Under The Gun sent photographer, Derek Scancarelli, to Irving Plaza in New York City to photograph HIM and Anathema on March 16, 2014.

On March 14 and 16, HIM and Anathema were able to draw some heavy duty crowds to New York’s Irving Plaza. The audience wasn’t a sea of 16-year-old screaming girls, which was a breath of fresh air compared to many of the shows I attend. That being said, I was overwhelmingly shocked at the level of noise that room was able to create through screaming and cheering alone.

Professional sound systems and acoustics were no match for the sheer excitement and energy in the air when these two bands performed. When HIM took the stage, it was so intense that I was highly regretting not bringing some earplugs.

Check out below the jump to see photos from some of the most beautiful and innovative metal/rock acts that Europe has to offer and a write-up on the show.

Starting the show was Anathema, an English rock band with an articulate and all-encompassing sound. The band’s energy in performance took me on a wild emotional ride. It is rare that in just the three songs I am allowed to photograph a band that I am fully emerged in the set musically and not just in a technical standpoint. You could say the band’s unique sound has a swooning effect. Anathema’s most recent record, Weather Systems, was released in 2012. The group has also released a blu-ray/DVD concert film, entitled Universal, which you can get a taste of right here.

The creative and delicately crafted aspect of their live performance is a far cry from what people may have expected when the band started performing doom metal in 1990. It’s clear that over two decades of experience can allow for serious levels of fine-tuning in arrangements and songwriting. For fans of HIM who were unfamiliar with Anathema, they were in for quite a treat.

HIM (His Infernal Majesty) is a band that needs no introduction. The band’s frontman, Ville Valo, has become just as synonymous with Finnish rock music as the “Heartagram” has with the culture of rock and skateboarding (through super-fan Bam Margera) in America.

In 2013, HIM released Tears on Tape through Razor and Tie records, marking their eighth full-length studio album since 1991. The Helsinki natives sounded incredible after all of these years, surely resulting in their enormously committed fan-base. If you ever have a chance to catch either of these bands live, I highly suggest you go out of your way to do so.

Photography by: Derek Scancarelli Follow @DerekUTG
To see more, check out D. SKANK PHOTOGRAPHY.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Derek Scancarelli

Derek Scancarelli is a feature writer, interviewer, videographer, photographer, radio-er and more. In 2015, he received his MA in Journalism in New York City. In addition to Under The Gun Review, Derek has worked with Noisey (VICE), Alternative Press, New Noise Magazine and many more. He also pushes some buttons at SiriusXM.

Comedian Jim Norton once called him a serial killer on national radio. Enjoy the internet with him on Twitter.

Latest posts by Derek Scancarelli (see all)

• Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest has reportedly passed away - March 23, 2016
• UTG PREMIERE: Robots and Monsters – “Down To Ash” (Music Video) - June 2, 2015
• REVIEW: Morals – ‘Float’ - June 1, 2015