Substantial turnout for a Wednesday animated Columbus Hardcore outfit GUN LEASH’s opening set at Dirties. Their style reminds me of classic early 80s hardcore in the same vein of Black Flag or Minor Threat – featuring deep, shouty vocals which occasionally give way into guttural screams and simple progressions typically consisting of three or four chords, all played over fast and loose drum beats. The highlight of the set was no doubt the man behind the kit, who put on an especially energetic and physical performance. A seeming addict to his crash and ride cymbals, he rarely ever made use of his hi-hat. On the rare occasions that he did, it produced a distinctly DIY sound that perfectly complemented the vibe of the band around him. I also found the other half of the rhythm section notable, seeing as many of the songs were driven first and foremost by their basslines. Oftentimes the guitar and drums dropped out to allow the bassist to introduce a new riff by his lonesome, a clever trick which allowed the band to seamlessly transition between what would otherwise be incongruous musical sections. While GUN LEASH might not always deliver the heaviest or most sonically complex hardcore, their songs can still induce an unbelievable stank-face from any listener.
Second up was fellow Columbus hardcore band True American Grit, who played their final hometown show for 2024. I won’t dedicate much time to them as I previously covered them in a report on Toledo hardcore act Southover – which you can read for more details – but the long and short of it is this: if you come to a show expecting not to move, TAG will most certainly ruin your plans.
Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, headliners Moru crowned the stage as the penultimate act of the night, and they did more than remind the crowd of why we all still call Nashville the Music City. Their vocalist has a killer stage presence, backed up by his deep, growly vocals. Unlike many other metal bands, the two guitarists play mostly in unison, commanding riffs with a distinct melodic structure that occasionally break apart to let out some exceptionally tasty harmonized licks.
But don’t be fooled by the word “melodic.” When they decide to get heavy, they more than deliver. The bassist typically follows the guitarists’ playing one-to-one with a monstrously gritty tone. Alongside the tightness with which the instrumentalists play, this creates an impressively coordinated sound. Their off- kilter riffs can be challenging to novice listeners, something only exacerbated by their constantly evolving nature. They never linger on one idea for too long, and by the time you’re able to identify the groove, they’ve already switched it up. The drummer follows suit and lays down endlessly creative drum parts, some of which are so complex even a nerd such as myself had a difficult time locating where the count should be. I did however catch that one of their songs had a verse in 7/4, so I am obligated to give them their flowers, even if it switched to 4/4 during the chorus so the showgoers could effectively mosh. In a word, Moru is inventive. No two songs sound the same, all of which grow and progress over their lengthy runtimes, and most of which have some sort of special ingredient to add a little extra flavor, without sounding gimmicky. For example, during the outro of the second song, the vocalist equipped two drumsticks and began playing a floor tom groove to accent the drum beat, evoking the sound of traditional Japanese taiko drumming. Ridiculously heavy and brutal metal bands can make for extraordinarily fun live shows, but a band like Moru that values musical composition and originality provides a much appreciated change of pace.
Closing out the night was yet another Columbus hardcore band, crowd favorite LUCKY SHOT, and it’s easy to see why they’ve become a local phenomenon despite their career beginning only this year. They’re just fun to watch. Not to say that other hardcore bands aren’t fun, but LUCKY SHOT has an infectious quality to their live performance to such a degree that I could even see my own father enjoying himself at one of their shows. Their guitar riffs are fun and bouncy, but they manage to remain authentically hardcore – their sound never approaches the commercial or “poppy” in any capacity. The lead vocalist sports a killer combo of incredible endurance alongside impressive upper-register range, and has a top-notch stage presence to boot. The show had to be stopped during their first song (fittingly titled “EMBRACE THE PAIN”) due to a young mosher seriously injuring his leg, but an ambulance soon arrived and the show resumed after a brief intermission. After replaying their opening number, the band continued with “MONKE BIZ,” a very melodic take on the hardcore formula with many “woah-oh-ohs” and “la-la-las” for the crowd to sing along to. The follow-up, “TAKE COVER,” a much faster song with a darker guitar riff behind, still carried that trademark sing-alongable quality in the chorus, and subsequent songs “GO GO GO” and “HAHA” followed a similar structure. After two more songs and a cover of a My Ticket Home song, the show finally drew to a close. If beatdown and grindcore aren’t really your speed, and you yearn for something a little lighter yet still with that classic hardcore edge, give LUCKY SHOT a shot.
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