Sounds & Sights with ISD

This week Sounds & Sights on Thursday nights in Chelsea got a little proggy and very heavy by bringing in Detroit’s Imminent Sonic Destruction (ISD) for two hours of music. All summer, the Rumpus Room stage has been hosting the rock stage. On this particular Thursday, things get a wee bit heavier and profound.

For those unfamiliar with “prog,” it is a genre known for multi-layered and adventurous musical compositions. Prog borrows from jazz and classical music; it lets the musicians run wild within their sonic epics. Key bands in this arena are King Crimson, Yes, and Rush.

Prog on Steroids

ISD plays music that you can think of as prog rock on steroids. Their tunes are intricate, intriguing, melodic, and heavier than hell. Heavy being a keyword as they move the rock needle firmly into the metal zone. Handling fretboard wizardry with plenty of bone-crunching riffs is Tony Piccoli and Scott Thompson. Flourishing each tune with harmonies on the keyboards is Pete Hopersberger. Playing percussion with the grace and power of a Shaolin master is Pat DeLeon. The war bear on bass is the super cuddly Bryan Paxton. While Tony takes on a majority of the vocal duties, Pete, Bryan, and Scott each add their harmonic and melodic voices.

Batten Down The Hatches

Sounds & Sights on Thursday night is an outdoor affair. This evening, a chance of rain leads to a last-minute covering of the stage. The band helps out the stage crew with battening down the rain tarp. I’m reminded of sailors rigging the masts. It’s time for this progressive metal ship to set sail.

I’ve seen Imminent Sonic Destruction a handful of times, and they never disappoint. Tonight, fueled by the brilliance of the setting sun, ISD gives a phenomenal performance. They kicked off with “Nightshade,” “Solitude,” and the title track from their most recent album, “The Sun Will Always Set.” These songs set arm hairs bristling with their spellbinding power and dazzling execution.

Scott and Tony’s guitars had the perfect balance of clarity and vicious attack. Neal Peart would surely have nodded his approval at the effortless precision and vigor of Pat’s drums. Pete may be tucked away next to Pat on the stage, but thankfully his voice and brilliant keys are up front for us all to enjoy. The driving and nimble bass lines from Bryan resonate within us to compound the beguiling quality of ISD’s music. Once again, MIke from IQ Audio has the stage sound dialed in tight.

The Youth Brigade

After a short break, Imminent Sonic Destruction returned with more originals and a couple of killer cover songs. Both Rush’s “Subdivisions” and Kansas’s “Carry On Wayward Son” were incredible. They hint at the influences that make ISD such a superb listening experience.

Rock and progressive metal are new features at Sounds & Sights. A crowd of curious fans looked on in wonder and slack-jawed fascination from the outskirts of the stage area. One group included some younger fans who were clearly into metal music. Tony called out to a young man sporting a denim battle vest celebrating bands such as Rush, Obituary, Tool, and Death. “What is your name?” Tony asked. “Patrick,” was the reply. Tony dedicated the next song to Patrick, after which we chanted (or at least I chanted), “Patrick! Patrick!” I can’t tell you how cool it feels as an old metalhead to see the next generation out there supporting local music and keeping the metal banner held high.

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Sounds & Sights with ISD