Ashes Divide @ Viper

On June 16, the third night of their month-long stint at the Viper Room, the intimate club was bursting at the seams as fans crammed inside to see the most enthusiastically discussed residency of recent memory. The band, Ashes Divide, is the latest evolution of songwriter/producer and guitar prodigy Billy Howerdel. Best known for founding multi-platinum supergroup A Perfect Circle, the guitarist has now stepped into the leading role as frontman, flexing his own vocal chops for this latest musical incarnation.

As most clubs and bands know, attempting to pull off a successful residency is no easy task; by week three, even a healthy fanbase starts to get a bit tuckered out and the numbers tend to dwindle. So to see the club packed to capacity on the third week is the ultimate compliment to any band or artist.

It didn’t hurt that rumors were swirling — and were later confirmed — that former APC bandmate and enigmatic Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan would make a special guest appearance. Tweeting from his own account (yeah, who knew that Keenan Twitters) about his planned onstage appearance, the Viper was transformed into a sauna of excited and sweat drenched fans eager for a potential APC reunion. And if there was going to be a reunion, there would be no more appropriate place than the venue that originally showcased the first Perfect Circle show almost exactly 11 years ago.

After much anticipation, the curtain rose and the band gracefully launched into “The Stone,” the lead single off the band’s sole release, Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright. The crowd, taken aback by the band’s sonic precision, instantly fell into a meditative grove as Howerdel and crew took an immediate command of the stage. Having no shortage of talent themselves, the other players in Ashes Divide include the rhythm section of Puscifer (Keenan’s other, other project), drummer Jeff Friedl, bassist Matt McJunkins, and Kill Hannah guitarist Johnny Radtke.

One of the standout tunes of the evening was a moving and somber reflection on Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” It would be a bit of a misnomer to even refer to the song as a cover, in fact many members of the audience didn’t even recognize what they were hearing until the chorus hit. Much like his work on A Perfect Circle’s last release eMOTIVe, a collection of classic pacifist songs, Howerdel reworked the tune completely, bringing out the darker side of lyrics that had long since lost their original depth.

The definitive high point of the evening came when the fans finally got what they had been hoping for: the room spiraled into a frenzy of pushing and shoving with the crowd and photographers wrestling for position as Keenan took the stage to join the band on “The Prey.” Cracking jokes with the audience and purposely fumbling with his lyrics sheet, Keenan contributed little, if any audible vocals, instead opting to amuse himself and the crowd by playing iPhone photographer for the band. Nonetheless, fans were content to see Howerdel and Keenan back on stage together after far too long of a hiatus.

Catch the last Ashes Divide show tonight, Wednesday, June 23 at the Viper as they perform with Abandoned Pools and Mankind Is Obsolete. Who knows who will show up this time? www.viperroom.com

Photos courtesy of Erik Voake.

–Brent X Mendoza