane amount of imagination you’ll get when listening to these guys. Vocalist, Ben Duerr showcases very chaotic and insane amounts of vocal ranges. Pig Squeals, defying gutturals and high pitched shrills are all provided when this man begins to scream. While bassist Andrew Monias dishes out some fantastic backing vocals and a bunch of heavy patterns to inspire the crowd. Shadow of Intent does everything they can to make sure their audiences are raging, as the group encouraged everyone to ruthlessly mosh and headbang. Their setlist featured mostly newer tracks, with songs like “The Battle of the Maginot Sphere”, “The Prelude to Bereavement” and “The Heretic Prevails”!
Tech Death band Inferi always find a way to impress current and new fans, as they perform in the modern tech death style that takes inspiration from Necrophagist, Beyond Creation, Archspire and Death. Inferi’s music absolutely has no bounds at all and in a live setting it is a sight to behold. Lots of sick rhythm changing patterns, extremely powerful blast beats and beautiful shreds featured throughout. It is impossible to overlook Inferi’s tech death style, especially for those who are fans of the subgenre. Vocalist Stevie Boiser’s shrills and shrieks were all the hype for fans. Guitarist and backing vocalist Malcolm Pugh provided a great guitar section while making sure his lows could be felt throughout the venue. Inferi’s charisma is an incredible showcase and any fan of extreme music will without a doubt appreciate them.
Signs of the Swarm were the ultra heavy deathcore titans that really brought the house down at Revolution and one of the most chaotic bands you can probably see in a live setting by far. Signs of the Swarm mix together deathcore and slam to provide a very stylistic package for all fans of heavy music. SOTS includes everything that you probably want from a super brutal group like the hype for pig squeals, high pitched brees and tasty beat down riffs that make you go all out, with tasty influences from bands like Devourment & Suffocation. The crowd showed no remorse at all once the band took to the stage as moshing in the tiny Revolution area was a no mercy frenzy. Underground hits like “Nightcrawler” & “Cesspool of Ignorance” provided so much wild mosh pit action in such a short profound period of time.
Brand of Sacrifice was a band I always kept my eyes on since I saw them at Summer Slaughter in 2019. Seeing the heavy deathcore ensemble from Canada tear up Long Island was a noteworthy sight. Much like Shadow of Intent, their lyrics take inspiration from the Japanese Manga series “Berserk”. Brand of Sacrifice provided a short but very sweet set to anyone that laid their eyes on them. With lots of mathcore inspired tempo changes which reminded me of The Dillinger Escape Plan, and extremely brutal breakdowns that made me feel like I was listening to Whitechapel’s Somatic Defilement. Brand of Sacrifice provides a lot of musical integrity to those who listen closely on the badass sound that they provide.
The local band Echoes of Akrasia did really well to warm up the crowd for the night that would be set fourth. This death metal ensemble was tiffing away at a very quick pace for the short time that they were on the stage, as it prepared the audience for the carnage to come. It’s always great to see Long Island bring out some of their local shredders to play on these great tours! Shadow of Intent brought an incredible lineup to metal fans on Long Island. They’re a band you’ll say you’d wished you had seen early on before they play amphitheaters, and I implore true metal fans not to miss them on the rest of this tour!
