Replay Boardshop hosted an evening of metal this past Saturday, featuring a lineup of four local heavy metal bands.
Considering that the venue is a skateboard shop by day, I was impressed with the size of the space, the organization of the show, and the size of the stage, which was large enough to allow band members to jump around. The show was all ages and only $10, and I was pumped to see a bunch of kids under nine headbanging with their little ear plugs in. Abbotsford locals often complain about the lack of music venues in the area, so it’s great that Replay has opened their space again for shows.
The night opened with Edith, a melodic death metal four-piece from Vancouver with three vocalists and just enough breakdowns. Bordering on progressive, their busy sound was ear-catching and technical.
They were followed by Cyclopsis, bringing a crunchier death metal sound while still hanging onto the melodic theme of the evening. The lead vocalist was full of personality, enticing you with intense eyes to get up and thrash around. It’s always nice when a metal band doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and Cyclopsis slayed while doing so. They had some funky bass riffs and doom-like vocals.
They were followed by Trollband, a blackened folk metal three-piece with catchy riffs, an ethereal backing synth that made me feel like I should be on a pirate ship, and a lead vocalist whose sound reminded me of a shrieking troll making love to the microphone (personifying their band name). The band members were in sync with each other while still being invested in their own instruments, and the drummer blew me away with his impeccable timing. I (and the rest of the audience, as evident in the amount of hair twirling this induced) was also deeply impressed that they managed to cover a Death song into their set.
Finally, First Reign glorified the scene with their dual lead guitars and vocalists. For a melodic death metal band, the energy they brought to the stage was beyond a dark, heavy sound — it was uplifting and invigorating. First Reign has been around the Abby music scene since the early 2000s and just started releasing new music for the first time since 2014. They graced the audience with both old and two new songs during the evening of metal show. They also brought out the mosh pit, which in the previous sets had been lacking.
The only thing better than standing back and watching a bunch of metalheads shoving people around in a mosh pit, is being a metalhead shoving people around in a mosh pit. The pit is an interesting phenomenon: the energy is aggressive but positive. Everyone is energized and having a good time; it’s probably the only place you’ll see a smile plastered on someone’s face while they’re out of control of their body and at the whim of a dozen jabbing elbows. Having that physical contact transfers energy between people, facilitated by the energy of the music reverberating through the room. Plus, it’s a great workout. Next time your middle-aged mom wants to start a trendy diet, just send her to a death metal concert and stick her in the mosh pit — that’s where you really develop Michelle Obama arms.
Overall, I was happy to see a small but thriving metal community in downtown Abby. Metalheads are passionate about their music. A mosh pit is one of the most respectful places you can shove people into each other while laughing about it; if you fall, you better believe there’ll be four sets of hands reaching down to pull you back up again.
Photograph: Cyclopsis band
Image: Darien Johnsen/The Cascade
Darien Johnsen is a UFV alumni who obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree with double extended minors in Global Development Studies and Sociology in 2020. She started writing for The Cascade in 2018, taking on the role of features editor shortly after. She’s passionate about justice, sustainable development, and education.
