Sam Black Church – with OHM, Headcleaner, Tree at the Paradise – Review

Sam Black Church

with OHM, Headcleaner, Tree at the Paradise
by Scott Hefflon

What a night! Headcleaner was playing at the Paradise on a hot night in late June. Our only other option was sweating and getting trashed watching re-runs on TV. A few of us headed out and paid our way in. Guest list was doable, but we paid to pay our respects. OHM was jammin’ when we got there. They whaled, but we only caught the last few songs. When Headcleaner hit, it was really great to see the boys finally get their slice. They’ve been good party buds and they’ve paid their dues. Now is their time in the limelight. From the onset, the groove was tight and weighed a ton. It never lightened through the whole set. Their sound and presence is like the rumbles from the old days: It’s unified, it’s an all out assault, and it’s an energy release from hell. H.C. still knows how to cut loose.

Tree is like a one night stand. It’s wild, it’s passionate, and it’s the most intense romp you’ll ever get, but you know you’ll regret it in the morning. You always feel like you fell down a flight of stairs the day after a Tree pit. You’ve just got to get used to it. They’d probably be coined Boston’s Most Promising Hardcore Band if anyone ever came up with such a stupid category. They’re also too damn fun to be written off so easily. Their cynicism and their hate-core labeling peels off to reveal an adrenaline-raging, smirking maniac with a chainsaw sense of humor.

Blowing off the final hinges of the sonic asylum was Sam Black Church. With the most god-awful guitar sound you’ll ever love, they hammered and screamed through another set that makes Dante’s voyage look like a tip toe through the tulips. Over the years, they haven’t lost their identity. The Cringe and Taang! push brought the madness to the masses without watering it down. They still do Kiss’ “Disco Inferno,” Ben Crandal still has that cheese-grater-on-your-spine guitar sound that dives soundmen nuts, and Jet still had the oddest timing in his scream/ranting. The band that is too wild to be filtered into the mold is still top o’ the heap.

A nightcap – These bands have been on the scene for a while and there are those of us out there who have been into them since the beginning. While getting the major label attention sounds like the goal, it usually is a loss to the original audience. While more people get to see and hear your faves, you watch them get packaged and shipped out. Luckily, these bands are going places and still remember where they came from.