Ah, the familiar feeling of another month gone by.

            I had the privilege last week of attending the Blue Violet Café to see The Zimmermann Note, a Pittsburgh death metal favorite.

            For such a small venue, it was surprising the walls weren’t shattered by the end of the set. Performing both old and new favorites (Grace in the Depths of Ignorance and New Deception to name a couple), the sheer sonic intensity was bearable only for seasoned ears.

            Having said that, the repertoire was stunningly performed, as each musical corkscrew presented its own intense twist. One song was especially striking; its finale was similar to a weighted train chugging its way to an undesired destination—driving, poignant, and most certainly effective.

            Standing mesmerized in the crowd close to the stage, I snapped a few quick pictures and suddenly came to a stunning realization: I was invisible!

            You see, I was getting shoved, hardcore danced into, hit by frontman Fred flying off the stage, and other acts generally characteristic of standing too close to the action. All the while, I was blissfully swaying and jotting down mental notes without actually being affected by those surrounding me. Maybe I’ll claim invisibility as my grand superpower!

            Following the set, I briefly met up with The Zimmermann Note’s drummer Jordan, an acquaintance of mine. I coerced him into passing me a copy of the band’s newest demo, and it soon became even more evident why the quintet is gaining such momentum in the Pittsburgh vicinity and beyond.        

            In any case, it’s getting late and I need to refresh my superpowers. In other words, I’m going to watch the Phantom of the Opera movie for the fourth time in four days. What can I say? It’s magnificent.

            Past the point of no return,

            Samantha