Show Review: Of Mice & Men w/ Blessthefall, Fire From The Gods, MSCW - Santa Cruz, CA

Jared Stossel
Music
Phil Manansala of Of Mice & Men performing at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA. February 1, 2018. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel

Phil Manansala of Of Mice & Men performing at The Catalyst in Santa Cruz, CA. February 1, 2018. Photo Credit: Jared Stossel

Of Mice & Men
w/ Blessthefall, Fire From The Gods, MSCW
The Catalyst
Santa Cruz, CA
February 1, 2018

Photos and review by Jared Stossel

The first time I ever saw Of Mice & Men was when they had performed on the Vans Warped Tour in 2011. I was fortunate enough to see them multiple times that year, and again and again as each year passed by. While I noticed their sound changing, going further and further away from the brand of metalcore that infiltrated Hot Topics around the country, and into the realm of hard rock and traditional heavy metal, I still could have never imagined that I'd one day be watching them without their founder, Austin Carlile. I was extremely hesitant going into this show. Change is never easy, and Of Mice & Men are a band that have developed a devout fanbase throughout the years, album after album. So in 2016, when Carlile announced that he was stepping down from the band due to complications he had encountered with Marfan Syndrome, a fibrostic connective tissue disorder, it's safe to say that fans were both saddened and unsure of what the future would hold for the band. 

Fast forward to February 1, and here stand the four core members of Of Mice & Men, kicking off their first North American tour as a quartet in Santa Cruz, CA (the band were slated to start the tour the night before in Berkeley, but the show was rescheduled to March.) They play like their lineup hadn't even faltered in the first place. While it was a bummer that so few tracks from the band's older material didn't make their way into the setlist, and while it was odd watching them without Carlile taking the reigns as frontman, there is no denying that this new version of the metalcore act can write and play like no other. 

The show was opened by MSCW, a vibrant and up-and-coming rock vocalist from Moscow, Russia. While her set didn't feature the traditional form of metalcore that the tour's lineup was built on, it was nice to witness a performance that mixed together influences of both modern day metal and rock reminiscent of the golden days of the Sunset Strip, in addition to a great deal of showmanship (think Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, Aerosmith etc.). Fire From The Gods brought things into metalcore territory, with music from their Rise Records' debut Narrative forcing them to stand out among the crowd. Elements of metal, hip-hop, and even soul/R&B brought forth a unique twist on the genre, and I can't help but wonder what they have up their sleeves in the future. 

Main support was provided by a band that I have not stopped talking about for years: Blessthefall. The Phoenix-based metalcore quintet have continued to ascend the charts year after year, only getting stronger with their material, musicianship, and showmanship as each album cycle goes by. This year will bring about Hard Feelings, their Rise Records' debut and sixth overall album. With a set that pulled heavily from the band's collective catalogue, particularly 2013's Hollow Bodies and 2015's To Those Left Behind, Blessthefall's chaos-inducing and party-friendly set reminded everyone why they are a band that is never to be forgotten. 

The Defy tour was officially moving at full speed once Of Mice & Men took the stage, opening with "Defy", "Warzone", and "Unbreakable" three of the heavy-hitters from Defy. As stated at the beginning of this article, the majority of their set was heavily built on material from Defy, marking the live debut of numerous songs including "On The Inside", "Instincts", and even "Money", their impressive take on the Pink Floyd number that appeared on the record. Even with this being the case, you couldn't help but watch in awe as these four immensely talented musicians powered their way through track after track while sounding absolutely perfect. 

"Bones Exposed", from their highly acclaimed album Restoring Force, was met with supreme reaction from the audience, while "Would You Still Be There" and "You're Not Alone" inspired numerous singalongs throughout the packed crowd. A unique moment came in the form of the "YDG Medley", as I like to call it. The band morphed together three songs from their collective discography to form one cohesive track: "YDG" (Of Mice & Men, the band's debut record), "Still YDG'n" (The Flood), and "Forever YDG'n" (Defy). It traced the old back into the new, and marked the incredible progression of Of Mice & Men's career. 

The show ended with "The Depths", a powerful B-side from The Flood that the band began to incorporate into their live set's after the album was re-released a year after the initial release date. It incited the largest moshpit of the evening, while further proving that the "new" version of Of Mice & Men could very well hold its own amidst the changes brought about just two years ago. Aaron Pauley has proven himself more than capable of taking the reigns as a frontman, commanding every fan into action with each scream and melody that he utters from his vocal cords. You simply can't deny it: they're a fucking great band, who have clearly defied the odds. 

Of Mice & Men Setlist
Defy
Warzone
Unbreakable
Would You Still Be There
Back To Me
Money
On The Inside
Bones Exposed
Instincts
YDG
Still YDG'n
Forever YDG'n

Encore:
You're Not Alone
The Depths

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