LIVE REVIEW- "RISING FROM ASHES BY CAM SMITH"

 |  Posted on 7/21/2008

Rising from Ashes

By Cam Smith, Associate Staff Contributor

www.the-peak.ca

“Taking the stage around 10:30 p.m. — Howerdel in a blood-red dress shirt and pants, and his backing band in black suits and ties — Ashes Divide wasted no time in setting a foreboding tone for the evening. The set began with the album’s closing track, “Sword,” starting the concert with an unsettling funeral dirge-like arrangement of keyboards and violin samples which swelled into a swirling sea of buzzing guitars and propulsive drumming. Handling lead vocals for the first time, Howerdel’s breathy singing voice was equal parts calming and disquieting. Mournfully half-whispering the lines “Don’t let them silence you / ‘cause you’re a waste in their eyes / There’s a grace inside of you / I need tonight,” he seemed to cast his gaze beyond the audience, towards something unseen and intangible. It was a stunningly effective prologue for the evening.

Following with the more up-tempo songs “Enemies” and “Denial Waits,” the group proved equally adept at revealing a vigorous apprehensive fury, which had the audience raising their fists and bobbing their heads in a wave of cathartic energy. Yet, it was the band’s performance of the melancholy rocker “Too Late” which was the arguable highlight of the evening. Blanketed in a haze of green and red light, Howerdel solemnly pledged to “not lose you to the melting sky / Or to the mad parade / To the bloody jaws or the fire fall” before regretfully declaring “If I could separate me from myself, I’d stay away from me,” the band had their spectators in a state of glowing euphoria.

The rest of the night consisted of a tightly wound set that ran through every track of Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright, as well as a surprisingly teeth-baring cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” Closing with first single “The Stone,” the band showed a level of professionalism uncommon for a group in such early infancy. Through a masterful combination of controlled chaos and unabashed emotional vulnerability, Ashes Divide is the antithesis of most modern rock. The musicians are genuine, lacking the inflated egos of the typical rock band, which results in a greater feeling of identification with the band for the audience. The look of modest bashfulness that flashed across Howerdel’s face whenever the audience enthusiastically roared with approval spoke volumes.

As the crowd departed the venue, there was a real sense of exhilaration in the night air. We had all shared a collective immersive experience that only the best rock concerts are able to deliver. Ashes Divide earned several dedicated fans that evening that will hopefully converge again when the band next sees fit to revisit this vicinity. As I said to my friends Shaun and Tommy afterwards, it was worth double what I paid. And with today’s concert prices, how often can any of us say that?”

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