Live Music Review //
Compactor
Snowbeasts
Revenge Body
Moon // Factory
June 24th, 2023
at Redscroll Records, Wallingford CT
More photos can be found here :::
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1272168803513338&type=3
If you're following along with all of my show reviews, first off thank you and secondly you will notice that this is my third show in two days and as the shows from Friday night and Saturday afternoon had Ceremonial Abyss vibes, this is when we turn into the harsher side of noise vibes, which would carry over into Sunday as well.
This was a show that I was specifically excited about for the months leading up to it because I was very hyped to see both Compactor and Snowbeasts, who were doing a tour together. This was just one of those shows where I knew I'd be needing to up my merch money game and I did. But before any of that even started, I was browsing the music selection at Redscroll Records itself and that lead me to some purchases.
I was able to get the Doom Beach cassette from Redscroll Records directly. There are still copies of it there as well. When I saw Doom Beach last they no longer had copies to sell themselves, so this might be your best way to get it. I also picked up the new cassettes from Chained To The Bottom of the Ocean and Revenge Body. If you donate $10 or more to her charity, there is also a record from Cyndi Lauper for sale and I got that as well (which would come back later on as well)
Moon Factory opened up this show and it was the duo of The Moon and FiFac. The Moon has done solo music and collaborated with some of the best and the same can be said for FiFac. This set was electronics with audio clips and beats, which really made it feel like instrumental hip hop. It was really chill and it felt like something I could hear on the Hand'Solo Records label as a cassette for sure.
What I realized after this show as well was that it seemed to have this vibe of going from the most chill sort of relaxed sound to the harshest of sounds as Compactor closed out the show. I'm not sure if it was planned this way or not, but the way that every artist seemed to add a little bit more to their set until it became harsh noise was just something to behold as well.
Revenge Body was up next and this was a darkwave type sound with singing, beats and just that overall mood of brooding. It was somewhat like that era of 1980's/early 1990's rock but also the slower more direct music which felt more like something I couldn't quite put my finger on either. And I think that's the beauty of the sound. It's not quite that one song you know from "The Breakfast Club" and it's not quite that one goth artist you know, but the music borrows elements from both of those ideas.
Coincidentally, the last song played by Revenge Body was the best cover I've ever heard of "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper. This became a fun trivia fact for me because I purchased both the Revenge Body cassette and Cyndi Lauper record earlier, before the show, with no idea that this was all about to come together and worlds would collide. This just made everything feel that much better, as the show already had such a great vibe.
Snowbeasts was up next and seeing them live for the first time was just fantastic. I cannot recommend going out of your way to see Snowbeasts enough. I'm happy with the path I chose this weekend, but there was a time when I was going to go to MA, RI and maybe even NH to follow the Snowbeasts/Compactor tour and I know after this show I would've absolutely loved it but I also somewhat prevented from doing so with my family obligations the Thursday prior to this.
The beats, the singing, everything about Snowbeasts was just amazing. It felt like a dance party at times and at other times it felt like a noise set. My only complaint (as minimal as it is) with this show was that it was not at a location where we had a dance floor because I feel like Snowbeasts would just have absolutely torn it up. I wasn't really looking around, but I'm sure that the people at Redscroll Records on this Saturday night were dancing in the aisles.
Snowbeasts was atop the flyer for this show so when it came down to Compactor headlining I figured maybe they were just taking turns during the tour. But after witnessing the Compactor set, I knew that nothing could've possibly followed that and so I understood now why Compactor had to headline this show.
In full military-esque gear with a mask and bullhorn, the noise started and never really ended throughout the set of Compactor. This was loud. And when it got quiet, like you felt like it might just groove to a beat it seemed to get even louder again. It was this harsh intrusion that wouldn't let you get comfortable.
Now, in front of where this set up was there was this sort of sheet over something box-shaped and I didn't really think about what it was but maybe thought it was something a podium that Compactor would eventually stand on with the bullhorn sounding. However, as the set came to its end, what was under the sheet was revealed to be a large metal crate for animals.
Upon first seeing this I thought Compactor would go into the crate. I also thought that maybe this was a time for audience participation and Quentin would be sent into the crate. But, as I saw wires being attached and the cage being struck like a piece of percussion I came to the conclusion that it was only here to serve as a musical instrument.
Until it wasn't. Compactor ended up inside of the cage, as the music kept playing, and eventually had to kick his way out of it until it was broken. This added quite the overall element to the live show, as the music itself was just so loud and in your face this would have become an even bigger talking point for a lot of people. But, I've always been a firm believer in making the live show something more than just the music to give people a reason to go outside and this entire show more than delivered on that. This was hands down one of my favorite shows of the year thus far.
Redscroll Records can be found on the web here :::
THE//MOON can be found on Bandcamp here :::
https://themoonisnt.bandcamp.com/
FiFac can be found on Bandcamp here :::
Revenge Body can be found on Bandcamp here :::
Snowbeasts can be found on Bandcamp here :::
https://snowbeasts.bandcamp.com/
Compactor can be found on Bandcamp here :::
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