Review: Snowy Weekend Doesn’t Stop Rochester Rock Show

If someone were to ask me, "Val - what's your favorite local band in Rochester?" I'd have a hard time picking between the three who played an incredible show on Friday night.

I mean this honestly. When you ask me to compare Embrace The Ending, AfterTime and The 9th Planet Out, it's truly apples and oranges. They all have their own distinct style and play to their preferred metal subgenre. In my opinion, they all represent the best of what Rochester has to offer in rock.

Their performance at Pure Rock Studios on Friday night proved it. Here's my obligatory cell phone pics.

We started to notice "thunder snow" halfway through AfterTime's set. Vocalist Sarah Wolf even acknowledged it. I just assumed it was because Embrace The Ending brought the thunder beforehand. It added to the mood.

Despite brief intro struggles, the sound was suited for guitar-heavy bands - which all of them are. If you were looking for more of a balance in bass, drums, and guitar, AfterTime was your best bet.

From a drumming standpoint, I was highly impressed when A.J. Blakesly of AfterTime took on a solo. The crowd was left breathless.

We still weren't allowed to breathe during The 9th Planet Out's relentless pummel of face-melters. They're known for high-energy and well-produced shows, and they continued that legacy with an additional surprise. No one was expecting the "instrument switch" during a cover of "Seek & Destroy". Greyson Serie's notable falsetto was traded for Dylan Bennett's growls halfway through the piece. It gave us a whole new perspective on the talent these guys have! The whole show was put together as a fundraiser for an upcoming T9PO music video.

Do not miss ANY of these bands when they announce upcoming shows. You won't regret seeing them. This isn't bias speaking: just a rock fan.

Listen to Val from 10a to 2p on 107.7 Z-Rock.

Listen to Val afternoons from 2p to 6p on Quick Country 96.5.