Shadow of Intent at the Gramercy Theatre

Ben Duerr

Vocalist Ben Duerr and guitarist Chris Wiseman formed Shadow of Intent in 2014 in Milford, Connecticut. The duo took its name from the Halo science fiction computer game, in which Shadow of Intent is a CAS-class assault carrier of the Sword of Sanghelios formerly assigned to the Covenant fleet. The duo's music was as an internet-based project which evolved into a band. Shadow of Intent's second and most recent album, Reclaimer, was released on April 27, 2017. The band currently consists of Duerr, Wiseman, bassist Keith Kohlhepp and drummer Matt Kohanowski.

The Slaughter Before Christmas, as tonight's program at the Gramercy Theatre was called, featured seven bands, headlined by Shadow of Intent. Perhaps the length of the combined show was why Shadow of Intent performed for less than 40 minutes. Shadow of Intent merged death metal and metalcore into deathcore, punctuated by growls, breakdowns, progressive leads, melodic riffs and occasional pre-recorded symphonic introductions and codas. The strength that the band exhibited in juggling all these elements was that each of these facets was kept brief and sharp rather than excessive and plodding. This clever approach made the musical progressions fascinating and particularly unique in a field where so many bands are derivative. Shadow of Intent is a young band, but noting that maturity and refinement gradually will develop, the performance forecasted a very promising future for the band.

Visit Shadow of Intent at www.shadowofintent.bigcartel.com.