If you've ever heard of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, Tortoise, or Pinback, you can thank a band that broke up in 1991.
After Slint's demise, they were labeled a seminal force in rock music, with only two albums and 15 songs in their entire repertoire.
For the first time in 14 years, Slint will take the stage, embarking on a reunion tour that includes a three-show stint in New York City, at Irving Plaza. This is the closest the now-legendary band will come to Buffalo, and the three sold-out dates gave an indicator of their reception.
On March 18, they were supported by PG-6, a band whose sound most closely resembles the "slowcore" sound of bands like Low. They had an understated power to their sparse compositions.
They used a variety of instruments in their songs, and switched from electric guitars to bongo drums and acoustic flawlessly.
The Jason Molina-esque inflection lent the vocals to the grim subject matter of PG-6's songs.
They thanked Slint for bringing them along, and after much anticipation, Slint took the stage to an ecstatic crowd.
Slint played many of their most popular tracks from their two albums such as "Good Morning Captain" and "Breadcrumb Trail," completely authentic to their recorded sound.
As they took the stage, their reputation preceded them, and they lived up to their recherch?(c), mysterious CD sound, saying very little, and playing their songs with a powerful energy that garnered lengthy applause after every song.
As a testament to their lingering influence over the years, during the song "For Dinner" an audience member jokingly yelled, "You guys remind me of Slint!"
During "Charlotte," a song from their first LP, "Tweez," guitarist David Pajo, who spent part of his time away from Slint with Billy Corgan in the supergroup Zwan, played a heart-stopping solo that proved the music had not lost its command over the last decade.
Brian McMahan's minimal lyrics were piercingly affecting during "Washer," a gentle, sorrowful song from their second LP, "Spiderland."
As McMahan sang "Every time I ever cried from fear/ Was just a mistake that I made/ Wash yourself in your tears," the previously gentle lyrics now confronted the listener with each note.
Slint proved its merit as a multi-talented collective with drummer Britt Walford performing vocals and playing guitar on "Don Aman."
Slint's sound was perfectly personified by the song "Nosferatu Man," a dark, brooding composition featuring McMahan's vocals prominently. The song alternates between spoken-word to shrieked lyrics, with a driving distorted guitar line.
The set ended with "Rhonda," an expanded track from their last proper release, a two-song EP released in 1994. This epic freak-out lacked lyrics, but the frenzied instrumentals spoke for themselves, building tension until the final culmination.
The authority they demonstrated onstage showed a band at the top of their game, fifteen years after their "final" buzzer. When the string of shows ends, the void Slint left will return.
