Cloak Concert Review Nile Underground Mesa AZ 07-08-22

Cloak Live Nile Underground

Cloak Concert Review Nile Underground 07-08-22 By Roc Boyum

Cloak’s Poisonous Pandemonium tour 2022, in support of their latest LP, “The Burning Dawn” LP blazed across the desert with a show that was as hot as the Arizona sun! These guys are true warriors in the battle of life – who press on no matter what, to bring us their unique brand of blistering dark metal. Any number of things can potentially disrupt a tour, such as vehicle breakdowns or sick bandmates. But when misfortune is brought on by shitty people; there’s absolutely no excuses whatsoever! Before reaching Mesa, AZ and sometime during their show in Long Beach, California their van was broken into by some scumbags who ripped off items that at the very least cannot be replaced. It’s most fortunate for the band and the fans that their equipment didn’t get stolen which could have ended their tour in California. The Nile Underground fans were indeed excited for the arrival of Cloak as they welcomed the band with their horns held high and tons of head banging. Cloak in turn, gave this audience a megaton of Metal darkness and their special brand of dark and sinister blackened metal with unrelenting power.

Scott Taysom-Cloak

Cloak, are Scott Taysom, Vocals -Guitar, Max Brigham-Guitar, Sean Bruneau-Drums and Billy Robinson-Bass; a band that are known for their dark, grinding black metal and rock that plows forward with an uncompromising force. The band had the “Underground” audience in the grip of their energy from the moment they hit the stage with a seven song set that was dark, aggressive, at times moody and non stop pure fucking metal.  From their 2019 “The Burning Dawn” LP, they played; “On Poisoned Ground”, “A Voice in the Night”, “Into The Storm” and “The Cleansing Fire”, two songs from their 2017, “To Venomous Depths” LP, we heard; “In The Darkness, The Path” and “Beyond The Veil” and one yet unreleased track; “The Holy Darkness”.

L-R: Max Brigham Guitar, Sean Bruneau-Drums, Scott Taysom-Vocals-Guitar, Billy Robinson-Bass

Cloak entered the stage:

Just before the band entered the stage, the room and stage became near pitch black as if a cloak of darkness came over the venue; pun intended! The mystique of their darkness was further personified as each member stood facing drummer Bruneau. With their backs to the audience, they stood under a guise of dimly lit red lighting as the pre-recorded track, “March of the Adversary” was cast upon the audience who were in darkness awaiting the band’s assault.  The pre-recorded track and dim red lighting continued to radiate, as the anticipation for Cloak was building in intensity. The soundtrack and lighting gave one the feeling that they were taking part in a horror film that was at any moment about to be unleashed with an assault onto the audience. Drummer Bruneau hammered out a two count on his high hat and crash cymbal that set the musical carnage in motion;  thus signaling the guitarists to face their audience with singer Taysom leading the way. The band dove into “On Poisoned Ground” from their “The Burning Dawn” LP that hit the audience with a brutal onslaught of metal power. This was a brilliant show beginning that fired up the “Underground” crowd for a night of head banging and killer metal fury by the band.
Next was the fan favorite; “A Voice In The Night” from “The Burning Dawn” LP that was more intense live than on record. The song has a pile driving force and guitar lines that hit you like an arrow in the head, which had the audience throwing their horns up and head banging with as much intensity as the band’s music.

The heavy and dark half-time feel to the beginning of “Beyond the Veil” was a harbinger to the metal butchery that was soon to come. Changing tempos, the pounding cadence of drummer Bruneau and bassist Robinson kicked things into high gear along with the relentless momentum of the driving guitar rhythms from Taysom and Brigham. The music charges forward until the brutally dark vocals of Taysom unleashes the song’s full aggressive metal assault. “Beyond the Veil” has a host of cool guitar lines throughout, plenty of aggressive rhythms, and a breakdown in the middle section that is a flowing release of tension until the song opens up into it’s rhythmic blitz. The following guitar lines of Taysom and Brigham work together masterfully to deliver an epic feel before they descend into the song’s outro of driving musical carnage that sparked a furious circle pit; great fun indeed!

L-R: Max Brigham, Scott Taysom, Sean Bruneau, Billy Robinson

The band finished their set with the two killer songs, “Into the Storm” and “The Cleansing Fire”. “Into the Storm” has some nice blast beats in the verses and a melodic 6/8-time outro that was great to finally hear and see live. “The Cleansing Fire” is a driving track that made for a fitting ending to a great set by these masters of darkness; Cloak!

Cloak gave a solid set of blistering dark metal that not only deserves your attention but is a must see live band. Their mix of grinding metal rhythms, great guitar lines and black metal vocals make for a truly unique sound that I highly recommend you getting into. Be on the lookout for Cloak; great things are coming!

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The Cloak Underground set list was:

March of the Adversary (pre-recorded into)

On Poisoned Ground

A voice in the Night

In The Darkness, The Path

The Holy Dark

Beyond The Veil

Into the Storm

The Cleansing Fire