As soon as the doors of The Rave opened up, I watched as fans flooded into the historic venue, ready for a night of never-ending crowdsurfing, moshing and screaming.
On March 31, progressive metal powerhouse ERRA brought their The Silence Follows Tour to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Co-headlining with Currents, they transformed The Rave into a full night of moshing and crowdsurfing. With support from Caskets and Aviana, this American run of shows represented multiple sub-categories within metal as an overall genre.
First up was the Swedish metal band, Aviana, who entered the stage with a dark, aggressive energy that demanded attention from the entire room. Aviana’s outfit and imagery was the first thing I noticed; their masked personas sent shivers down everyone’s spines as their ominous aura emanated from the stage. If the goal was to build the tension in the room, their behavior and energy certainly brought up the intensity.
Following Aviana was UK post-hardcore act, Caskets, who shifted the dark energy to catharsis and emotion. Connecting with the audience through their vulnerability, songs like “Make Me a Martyr” and “Glass Heart” opened and closed their set. The contrast between these two high energy support acts was super dynamic and brought life into the crowd. For a weekday night show, most of those in attendance were coming straight from work and were able to release that built-up stress and tension through their favorite songs. Crowd participation in the pit was mandatory and exhilarating, with everyone staying at level 10 through each song played.
By the time Currents took the stage, the room was certainly packed shoulder to shoulder, and the energy had escalated. Their setlist hit hard straight off the bat, combined with extremely enticing visuals and strobing lights, starting with “So Alone.” Current’s performance exuded confidence and badass-ery — and the crowd ate it up.
Technically, Currents’ performance is tight and intense, showing off their musical knowledge and intelligence. The delivery was felt throughout the audience for numerous mosh pits, exactly what the fans needed considering “everything going on at the moment.”
As co-headliners of the tour, Currents delivered a set that easily could have closed the night, yet ERRA was left with the challenge to take this audience to the final level.
When ERRA finally arrived, the shift was immediate. Fans at the barricade were screaming their heads off and headbanging with every beat. I loved watching as the waves of crowdsurfers made their way over the rail, and lead singer JT Cavey nodded in approval. This performance marked a mid-point on the North American tour continuing throughout the rest of April.
ERRA’s strength lies in their live performances; a combination of intricate guitar plucking and massive visuals made their performance one to remember. To add, their vocals are impeccable from all members with various moments where Jesse Cash, guitarist and vocalist, took center stage. I loved watching the crowd sing along to every word.
To some, ERRA’s music is considered “too heavy,” to which Milwaukee fans replied, “perfect, thanks!”
The audience at The Rave was craving for more and begged for an encore, which ERRA gladly obliged. The progression from start to finish took the fans on a journey spanning almost two decades with this band. The Silence Follows Tour proved that ERRA remains their relevancy and is continuing to grow rapidly — and the pairing with Currents was just the cherry on top.
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