Craig Owens of Destroy Rebuild Until God Shows (D.R.U.G.S.) luckily missed out on the ice storm that hit the Dallas – Fort Worth (DFW), TX area and was able to bring a performance that left an audience at Trees down in Deep Ellum speechless and in a nostalgic bliss. With a fully stacked line up including Varials, The Callous Daoboys, 156/Silence, and local openers, Deep Incision, the crowd was fully prepared to mosh and two-step the night away.
Opening the night was Deep Incision and the following this band in the local DFW music scene is almost unmatched. The amount of Deep Incision hoodies and tees in the crowd was enough to make someone think that they were the band headlining the bill. The band hit the stage with such a ferocity that one couldn’t stand still. Watching people in the crowd two-step, mosh, cartwheel, and just go absolutely insane was a sight to behold. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen the band perform and I couldn’t be happier seeing the band grace a proper stage and I’d guarantee this won’t be their last time.
Next on the stage was 156/Silence and I know Dallas was ready for this band because the last time they were in the area was with Great American Ghost and the show had to be canceled due to the DFW getting hit by a tornado. Watching the band take the stage and immediately start headbanging while the vocalist unleashed such a variety of tantalizing vocals left myself and many others speechless. The band was just able to command the crowd in a way that left you not just wanting, but needing more.
Gracing the stage next was a band that needs no introduction, but they’re going to get one anyway: The Callous Daoboys. A band who’s name is a play on the ever popular Dallas Cowboys, the band was greeted with open arms by the crowd. With 6 members on stage, the band quickly unleashed a barrage of spins, kicks, and breakdowns. Something that I think every person in attendance appreciated, other than the amazing performance, was the band’s shoutout to many local bands in the DFW area like Deep Incision and dropping Ballista as well (another band from the area with roots deep in the local hardcore/ metalcore scene).
Getting ever closer to the headliner, Varials exploded on stage to ensure the crowd was ready. While I have been familiar with Varials for a while, I have not listened to them all too often and see why that is such a mistake. With a mesmerizing mixture of hardcore, metalcore, ambient sounds, and, dare I say, an almost Deftones-like haunting sound, the band had the entire venue shaking. It is no wonder why the long running video game Rock Band included “Circles” as a DLC for the game.
It was finally that time of the night with D.R.U.G.S. finally taking the stage. I still remember when the self titled album came out way back in 2011 (when I was in high school) and that album was exactly what teenage me needed. I know I’m not the only one because the crowd was filled to the brim with anticipation. The show started with “If You Think This Song Is About You, It Probably Is” & “Graveyard Dancing” and the crowd erupted into a roar of metalcore bliss. One of the most memorable moments of the night had to be when Craig Owens mentioned how each band on the tour was chosen due to the fact that he believed they are the future of heavy music thus showing the music scene is not even remotely close to dead. Ending the night with a quick feature from Carson Pace of The Callous Daoboys was just the cherry on top of a nostalgia sundae.
