This past Thursday night, Brooklyn was treated to an incredible metalcore/industrial triple bill: Daughters, HEALTH and Show Me The Body. Both HEALTH and Show Me The Body are still supporting new releases from earlier this year (Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear and Dog Whistle, respectively) and Daughters is still going strong behind their excellent and genre-defining release You Won’t Get What You Want from late 2018.
Show Me The Body was up first and the room was already packed to see the group open the night. Frontman Julian Cashwan Pratt had an intense level of energy on stage – violently throwing his body back and forth all while playing hardcore riffs on a heavily distorted banjo. Several friends of the band came on stage for brief guest vocals, and subsequently stage dove into the pit to amp up the crowd even more.
Next up was electronic-infused industrial rock greats HEALTH. Their intoxicating bass and melodic vocals were a sharp contrast to openers SMTB, but fit so nicely in the middle of the triple bill. Their latest release, Vol. 4 :: Slaves of Fear, sees the band soundtracking an industrial rock dance club, reminiscent of where Neo met Trinity in The Matrix. They present a stripped back stage with blinding, beat-synced strobes that overwhelm your senses regardless of where you are in the room.
Daughters have been looked up to in the metalcore, industrial rock cloud ever since their debut in 2003. But in 2010, their self-titled LP made a firm statement as one of the best records in the genre, only to see the band then break up and go on a long hiatus. They briefly reunited in 2013 for a one-off show, but it would not be until 2018 that the band returned with the excellent You Won’t Get What You Want. This record is essentially the soundtrack to your worst nightmares. With shrill, spine-tingling guitar riffs; despondent, brutal lyrics; and a relentless flow from start to finish, the record taxes your emotions no matter how many times you’ve heard it. The rare slow down on the album comes from the track “Less Sex.” The song opens with a funky bass groove, but the high pitched guitar riff and haunting, repetitious monologue conveys a hopeless feeling for the listener.
Frontman Alexis Marshall has a stage presence that truly conveys the tortured sentiment of the record. Several times during the show he would appear to choke himself with his microphone chord, his fist (or the fist of a lucky(?) audience member) or his clothing. His facial expression would convey the darkest emotions of the human mind and he would frequently jump down to the audience to mosh and engage with the energetic fans. As dark as Daughters’ music is, the connection between the band and those listening cannot be understated.
The show at Brooklyn Steel was one of the last of the combined tour, which wrapped up on December 21 at a sold out show at Paradise Rock Club in Boston. HEALTH have shows in Europe next April while Show Me The Body play New Year’s Eve at the newly opened NYC venue The Dance.
This iteration of the Daughters lineup seems to have a deep connection on stage, and they deliver an intoxicating performance. This was my second time seeing them on this tour cycle and the presentation of YWGWYW somehow got substantially better the second time around. Hopefully we see more from the group in the near future!
