Panzie at the Gramercy Theatre

Jasin Cadic

Guitarists DC Gonzalez and Jonnie Rockit were childhood friends in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. After playing in several bands together, they formed the hard-rocking Panzie in 2008. The Trashcan Diaries EP in 2010 and debut Love and Blood album in 2013 helped Panzie get more East Coast gigs and gain a heartier following, but also led the band into a hiatus in 2014. Rockit continued working as a professional guitar tech and Gonzalez was recruited to play in Killcode. In 2015, Gonzalez and Rockit began rebuilding Panzie, recruiting drummer John Servo Di Salvo, who played in Chem Lab and KMFDM, and then vocalist Jasin Cadic, an actor, screenwriter, artist and former front man for industrial hard rock bands Handful of Dust and Starkiller. Panzie now also includes bassist Kevin Jones.

Panzie was an impressive opening act tonight for VampireFreaks' Stabbing Westward concert at the Gramercy Theatre. Panzie's hard rock was fierce, featuring guttural singing, twin guitar leads and a super heavy rhythm section. The overarching sound borrowed the best elements from death metal, groove metal and industrial. The combination was raw, raucous, gritty and brutal. The band had captivating stage appeal as well, with corpse paint, blotched and torn wardrobe on Cadic and red outfits on the other musicians. The theatrics also including a pig mask and oversized butcher knife, and later a noose held high by colorful helium balloons. New York has not had a band this exciting in years, and given the right opportunities, Panzie could be huge.

Visit Panzie at www.panzie.com.