BAILEY MERRITT
staff writer

Celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their album “The Cleansing,” death metal band Suicide Silence brought their tour to Erie’s own Basement Transmissions.
Released in 2007, “The Cleansing” was produced by the band’s original members, including vocalist Mitch Lucker, who passed in 2012 in a motorcycle accident.
This tour served not only as an anniversary — 10 years of the album, five years of his death — but as a tribute to Lucker, who is highly respected and loved in the metal community.
Joining Suicide Silence on this tour, Upon a Burning Body, Prison, Amavasya, Livid Life and Shiver also brought chaos to the stage on Friday.
Immediately upon entering the venue, a growing crowd brought energy and the mosh.
Each band was extremely interactive with the audience.
Prison encouraged stage divers to set the new record for crowdsurfers during their set.
Upon a Burning Body had fans yell the words of its most popular songs, like “Texas Blood Money” and “B.M.F.”
Each band encouraged a circle pit and “wall of death” during their heaviest breakdowns.
Suicide Silence’s current vocalist, Eddie Hermida, carried an unrelenting energy, with no signs of growing tired.
The band played an entire 12-track compilation of “The Cleansing,” even ending with two encores due to crowd demand including fan favorites from other albums: “Wake Up,” “Disengage,” and “You Only Live Once.”
Hermida handed the microphone off to several people in the front row, a few of whom were vocalists of local bands like Raven’s Law.
At the end, with encouragement from the crowd, guitarist Chris Garza smashed his guitar, an amp and the drum set after having technical difficulties with the bass drum.
This show was a very personalized experience for me.
Guitarist Ruben Alvarez of Upon a Burning Body and guitarist Mark Heylmun of Suicide Silence handed me their picks during their performances.
Hermida dove into the crowd during their encore, finishing the show among the crowd.
Members from each band stuck around the venue after the show to meet fans in a low-key manner, making for the sense of unity between fans and artists that the metal community and Basement Transmissions are famous for.
Despite negative reviews on the band in their new era, Suicide Silence performed remarkably well and this completely changed my view on them.
Since Lucker’s passing, the band entered a new era and obviously created a new sound.
However, there’s no denying that each member has raw talent.
Hermida covered the vocals of the album exceptionally well, for which he has earned my respect.
Lucker would be proud of the name the band members have made for themselves after rising from the ashes of loss and who they have become today.

BAILEY MERRITT
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