Sigma Alpha Iota

22 Spring 2024 • sai-national.org Metal And it was in a pit that I experienced the most memorable moment of the evening, and in my musical life. Listed on Spotify's 2022 Viral 50 chart, 11 and the track behind a brief TikTok dance trend, "Slaughterhouse" was the third single released from Scoring the End of the World. rough its industrial sound, powerful lyrics, and a killer feature from Knocked Loose's Bryan Garris, the piece presents the brutal and violent imagery of a slaughterhouse as a metaphor for capitalism and fascism. And true to metal's rebellious core, it channels the writer and listeners' anger into a call to "absolutely demolish the greedy millionaires and billionaires that float above the surface of disaster...." (Kielich, 2022). 12 When I first heard it, I prayed to hear it performed live. I just knew it would be a perfect mosh pit song. And when he said those two words, I was more than ready. is wasn't even my first mosh pit of the night; I had been in one (my very first) during From Ashes to New, and another during Fit For a King. ere is nothing like the sense of friendship in a mosh pit. For example, during Fit For a King's set, I tripped and fell. e second I hit the floor, two people reached for my hands, pulling me right back up where I joined in the fray once more. Fast forward to the end of "Slaughterhouse." e last minute of the song is a call-out over long-held guitar notes before drums pick back up again. e pit was open, every person readying themselves for the final breakdown. As the beat dropped, the moshing resumed as savage as ever. About halfway through, I decided to leave and go back up front for the rest of the show. But on my way there, the sudden urge to vomit overwhelmed me. I turned back, dry-heaving. When people saw me, the moshing immediately stopped as they backed up to give me space. ankfully, the feeling went away right before the song ended, so with the last of my air, I screamed the final line, "YOU WON'T SURVIVE IN YOUR SLAUGHTERHOUSE!" 13 And then I crashed down to Earth. On the album, the track ends with the sound of a bug being squished. If this tells you anything about the timing of my fall, replace that sound with my face hitting the arena's concrete floor, my glasses flying away like the song's mechanical crow mascot. Whether it was from dehydration, lack of air, or some other third thing, the fact of the matter was that my strength was all but depleted. It was still hard for me to catch my breath, and I was all but blind without my glasses. e fun was on pause as another concert-goer, an absolute giant of a man, walked over to me. He then proceeded to use one arm to li me over his shoulder like I was nothing more than a bag of feathers. e crowd started clapping as he walked me over to the back of the arena, a young woman following closely behind with my glasses, but whether they were applauding me or the man, I couldn't say. Over the cheers, I could hear Chris Motionless say, "I'm glad we're having fun and taking care of each other." Once we arrived at the back, he put me down, allowing security to take me from there. On my way to the same alcove I had been waiting in earlier that day, other attendees asked me if I was okay. "Water..." I tried to say as I nodded, my voice still barely above a whisper. "I'm okay. I just need water..." I sat down on the stairs, another young man sitting next to me who must have been in the same situation as I was. e security guard handed me a bottle of water. I chugged half of it before standing back up, my legs still shaking. "Are you sure you're ready to go back out there?" she asked. I nodded. "I don't want to miss any more." Besides, Tiffany was still waiting up front. I felt awful for what happened and for leaving her alone. e most disappointing thing about passing out at a concert is that especially if you're near the front, you will lose your spot. I spent the next several songs navigating through the massive throng toward the barricade; I didn't even get to properly enjoy "Masterpiece," that first song that began this chapter of my musical journey. ere were only a few songs le by the time I finally made it back. "I am so sorry, Tiffany," I said. "It's alright," she replied simply. I came to find out later she didn't even realize how long I'd been gone. METAL continued from page 21

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