Whores. Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal QC, August 9

Atlanta, GA's WHORES. were the secret champions of Heavy Montreal's first day. Their bitingly acerbic noise rock is an entirely different experience live, where the barely controlled, bubbling threat of their tone becomes a release of ecstatic violence.

Each member responds to the extraordinary catharsis of their set differently: vocalist and guitarist Christian Lembach hunches and contorts his body, as though the passage of every cry and note hurts him; drummer Donnie Adkinson wore a delightful startled grin as he sweated through the set; and bassist Jake Schultz writhed, threw his body around, and wore the beatific expression of a martyred saint.

Their set ended with a thunderous, wrenchingly intense version of "Tell Me Something Scientific," which seemed to throb in the air long after the audience had finally finished screaming.

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