Hinder makes a statement in Pittsburgh

You can add Oklahoma based rockers Hinder to the list of the myriad of bands that have undergone serious line-up changes due to the loss of a lead vocalist in the past few years. Much like the others, Hinder too has weathered the storm and emerged on the other side a stronger and better band because of it. Armed with new vocalist Marshall Dutton, whom the band has been working with since 2009, as well as a new found power and sense of purpose, the band are hitting the road with Full Devil Jacket, Ages Apart and newcomers Diamante and  in support of their newest endeavor entitled When the Smoke Clears. When the tour stopped at the Altar Bar in Pittsburgh, Alabama rockers Ages Apart kicked things off with a set of stellar performances and even stronger songs in the vein of Breaking Benjamin that left fans cheering at the top of their lungs. The band got their start in 2006 and have been honing their writing skills and live shows ever since and it shows. The songs have evolved into big radio ready anthems and the individual band members gave arena worthy performances. Job well done gentlemen, the night was off to a great start. From there, Weirton, WV natives Descendsion took things up a notch with a pummeling set of melodic hard rock similar to Creed or Alter Bridge. Their set began with guitarist TJ McDevitt filling in for the ailing James Keller, who had just recently undergone surgery, on lead vocals for “Questions.” McDevitt did a good job, but much to the surprise and delight of their loyal fans and being the showman he is, Keller appeared in the balcony, singing his heart out like his life depended on it at the beginning of the second song and their fans lost their minds in a big way. The band is extremely tight and owned every inch of the stage. Guitarist Brian Davies channeled his inner Randy Rhoads, while guitarist TJ McDevitt thrashed around the stage, all the while, the rhythm section of bassist Aaron Glosser and drummer Gary Stewart laying down the bottom end and beating their instruments into submission. Songs like “Nothing To Lose,” which has been a staple in their set for years and was recently reworked with a new chorus, got a massive response, but it was Keller out on the bar top belting out “All’s Gone” as he had the fans chanting “Fuck You” and flashing their middle fingers that left the biggest impression. Keep a very close eye on this band as they are set to explode. Up next was the now all female band hard rock sensation know as Diamante. The band is lead by frontwoman, simply known as Diamante, who much like Lzzy Hale & Taylor Momsen, HaleHHHhas been writing and recording her own songs since she was in her early teens and at the tender age of just 18, she has been thrust onto the world stage and is now touring with major headlining rock bands. Diamante’s performance brought to mind a young Maria Brink or Lita Ford and her teenage backing band created a massive wall of sound. They gave a performance well beyond their years and songs like their cover of Skid Row’s “Youth Gone Wild” and their new hit single & video “Bite Your Kiss” garnered a huge response from the crowd. Another band to keep your eye on, as they are just one break away from being the next big thing in music today. Then just like that, the show took a hard left turn into heavy metal territory with a blisteringly heavy set by Tennessee natives Full Devil Jacket. Even though the band knew that their form of audio brutality may have not been for everyone there that night, they didn’t hold back at all and went full on metal assault, a decision that would serve them well. They may have been the odd band out in terms of sound, but it was quite clear that by the end of “Wanna Be Martyr,” which started their set, that they would be the band leaving with the most new fans and converts that night. Most bands would have a hard time following a killer set like that, but then again Hinder isn’t anything like most bands and had no problem. Their out of this world performances left no doubt that after all these years, the band felt they still had something left to prove, which the fans benefited greatly from. A lot of it probably stems from fans reactions to the loss of original vocalist Austin Winkler. If you are one of those on the fence or have written the band off completely, you need to take your head out of your ass and give the new and improved Hinder a chance. New vocalist Marshall Dutton does a fantastic job and is a natural frontman that oozes charisma. If you were one of those fans worried how the old songs would translate without that patented rasp of Austin’s vocals, you can rest easy and relax knowing that what Marshall lacks in raspy tone, he more than makes up for with his slight southern draw and strong stage presence. As for the band, they are firing on all cylinders and classic tracks like “Use Me,” “What Ya Gonna Do,” “Up All Night,” “Homecoming Queen,” “All American Nightmare” and their smash hit “Lips of An Angel” have never sounded better. Fans were also treated to a killer cover of the Stone Temple Pilots song “Wicked Garden,” alongside newer tracks like “Wasted Life” and the band’s new single & video for “Hit The Ground,” but it was the encore of “Better Than Me” and their monster hit “Get Stoned” that stole the show and brought the house down. If you were never a fan of Hinder, you simply must give them a chance and experience for yourself just how good they really are. -Eric Hunker [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Hinder in Pittsburgh/Hinder/\”] [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Hinder in Pittsburgh/Full Devil Jacket /\”] [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Hinder in Pittsburgh/Diamante/\”] [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Hinder in Pittsburgh/Descendsion/\”] [lg_slideshow folder=\”2015/Hinder in Pittsburgh/Ages Apart/\”]