Crystal Spiders – Live 7/19/25
Live at O’Briens Pub in Boston, Massachusetts USA *July 19th 2025*
There have been a few instances of being totally enthralled in a live band and charged up and energized by their sound and performance. When this happens, I feel like I’m in an altered state of consciousness. Slomosa had this effect on me (review here). My wife and I decided to leave after their amazing set, missing the headliners Helmet. This happened when I saw Truckfighters and proceeded to leave after their set because I was totally frazzled. Well, this experience happened this past Saturday night when I saw the amazing, Crystal Spiders.
Crystal Spiders sounded so incredible and devastating! I was completely blown away on how massive and amazing that this band is live. The mountainous walls of heavy fuzz was not only heard, but felt, as they played. Brenna had the most excellent and diabolical bass tone that I have ever heard. The heavy guitar fuzz was equally impressive. I just recently discovered this band a couple of months ago andI reviewed their latest album Metanoia (read it here). They are definitely the kind of band where you need to keep listening to the songs over and over again. They have so much going on sonically in each track that it requires multiple listens to fully comprehend.
I almost thought of bagging out on the show earlier in the day. I was exhausted from working over seventy hours and needed more sleep. I knew deep down that I would regret missing Crystal Spiders and so I decided to push through and go. I am so glad that I did!
The band opened the set with the fourth song on their latest album, 2025’s Metanoia, called “Time Travel”. They had me in goosebumps midway through the song, and I had the chill factor going on for the rest of their set. I could literally feel the energy through the riffs and the pounding of the drums. Brenna’s powerful and soaring vocals were piercing through my heart. Everything sounded well balanced, and just totally annihilating. The second song they played was the title track from their debut album, 2020’s Molt. The band was totally on fire at this point and the bombastic punk rocking song was electrifying and full of zestful energy. I was in a trance throughout most of their set. They proceeded to play “Septix”, the second track from 2021’s Morieris and it was spectacular! Crystal Spiders were a shocking surprise because I was not expecting them to deliver such a devastating live experience and sound.
They switched back to the Molt record and played a glorious performance of “C-U-N Hell”. We also got the opportunity to hear a brand new song called “7”, which ultimately crushed also. The band seems to have a deep repertoire of heavy stoner doom riffs at their disposal. The way the songs are structured and crafted is around colossal build ups and repetition. The sixth song they played was the head ripping opener from Metanoia called “Torche”. The sonic experience was unbelievable and my whole human skeletal system felt numb. My mind and body was being transformed from the devastating heavy sounds of Crystal Spiders. Audio therapy at its finest!
The last song the band played was “Maelstrom” from the second record. It was an avalanche of doom. The song has a punky bass intro that harnesses energetic rock rhythms and thunderous grooves. Crystal Spiders totally crushed their set and made me appreciate them a whole lot more. They just might be my new favorite band. If you ever get a chance to see this band play live then do not hesitate and miss it. The trio are at next level status and are exceptionally talented and creative musicians.
I literally felt high from their live set. I marched my way in back to purchase a couple of shirts and the vinyl copy of Metanoia. I felt refreshed but wiped out at the same time and felt like I needed to leave. I regret missing Sundrifter but I had to go. Crystal Spiders was a musical gift of vitality that I desperately needed. I feel grateful that I got to meet them and have my face melted off from their awesome music.
