Immersive SquadTHE DARK
Credit: Ashlee Ruban
DiCaprio
Playing the EARL // 2:30 p.m.
Life is bleak, man. As such, DiCaprio need no ghastly effects or howling noise to mess with your head — a skeletal stomp, skittish bass lines, and abstract monologues lend enough chilly menace instead. Yet, while singer and guitarist Kyle Swick pours plenty of visceral details into his absurd observations of society, DiCaprio really draw blood with the ominous voids in between. – LA
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Bandcamp: dicaprioatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @dicaprioband
Credit: Scott Semler
Glare
Playing the EARL // 3:20 p.m.
Rachel Pagillo’s blistering trio might trade in savage riffs and cavernous echo, but their gritty realm of shadow is far more grounded than you’d expect. With a sinister yet insightful lens, Glare interrogate the societal and romantic roles often thrust upon us, which lends a cathartic weight to their nerve-addled blitz. – LA
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Bandcamp: glareatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @glareatl
Illegal Drugs
Playing the EARL // 4:10 p.m.
Replete with cavernous riffs, propulsive rhythms, and dark lyrics that stare out into the void, Illegal Drugs’ self-titled debut was a strong contender for the best local rock record of 2016. Since then, the group has remained quiet, but you should fully expect them to come out as the immense lumbering beast of a band that they are. – GC
More Info
Bandcamp: glareatl.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @glareatl
Withered
Playing the EARL // Midnight
Easily the heaviest band on the entire bill, Withered have been working in the depths of the Atlanta underground metal scene for over 10 years now. Last year the death metal trio updated their lineup to include Ethan McCarthy and Colin Marston, but still sound as vicious as ever. It’s hard to categorize the swampy brutality of Withered, who often incorporate elements of black metal and sludge into their repertoire, but whatever you call them, they’re sure to close out the fest with a roar. – RR
More Info
Bandcamp: withered.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @witheredmetal
THE UGLY
Vincas
Playing the Captain Pabst Stage // 3 p.m.
Few bands around these parts do swampy menace and noisy tumult as well as Athens’ Vincas, but what really makes the trio’s sound so formidable is the deep sense of dread lurking behind every note and chord. Ugly comes in many forms — anger, violence, disgust — and while Vincas may deliver some or all of those things, it’s the sickening knot of unease that you’ll remember the most. – GC
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Bandcamp: vincas.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @vincasmusic
Instagram: @vincasband
SoundCloud: @vincasga
The Powder Room
Playing the EARL // 5 p.m.
There’s more melody lurking beneath the Powder Room’s acerbic noise rock than the Athens trio would likely care to admit, but in the end it’s like a spoonful of sugar to help wash down a mouthful of battery acid. Loud, abrasive, and mean, the band turns pummeling riffs and gut-shot menace into thundering, misanthropic screeds. If you need to work out some aggression or exorcise a few demons, this is the band for you. – GC
More Info
Bandcamp: thepowderroom.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @thepowderroomathens
SoundCloud: @thepowderroomga
Twitter: @thepowderroomga
RMBLR
Playing the Captain Pabst Stage // 7 p.m.
I’m sorry, what societal commentary? RMBLR’s got no time for such high-falutin’ chit-chat — they’d rather tear up the pub circuit with their old-school slop of punk spit and rock n’ roll thrills. The gang’s first EP offers barely five minutes of mindless run-and-gun fun — which, turns out, was enough to attract garage fiends Fat Possum back in February. – LA
More Info
Bandcamp: rmblr.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @rmblrterritory
Project Pabst Atlanta goes down this Sat., Oct. 7, in the East Atlanta Village. Doors open at noon. Admission is $45-55. 21+ to enter.