This might've been the show of the year for me. Chelsea Wolfe brought Halloween to Boston early at the best venue in the state with support from Youth Code. Both brought the Sinclair to another world and destroyed a sold out crowds hearing. Grab a seat, this will probably be the longest review I've written, I'll try to be as detailed as I can.
Youth Code
Genre: Industrial/Electronic/Hardcore FFO: KMFDM, Skinny Puppy, Earth Crisis
If you're like me, you probably found out about Youth Code from the tour they did with Code Orange. I listened to them not knowing what to expect, but as soon as I heard Consuming Guilt I knew I would want to see them (too bad they dropped the Worcester date). Luckily I got to see them play here. When Youth Code walked out, Ryan George (ex-Carry On) stood behind his soundboard in a Jesus pose and Sara Taylor stood on the edge of the stage with both her fists in the air wearing a shrt that read "EAT MY ENTIRE FUCK" and makeup that from my perspective made it look like she had a Chelsea Smile. Sara stood triumphantly and said "Lets fuck this place up" and Youth Code began, blaring their beats loud as the lighting followed with making it feel like you're at a rave but pissed off. Sara's vocals sounded like a slap to the face in audio form with how aggressive she sounded but didn't miss a single beat or note and basically sounded like a recording with all the effects. Ryan would constantly be making motions like you would expect a villain in Dragonball Z to make when they get more powerful and his vocals you could tell he was screaming as loud as he could but with the effects on his mic, he sounded like a muffled voice yelling to you on the phone. No matter what beats were being played by Ryan, Sara always had a way to move with them whether it be two stepping, bouncing, headbanging, or acting out what she was screaming, but other than that she might have been spitting straight up in the air only to either catch it in her hand or purposely let it fall in her face. One thing I do want to point out is she would be upfront with the stage presence you would expect from someone fronting a hardcore band. At one point the speaker, stage right stopped working mid-song, and when the song ended Ryan was trying to fix it while Sara watched like a disappointed mother. Ryan faced the crowd and said "Pretend I broke a guitar string" and Sara gave him the sarcastic "Oh you broke a string? Really? Wow." Sara would say stuff throughout the set about how much Youth Code supports the LGBTQ+ community and said she likes to bring her gender into her music, and stated how honored they were to open for a woman like Chelsea Wolfe. One more thing, if you haven't heard Youth Code and you looked at the genre I put down and saw the FFO Earth Crisis, and you're wondering how is this duo hardcore? Its easily heard in the recordings but seeing Sara's movements live really makes the hardcore influence stick out even more. It may have been electronic but multiple songs would have drum beats and slow parts very reminiscent of bands like Earth Crisis. If you enjoy hardcore but want something different, Youth Code is the band for you, seeing them perform was definitely a cool experience.
Chelsea Wolfe
Genre: Atmospheric/Gothic/Neo-folk/Doom/Ambient FFO: Emma Ruth Rundle, Type O Negative, SubRosa
I could've watched this set forever. The day before the show I saw Jesse Leach from Killswitch Engage post on instagram about how incredible she was in New York. He said she put on a powerful performance even when she's not moving, and also stated he's seen her before but that night was "next level". As soon as I read this I could not wait to see her. One word I need to steal from Jesse is powerful. Powerful is the most accurate thing you could possibly say about this woman. Her set began in complete darkness with one light shining behind a giant circle hanging over the stage imitating what looked like a lunar eclipse with a slight fog effect as well. Chelsea and her band walked out and the crowd was literally howling, like actually howling like wolves. Chelsea walked out wearing a gothic black dress that would drag across the floor, and wore black make up around her eyes. She was the most beautiful demonic entity I have ever seen in my life. Visuals are everything to this woman. There was one straight line of lighting going across the stage that would change color rotate accordingly to the songs as well as the stage lights. The regular lights would even be blinding occasionally no matter where in the venue you stood. Chelsea's movements were so fragile but said so much, it was as if she was a statue carved out of a tree possessed by a dark and evil spirit. The backing band would move with the music occasionally, but Chelsea clearly had her own way of showing her aura. If her movements weren't powerful enough, then her voice was. That soothing, beautiful, haunted voice. I felt like she was two inches away from me, singing me to sleep and softly caressing my face, only to put a curse swearing my devotion to her for all eternity. If you listen to Chelsea Wolfe, you know the song Carrion Flowers. I have never heard anything heavier than this. Just hearing the bass drop in the beginning of the song could make your ears bleed. One thing that would grab my attention was the drums. The drums could go from being a steady mellow beat but then progressive turn into thunder and with the lighting and constant visual of that foggy lunar eclipse, you wouldn't know the difference. The crowd howled after every song as if they really were hounds and Chelsea was the moon. When she played her new song Vex, Sara from Youth Code came back out and did a guest spot. She even did two encore songs that I missed apparently. This show was one of the most incredible performances and way more than just music. Chelsea Wolfe's music is something I've never heard anyone else come close to making, and is definitely a personal favorite. Seeing her live really was as Jesse Leach said, next level. The crowd was a cast of characters whether they were dressed up in ritualistic clothes and wearing face paint or not, it was a huge variety of people. On top of that there was a warning at the merch table that read "Merch is limited, buy now or suffer" and surely enough it sold out just as fast as the show did. Give Chelsea a listen, go see her live. Chelsea Wolfe will rule the world one day.
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