Walking Corpse Syndrome Returns to Butte

"It's been far too long" was the common phrase heard amongst friends and fans of the recent Walking Corpse Syndrome and At Home in Hell show in Butte, MT.  The Covellite theatre in Butte opened it's doors to the fans of two of two strong Montana Metal artists. Although it was a chilly night, as I pulled into the theatre parking lot, I saw many familiar friends and fans around the venue doors chattering up a storm and catching up on things amongst fans and friends alike. We arrived early enough to do a round of hellos and hugs in the downstairs/bar of the venue. This all ages show consisted of fans from all the bands playing on the stage upstairs. The cover was a reasonable $5 presale, or $10 at the door.

The first band to take stage was new, at least new to Metal local staff, Worship of Authority.  Many of the faces on staged looked familiar as members consisted of the disbanded groups, verities and With Second Chances Broken; along with members of At Home in Hell. They came hard and heavy.  On stage presence showed the experience between the members and they sounded good. They warmed up the crowd like an opening act should, with high energy and powerful music.

In between sets, it was time to hit the merch booths.  The only issue was, Walking Corpse Syndrome was the only one with a booth. We saw some AHIH shirts and hoodies in the crowd, but none for sale to the fans (maybe next time).  The WCS booth was loaded of course as always and we spun through some hoodies, beanies and wristbands pretty well as we made the staff dig through every tote they brought. Picked up a copy of Human Delusion and some gifts for the Mistresses of Mayhem and friends and made our way back to socializing while AHIH set up for the next face melting excursion.

At Home in Hell dimmed the house lights and increased the sound. Energy of the pit was high as AHIH took stage. The venue floor was open to moshing, although the young audience didn't take to much to bouncing each other off themselves. They were there to enjoy the performance, and they did.  The At Home in Hell light show, matched with the music with precision and Ben Epperle energy was a force to be reckoned with as the band dominated stage. Kevin George shredded with excellence as the band shared songs that spanned the At Home in Hell lifespan.  Due to playing the new with the old, we witnessed a swap in performers as the bassist switched mid performance and back again towards the end.  The audience was visited by multiple members of the band with personal performances and mid song selfie opportunities. A strong performance that everyone loved.

Another small break... a calm before the storm. Closing the show, Walking Corpse Syndrome takes the stage. Simple white house lights spotlighted the band and they dominated the stage.  The set list was heavy of Human Delusion tracks with a sprinkle of Alive in Desolation. The large stage allowed for the guitarists to mosh, and they took that opportunity. WCS lead singer Leif Wintered hovered with monster like movement across the stage and let loose as he chanted powerful lyrics and encouraged the audience to sing along. The bass and double drum kit echoed, the guitars wailed, and vocals felt strong enough to melt the paint off the halls of this old church.

The show was a well needed, face melting, heavy metal show that many of us needed. After the show, we drifted back into the cold of the night and wore the sore necks of our bang over well the next day. Horns high to every one involved including Montana Booking, The Covellite Theater, Worship Authority, At Home in Hell, Walking Corpse Syndrome, and of course the fans that support the local metal scene. Good Show.

Listen to At Home in Hell and Walking Corpse Syndrome on MetalLocal.com