Eastside Bowl opened its doors to the Swiss deathcore band called Paleface Swiss for their CURSED tour. The album was the first to be released under the new name since its recent change. The group was simply known as Paleface in the beginning, but in 2023 they made the change. The album was quickly embraced by metalcore fans from each part of the world and allowed them to welcome Stick To Your Guns and Nasty on the tour. Before Paleface Swiss even came on the stage, you could hear the sounds of a recording that had eerie screams in the background while someone sang a Spanish song overtop of it. If you listened to the new album, you quickly recognized it as “un pobre niño murió”, the opening track. The only thing lit up on the stage was Cassiano’s drum kit in a red light which created a creepy ambiance that made you feel like you were in a horror movie. The recording gradually got louder and more distorted until the lights came up and the band finally came on stage, keeping with the pace and going straight into “Hatred”, the next track from Cursed. The crowd erupted into a roar and the band gave them back the same energy, continuously moving around each other and playing such clean and heavy riffs that it made you feel as if you were in the studio with the band themselves. The band made a small shift and played a song from 2022 called “Suppressing Times” but with this being the CURSED tour, they quickly went back to playing songs from the new album. The crowd loved getting to hear the new things but when the band called out the original fans before playing “Nail to the Tooth”, the crowd got a new energy.
Zelli, the vocalist, asked the crowd who was at their show at The End a couple of years ago. The people who were in attendance at that show made it known with loud cheers and screams. The End is one of Nashville’s most iconic venues, and even though it can only fit about 200 people, numerous prolific bands have played the venue throughout its 30-year history. And Paleface Swiss was no different. Their show quickly sold out at the venue and it opened so many doors for them here in Nashville. Cassi Toma, the newest member of the band, was eye-catching. Even though he just joined the band, the way he interacts with them and the way they treat him is like he’s been there the whole time. He knew exactly what they were going to do with every song and complimented them perfectly. Tommy Lee was easily one of the best bassists to watch live. His crowd interactions and his effortless finger-picking were almost too good and his tone fit into the space like a glove. When it seemed like the guitar and vocals would be the main focus, you were immediately pulled back to Tommy with his crazy riffs and background vocals. Yannick Lehmann, the guitarist, had so much energy and it felt like it was never-ending. For over an hour, he moved from left to right, interacted with Zelli and Tommy, screamed at the crowd while standing center stage, and also did background vocals. His guitar sound was so clean but dark at the same time which added amazing depth to each song they played. Marc “Zelli” Zellweger made sure everyone in the crowd felt welcome, no matter what their identity was.
After playing “The Gallow”, Zelli made sure to look at the crowd and give a message to his fans. He stated that acceptance and inclusion are everything to him and his music and that anyone is allowed with no judgment from his band. As Zelli was speaking to the crowd, his boyfriend walked out and they shared a kiss on stage, right after Zelli said “If you don’t like this then get out. Because you. ARE. ENOUGH.” And started playing “Enough?” from the newest album, in honor of all of the LGBTQIA+ members within the crowd. The community and acceptance that the band spread throughout their entire set was obvious and it felt like you were in a home with all of your closest friends. Everywhere you looked, there were people yelling lyrics together and starting mosh pits. The group ended the night with “666”, “Pain”, and “Love Burns” which got everyone moving. There were crowd surfers and pits throughout the whole venue and it felt like it could go on forever. The whole show was one of acceptance, facing your demons, and loving who you are no matter what and it was clear the message got through to some people. As you exited the venue, people of all ages and groups were talking about the setlist, the band, and the show which made this band's influence obvious. Paleface Swiss is a band for everyone and that moral is at the very core of their music.
- Ashlee Riggins
Photos Courtesy of Ashlee Riggins (For Bell Music Magazine)
