Double Trouble Live: Cradle of Filth & DevilDriver Live at The Ranch!
Although The Ranch is home to Fort Myers, FL, the first band to take the stage during Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver’s Double Trouble Live 2 Tour was not. Hailing from Costa Rica, Savage Existence plays amazing groove metal music. The Latin metal scene needed a spot filled with an up-and-coming band and they were quick to fill that void and easily. Being an opener, their set ended quickly, but their impression didn’t. The crowd became instant fans and I can say for certain, that I’m one for life!
Taking the stage with little to no time to rock out and continue the momentum, Black Satellite came out with guns blazing. Putting on a performance rarely seen, their dark and melodic sound was breathtaking. You could feel the emotion stemming from Larissa’s voice as she sang phenomenally. Layer in Kyle’s guitar and the rest of the band and you have a gnarly experience.
NYC natives, Black Satellite, is comprised of Larissa Vale and Kyle Hawken. They have created a unique sound of this groovy, dark, and melodic metal music, laced with some industrial in there. Their music instantly draws you in and captivates you.
It wasn’t quick for Ill Nino to hit the stage and assault your ears with metal music. With bongos slamming and beach balls flying, one of which struck me in the head, the atmosphere quickly shifted from dark and groovy to a head banging fury! Being a big Latin metal fan, I knew I was in for a treat as the New Jersey natives continued to hammer my ears with music and nearly breaking my neck from head banging. Just when I thought I had a chance to rest and let my neck heal, the next act was ready.
Lights dim, a skull appeared on the screens, and the guitar started to wail. Moments later, DevilDriver took the stage, took no prisoners, and wipe the floor clean, leaving a trail of destruction and casualties. Hard hitting music swarmed the pit and an old school heavy metal fan, equipped with a cane, became a quick causality. Quickly patched up, he hit the pit again as DevilDriver put on a show that was unforgettable. I knew of DevilDriver and knew of their hit cover of “Sail,” but I wasn’t prepared for being hit so hard by metal music, that I nearly became a casualty too. I should have known better knowing that DevilDriver is fronted by Dez Farara, but I was not prepared for the feeling that overcame me as their set ended. They left me wanting more as they prepped the audience for Cradle of Filth.
DevilDriver is a heavy metal band from California formed in 2002. Fronted by Dez Farara of Coal Chamber, DevilDriver continues to play hard and heavy metal with notes of groove metal and death metal sprinkled throughout.
Lights dim once again, but this time Ashok or should I say Pinhead from Cradle of Filth (CoF) emerges with the lament configuration in his hand. Showing it to the crowd and quickly stashing it behind him, he begins to shred on the stage. A hooded figure stumbles their way out to the stage, staggering left, then right, before unveiling themselves to be Dani Filth. Making his way to the microphone stand equipped with skeletons and skulls, Dani wasted no time in summoning the dark spirits within our souls, or lack thereof, to encapsulate us with CoF’s extreme metal! The entire band played fast, hard, and never slowed for a second. Dani’s makeup was phenomenal and being a longtime fan, I knew the show would be nothing short of amazing, with some weirdness laced in there. If you can see any of these bands, I highly recommend it, because otherwise it wouldn’t be Dani’s makeup you see in your nightmares, it would be showing up to a venue and not being able to see them play.
Cradle of Filth is an extreme metal band from Suffolk that formed in the early 90s. With decades of music under their belts, their style underwent some changes from black metal to the extreme metal sound they now possess. With lyrics written like poetry, it’s no wonder that they have been around for so long and still thriving.
