Welcome to the newest edition of the Underground Sound, where I discuss underground music from across the globe. Typically, I search the streaming platform Bandcamp to discover interesting music releases. In this edition, I am going to do something a little different. This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Tulsa date of the current Pallbearer tour. The supporting artist for the Tulsa date was Gravehuffer, an extreme metal band from Joplin, Missouri. I will be telling the story of my experience and reviewing the two performances, in hopes that this may encourage you to check out these bands digitally (and in person, next time they come around!).
First, let me describe the situation surrounding this concert. I bought my tickets in advance, as Pallbearer is one of my favorite bands. Though, tragedy struck my family with the passing of an uncle and the rapidly deteriorating health of my 91-year-old grandfather. I was in the process of trying to give away my ticket so someone could enjoy these bands live, but that was not in the cards. My mother reminded me that life is too short to miss out on experiences and encouraged me to get out and enjoy myself. So, on the evening of February 20th, I traveled to the Vanguard in downtown Tulsa to have a sonic experience.
Here is a pro strategy for those of you who might not attend concerts regularly. I knew I was going to spend money on merch, but who wants to hold shirts and records the entire time they are in the crowd? I arrived early, giving me first-pick of the merch that I wanted, ran it back to my car, and that was that.
The Gravehuffer Experience
Gravehuffer during their opening set
The only opening support was the band Gravehuffer from Joplin, MO. They are known for blending thrash metal, death metal, grindcore, and punk into a chaotic but tightly controlled sonic assault. Emerging from the Midwest underground in the late 2000s, the band quickly developed a reputation for relentless live performances and a deliberately abrasive, genre-smashing style that resists neat classification.
Rather than aligning strictly with one metal tradition, Gravehuffer operates in the space where DIY punk energy collides with extreme metal precision. Their music often combines blast beats, thrash riffing, guttural vocals, and tongue-in-cheek horror or dark humor aesthetics, giving their work both intensity and personality. This hybridity reflects the broader Midwestern underground scene, where genre boundaries tend to dissolve in favor of community and live-show energy.
I had not seen them live since around 2014 when a previous band of mine played with them in their hometown. Man, these guys are insanely heavy and insanely loud. Their set consisted of nine songs, and in my mind, several things occurred. First, I thought to myself “some of this reminds me of old-school Mastodon, Remission era,” and second, “I need to bring ear protection to shows from now on.” Overall, they were a great opening act for this concert, and I highly recommend you check them out.
Stream Gravehuffer here: https://gravehuffer.bandcamp.com/music
Gravehuffer guitarist Ritchie Randall
The Pallbearer Experience
Pallbearer during their headlining set
Pallbearer is a doom metal band formed in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 2008, and has become one of the most critically celebrated American doom acts of the 21st century. Founded by vocalist/guitarist Brett Campbell and bassist Joseph D. Rowland, the band emerged from Arkansas’s underground metal scene with a sound rooted in traditional doom but emotionally expansive and melodically rich. Pallbearer built their identity around melancholy, soaring guitar harmonies, and introspective songwriting, drawing influence not only from doom pioneers like Black Sabbath and Candlemass but also progressive rock, shoegaze, and classic rock traditions.
One of the things that sold me on this show was the fact that Pallbearer was playing their album Foundations of Burden in its entirety. They did this to celebrate a re-recorded version of the album which came out in late 2025. When the original album came out in 2014, I reviewed the album and gave it Album of the Year status. So, you can imagine my excitement when I heard the news that I would get the opportunity to hear the entire album in one sitting.
The one thing I loved about their set is that there was almost no stage banter. Pallbearer came on, began playing, and that was it. There were a couple of very memorable banter moments, as bassist Joseph D. Rowland announced that the track Watcher in the Dark was about being chased by a DMT-related monster. This only made me like the track more (it was already my favorite song on the album). Honestly, I spent the full set bobbing my head slowly (it is hard to headbang at full speed to doom metal) and just zoning out to the music. With everything on my mind at that time, it was the perfect escape. I am extremely glad that Pallbearer gave this album another chance to breathe – it is so exceptionally well-written. You can view my previous review of the album here (under the handle Goobyplz): https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Pallbearer/Foundations_of_Burden/417094/
Pallbearer guitarist Devin Holt
Stream Pallbearer here: https://pallbearer.bandcamp.com/music
Overall, both bands put on an amazing show, and I have zero regrets about going (outside of the fact that I immediately broke my budget rules by buying merch!). If you see either band appearing on a concert bill near you, make the effort to go. I promise you will not be disappointed.
