Cloak out of Atlanta Georgia are currently on tour supporting the experimental metal band Imperial Trumpet. Luckily, we were blessed (or cursed) with a concert stop at Legends.
It may have been a frigid night in Cincy but Cloak managed to bring out the flames of hell during their set. Savage, brutal and unrelenting are just a few words that could describe the band's performance on Thursday evening.
Their show started with an eerie glow of purple candles set upon creepy looking candelabras with heavy incense smoke that filled the air. A recording that sounded like some kind of macabre seance played in the background as the band lurched upon the stage.
The band quickly shuffled gears launching into some grinding guitars, hammering drums and black metal inspired vocals. The crowd quickly started pushing their way towards the front. As they began their second song, guitarist and vocalist Scott Taysom sneered into the captive audience, “Come with us as we venture into the storm,” and went into one of their best songs, the aggressive as fuck, “Into the Storm.” The crowd was getting more intense at this point breaking into the first of many mosh pits that Cloak had going on during their set.
Halfway through the drummer, Sean Bruneau performed a quick pummeling drum solo before the rest of the band joined in and more pits broke out in excitement. The guitarists were also putting on one hell of a show with plenty of powerful nasty riffs and some synchronized head banging that was straight out of an old school 80’s metal video.
Just as quickly as they took the stage it seemed they were at the end. When they said “goodnight.” The guitarists raised their guitars to the sky and then went into a quick riff of Slayer’s “Reign in Blood,” Unfortunately, this was just a tease and Cloak left the stage. The crowd didn't want the night to end, waiting at the barrier hoping they would come out for just one more song.
Cloak is one of those bands that is impossible to label. Are they Black Metal, Thrash, Death Metal, Black Thrash? Who cares? They have a killer dark cult vibe and play some music that’s as additive as it is accessible. Cloak makes metal seem as fun as it is dangerous. They have a killer stage presence and put on one hell of a performance. This is a band that is going places.
