LANDMVRKS – LIVE AT THE PALLADIUM IN WORCESTER MA
By Mia Palazzo
Seeing Landmvrks headline the Palladium on Monday was such a spectacular experience for me. I have been following them for a while now and have seen them as an opener at this venue.
Just last month I was in Germany photographing Wacken Open Air, which is the biggest metal festival in the world. Out of all the sets I could have seen, Landmvrks was one I absolutely refused to miss.
In the United States they usually end up as an opener and it always shocks me how few people know who they are. But in Germany I watched them hit one of the main stages in front of a sea of people and it was unbelievable. That performance instantly became one of the top shows I have ever experienced, both to photograph and to watch. To have the chance to catch them again, this time in Worcester at my favorite venue only a month later, felt too perfect to pass up.
Their sound mixes modern metalcore with elements of djent, hardcore, and nu metal, which has earned them a fast-growing fanbase, and in my opinion rightfully so. With four records under their belt, their newest release The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been dropped in April and features standout songs like “Creature,” “Sulfur,” and “A Line In The Dust.”
They opened with “Creature” and the energy immediately spiked. Flo started off spitting rapid French lyrics and the crowd answered back as the pit opened rather immediately.
Things got even more intense during “Blistering” when Flo demanded crowd surfers. Dozens of people floated across the top of the pit while others went wild below. From the side of the barricade it looked like pure chaos with security scrambling to catch the crowd surfers flying over.
What stood out most though was that the show was not just about heavy music and breakdowns. Midway through the set, the lights cut out and a large easel and canvas was rolled onto the stage. Flo came out alone while “Sombre 16” echoed through the room and began spray painting on the board. He created graffiti art right in front of everyone, drawing a huge “V”. It was one of those unexpected artistic pauses that made the entire set feel different and personal, and the crowd was silent, watching him create.
The stillness did not last long. The band stormed back in with “Say No Word” and the crowd erupted all over again. Then they switched things up with “Suffocate,” playing it acoustically as the crowd raised their phone lights and sang in unison, before the song snapped back into a heavy finale.
They wrapped up the show with “Self Made Black Hole,” a track that usually features Resolve, who were supposed to be on the tour but could not make it due to visa issues.
Landmvrks is one of the very few bands over the years I have consistently hyped up, and seeing their progress and growth over the last couple of years has made me so ecstatic. This is definitely a band to watch out for, and to listen to if you haven’t yet.
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