LIVE SHOW REVIEW: WINDHAND

Virginia stoner metal outfit Windhand played to a packed room in Philadelphia and I had the privilege to catch it. Windhand are still a relatively new band, but being in the building for five minutes revealed people were ready and waiting for the band to bring the sludge something fierce. Openers Backslider and Ilsa were more than capable in getting us ready to have our faces melted.

Backslider, a young two-piece, rocked hastily between wall crumbling doom and borderline grind. Quite frantic. Ilsa was definitely in the vein of Windhand, drenching the venue in aural fuzz in no time, but picking it up here and there with some nice D-beat riffs. A refreshing break from the slow lurch of notes otherwise.

By the time Windhand was setting up, the crowd was packed tight watching their every move. No calling for others to come in or move closer; we all came for this and were prepared. The tension was palpable, haze thick in the air. Probably because of the incense, a nice contrast to the scent of sweaty city folk packed into a room, and I commend drummer Ryan Wolfe for lighting some before playing.

The second the band hit their first note, it was like a giant wall of riffs barreling towards our ears. “Holy. Shit.” echoed through the room in short order. These Virginians are so loud, earplugs may not be enough. Parker Chandler’s bass was like a low frequency hammer, shaking your guts and raising hairs on your arms with every note. Soon the crowd was immersed in a full-on community headbang. In unison like some tribal ritual.

The band didn’t waste time with banter or greetings – the most we received was at the end, a sincere, “Thank you, we are Windhand.” The full set was dedicated to jamming the crowd to oblivion. The sound was wonderful for a band like this, you could hear every instrument clearly and everyone was spot on. Wolfe was actually the most entertaining, with spontaneous yet tasteful fills being the one thing letting you know a transition was coming. Dorthia’s ghostly vocals were cutting through beautifully, just as they do on the band’s new album, Soma. She surely led us on our journey into musical trance and it was apparent she was just as enchanted.

Each song felt like forever, but no one minded, we all just reveled in the dense riffs filling our ears. The band played some tunes from before their recent Relapse signing and closed with the first two songs off of Soma, “Orchard” and “Woodbine”, and these were honestly the most gripping songs of the night. You’d think a full set of slow, beefy, bluesy doom would get tiring after a few songs, but you’d be wrong. Windhand is an experience live.

These guys (and gal) are the real deal and not to be missed. Get a denim vest and catch them on tour this fall with Kvelertak and High on Fire, or one of their other shows in your area. Just be prepared: it will be loud (R.I.P. ears), it will be long, and you will love Windhand.

WINHAND IS: Asechiah Bogdan (Guitar), Parker Chandler (Bass), Dorthia Cottrell (Vocals), Garrett Morris (Guitar) and Ryan Wolfe (drums)

By: Frank Albanese, Contributing Writer

Band Photo Credit: Tony Lynch