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Andres Widener (TPF)

All Hell Tour — You'd Know it Playing From a Mile Away


The All Hell Tour show on October 18, 2016 at The Underground in Mesa, Arizona was fun in its purest form. The night started off with Withered Bones who opened the show first, then Lifelink right after. Two of Arizona's best Melodic Hardcore bands starting the night off for To the Wind, Capsize, and Vanna. The audience (including myself) were extremely into Withered Bones and Lifelink, starting off the night with high energy is a must when getting ready for the headlining bands.

With Withered Bones' energy and mixture of angry and aggressive lyrics, it was a great way to kick this thing off. The leads (Benji LLanes) are absolutely incredible and filled with emotion. When the breakdown happens unexpectedly (LLanes and Ben Smith), it sends a rush through you and makes you want to move along with the performers. The vocalist (Russell Ulrich) has a stage presence that is memorable to anyone who is fortunate enough to watch their set. Cole Hamilton, who is the drummer, is a phenomenal one at that, who plays flawlessly every show. The bassist (Peter Caswell) is energetic with his back bends and luscious hair. They released an album titled For The Ones I Love on December 4, 2015 and are currently in the process of writing their second full length album. Their most recent tour was the Blood & Ink Records + Friends Tour with the incredibly talented Comrades and Vagabonds. Withered Bones will also be playing Take Hold Fest in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a whole lot of awesome bands. They are currently signed to Blood & Ink Records and they could not be a better fit.

Photography by Andres Widener unless watermarked TPF.

YouTube | Shallow Roots — Withered Bones (Official Music Video)

Lifelink was up next, and with being one of the biggest bands in the Arizona music scene, it was obvious the audience was excited. The band consists of Luke Blanchard (vocals), Kamran Oskouie (guitar), Ross Burrows (bass guitar), Josh Brown (guitar), and Mike Cook (drums). They are a Melodic Hardcore band from Tempe, Arizona. With a more dark and heavy sound, they move the audience every time a breakdown hits. The energy instantly changes when they take the stage, with pile ups happening throughout their set. They have two EPs recorded, one titled Morose, which was released on April 5, 2014 and the other titled Nothing, released on April 14, 2015. Their most recent tour was with a New York Alternative Hardcore band called Bungler, O’ the Nearly Dead Tour. Lifelink is currently unsigned and continues to wow the audience with every performance.

Photography by Andres Widener unless watermarked TPF.

YouTube | Empty Heaven — Lifelink (Official Music Video)

All of this has led up to the performance of the headlining bands. First up was To The Wind. They are a Hardcore Metal band from Seattle, Washington and are on the All Hell Tour with Capsize and Vanna. They are signed to Pure Noise Records. Their sound is very unique and they definitely surprised the audience with their music. A mixture of clean and harsh vocals was all they needed to put on a great show. Tanner Murphy (vocals) knew how to keep the crowd engaged and listening. Overall, To The Wind is a fresh take on the Hardcore sound and deserve your attention. The Brighter View dropped on October 7, 2016—go pick it up and there will be no doubt you will be satisfied with their music.

Photography by Andres Widener unless watermarked TPF.

YouTube | The Brighter View — To The Wind

Next up was Capsize, a Post Hardcore band from Southern California. They are on a record label called Equal Vision, and were sandwiched in the middle of this night. The audience was into this band all the way to the end. Their most recent release was back on July 22, 2016, titled A Reintroduction: The Essence of All That Surrounds Me. Be sure to catch them on the All Hell Tour before it is too late!

Photography by Andres Widener unless watermarked TPF.

YouTube | Tear Me Apart — Capsize (Official Music Video)

Now, for the headlining band, Vanna, is who everyone came to see. Another Post Hardcore band, who is signed to Pure Noise wrapped this whole night together. Vanna is from Boston, Massachusetts. With their east coast twist on Hardcore, they stand out quite a lot—with their one-of-a-kind harsh vocals and instrumentals, you would know it was them playing from a mile away. The tour is in support of their newest album All Hell, which dropped on July 8, 2016. Vanna's music structure stood out and it is no wonder they are slowly climbing to the top of the Post Hardcore ladder. Give all the headlining bands a follow or a like to stay updated on their upcoming tours and album information.

Photography by Andres Widener unless watermarked TPF.

YouTube | Flower – Vanna (Official Music Video)

Overall, it was an incredible night. Awesome people, great music, and not a bad vibe in sight. The Underground is a great place for intimate shows. It allows the audience to get close to those they look up to and makes the experience that much better. A huge thank you to The Mantooth Group for putting this show together, and all the wonderful bands who played. Thank you to everyone who showed up to support your local music scene as well as some of your favorite bands. Help keep the concert tradition alive and continue to support all those you enjoy!

Photos watermarked TPF with this logo:

done by Nahnalah_G.

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