Metalcore hip-hop crossover Filth rolled through Kansas City on their Back to Tha Gutta tour, celebrating ten years of aggression, downtempo metal breakdowns and hip hop beats. Joined by ResistoR and Inferious, the night was equal parts heavy vocals, baseball banter, and a whole lot of head banging.

*Filth @ Westport Bowery – Photo c/o Jess Pryor*

When mapping your route to Westport Bowery as an unassuming out-of-towner, know that the venue is in the back of Westport Flea Market – a quirky, nostalgic bar and grill known for burgers. I tell you this so you know to come hungry and early enough to play a few of their many retro arcade and carnival games. But if arriving just in time for the start of a show, there’s ample parking at the back of the building and a direct entrance into the intimate Westport Bowery music venue.

Opening the night was Inferious, an Ohio-based band gaining momentum in the Dayton metal scene. The group wasted little time establishing their intensity, cycling through low-end growls and piercing high screams over relentless double-bass drumming. The band’s physical stage presence – complete with whirling guitar windmills – matched the tempo of their set and successfully energized the early crowd.

*Resistor @ Westport Bowery – Photo c/o Jess Pryor*

Next, New York-based ResistoR took the stage with Anthony Grambo (vocals) donning a Mets hat, reminding the Kansas City crowd he holds a grudge against for the 4-1 smathering in the 2015 World Series (KC v Mets). Drawing from their recent album BITE THIS!, the five-piece blended elements of nu-metal, hardcore and hip-hop, incorporating turntable scratches that set them apart stylistically from most metal bands. The performance leaned into rhythm and movement, emphasizing a live dynamic best experienced in person.

“NORTH CAROLINA, C’MON AND RAISE UP…”

The 2001 Petey Pablo anthem you couldn’t escape a quarter-century ago (somehow both yesterday and forever ago) rang through the Bowery as frontman Dustin paced the stage, instantly flipping the room like a switch. Filth wasted no time ripping into “Gutter”off Southern Hostility, setting the tone for a relentless, decade-spanning 15-song set that felt both celebratory and confrontational. Downtempo, chest-rattling breakdowns collided with hip-hop swagger as the pit churned with metal heads. Tracks like “Outta Pocket,” “Rollin,” “Stay Gutter,” “Opp-Stoppers” and “Nihilist” landed with precision, each one reinforcing why Filth has become a cornerstone of the genre they helped popularize. The intimacy of the room only amplified the experience – no barrier between band and crowd.

Closing with their crowd-commanding staple “Chin Check,” Filth punctuated ten years of filth, fury and gutta-made energy, proving this mash-up genre is here to stay.

Written by: J&D