Quicksand with Narrow Head at the Metro

Quicksand — with opener Narrow Head — performed at Chicago’s Metro on October 5th. The consented damage my ears sustained will be a permanent reminder of just how badass Quicksand remains. This was my second concert of the year, and it expanded my enjoyment of the remaining months of 2021. My still ringing ears are a testament to the sheer power of Quicksand’s must-see live performance.

Narrow Head

Narrow Head opened the night with a set to prepare your ears for the onslaught of loud, heavy, and energetic songs that’ll come later in the night. That’s not to say that any of Narrow Head’s tracks didn’t bring any bombastic energy, because they brought all they had as openers for post-hardcore legends. I was reminded a bit of early Deftones from the group’s sound, and the vocals very similar to that of Longinus Recording’s Dating. Narrow Head has my respect for being fellow Texans; listening to their records solidifies me as being a new fan of the group. If you have yet to listen to Narrow Head, you can check out their Bandcamp here.

Quicksand

Narrow Head set the stage for Quicksand to unleash their adrenaline powered anthems. They opened the show with the explosive album opener “Inversion”. There was a universal force pulling everyone to head bang in unison to the tracks that Quicksand had let loose upon our unprepared and undeserving ears. Walter Schreifels’ voice was both rough and grand, sounding the same (if not better) than he did in the 90’s.

My personal highlight was Sergio Vegas releasing the sickest bass riffs from both classic and new tracks. Despite having double the power in guitars, Vegas’ bass ripped through every performance to keep everyone in line. “Omission”, “Delusional”, and “Missile Command” prove that the bass was king during the performance.

You can tell when a band still “has it” when both their newer and older tracks sound as if they had both originated at the same time. Going from “Thorn in My Side” to “Phase 90” to “Head to Wall” sounded so natural. I would’ve been convinced that those tracks were all written at the same time if I hadn’t been a fan of the band. Thankfully, they played the entirety of Distant Populations, because that album has been one of my favorites of 2021.

They ended the show with an ethereal performance of “Brushed”. It was almost as if the entire night was leading right up to this moment — the acoustic guitar, electronic drums, and Schreifels’ voice added such a soothing atmosphere through the venue. It was a welcomed calm after the rapid, adrenaline powered anthems of Quicksand’s past, and the new anthems created for us on Distant Populations.

Quicksand continues their North American tour until October 31st, when the band will play their final tour show in Philadelphia. Anyone who has already purchased their tickets can’t even to begin to prepare themselves against being blown away by the blazing performances of Quicksand. You can purchase tickets here, and if you haven’t yet, buy Distant Populations on their website or Bandcamp.