Vended with Wristmeetrazor and LIE
Warehouse Live Midtown
October 2, 2024
If you lived through the ascension of nu metal in the late ‘90s as I did, you might remember how nu metal became a catch-all term used to encompass almost every heavy metal act of the era. Turns out you cast a pretty wide net when you say nu metal = heavy metal + [insert anything here].
As a teenager firmly entrenched in MTV culture at the time, I can tell you that for a good two years, I spent countless dollars of my dad’s hard-earned money on those nu metal acts – bands like Korn, Rammstein, the Deftones, System of a Down, Rob Zombie, Coal Chamber, Static-X, P.O.D., Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Incubus, Disturbed, Godsmack, etc.
But, do you notice any glaring omission from that list? If this was or still is your scene, you probably do. It’s Slipknot. And a quarter of a century later, I still haven’t checked out Slipknot, and today, that chicken comes home to roost.
Last night, a five-piece metal band out of Des Moines, Iowa, called Vended played Warehouse Live Midtown. Formed in 2018, it’s the band’s first headlining tour, a tour in support of their first full-length studio album – self-titled and self-released just, like, a week ago. The band is comprised of frontman Griffin Taylor, guitarists Cole Espeland and Connor Grodzicki, bassist Jeremiah Pugh and drummer Simon Crahan.
And here’s where it all comes together: Taylor is the son of Slipknot vocalist Corey Taylor; Crahan the son of Slipknot percussionist Shawn Crahan.
I figure it’s hard not to draw comparisons between the groups due to this genetic lineage, but not for me. Because I can’t. All that to say, you’re not going to find any “Vended is just Slipknot-lite”-type claims or nepo baby hot takes here. You’ll have to Google for those because without even looking, I’m sure they’re out there. ‘Tis the way of the internet…and people. But I can say that looking out at the modest (to put it kindly) crowd that turned up at Warehouse Live Midtown on a Wednesday night, it seems like the band’s certainly paying their dues right now.
Following two short but relentless sets from openers LIE and Wristmeetrazor, Vended took the stage a little after 9 p.m. “Welcome to our show,” howled Taylor in “Paint the Skin,” a song tailor-made to lead off a set, which it did last night. Pure metal and a strong start to the barrage of aggressive, driving beats and combative riffs to come.
“Paint the Skin” was the first song they played off their debut album, but certainly not the last. Their approximately 54-minute set was comprised almost entirely of tracks off the album – 10 of the 13 songs by my count – with a couple of the band’s digital singles and one song pulled from their 2021 EP What Is It//Kill It rounding out the show. That’s far from a complaint, though. Their debut LP, produced by Chris Collier, is a stunningly solid effort – one that translates even better on stage.
Standout tracks like “Am I the Only One,” “Where the Honesty Lies” and “Serenity” come across a thousand times better live than they do on Spotify, that’s for sure, as does a killer track like “The Far Side.” Easily one of their best, the song really displays the range of what they’re capable of, and it’s just plain catchy. The off-album song choices seemed like no-brainers, like the raucous single “Ded to Me” and “Asylum,” the lone track pulled from their EP, a banger that very much gives Prodigy vibes.
When you could hear him, Taylor’s vocals were strong, and his delivery seemed imbued with more sincerity than on the record. Unsurprisingly, the music drowned out the higher-range screams and more guttural growls. And some of the best moments in the show, like on the album, come from Crahan’s kit – his work on songs like “Nihilism,” “Am I the Only One” and the absolutely mad “Downfall” was shades of virtuosic.
Overall, the band seemed in their element, dynamic, and, without much banter or fanfare, they easily connected with the audience. Like their debut album, the set was very much an eyes-open introduction to the band, with multiple welcomes – from the “Welcome to our show” during the opening song to a “Welcome to the world as we know it” in the closer – and a mission statement in the form of Taylor’s early “We are here to burn this motherfucker down to the ground” declaration.
And finally, to answer the question Taylor asks in “Nihilism” – “Have I got your attention?” – the answer is a resounding yes.
Random Note #1: Houston’s own LIE is killing it with their music and their branding. I walked in to see a line of black T-shirts bearing the phrase “Latinos Run Hardcore” and immediately wanted one, too.
Random Note #2: I’m guessing Vended gets labeled nu metal, but just like many of the bands that littered the landscape 25 years ago, it doesn’t really reflect the totality of their sound.
Random Note #3: Vended is pronounced like ven-dead.
Random Note #4: Taylor will be forgiven, this time, for busting out a “Houston, we may have a problem” line.
Random Note #5: Does “As We Know It” not count as its own song?
Setlist
Paint the Skin
Ded to Me
Am I the Only One
Disparager
Overall
Nihilism
Pitiful
Where the Honesty Lies
Serenity
The Far Side
Asylum
Downfall
As We Know It
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
