Silver Street is Home to Hardcore, Near and Far
Hardcore heavyweights Mourning traveled across the pond to Syracuse’s own Silver Street Event Center, playing alongside touring bands and local legends alike.
Words By Brayden Cirman / Photo by Brayden Cirman / Graphic by Sofia Floresca
Only a short four miles away from the heart of Syracuse University sits the normally unassuming and quiet Silver Street Event Center. For the past several months, it has been a haven for local and D.I.Y. music, characterized by its reputation for hosting much of the expansive and vibrant community that is the Syracuse hardcore scene.
As one travels up the concrete steps, passes the unlit gymnasium, and descends into the basement, it’s impossible not to pass familiar faces. Everyone is present for a shared appreciation of the music and the sense of community harbored within this space. One of the exciting things about being a strong community is that it’s always changing and with all the friends and acquaintances, there are always new people tagging along. The show on September 28th exemplified this experience with the three touring bands and two upstate locals displaying the signature sounds of hardcore near and far.
Cold Kiss kicked off the night, and the Albany group bathed in the glow of multicolored lights, striking an immediately infectious energy. As with many of the other bands playing throughout the night, they wasted little time droning on, letting the music speak for itself. After the second song of the night, they announced that next was their track “Galvanized,” the words of which (though also being a commentary on power structures) proved an effective mission statement: “The reputations become galvanized. And over time the names live on and become sanctified. Not to forget.”
Up next was Syracuse’s own Deal With God, one of the best and most brutal local acts around. Their unorthodox triple-guitarist setup allows the flexibility for complex lead lines over crushing riffs. This quality is matched by the rest of the lineup; the tight rhythm section and the passionate screaming alike. One point triggered an utter eruption in the pit, with multiple bystanders outside the pit catching strays, spurred on by the staccato command, “GO!,” and an immense instrumental breakdown. This energy was matched in their final track of the night, the eponymous “DEAL VVITH GOD”, when much of the audience moved up in a concentrated fashion to yell along with the anthemic lyrics.
Godskin Peeler was the first of the three touring acts and made sure to add to the vivacity of the first two shows. Although they’ve only just released their first two singles this year, the performance showed little signs of greenness, with more great material likely to come.
After GSP, the stage was set for Mourning. The band traveled all the way from the UK to make America’s East Coast quake. Showing no signs of jet lag, the heavy, metallic performance ensured the dancing stayed violent and the crowd stayed pumped. The sheer brutality and minimalist setups resulted in a raw and untamable sound, a perfect antithesis to the somber and quiet imagery displayed in their name and album art.
To close the night, the audience was treated to the much more melodic, yet equally chaotic, Age of Apocalypse. Though their sound was defined in part by the singer's more traditional approach – equal parts singing and screaming – not an ounce of zeal was lost. The group’s shoeless vocalist had an immense sway over the crowd, allowing them to grab the mic and passionately shout the lyrics at frequent intervals. Equally notable was the guitarist’s habit of dancing along with the crowd (though staying in place so as to not wallop anyone with his weighty Les Paul), showing that even as the night got late, it never got old.
The night was finished off with an encore, a cover of Stigmata, an older metalcore/hardcore band from upstate New York, and likely an influence on Age of Apocalypse. Though encores are uncommon within the space, the band gave in because of the audience’s repeated chants of “One moreeeeee, uno mas! One moreeeeee, uno mas!”