Indiecore Memphis: Memphis Metal Unites for Silent Planet

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The Hi-Tone is currently on the cusp of hosting touring acts Silent Planet, who are supporting their new album “The Night God Slept”, and Artifex Pereo along with great handful of local metal bands you should know about. The show will start at 6pm January 22nd and admission is $10.

The local acts playing include What We Do in Secret, Creux (formerly known as Conquer & Divide), Altruria, and Our Dearly Departed. These groups are just a few musicians bound and determined to contribute to Memphis’ seemingly growing music scene.

“Its a weird cycle of music in Memphis right now,” What We Do in Secret vocalist Josh Adams said, “We’re coming out of it; I feel like and I see that, but its not growing as fast as it could be.” Adams feels that the current attendance at local shows is promising, but not what it was circa 2011 and 2012. He stated the numbers to back up his claim.

“When I started to play shows in my old band After the Exhale you would have 100 people out to a local show,” said Adams, “and now it’s like you’re lucky to have 100 people out to a medium-level, nationally touring act. Other towns would usually pull at least 200 people to those.”

Despite Memphis’ “hit or miss” pattern of crowd attendance, newer and younger bands like Altruria remain positive about the show-playing experience and the resurgence of growth in the scene.

“Especially in metal and especially in Memphis there’s a not a huge scene and so even if we have four big bands that everybody knows here that’s a big deal,” said Altruria drummer Glen Hooper, “If you can get up there where people hear about you, ask about you, and call you to open for Whitechapel and Animals as Leaders that’s huge.”

Hooper made clear what local acts he was describing that often open up for touring metal groups, such as Silent Planet and Artifex Pereo, as they move their way through Memphis.

“There’s kinda like an inner circle in Memphis of the local metal bands and those are the ones you always hear about; What We Do In Secret, Vera, Prophasis, and Conquer & Divide,” Hooper said, “They’re the ones that open all the big shows for the bigger guys; they’ve gotten there because they’ve worked for it. They know what their doing and they’ve been around long enough to prove themselves as effective metal bands.”

John Patrick; “inner circle” veteran and vocalist of Creux (formerly Conquer & Divide) explained the antics and experiences to expect as the end result of such hard work.

“We played our song Lost Cause the last time the other day for the New Years show,” Patrick said, “I was able to do a little switcharoo with john clark, he plays guitar for us now. He did vocals and I played guitar. It was fun not having a bunch of sweaty people jump on me.”

Though Patrick describes the average Creux show as “a lot of chaos” he ensured that the 22nd will be exciting and yet safe for those who are not familiar with these types of concerts.

“Its gonna be a pretty heavy show; its gonna be fun. I don’t expect anybody to be hate moshing,” Patrick said, “I think it’s gonna be a pretty safe environment for people who are usually kinda freaked out about going to shows because they think they might get hit. When somebody targets somebody at a show that kinda takes people away from it. ”

Josh Adams of What We Do in Secret also shared this take on dancers “targeting” attendees.

“What I’ve seen at local shows, and national shows, is that people are very vigilant but sometimes theres always theres those one or two guys that aren’t that way,” Adams said,

“That’s a rarity and an exception at shows in Memphis. that someone doesn’t care and comes in and hurts people. Usually people look out for one another and don’t want to hurt each other. That’s the good part about what we do and what the Memphis scene does as a whole.”

Member of Altruria, Austin Miller, also chimed in on the discussion of hardcore dancing and explained it’s engaging purpose, for those that do it right.

“Metal is one of those genres where if you are into it you literally will lose yourself in music and that’s what moshing is. It completely takes over you as a person,” Miller said, “I personally an am an extreme mosher; I could be bleeding and half dead but if there is a decent drop in something I’m gonna go back to the pit.”

(photo by Creux)

The vocalist’s passion for music extends beyond the dance floor. Miller detailed the transportation struggles of an out-of-city band member.

“I literally have to go in to work at four o’clock in the morning Sunday, I live in Tunica Mississippi, and I don’t get off till five p.m.” Miller said, “Arturia's playing a show that starts at six in Memphis. I have to drive all the way up here to play a show and then I have to work again Monday afternoon.”

As a University of Memphis student, Josh Adams also shared a similar mentality about music and sacrifice.

“It’s really hard to balance going to class. And playing shows. And work. And band practice. And homework,” Adams said, “I think it’s worth it to not get sleep some nights and feel tired in order to be able to do what you love doing and do what you feel like you’re supposed to be doing; both in school and me doing the band.”

As a professional studies and human services major who plans to get a masters degree in counseling, Adams has a lot on his plate currently but finds time to apply his field of interest to the music world and business.

“Going to shows and being at shows is a form of learning and a form of studying people. You get to see how people interact and socialize with one another, the things that they do and the things that they copy of one another that people outside of their specific social group wouldn’t understand,” Adams said, “Metal music in general is kind of one of those things where if you’re outside the social group most people don’t really understand it or get it.”

Mills of Altruria shared his own personal experiences in regard to not being understood by strangers outside of the close-knit social group of Memphis and it’s metalheads.

“Tunica is a small town full of people raised in the south- real country people, so when I go outside or I’m in my small town I get stared at a lot because I have 3/4th plugs, I wear skinny jeans and Vans, and everybody down there wears wranglers and boots,” Miller said, “It’s just great to know there’s the opportunity where I can be around other people and do this kinda stuff.”

Other band members performing at the upcoming show have gone through personal struggles of their own in the past year. John Patrick of Creux shared how his own influenced the lyrics of the material that his band will be playing the 22nd in full.

“This last EP I wrote it all about coming off of certain drugs and it’s written in perspective, but there are a lot events that happened in the past year that influenced me to write some of the songs,” Patrick said, “I went a-wall. I ran off and went to Austin so I could get away from certain people. I convinced everybody that I was staying there just so all my fake friends that were always wanting to get fucked up with me would just leave me alone.”

Other influences have caused certain band members to appreciate their musical outlet as well. Adams of What We Do in Secret also carries an important reason to keep performing with his group on stage.

“In those moments everything is gone. For those thirty minutes it’s just me and the God that I worship playing a show together and me just screaming my heart out,” Adams said, “At the end of the show I get to share why I scream my heart out, that’s what makes it worth it.”

Adams, Patrick, Miller, and Hooper are all excited to be performing in their respective bands but Patrick had some insight about the headliner.

“Silent Planet is blowing up,” Patrick said, “They kind of have that same speed that August Burns Red has. Somebody might call me an idiot for that, but that’s what I hear!”

Students, Memphians, and concert goers will be able to hear for themselves January 22nd at the Hi-Tone.