The collective counterparts that form SHRINEBUILDER can be described as the musical elite of their respective genres. Each of these four men is renowned in their own right; Scott Kelly of NEUROSIS, “Wino” Weinrich of THE OBSESSED, Al Cisneros of SLEEP, and Dale Crover of MELVINS.

To say that I was anticipating this show is an understatement. Years ago, when rumors started circulating of the new Wino project with Al Cisneros on board, I could barely contain my excitement. I grew up listening to these guys, but as Wino said in his SAINT VITUS years, I was “born too late” and most of the groups had disbanded before I was old enough to leave the house.

Photo by: Julie Patterson

In 2009, the stars aligned and SHRINEBUILDER released their debut album through Kelly’s own Neurot. A handful of shows followed, but due to scheduling conflicts, I once again found myself so close, yet so far. Last night was a different story.

Stuffed inside The Echo in downtown Echo Park, SHRINEBUILDER took stage following a shortened set by Josh Graham’s STORM OF LIGHT. I strategically planted myself in front of stage left, in an effort to avoid the inevitable crowd congregated in front of Wino.

It was immediately evident that these four legends shared something special on stage. While each member could easily stand on their own, there was no denying the power that they brought collectively.

Kelly’s forceful bellows haunted the crowd, while Wino’s surprisingly delicate strumming resonated throughout. Cisneros, the most animated of the group, shredded on bass while continuously bobbing his head for the duration of the set. Crover’s perfect and powerful hits were stunning, to say the very least.

While I tried to come into this without expectations, it was hard for me to deny my inner super fan throughout the hour-long set. Each track was played to perfection and included an added flair that really showcased the individual personalities and talents.

Toward the end of the set, Crover’s kit was having technical difficulties; he nodded toward Kelly to go into the next song, and continued to play while holding the snare between both knees. It was in that moment when I realized that I was witnessing something truly special and historic. While I’m not quite sure what the future has in store for SHRINEBUILDER, I feel incredibly honored to have had the opportunity to witness it firsthand.

For more info on Shrinebuilder check out:

www.myspace.com/shrinebuildergroup