Portland, OR – jam?packed, heat?soaked, and loud enough to rattle the streetcars.
Vintersea: Portland Homegrown
I muscled in just as Portland’s own Vintersea kicked off their set, and the sold?out room instantly tightened. Vocalist Kayla Dixon (ex?Witch Mountain / Dress The Dead) unleashed cavernous growls and cutting highs that ricocheted off Hawthorne’s low ceiling while the band’s widescreen, Pacific?Northwest?inspired blend of melodic death, progressive, and blackened textures crashed behind her.
Vintersea has been a regional force since forming in 2014 – originally as Asterion – and building a reputation for cinematic riffscapes across albums The Gravity of Fall, Illuminated, and 2023’s Woven Into Ashes. Their evolution—and that new vocal firepower—translated live; I’d line up to see this chapter again.
Bloodywood: Folk?Metal Fury From New Delhi
A roar from the crowd signaled the main event and I barely cleared the photo pit before Bloodywood burst onto the stage. The six?piece – dual vocal frontline, guitar/multi?instrumentalist, kit + dhol percussion, bass – owned every inch of the stage. When the traditional dhol thudded under down?tuned riffs and tumbi/flute melodies cut through the mix, the whole floor shook.
Final Thoughts
Sweat dripped, lenses fogged, and no one wanted to leave. Vintersea’s renewed momentum plus Bloodywood’s unstoppable cultural mash?up made Hawthorne feel like the center of the heavy?music universe for a night. If either band hits your city, don’t think—go. Take advantage of seeing them both up close and personal in smaller venues while you still can.
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