Visceral Reaction band members, left to right: Liam Urbanowicz, Jack Jaszewski, Kolton Soppeland, Ernie Brothen. Photo Credit @xb3wareofthephotographerx on Instagram

Death Metal, Thrash Metal, Hardcore and more: Bulldog Beatdown II has it for you. The second annual show will run Friday, Apr 24, at 5 pm in the Kirby Rafters at UMD. This concert, sponsored by the Music Producers club on campus, features four local bands: Visceral Reaction, Pinmissile, Drunken Incident, and Olivre & the Decks will perform at the free event. Liam Urbanowicz, one of the event organizers and a drummer in Visceral Reaction and Drunken Incident, says the inspiration for the show comes from his dad, who “went to UMD back in the day, and he saw a band called Powermad play in Kirby Ballroom.” After hearing that, Urbanowicz wanted to bring it back, this time with his own band and others.

Last year, in the premiere event, “the show was fantastic,” said Urbanowicz; “we packed a good amount of people in there.” Holden Perron, of Pinmissile, said there were “clearly a lot of people there who had never heard hardcore, punk, or death metal…I think it was cool to introduce new people, younger people.” About 100 people attended last year. This year, the bands are hoping for an even bigger audience. “It’s free, it’s on campus, it’s nearby, it’s convenient,” says Urbanowicz. Bring your friends and acquaintances to the show, even if they aren’t into the metal scene. “Don’t be too intimidated” is the advice from Urbanowicz.

Pinmissile band member jumps during a show. Photo Credit @burymeinmemories on Instagram

Metal “brings an aspect of community that not a lot of other things have to the same degree,” said Perron. Levi Smith, who plays bass for Drunken Incident, agrees, saying, “The community around metal is some of the nicest people I’ve ever met.” He continued, “It’s not a judging culture at all,” saying that you can get your anger out by screaming at the air and have a community to share it with. Urbanowicz concurred, saying “a lot of metal heads you’ll meet aren’t really as angry and aggressive as they dress or look because music that’s so violent or aggressive is such a good outlet for negative emotions. It’s a great way to exercise the aggression that everybody feels in everyday life in a healthy manner.” Most of the local artists performing are in more than one band, showing how much they love to share their music and passion with each other.

Visceral Reaction band members left to right: Left to right: Kolton Soppeland, Jack Jaszewski, Ernie Brothen, Liam Urbanowicz. Photo Credit @xb3wareofthephotographerx on Instagram

If you are planning on attending, Urbanowicz recommends bringing earplugs. As far as the show, “there’s always going to be a safe place to stand, if you don’t want to get involved in the rowdiness, you 100 percent do not have to, but if you do want to take a risk and have some fun, it's so much more of a safe and supportive environment than people think.” The fun doesn’t stop there. This year’s show marks Drunken Incident's first, and Pinmissile’s last. Pinmissile will release an EP on the show date, then move on to focus on other projects and bands. As Smith says, “expect a lot of noise and a lot of fun!”

Come One! Come All! Bulldog Beatdown II