Through the Eyes of the Dead Brings Legendary Night to the Purple Buffalo (Photos + Recap)
This past Saturday night at The Purple Buffalo was a night to remember. All of the hardcore and metal scene came out the woodwork for the legendary South Carolina deathcore band, Through the Eyes of the Dead. The Purple Buffalo was packed, swarming with all the local hardcore kids and metal heads for this rare occasion. Even people from out of town and all over came to throw down.
The two opening acts were local heavy hitters Agony and Down Under, they brought the venue to life and shook off the initial “hanging in the back, crossed armed stance” energy from the room. Down Under is an up and coming deathcore band that beats out the heaviest breakdowns imaginable. Agony is also a newer band taking the scene by storm, just as heavy as the other opening act with a dash of a little metalcore.
A show like this is a great way for friends to come together and reminisce on the old days, talking about the old Charleston scene and how we used to have more metal / hardcore shows. These types of shows only happen every once in a blue moon, so no one wanted to miss out. The camaraderie is admirable, seeing all these tattooed tough kids hug their friends and take group pictures for old times sake.
The touring bands were the real highlight of the night, the tension was in the air and the venue was pumping with adrenaline. Cognitive, a band from New jersey was up next after the local acts, a heavy death metal band formed in 2011. They’ve played here in town a few times and love to come back to shred! After they put our jaws on the floor, Green Fiend took the stage next. Hailing from North Carolina, their stoner metal vibes brought out the mosh pit and had everyone raising their beers in between songs! Drugs, sex and rock and roll AMMIRITE? They wrapped up their set with a cover of Eric Clapton’s “Cocaine” and then we all waited for the grand finale.
Through the Eyes of the Dead was the headlining band, formed in Florence SC in 2003, we were all ready for a blast from the past! It had been almost ten years since they had played in the state and you could tell by the turnout. No cool kids were left outside smoking during their set. There were circle pits galore and everyone was smiling and moshing. The building was basically shaking from the amount of riffs and energy in that place. Bassist Jake Ososkie said, “The crowd was so receptive, It made me feel like it was 2005 again.”
After the show, everyone convened outside to wipe the sweat from their faces and say good bye to old friends. The local scene needs more shows like this to happen to keep this group going. Big shout out to Charleston Shows, the local promotion company that made it all possible. They have been keeping the scene alive since the early 2000s. We all live for nights like Saturday and hope to see many more in the future.
See a photo gallery from the night below. All photos by Kaylia Boshard (@particularphotographysc).
