The Party Zone - Longview, Tx - 03.24.07
Reviewer - BrokenKeith

The following is my review for the show that took place at The Party Zone in Longview featuring A Theory On Conquest, Death To The Divine, Dryline, and My Plastic Friends: The crowd at the all-ages venue The Party Zone in Longview, was already starting to pack in for the night's show. And things went off to a great start. A Theory On Conquest played just their second show, but the individual live experience of the band members made for a tight, energetic set. Jordan's extreme vocals have improved slightly, which still says a lot when you take a look at his impressive work with Derision. Speaking of which, as he usually becomes with every show he plays, Kendrick was the center of attention, constantly in control of the band's energy and the crowd's attention. It was also good to see Chris Mason back on guitar after his nearly year long stint on bass with Cinder Cell, and his love and enthusiasm for the guitar was easily given away by the shit eating grin on his face. Even the drummer Chewy played to the crowd, leaving his kit to provide a little playing on the amps and metal railing to the side of the stage. The songwriting is top notch and very different for a band in this area. The eclecticism of Between the Buried and Me, mosh-friendly grooves of Bury Your Dead, and the spastic energy of Converge were the elements that could be found in their set. Aside from a few technical difficulties, they put on one of the best shows I've ever seen from a new local band.

Which leads me to Death To The Divine, a band that is almost as new but I could honestly say was almost no less impressive. I got myself knee deep in pig squeals, blast beats, and a "more brutal than your momma's taint" attitude. Kody has returned to the local scene from a short hiatus after the disbanding of Laid To Waste. The time away has paid off. He displayed both improvement with his screams and his stage presence. He has also aligned himself with a band that while younger, is still heavier and more intense than his previous outfit. This band deserves attention from anyone into Job For A Cowboy, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, and The Black Dahlia Murder. They were very capable of pulling off the brutal and technical sound, which was surprising considering some members were not even old enough to smoke. They ensure that Longview's scene is about to get even uglier before . . . in a good way.

Next up was a band I've enjoyed for the past two years and one that carries a familiar name to DFW locals, Dryline. They played a set consisting mostly of the memorable songs from their last full length, [i]Reach For The Surface[/i]. And this performance was no less pleasing than numerous previous ones that I have been privy too. Heavy and intense rhythm section work and melodic, atmospheric leads combine with Aaron's dark, emotional screams to set the tone. But such a serious description of their music can be deceiving, because seeing this band live will probably be the most fun you have had on any Saturday night unless you've puked on your buddy's bitchy girlfriend. Aaron and the guys can really reach down onto the level of their audience and draw them in on all the action. I highly recommend catching this band and seeing what time on the road has done for them. These guys are pro's.

Rounding up the event was everyone's favorite Longview band with everyone's favorite suggestive band name. No, not TriggerFist (nice guys thought :D). I'm talking about My Plastic Friends. This was another crazy, woodchoppin', mohawk flappin' set by the guys and girl of MPF. Darkus has really come into his own as a vocalist, even though he was apparently having trouble hearing himself in the monitor (I know the signs ;) ). He stood as the constant center on stage as Drew, Jono, and Ruthy flew about him with a reckless, rock 'n' roll ferocity. The song [i]Again For The First Time[/i] will definitely become the next hit at their future shows. With the long jam session the band had on the previous day, I also have to award some fortitude points where it's deserved, as no ill-affects were observed on their part. Here's hoping that the crazy spirit of MPF catches major attention with the coming of a new CD.

Go and check out these bands.

http://www.myspace.com/atheoryonconquest
http://www.myspace.com/deathtothedivine
http://www.myspace.com/dryline
http://www.myspace.com/myplasticfriends
http://www.myspace.com/triggerfist (Seriously, they're reeeeeally nice guys)