On a late Friday evening, in a packed soundstage, I saw DJ Hell'o Kitty, Author & Punisher, and HEALTH. Plenty of people in goth makeup and colorful costumes filled the Baltimore Soundstage. When I say this show was packed it was PACKED.
First up was DJ Hell'o Kitty, a local opener from Baltimore. She's famous for her POC goth/darkwave-themed Black Celebration parties upstairs at Ottobar. Despite my tongue-in-cheek artist name, I'm not that versed in goth and industrial that isn't better-known or in the mainstream. It was nice that I got to listen to some goth mixes that wasn't in my wheelhouse. The unfortunate part was that I wound up arriving late due to public transport in Maryland being something else. Her stage presence was great saying thank you to the crowd and getting them warmed up for everything the night had to offer.
Next was Author and Punisher, the industrial doom duo from the brainchild of mechanical engineer Tristan Shone. When he's not at UC San Diego, working on 3D design and experimental speakers or DNA imaging, or even electron microscopes, Shone is joined by Doug Sabolick on stage droning to full houses.
This was one of my first times listening to doom in a live setting, While I love Candlemass, Hooded Menace and many other doom bands, I've never seen a doom band live. For anyone saying Author and Punisher isn't "traditional" doom, it still has the spirit, just with the components adapted for a modern age. While a band like Author and Punisher doesn't have songs about wizards, castles, dragons, and weed, or some combination of the above, they are capital D "DOOM." Their setlist for this tour includes "Drone Carrying Dread," an 8 minute, 16 second grueling track on the horrors of war and military industrial complex.
"Flash of light we wake at dawn / Streets ablaze we can't see anyone / Breached the wall the guns came through / Forced our way, Lost our youth."
That song and many other songs played were a huge parallel to what I can call cold and mechanical, with a healthy dose of existential dread. Not only in lyrics but in instrumentation. Maybe I'm looking way too into this, but doom metal sometimes lacks on the "doom" part in terms of artistry and instrumentation (maybe outside of funeral doom). Adding the industrial elements ups the dread. With Tristan being hooked up to his "Drone Machines" he looks super frustrated and in pain, which is all for the spectacle, appearing like he is part of the machine from an stage presence way.
It's the cold mechanical sounds that complement the lyrics on death, destruction, and the burden of living through the planet being destroyed. It protrays a ying and yang of a cruel dystopian technological future. I think Tristan's music is not only fun and entertaining (as fun as this metal can be), but real and grounded art. Again, perhaps I am reading into things too much, but that this music was so eye-opening, strange, thought-provoking, fun-sounding, and at points oddly relaxing was strange to me. Consider me a new fan.
Last on, of course, was HEALTH. Walking out to "A Cruel Angel's Thesis" from Neon Genesis Evangelion, HEALTH had some deeper cuts in this set, not much of anything from Rat Wars. To a new fan, this may seem annoying, but found more than enough time to play some newer material, including songs off RAT WARS ("DSM-V," "UNLOVED," and "DEMIGODS." It is, however, extremely cool to hear old material, including tracks from the Max Payne 3 OST and Death Magic, as well as their recent Deftones cover of "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)."
My only complaint was that the show's sound mixing felt like it was off. This isn't necessarily the band's fault, it was just one of the times where I could somehow hear even less with earplugs.
If you get a chance, please go see HEALTH, either at a fest or a show. You will not regret it.
Seem them on these dates w/Pierce The Veil, Ecca Vandal & Like Roses:
10/14/2025 - Oklahoma City, OK – Zoo Amphitheatre
10/15/2025 - Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
10/17/2025 - Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
10/18/2025 - Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
10/19/2o25 - Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
10/21/2025 - Wantagh, NY – Northwell at Jones Beach Theater
10/22/2025 - Hartford, CT – The XFINITY Theatre
10/25/2025 - Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
10/25/2025 - Birmingham, AL – Coca-Cola Amphitheater
10/28/2025 - Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Amphitheatre
10/30/2025 - West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Latin America dates supporting Pierce the Veil
11/28/2025 - Monterrey, MX - Showcenter Complex
11/30/2025 - Mexico City, MX - Pepsi Center Wtc
12/2/2025 - Guadalajara, MX - Teatro Estudio Cavart
12/5/2025 - Bogota, CO - Centro De Eventos
12/7/2025 - Lima, Peru - Centro de Convenciones Barranco Arena
12/10/2025 - Santiago, CL - Teatro Caupolicán
12/12/2025 - Buenos Aires, AR - Complejo Art Media
12/14/2025 - Curitiba, BR - Live Curitiba
12/16/2025 - San Paulo, BR - Espaço Unimed
