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The All Stars Tour collected itself quite an impressive lineup this year, and I eagerly headed out to GameChanger World at the end of July to capture the energy with my Nikon. There were several bands that lured me there, but the one at the top of my list was Within the Ruins. The band’s debut album, Creature, provided the soundtrack to my trips to the beach back in 2009, and I’ve been following them closely ever since.
Aside from the brutal technicality Within the Ruins offers, the most impressive element the Massachusetts-based band has going for them is their distinct, instantly recognizable sound. In a genre that’s bursting at the seams, they have managed to craft a unique style that sets them apart from their peers.
Due to the packed lineup on the tour, Within the Ruins only spent twenty minutes on stage delivering four tracks, a majority of which came from the band’s most recent release, Phenomena. They opened up with “The Other” which seemed like an appropriate intro as vocalist Tim Goergen screamed the lyrics, “Welcome to our insanity, Welcome to our complexity.” Insanity and complexity are two perfect adjectives to describe Within the Ruins’ live set-up. Given the fact that Joe Cocchi is the band’s only guitarist, there is extensive attention to detail behind the scenes to ensure that they maintain an authentic sound on stage. A second guitar track streams through the PA, along with other backing tracks to enhance their heavily tech-influenced metal. If you’re interested in reading more about their live setup, you can read Cocchi’s Rigged entry via Metal Sucks.
Goergen and company continued to deliver chaos with “Hegira,” another track from Phenomena, that started off with an electronic track that seemed to be picked right out of a video game from the early 90’s. After a few seconds, the band chimed in with the track, and the crowd erupted. By the time it was over, I’m pretty sure the temperature in the room had elevated a few degrees. Luckily, Goergen was gracious enough to share his water with the fans in the front before jumping back to “I, Blaspheme” from 2013’s Elite. The band closed with “Calling Card,” another relentless heavy-hitter that left the crowd sweaty and exhausted, but satisfied. New Jersey fans will be anxiously awaiting their next visit.
Stay tuned for coverage of the entire All Stars Tour lineup!
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All photos by Ali Brant Photography
