Metal Mayhem At The Brewhouse Over Memorial Day Weekend

May 25th, 2024, the Virginia Street Brewhouse in Reno, NV the metal scene proved to be alive and well. This event, featuring five bands—Beauty is Betrayal, Decades In, Everglade, TITVN, and headliner Shared Scars—attracted a good crowd despite the Memorial Day weekend. The venue, known for its intimate atmosphere, was buzzing with excitement, setting the stage for what would be a memorable night.

Beauty is Betrayal took the stage first and did not disappoint. Their performance was a blend of raw power and melodic intricacies, immediately captivating the audience. They brought a vintage looking TV onstage playing static with a logo as a prop which I thought was a nice touch for their style. The crowd's reaction was overwhelmingly positive, setting the tone for the night. As I was running around taking photos of their set, I made sure to take some time to myself to just soak in the performance and get a feel for their personality and sound as a band. Vocalist Bri was fantastic with a solid mix of melodic harmonies and the occasional escalation into a more raw and classic metal scream. Both guitarists supported on vocals, screaming their guts out into their microphones, leaving it all on the stage.

TITVN was up next and vocalist Ryan wasted no time setting the tone for their set, demanding the crowd to scoot in closer to the stage and get ready to get fucking crazy. Their heavy riffs and aggressive vocals were immediate and the mosh pit that ensued was a testament to the band's ability to incite raw emotion and adrenaline. TITVN's set was a relentless assault on the senses, leaving us all pumped up and wanting more. As is the case, sometimes technical difficulties occur at concerts, but the difference is who can take these moments on the chin and move forward without skipping a beat. TITVN proved to be those type of guys as their in-ear monitors went haywire on them. They worked quickly with the sound guy to get it fixed, and picked up right where they left off, re-capturing the audience and bringing everybody back into the vibe to finish strong.

Decades In followed, with a set that was both nostalgic and fresh. They reminded me of oldschool hardcore bands like Hatebreed, Terror, and Sworn Enemy. Their entire set was just a brutal assault from front to back, and although there was a clear classic hardcore influence, they added their own flavor with a bunch of tricky little tempo changes and crispy, delicious breakdowns perfectly sprinkled in for good measure. The connection between the band and the audience was undeniable, they played their set with confidence and held nothing back. I was thoroughly impressed. I didn't photograph these guys because they already had a photographer to cover their set, but I did get a chance to connect and chat with a couple of them for a bit and they were super friendly, down to earth dudes from the Bay Area. Looking forward to seeing them play again!

Up next was local Reno boys in Everglade. They brought a unique blend of melodic vocals from guitarist Jonny Finic, and brutal screams from frontman Patrick who happened to be turning 28 that night (Happy Birthday Patty!) The band's stage presence was commanding, and their ability to engage with the audience was exceptional. I had an opportunity to meet these guys before the show and it was nothing but positive energy and excitement for their set. I was pumped on some of the snaps I got for them and hopefully I'll get another chance to photograph them again soon! Keep your eyes out for these guys to keep makin' noise up and down the West Coast!

The night culminated with a performance by the headliner, Shared Scars. Their set was pure insanity, ending in the highlight of the night with their female vocalist hopping down from the stage to mosh with the crowd during the final breakdown. With vocals reminiscent of Knocked Loose and a similar atmosphere of controlled chaos I see some potential for serious growth in the scene from this band in the near future! They also had a photographer to cover their set so hopefully I'll get an opportunity to photograph them in the future!