Widow
120 Tavern & Music Hall
Marietta, GA
August 27, 2016
Nine years ago, I was in a venue in Raleigh, NC called Volume 11 Tavern. I was there to see legendary/former Iron Maiden vocalist, Paul DiAnno. As usual, I wanted to get there early enough to catch the opening bands as since I was now living in Atlanta, I wanted to see what the Raleigh metal scene had to offer. That night I watched a band that was amateur at best. They were sloppy, goofy, and just not good at all. Who was that band you may be asking? That band is Widow.
Now I have seen Widow once since and even then, while it was much better, something just seemed awkward about their delivery. They were so close yet so far from being amazing but I was definitely a fan of their music. On this night, I anticipated their performance and hoped that maybe they would take things to another level. Well, another level doesn’t even begin to describe where they took this evening’s performance. The band took the stage to a very hefty roar from the crowd and slammed right into “Burning Star” and suddenly my jaw just hit the floor. Was this really the same band I saw back in 2009? Nope, it was a new band that was full of confidence, energy, and raw power that moved the audience. After their 2nd song “Carved in Stone”, the audience started chanting “Welcome Back!” as the band smiled from ear to ear.
The band then started playing “An American Werewolf in Raleigh” and the place went apeshit and the people at the barricade sang every word back to the band, headbanging, and thrusting fists. Widow was all smiles and I swear that just behind Sabaton easily must be the happiest band in metal. Widow had plenty of reasons to be smiling because they were truly blowing minds and melting faces with a solid and fun performance that had the crowd working as hard as they were.
The energy of Widow was absolute off the charts. Their new drummer Robbie Mercer is an absolute beast on the drums but it was Bassist/Singer John Wooten and guitarist Chris Bennett that had the crowd on their feet and raging. Wooten tore up the stage from left to right when he wasn’t tied to the mic singing while Bennett ripped notes out of the air reminiscent of guitar greats like Randy Rhoads and Jake E. Lee on the song “Anomoly” with an absolutely mesmerizing solo. Widow brought their 50 minute set to a close with the now classic “Take Hold of the Night” to a roar and a chant of “More! More! More!”
As the band exited the stage, I was left drenched in sweat, exhausted, and smiling ear to ear from headbanging and thrusting my fists. Was this really the same band that back in 2009 had me shaking my head? Was this really the same band that awkwardly and nervously performed just a few years ago? No, it wasn’t. This was a band that has been to school, learned a thing or two, and used their knowledge and experiences to make them not just a better band but a band worthy of being considered a NWOTHM icon. The band that I just saw on Saturday night absolutely blow my mind with at top notch metal performance that left me astounded, speechless, sweaty, and proud to be a metal fan. That band… was Widow.
For more on Widow, check out https://www.facebook.com/widowtheband
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