It’s only been a few months since Pallbearer last played Dallas, but their Trees date still proved to be highly anticipated by the energetic crowd on hand. Giant of the Mountain warmed us up – this being their first show with David Sikora on bass and vocals. The Dallas locals preceded Tribulation with a divine performance of songs, including material from their summer release, Nature’s Wrath.
I regret never catching genre-bending Tribulation (from Arvika, Sweden) before tonight. This was their second out of three Texas dates on the tour, the last of their stretch with Pallbearer coming up at White Oak Music Hall in Houston. The band ran through material from their most recent albums (The Formulas of Death, The Children of the Night, and Down Below) and delivered a great performance. This band is criminally underrated. I’d say one of the most preeminent and nonpareil bands of the last few years. The venue was packed throughout this set.
The crowd seemed to thin out just a bit when Tribulation wrapped up, but the room was still crowded with an ebullient and loyal group, but with one person repeatedly chanting “Needs more cowbell!” I had the pleasure of shooting Pallbearer in May, but I was left wanting more. They opened with a flawless performance of “Watcher in the Dark” and went on to bring us material Dallas has never heard. The band played songs from each of their three albums (Sorrow and Extinction, Foundations of Burden, and Heartless), as well as the single “Dropout” that appeared earlier this year. Their set was well-received by fans and venue staff alike, cowbell or none. I wind up enjoying every album Pallbearer puts out, even more than the last, and their live sound is even heavier. I’m already awaiting the next Dallas date.
– DeLisa McMurray.
– click to enlarge photos –
