Review: Amebix at the Triple Rock

When Misery is on, it sounds like something is broken. That something is your skull. I had hoped that opening for crust legends Amebix would force them to put on a show that would send chunks of brain flying through the Triple Rock. They came damn close, landing somewhere between skull rattling and skull shattering, as they rumbled through favorites like “Bomb Blast” and “Midnight.”

I had assumed that freight trains coming into Minneapolis yesterday would be covered with every crusty punk within a 500 mile radius, clinging to the graffiti-covered steel like barnacles. The place was packed tight, but not uncomfortable, with no obvious overflow outside.

Were Amebix awesome? I couldn’t tell. I had a hard time hearing them through all the farts.

Actually, they were awesome.

Amebix are completely new to me. I just listened to Arise for the first time about a month ago. Perhaps I felt a little bit left out. Most of the people there seemed not only to know all the words, but sang along with all their hearts. There was a sense of reverence and awe that was almost tangible.

I could see why. From the opening of “Winter” on, Amebix somehow found a way to play a set that could be described equally as celebratory and emotionally devastating, crushing and uplifting. From a purely musical standpoint, they were precise and engulfing. I don’t believe that anyone in the crowd was not completely sucked in.

When they wrapped up with an encore that included “Arise” and “Drink and be Merry,” I didn’t really know how much time had passed. They had played a substantial set, but I still felt that the time had moved by too quickly. If they ever come back again, I’ll be ready.

Amebix played the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis, MN, on 05/27/09.