Unprocessed and Red Handed Denial performed at Kilby Court, an intimate venue with a courtyard and indoor area that looks like a garage converted into a listening area. The experience here differs from larger venues in a way that helps listeners feel more connected with the bands and gives a sense that the music here is a fresh discovery.
The first act, Born of Two Nations is a local SLC band that features Native American themes to rhythmically complex music with lots of syncopation. Their style is similar to progressive instrumental metal bands, such as Arch Echo, Plini, or Intervals, but they feature vocals on many of their songs. Some of their tracks have jazz influences and a touch of stoner rock with a little more fuzz. They were well received by the audience and a great opener for the night.
Red Handed Denial (RHD) took the stage with great applause. The band has received a lot of attention over the last few years thanks to the success of their lead singer, frontwoman, and founder, Lauren Babic, whose YouTube channel has garnered a lot of popularity over the past few years, to the point where she was recently included in the video game trailer for Remnant 2 alongside legendary DragonForce guitarist Herman Lee.
One audience member expressed how, after discovering her on YouTube, they became a fan due to Babic’s ability to both scream and sing with a clear voice. They said, “There’s really good calm moments that Lauren’s able to show off her voice really well…”
RHD is a progressive metal band with influences from Metalcore, Post-Hardcore, to Djent and everything in between. They played a mix of songs from their last couple albums and some new tracks from their album “A Journal Through Virtual Dystopia,” which is scheduled to be released later this May. The energy was palpable and got the crowd jumping through many of their hits. They ended with audience favorite “Father Said.”
After the show, the Review interviewed Babic. Speaking on her solo YouTube work she shared, “I think it’s interesting because I started to do YouTube because I wanted to sing better for Red Handed Denial.”
Babic’s YouTube channel took off during the pandemic, and she was determined to use that success to elevate RHD. “I guess during the pandemic my YouTube kind of took off. Then I was like, I am going to pull this band up with me if it’s like the last thing I do because this band is like my baby. It’s the way that I can funnel all my creativeness, like this band that I’ve been in for like 15 years.”
She finds it exciting when people discover RHD through her solo work. She explained, “It’s been kind of cool because a lot of people will come to the shows on this tour and they don’t know that I’m in this band. So then they’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Lauren Babic. I didn’t know you were in Red Handed Denial. But I think that’s really cool because then people put two and two together and then they’re like, ‘Holy s***, I have a bunch of original music to listen to.’”
Babic’s passion for creating is evident. This drive has led to exciting opportunities, like being featured in the Remnant 2 video game trailer. “It was so cool to be part of that project, and I didn’t know that Herman was going to be shredding on it until the day I showed up to the studio, but it’s so cool. Yeah, that was awesome.”
Headliner, Unprocessed, is a German progressive metal quartet. Their sound is very technical and shows great talent. At times the listener will be reminded of the heavier Djent styles featured on the DOOM (2016) soundtrack, and at other times the sound is focused on featuring raw technical styles similar to Polyphia, even including some of the hip-hop influences common to their sound. Frontman, vocalist, and guitarist Manuel Gardner Fernandes got the crowd moving with music tracks he described as being more “bouncy.”
Overall, the Unprocessed tour’s stop at Kilby Court was a night of incredible performances from Born of Two Nations, Red Handed Denial, and Unprocessed. The intimate venue allowed for a personal connection between the bands and the audience, making for a memorable experience. With Red Handed Denial’s upcoming album release and Lauren Babic’s continued success, there’s no doubt that these artists will continue to make waves in the progressive metal scene.
