MIND INVERSION

After the Burial is yet another example of the prime progressive death metal that the Twin Cities is home to these days, and even though 99% of Minneapolitans probably don’t know who they are, there are legions of fans that wait for them to play shows around the globe. With the support of Sumerian Records and a fervent underground of young “deathcore” fans (and, yes, Myspace), After The Burial is one of the few Twin Cities metal bands that have garnered enough acclaim to transition into full-blown 24/7 touring status in the last 10 years. Though they still are kind enough to grace us with a local show every now and again, these days they are proud to be rubbing elbows with names such as Machine Head, Necrophagist, Suffocation, and Dying Fetus and count rising acts such as Suicide Silence and Emmure as good friends. Whatever way you look at it, it seems like After the Burial is poised to be landing some very big tours over the next few years; in unofficial terms, I think you could unofficially christen them as this generation’s ambassadors of MN metal. Better yet, Minnesota’s ambassadors of the breakdown!

If you’ve yet to hear After the Burial and their technical-yet-catchy death metal/hardcore punk hybrid, watch this video of  “Cursing Akenaten” they recorded last month at Station 4 in St. Paul to get acquainted.The dualing guitars on foreign-sounding 8-string lead are undeniably cool, and the young band has an arsenal of twisted breakdowns that were guaranteed to make the hometown crowd move. It’s nearly impossible to get good footage out of Station 4, so I’ll give them big kudos for shooting a high quality (seemingly pro) live video there either way! It gives you an accurate picture of what it’s like to see a show at this venue, and it’s a great representation of their powerful live set. Cheers to the future, guys..