– The Hail to the Apocalypse tour featuring Avatar and Gemini Syndrome rolled into Pittsburgh’s Altar Bar this past Tuesday and it was an intense evening of some great metal.
Local bands Talion and Kevlar got the night started before First Decree took the stage in support of their debut album, This is Our Rise. I was only able to catch the tail end of their set, but from what I saw they put on a good show and were very energetic on stage.
Gemini Syndrome took the stage next. Drummer Brian Steele Medina sat perched on his drum set while the rest of the band filtered on to the stage and immediately burst into “Pleasure and Pain” off of their 2013 debut Lux. Aaron Nordstrom has a great range that is at times reminiscent of Maynard James Keenan and at others times can be overly aggressive, which is a good mix. The band is currently in the process of working on their second album and fans were treated to the new track “Eternity” before they closed their set with their hit “Stardust.” Gemini Syndrome’s set was fast moving and did not disappoint. 2016 is going to be a big year for them.
After a changeover on stage, Avatar vocalist Johannes Eckerström came out and began the haunting beginning to 2009’s Starcraft inspired “Queen of Blades.” The rest of the band joined in full force and so began their hard hitting set that the crowd ate up. Eckerström, dressed as a sort of circus ring master from hell is extremely charismatic on stage and his energy is contagious. The dual guitars of Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström complement each other and help drive the music. The band’s set featured a steady barrage of heavy hitting songs that culminated with the title track off their 2014 release Hail to the Apocalypse. An Avatar show is an event that needs to be witnessed, and here is hoping we see a lot more of them in the future. Check out the pics below.
Gemini Syndrome at Altar Bar
Avatar at Altar Bar
