FOXCULT, nightlife, and Outline in Color at The Sanctuary Hamtramck
Foxcult
Walking into Hamtramck’s Sanctuary on that summer evening, I found myself looking at something I had never seen at the venue before– a metal detector. The small dive bar was usually home to aggressive death, hardcore, and progressive metal shows, but never had much issue with violence, so it had me wondering what may have happened. To my surprise, I found that this safety measure was one aspect of the night ahead–a night put together specifically to offer a safe space and amplify the music of marginalized communities within the metal and hardcore scene. But how would it work in practice?
Up first for the evening, and with a trans rights flag and Palestine flag flanking the stage, FOXCULT got things started in a big way. All efficiency and economy of movement, the group set up and suddenly launched into their first song of the evening, WORMHOLE. The septet immediately threw us into a frenzy with their mix of brutal post-hardcore vocals courtesy of lead singer Audrey Lane, interspersed with introspective passages and dynamic melodies as she switched between vocal styles with ease. Audrey’s power-performance was complimented by intricate riffing that would be right at home on a Tesseract or Periphery album, courtesy of guitarists Ashley Carrera and Lauren Shimizu, who commanded either side of the stage for much of the show.
Clad in techwear and sporting custom Ibanez and Balaguer guitars, the whole group served up massive riffs, and wound their way through a remarkably technical set. Highlights included CLIFFJUMPER, with its hook-filled chorus and ridiculously tight drumming courtesy of Mia Dawn, as well as ASTRAL GALLERY featuring guest vocals from Michael Skaggs of Outline in Color. For his part, Michael exploded on stage for his screamed lines and gave us a preview of what to expect for the looming headliner. Despite some mild technical difficulties with Ashley’s live rig, FOXCULT brought their introspective and meditative brand of brutality to a close and got us all in touch with our feelings in time for the remaining acts of the evening. This may have been their first cross-country tour, but I certainly hope there are many more to come.
nightlife
nightlife were up next, and describe themselves as a “soulpunk boyband.” Frankly, I don’t know if I can describe them in any better way. No matter what you call their sound, the quartet were the standout of the evening with their brand of smooth RnB vocals, groovy basslines, and synthy production all contrasted against ultra-heavy chugs and surprisingly brutal breakdowns. A true surprise, I wasn’t sure how things would go when they first took the stage without guitarist Julian Lofton, who did not join them for the evening.
Making a bold move in opting to use backing tracks for guitar, nightlife nonetheless threw down in a massive way whilst keeping the smooth delivery of vocalist Hansel Romero and intricate, pulsing basslines of Dan Macon at the forefront. Moreover, the band opted to bring on saxophonist Caco for the tour, who supplied yet another layer of vibes (and a gorgeous sax solo or two) for the growing party atmosphere of the evening. Standout tracks included strangeluv with a funk-forward, bouncy bassline that wouldn’t quit, as well as fallback with its big hook of a chorus that had us all bouncing and grooving along in the dance-pit that quickly opened up. The last song of the set, new low, saw the entire dancefloor empty as the crowd now joined the band on stage to dance along. A total rager sandwiched between two sets of brutality, I quickly found myself a fan, and have since joined the growing legion of folks begging for a full-length album from the Baltimore quartet.
Outline in Color
Outline in Color finished things up for the night. Given the nebulous, contemplative nature of FOXCULT’s set, and the bouncy party vibes of nightlife, Outline in Color’s live set could only be described as “visceral and blistering” in terms of the raw energy brought to the stage. Like a five-alarm blaze at a fireworks factory, singer Michael Skaggs showed tremendous athleticism throughout the course of the set, straining his entire body with every scream and gutteral vocal line, while clean vocalist Jonathan Grimes proved a perfect foil with melodic singing to balance the energy on both sides of the stage. Guitarists CJ Cochran and Adam Woods provided chugs a-plenty from their axes, all while deftly dodging Michael’s violently swinging microphone–a feat in itself. Without realizing it, Michael single-handedly recategorized the SM58 from a humble dynamic mic to “potentially deadly weapon” with his stage energy–as if Roger Daltry decided to take up post-hardcore as a side hustle. All of this came together for a straightforward and brutal performance, where the sheer aggression provided its own “x factor” that was previously fulfilled by FOXCULT’s proggy “stargaze” sound and nightlife’s poppy sensibilities. Standout tracks of the night included “Why You Should Survive” that opened the set with a bang, as well as “Bitter” that showcased Austin McFerrin nicely on drums. While not typically a fan of “-core” genres, I was pleasantly surprised and enraptured with earnesty and energy of the live performance.
While closing the night, Michael emphasized to the audience that this show was meant to be a safe space where marginalized communities within the metal and hardcore scenes could come together and celebrate queer, trans, and BIPOC voices. Indeed, it was refreshing to see the diversity of identities both onstage and within the audience, all unified by a common appreciation for aggressive music and next-level playing. In that sense, the feeling of that night was one of community and belonging, and I would say the show was a resounding success. At the time of writing, all three bands are gearing up for additional shows in the near future, and I can attest that any of them would be an excellent way to spend an evening.
