The Rundown: As They Sleep & Forsake The Fallen 5/31

Prepare yourselves, the metal is coming.

This Saturday, May 31st, The Main Street Cafe is being taken over by brutal, rampaging death metal. Presented by DxD Booking, the show features Detroit-based death metal outfits As They Sleep and Forsake The Fallen. Morgantown death metal The Kafka Machine and AC/DC tribute band BON's Johnson will be providing local support.

This all ages show is going to the first time any of these bands have performed at The Main Street Cafe. Corral all of your friends, and even your enemies, and come headbang and mosh until your body gives out.

The doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $8 at the door after 6 p.m. and $6 from 5-6 p.m.

 As They Sleep

From left to right: Barry Gomez (guitar), Derek Kosiba (bass), Aaron Bridgewater (vocals), Nick Morris (guitar) and Tony Lukitsh (drums)

Who are they: As They Sleep combines precision and ferocity with their fast-paced, in-your-face metal. Based out of Detroit, this five-piece manages to create crystal clear metal without losing any viciousness to overproduction. Their 2010 release "Dynasty" is everything you could want from a metal album. Its high-octane riffs are full of finesse and the cutting vocals are addicting.

Why should you care: Clarksburg has seen its fair share of metal bands come and go over the past decade. While some were alarmingly brutal and others knew how to light up a guitar with sweep picking, few could combine the two in such a fashion as As They Sleep do. These guys tour from coast to coast and they have a new album coming this year. If your heart beats the slightest bit faster when you hear metal, then prepare for cardiac arrest because As They Sleep isn't a band that messes around.

Listen:  [spotify id="spotify:track:7vUh2zSTF0KhhuUP0qNYzB" width="400" height="200" /]

Forsake The Fallen

From left to right: Zak Marzouq (lead vocals/guitar), Joe Santangelo (guitar/vocals),Corey Maxwell (drums) and Jordan Marzouq (bass/vocals)

Who are they: Que the racing solos, chugging riffs and powerhouse vocals. Forsake The Fallen, from the Metro Detroit area, know how to make an epic metal anthem. Their songs go from slow to fast and heavy to heavier. Each member of this metal quartet displays incredible ability. You'll hear guitars gallop and then rip out a solo, and the vocals go from gut-wrenching growls to powerful cleans in the matter of seconds.

Why should you care: Just as with As They Sleep, Forsake The Fallen combine meticulousness with savagery. Try to find a song as vicious as "War Within Me" (below) that boasts equally as gripping and dynamic cleans. This band has only been around for three years and they make music like they're veterans of metal. At the end of a song you'll be left fulfilled and breathless.

Listen:  [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zav8IZ2l82E[/embed]

The Kafka Machine

Who are they: The Kafka Machine hail from Morgantown, West Virginia. They're five dudes with a passion for heavy music. The past five years of the band's existence have seen multiple lineup changes, but their current lineup produces relentlessly heavy music (check the video below).

Why should you care: The Kafka Machine make the type of pissed off death metal that is easily felt by listeners. They are loud, aggressive and local. Those are three tasty traits. As They Sleep and Forsake The Fallen aren't going to be around West Virginia immediately after this show, but The Kafka Machine play countless shows in the Morgantown and Fairmont area, so it's best to get acquainted.

Listen: 

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_CBnZ7Nr1E[/embed]

BON's Johnson

Who are they: BON's Johnson is a three-piece band from Morgantown, West Virginia who play nothing but AC/DC tunes.

Why should you care: Danny Strakal, the face behind DxD Booking, calls them, "The greatest AC/DC tribute you'll ever see." C'mon, AC/DC are forefathers of metal and rock. Anyone who's going to pay homage to them by dedicating their entire band to their greatness deserves to be listened to.

Listen: No shortcuts here. Come to the show to hear AC/DC revived like never before by three rockers from Morgantown. In the meantime, get pumped up with some classic AC/DC.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fPf6L0XNvM[/embed]

All photos courtesy of the bands’ respective Facebook pages.