Brass Mug
Tampa, Florida
June 25th, 2022
Photos by Jessica Kolodziej and review by Peyton Neilson
On a Saturday night in Tampa, Florida, metal music fans lined up patiently waiting for the Brass Mug to open its doors. Among those playing were Weeping Wound, VCTMS, Afterlife, all supporting headliner Cane Hill on the final date of The Krewe Du Sang tour.
Starting off the evening, was local opener Weeping Wound. Their most recent release came in April this year, their new single, “idontbelonghere.” Weeping Wound was very interactive with the crowd and kept the atmosphere alive with their energy and heavy music presence. Although an opener, they definitely captured the attention of crowd goers and set the vibe for the night.
The second band of the night was VCTMS. Forming their group almost a decade ago, VCTMS aren’t strangers to the stage. Performing songs from their most recent album Vol. IV: Numb the Ache, the crowd was ready to have a good night. From the moment they stepped on the stage, the crowd was moving and rocking along. Their dynamic on stage and personal inclusion with a crowd makes this group one that you don’t want to miss.
After two amazing bands, Afterlife made their way to the stage as the third act of the night. Having released two full-length albums to date, the crowd sang along with their fists in the air. Throughout their entire set, their energy was high and they had a constant mosh pit going with crowd surfers. Afterlife is always a pleasure to watch because of their high energy, personal engagement with crowd, and blend of rock and metal. They know how to put on a show and keep the crowd involved start to finish.
For the final band of the night, Cane Hill made their long awaited appearance to the stage. Their stage presence was electric and performance was capturing. As their month long run on this tour came to an end, they gave their final performance in Tampa their all. They incorporated songs in their set all the way back from 2015 to their newest release from 2022, “A Form of Protest”. Keeping the energy high among the crowd, the night ended with a death wall among crowd goers. They ended their set with an encore, of course, and the other acts joined them on stage to play flip cup to end the tour with a bang.
This lineup was amazing and captivating start to finish. Although this tour is over, it was definitely a good time seeing Weeping Wound, VCTMS, Afterlife and Cane Hill. You don’t want to miss them live, so keep an eye out for performances and new releases from these bands in the future!
