I started this piece with an epic diatribe about how I paid my dues going to shows and that I don’t need to show up early anymore because of that fact and how, thanks to the interwebs, I can make magic happen so I show up at the right time all the time now. However, perfect timing doesn’t always happen the way you want and when a bill of three becomes a bill of twenty (I shit you not! Lookin’ at you, Worcester Palladium shows!) then you can’t always time it perfectly to show up for just the bands you want to see. But sometimes, the band you don’t wanna see is the band that’ll leave the longest lasting impression when that final encore from the headliner is still ringing on…
But I digress.
I’ve been meaning to mention Damn Nation in these hallowed halls for some time now but always seem to get distracted by whatever the next shiny thing is out there. I procrastinate no more, though! A band such as this New England-based quartet which has something for every heavy music fan, deserves your attention! We discovered them at a Papa Roach concert but their latest single, “Cynical”, sounds like something that would be at home on a Mute Math album or the Twilight soundtrack (That’s not a knock! The og soundtrack is heaven!) with vocalist Kevin Lacerda’s fabulous falsetto on full display and Matt Klein’s metronome-like pulses keeping the beat….but if you like your stuff heavy in that PR vein then look no further than “Set Me Off” or “Burnin Up” which are both tailor-made for the heavier crowd.
Then there’s “Apocalypse” which is as massive as its’ name implies, propelling Damn Nation into Asking Alexandria territory with a healthy dose of Fall Out Boy and their penchant for boisterous Pop anthems as Anthony Di Biase and Mike McDonald’s larger than life riffs bring the heavy. “Would You Stay” is another arena-sized anthem which is anxious and infectious, built from Di Biase and McDonald’s synchronized shreds as Lacerda’s lush delivery dabbles in both the devilish and angelic .
And that’s not even including the “Quarantine covers” that Damn Nation has been laying down over the past few weeks! You’ve got DM takes on classics originally by Tears For Fears and Foo Fighters as well as a rippin’ cover of Fozzy’s “Judas” who, of course, feature AEW head heel Chris Jericho on the mic. Fun fact, Damn Nation’s “Set Me Off” was actually used as the entrance music for fellow Jericho AEW wrestler Ryan Pyles on a recent episode of their Dark series (Watch it here). And as I wrap up this post, they’ve unveiled/debuted yet another cover featuring a modern and quite relevant NIN tune.
In other words, showing up early to shows pays off.
Damn Nation has a well of material available to stream right now. Check out the visuals by heading here or here now and for the auditory delights, head on over here or here or click on the Spotify stream below. For more on Damn Nation, follow them throughout the interwebs by clicking here, here, or here.