Apoptygma Berzerk, Dismantled, Ikonoklast & The Anix - March 23rd, 2010 - Club Mardi Gras - Scottsdale, AZ

Review by Aaron Richardson

When the COMA team asked me to review the Apoptygma Berzerk show I was a little apprehensive; industrial music (also bands I’d never heard of) on a Wednesday night in a tiny bar venue filled with not-always-so-loveable drunkards lost in arrhythmic arm waving didn’t sound like my usual cup o’ tea. The venue was great, a dark corner just off the 101 with a nice bar and Guns N’ Roses pinball, and I was right: the boozy brigade was out in full force this lovely March evening, but the show rocked (for the most part).

The Anix made sure the crowd stayed tame for the first 45 minutes of the show. Their music was altogether good quality, but the songs blurred together into one long set of subdued synth-pop, heavy percussion and the smooth drone of vocalist Brandon Smith. By the end of the set the crowd was just begging to be electrified, to move something besides their toe or head. They were appreciative of the guys on stage, more musicians than showmen, but everybody knew the main reason they were there and The Anix weren’t it. They may be the kind of band that probably thrives with studio releases. I never felt a surge of energy while The Anix were on—and I was standing next to a speaker— but the vocalist sure did have a purdy mouf’, and sex appeal has a winning record so far which means they’ll probably be alright (right?). Ultimately, for guys with an album entitled “Play, Dance, Repeat”, they didn’t live up to their billing.

Next up: Ikonoklast, the type of band that draws a crowd who loves to have the singer douse his really long mane with water and shake it all over them (Seriously, that’s what the guy did, and the crowd loved it. My first thought would have been “Shit, that guy just shook hair-water all over me, and I think some just got in my mouth.”). The crowd seemed eager to get rambunctious since the more cool-handed vibe coming from The Anix, and so with an opportunity to amp them up, Werm (vocals) seized the microphone and warmed up a few tortured screams and immediately changed the culture of the show. These guys definitely knew how to rock the stage, and finally the crowd started to jump around; their style of industrial metal inspired a handful of thrashers and a dash of dancing (very little of it in sync). Some obvious groupies who also doubled as guest-screamers provided a nice energy boost to the set, but the frontman didn’t need much help. He was busy storming around stage and making chest cavities go “whoa” (maybe I’m being a tiny bit generous, but he was good).

It’s unfortunate for the artsy boho-goths, Dismantled, that they had to go on after Ikonoklast, because they didn’t have a chance of matching punches. Not that they weren’t talented, but they seemed a little buttoned-up comparatively. They brought their own projector to display their lyrics (“Are we the living / Or are we the dead?" from "The Living Dead".), camouflage-inspired body paint, and a gas mask-on-a-stick for vocalist Gary Zon to shake at the crowd for a little ambience. Owners of the most memorable hook of the night, “I don’t give a shit! / I don’t give a shit! / I don’t give a shit!” (I’m not being facetious) from their track “Breed to Death” which has the verve and catchiness of a hit, they had some success getting the crowd to rock and dance. The hot-as-hell keyboardist TZA was trying really hard and she was still hot when she stood on a stool and awkwardly reached towards the ceiling to balance for some pelvis thrusts and crotch grabs. Of the three opening acts, Dismantled had the most defined sound, but needed more practice on pulling off that cool, apathetic, sexy rockstar thing (but what do I know, I just sip tea and read books).

All night the bands had problems with the equipment or choreography of the evening, but when David Groth, the heart and soul of Apop, asked side-stage, “Am I supposed to go on now?” while the band teased the crowd, he gave a simple “screw it” shrug and jogged on stage to a roar from the fans that doubled in size for the headliner. There’s a reason Groth has been around so long: the man is a showman. The bar was practically empty; everybody wanted to see the show. The entire set was just fun, a sing-along type of atmosphere that was predicated on the intense guitar riffs and industrial dance beats that have endeared Apop to the industrial scene. Even I, sequestered in the corner with my notebook, had to set down the pen and get moving a little. The sultry choruses with lines like “come lie next to me” (from “Kathy’s Song”) were entrancing, and “Love Never Dies” had the crowd chanting until the song’s terminus, dance tracks like “Nonstop Violence” kept them pumped and moving, and they cried for more until the 2am curfew shut them down.

I left the show feeling as inebriated as my crowd-mates (stone-sober unfortunately, I think I just needed earplugs), tired, and ready to pass out. I would call that a successful show.

Visit The Anix's official MySpace: myspace.com/TheAnix

Visit Ikonoklast's official MySpace: myspace.com/Ikonoklast

Visit Dismantled's official MySpace: myspace.com/Dismantled

Visit Apoptygma Berzerk's official website: theapboffice.com