New Disciples
Elysium, Tuesday July 29, 2003

Right off the bat, I want to mention that Sean McFalls has been my favorite local drummer (besides Keith Brady of Voltage, Squat Thrust, Romeo Delight) for a long time. I was a big fan when he was in the Secret Lovers and was really happy to find out he was in the New Disciples.

Mark, the guitar player is such a bad ass, he was wearing a turtleneck without shame. I wondered what brought on this fashion choice and was told he was made to wear it somehow or another. Dead End Dave has got to be the best front man on the strip besides Chad Holt. I like watching him bend his body into weird shapes like a Gumby doll. This is probably my main focus when they're playing, besides the fact that he has a great rock voice.

I like this band a lot because there is a really strong Replacements influence that comes across a lot edgier, obviously. I don't know how I felt about being in Elysium on a Tuesday night, but it was a great show. I have been noticing more shows being booked there that are less dance oriented, and am looking forward to seeing more. I like how you can move around without being totally cramped in any one area and the bartenders are always awesome.

On this night in particular I was with a really nice guy that had never seen the band before, but was awfully accommodating of my alcoholism. I need to call him. Anyhow, hopefully he enjoyed it as much as I did.
(The show, not my binge drinking that is.)

-Corri Mava

God Module with Provision and Solemn Assembly
Elysium, Saturday, August 2, 2003

The Elysium is Austin's only real venue for the showcase of new industrial, and gothic music. The space itself has undergone a few changes of interior and owners over the years first building it's following during it's previous incarnation as the Atomic Cafe. A new approach was started with the new name and the venue has since taken to booking more acts to come through town. August 2nd gave us the triple bill of Florida based God Module and Texas bands, Solemn assembly and Provision.

The venue was a little slow to filling when opening act, Solemn Assembly took the stage at a little after 10:30. The late comming crowds are something that is probably a little too common to the Austin Industrial scene and tends to make promoters cringe. Solemn assembly undaunted launced into their set. The band builds their music off of solid danceable industrial rhythms and then weaves their instrumentals over it in a haunting way with some definite cold overtones through most of their pieces. Songs like Ghost and Statik Heaven showcased lead singer and programmer, DJ Virus's vocals and their ability to transition from a whisper to harsh scream within seconds. Their set ran the gamut of their songs with definate strings of religious and personal imagery as well as referances to "chin balls" aimed at friends and following performers, Provision. after a double fistful of sonngs, Solemn assembly wound up their block with a good throbbing instrumental that showed off their programming and composing skills and leaving the audience primed for Provision.

Provision's particular style falls more along the lines of a synth pop flavor of industrial. The result of a trio consisting of two vocalist / musicians and a third keyboardist: Alex V, Breye 7x and Leslie Hyman. The difference between them and the opening act came in the form of lighter vocals and lyrics that sought out the catchy middle ground between the typical velvet acid christ type industrial dance mainstay sound and more beborn beton-esque future pop material. Both Alex and Breye had a solid grasp of the crowd and raised the performing ante pouring more energy into their stage work as the night went on. Their stage presence wasn't the only notable part of their show. Every song had an effortless hook played by Leslie and a steady dancing beat that flowed well with the voices of both Alex and Breye. The two traded singing duties through the set, fluidly switching out with none of the disjointedness that normally happens with a band changes leader singer gears. The whole performance was solid in delivery and talent and made the right kind of contrast between Solemn Assembly's lead in and headliners God Module.
By the time God Module had taken the stage the crowd had reached the largest size it was going to get that night. Austin's RivetGoth industrial scene is notoriously reserved and what God Module's Jason Bangert and Byron Miller pulled off that night was nothing short of impressive. The band launched into their set with a firm planted industrial rivetheaded hard driving beat and distorted machinery vocals and managed to get the crowd to start dancing. God module was by the far the most musically and vocally aggressive of the three that night. Tracts were performed from their older cd as well as newer release "Empath". Both Jason and Byron took on the vocalist challenge during their shows producing staple sound lyrics, layered thick over the wall of synthetics that God Module shot out of the Elysium's speaker stacks. God module's performance kept the normally poker faced Austin industrial audience moving through their song list all the way from the first bars of their opening to the encore that was demanded by the crowd. All in all the night was a good solid 4 hours of industrial music from the more melodic poppy to the standardized hard dark stuff that is expected and given in a place like the Elysium.

-Darin D'Avila

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