Sounding like the thrown-away child of an overactive drug habit and an unhealthy Limp Bizkit admiration, St. Louis’ Shattermask might not have been one of the better-sounding bands on Thursday’s Amplify!! bill, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t enjoyable.
Punctuated by singer Priest’s breakdancing moves—and his embarrassing plunge off the bass drum resulting in a dropped microphone and a banged-up head—the foursome’s short set inside the Brass Lounge annex Thursday night seemed more an exercise in irony and physicality than an exhibition of musical talent. Still, the more Shattermask gave, the more the small crowd wanted.
“It looks like these guys do way too much coke,” one onlooker commented to his friends as Priest, sporting slight facial makeup and anime-styled hair, completed a series of onstage cartwheels and began writhing around the stage. “But hey, at least they’re entertaining.”