OF MICE & MEN REVIEW
Walking into the Manning Bar last night felt like stepping into pure chaos in the best possible way. From the second the doors opened, the room was packed with fans in black band shirts, people rushing to the merch desk, and that electric feeling you only get before a stacked heavy lineup. With Patient Sixty-Seven opening, followed by Crystal Lake, and Of Mice & Men closing the night, everyone knew sleep was going to be optional afterward.
Patient Sixty-Seven came out swinging, with frontman Tom completely owning the stage from the first second. As the set kicked into gear with "Barricade and Nothing Inspires Forgiveness Quite Like Revenge" He threw out raw and aggressive live, massive screams that echoed through the venue while still hitting emotional melodic sections cleanly. Guitarist Declan brought huge energy, throwing himself around the stage while delivering razor-sharp riffs that gave every breakdown serious weight. The guitar tone had that perfect balance of heaviness and clarity, making every note hit hard. As the set kicked into "Hibbertia and Catch 22" the Bass Guitar helped thicken the sound, and it added a deep rumble underneath the guitars that you could feel through the floor. The set ended with "Shed My Skin and Scattered" and Richard absolutely punished the drums all set long, with rapid double-kick sections and explosive beats that kept the pit moving nonstop. Even as the opening band, they played like they were headlining an arena.
Crystal Lake hit the stage, and the entire room erupted instantly, as the set kicked into 'Everblack , Blüdgod and Prometheus' and Vocalist Kang sounded ferocious live, mixing brutal screams and commanding crowd interaction that turned the whole venue into chaos. Guitarists YD and TJ brought a crushing wall of sound, with tight riffs and lead sections that sounded massive. As the set continued with 'SIX FEET UNDER and Watch Me Burn' Their guitars had this sharp, aggressive tone that sliced through the room while still sounding incredibly clean. As the set came to a close with 'The Weight Of Sound , Lost in Forever and Apollo" Bassist Mitsuru locked everything together with a heavy low-end growl that made every breakdown feel heavier. Drummer Gaku was an absolute machine behind the kit, firing through insanely fast drum patterns and kept everything tight. Every cymbal crash and kick drum felt like it hit directly in your chest. The chemistry between the band members was unreal too — they moved around the stage like controlled chaos and they definitely got us amped up for Of Mice & Men.
Of Mice & Men took the stage, and the crowd cheered with excitement, the energy was insane, and the band rewarded them with one of the strongest live sets to hit the Manning Bar. The set kicked off with 'Another Miracle , Feels Like Forever and Wake Up' and Aaron Pauley bass and vocals sounded incredible live and he moved between melodic singing and savage screams that had the entire crowd screaming every lyric back at him. His bass tone sounded thick and punchy, and it gave the songs extra depth. Guitarist Phil delivered massive riffs with a heavy sound that filled the entire venue, and the set kicked into 'You Make Me Sick , Obsolete and Another You' and Alan soaring melodic layers of guitar gave the songs huge atmosphere live. Their guitar tones together sounded enormous and brought heavy, and emotional intensity.
