Limbic Trigger

June 2005
Pancho’s in Hopewell is huge and has
one of the largest stages in the Richmond
area. The regulars were absent on
Memorial Day weekend, but this made the
bar service even faster. The bands Head
On Collision (HOC) and Limbic Trigger
treated everyone there like VIPs.
HOC began promptly at 10 and rocked
until 11 with covers of Nickleback, Van
Halen, STP, Creed, 3 Doors Down, Ozzy
and Pearl Jam. You can tell they really
enjoy what they’re doing and loved
being on the huge stage. I’ve seen them a
couple of times before and each show is
better and better. Their crowd interaction
is top notch and they make everyone feel
at home, as if partying along with their
After a short sound check, Limbic
Trigger hit the stage and all I can say
is wow! Limbic Trigger has some of
the most powerful vocals and excellent
backups you could possibly hope for.
Lead singer Warren Dunlevy and bassist
Ryan Johnson supply some of the best
harmonies I’ve ever heard. If you close
your eyes during their cover of Van Halen’s
“Best of Both Worlds,” you can almost see
a stadium full of people singing along
with Sammy and the guys. I had to remind
myself this wasn’t Memorex. These guys
have it down better than the CD.
It was then I realized what an awesome
guitar player Kenny Thompson is. His
playing is liquid smooth and he nails
every little nuance without overplaying.
And while Limbic Trigger jumps from
bands and styles - like Van Halen to
Alice in Chains to Drowning Pool to
Limp Bizkit to Korn to Crossfade to
Soundgarden – Kenny’s guitar tone
perfectly matches each style. Limbic
Trigger kept the show rolling with crisp
breaks and fl awless transitions from song
to song, never losing momentum but
gaining in intensity.
The light show and crystal clear sound
added to the evening, but nothing prepared
me for their cover of “Tom Sawyer.”
The song showcased Corey Painter’s
drumming, and like Kenny, Corey nailed
every little nuance with style, and that’s
saying a lot for a Rush song.
Not many bands can claim the level
of talent that Limbic Trigger has. A $5
cover is a small amount to pay to see a
local band crank out some awesome tunes
in fl awless style. My calendar is already
marked for the next show!
-- Sean Mullins
- Richmond Music Journal