Athfest 2013: Rockin' the noise at the Caledonia with National Anthem and Powder Room

Saturday, June 22nd, 2013  
 National Anthem
Powder Room
Hot Breath

The madness at the Caledonia on Athfest Saturday was just beginning.  Since the lineup that night looked positively incredible, I made myself comfortable at the venue and settled in for an evening of thunderous noise rock.  Hot Breath was up first, and they definitely fit the bill as far as decibels were concerned.  These masters of doom headbanged their way through a set rife with screaming garage rock and heavy sound.

Then National Anthem, a band I've been dying to see for quite a while, took the stage.  Throwing themselves energetically into an insane set of instrumental rock, these guys had the crowd with them from the very beginning.  Jace Bartet, best known as the member of Reptar who went totally hardcore and rocked his way through a monstrous face wound at last year's Athfest, brought the same famous enthusiasm to the table in this set.  And wow, the band's talent was purely incredible.  Every tune twisted through soundscapes with wild abandon, never veering off course but always venturing into the realm of the unexpected.  Often a solely instrumental band feels like it is lacking a singer, but in National Anthem's case, the music spoke for itself.  Several other members of Reptar were going crazy for their style in the front row, and they certainly weren't the only ones.  Fans packed into the venue, diving straight into their fun sound, and I was about ready to declare this band one of my new top favorites.  Of course, continuing my streak of having rather terrible luck with picking favorites, almost immediately after I made this decision, the band announced that this was actually going to be their final show.  Oh so tragic!  I've gotta to say though, even if it was their last, I'm so pumped I got to hear them before the end.  This, you guys, was one of the very best!

Up next, Powder Room, quite possibly the loudest of the bunch, followed with a serving of their darkly melodic trance noise. Drum beats shook the fans to their cores as the band's yells echoed in their ears.  The crowd responded with almost animal joy, going nuts for those up onstage. Then, as is fitting for a night of the loudest of rock, top favorite band Bambara finished out my Caledonia spree with what can only be described as a thrilling explosion of metaphorical death.

Truly, it was an unforgettable ear-blasting evening!

For all of our massive coverage of Athfest 2013, from preparation guides to articles on some of the best featured bands and shows, click here! More entries on all the bands and madness of the festival will be posted daily, so be sure to check back often. Plus, soon you'll be able to check out our show footage and Athfest vlogs up on the Echoreyn of Athens YouTube channel as well!