Tomorrow night, Las Vegas doomers Demon Lung will share the stage at Beauty Bar with The Atlas Moth and Mustard Gas and Roses. The Chicago post-metallers and the after-Isis project of guitarist Mike Gallagher are but the latest to hit the desert outpost with support from Demon Lung, who’ve made themselves regulars on bills alongside the likes of Saint Vitus, Pentagram, Royal Thunder and Candlemass, among others and and appearances at Southwest Terror Fest in 2015 and at Psycho Las Vegas in 2016. Fronted by vocalist Shanda Fredrick, they’ve become a staple of Vegas’ heavy underground.
In February, the band oversaw a reissue of their 2012 debut EP, Pareidolia (review here), released on vinyl by M-Theory Audio. The limited platter features and original bonus track and three covers: one by Wounded Giant, with whom Demon Lung previously toured; one by Twisted Sister; and one by Danzig. It’s the latter for which they’ve newly posted a lyric video.
If that seems odd — a lyric video for a cover of one of the greatest metal songs of all time; surely if you’re still reading this, you already know the words, right? — just go with it. It’s basically a way for Demon Lung to feature the track from their reissue, and as you can hear making your way through, their version of the classic title-track from Danzig III: How the Gods Kill is well worth featuring. And by pleasant coincidence, it just so happens to be the record that Danzig will play in full at Psycho this August. I doubt Demon Lung knew that when they recorded the cover, but hey, sometimes serendipity happens, even in doom.
So as they’ve made it easy to dig into “How the Gods Kill” — just in case it isn’t already stuck in your head, which there’s about a 43 percent chance it is no matter what else is happening at any given moment — I’d suggest you do just that. If you can make it to the Beauty Bar gig tomorrow, tell them I said hi.
PR wire info follows the clip below.
Please enjoy:
Demon Lung, “How the Gods Kill” official lyric video
“Those early Danzig albums are obviously a major influence on us. ‘How the Gods Kill’ has a certain evilness to it that always set it apart, and we tried our best to do it justice,” explains drummer Jeremy Brenton. “We spent a lot of time recording the song because it means so much and we wanted to pay tribute respectfully. Hopefully everyone can hear the love that we put into it!”
“How The Gods Kill” appears on the recently-released expanded vinyl and digital reissues of DEMON LUNG’s 2012 debut EP, Pareidolia. Initially released as a four-track CD, Pareidolia now features an additional three songs on top of the Danzig cover – the original song “Pray For Rain,” which dates back to the original Pareidolia recording sessions, as well as covers of Wounded Giant’s “The Road To Middian” and Twisted Sister’s “Captain Howdy.”
The limited-edition vinyl edition (only 300 copies) of Pareidolia is available in green-and-black marbled wax and includes a color lyric sheet and a download card. It can be ordered atwww.m-theoryaudio.com/store.
Posted in Whathaveyou on December 7th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
In the what-will-be six years since they first released their debut EP, Pareidolia (review here), in 2012, and in addition to the accomplishments the PR wire lays out below with their two albums and stage pedigree, doomers Demon Lung have made themselves at home at festivals like Psycho Las Vegas, Doom in June and Southwest Terror Fest. I guess the point is their list of accomplishments is not minor. Only fitting then to go back these years later and reexamine how they got started, and as Pareidolia emerges in this new incarnation via M-Theory Audio on preorder-available LP, it comes with four bonus tracks — the original “Pray for Rain” and covers of Wounded Giant, Danzig and Twisted Sister.
I’ve been fortunate enough to see Demon Lung play in their hometown (review here), and though it was a while ago now, I still feel like I’d be very much interested in hearing what they could do with both “How the Gods Kill” and “Captain Howdy.” Remember when Drain STH covered that on the Strangeland soundtrack? I do, because I’m old as dirt.
On that note, here’s the PR wire with more relevant info:
DEMON LUNG TO REISSUE DEBUT RECORD, ‘PAREIDOLIA,’ ON M-THEORY
ALBUM TO BE RELEASED ON LIMITED-EDITION COLORED VINYL W/BONUS TRACKS ON FEB 23RD
Las Vegas female-fronted Doom Metal band DEMON LUNG have built quite a reputation for themselves via 2 critically acclaimed albums on Candlelight and live appearances all over the west coast with bands like Candlemass, Crowbar, Venom Inc., High On Fire, Eyehategod, Today Is the Day, Saint Vitus, Pentagram and more.
On February 23rd, DEMON LUNG will reissue their previously self-released 2012 CD EP, Pareidolia, onto Vinyl for the first time. Limited to 500 copies on Black & Green Marble, Pareidolia will include 4 bonus tracks, including covers of Twisted Sister’s “Captain Howdy” and Danzig’s “How the Gods Kill”.
“With every studio session we’ve ever done, we always throw down on some of our favorite covers at the end of live tracking,” explains drummer Jeremy Brenton. “This was just the perfect time to open the vault and pull out our favorites.”
In addition, DEMON LUNG have included an old, original track. “’Pray For Rain’ is a song that we recorded around the same time as the original Pareidolia EP. We wanted to keep it to 4 songs so we dropped it before finishing the solo section”, clarifies Jeremy.
Finally, the reissue includes a surprise cut, a cover of Seattle friends and frequent touring partners Wounded Giant’s “The Road to Middian.”
“We jammed the song with Wounded Giant at the end of their set on tour every night,” clarifies Jeremy. “[Wounded Giant singer/guitarist] Bobby James came down to hang out with us and we figured we should try to record it for posterity.”
“We are still very proud of the original EP and are stoked to have it finally issued on vinyl through M-Theory! Why now? I don’t really have a good answer for that. We wanted to put it on Vinyl and we had enough to fill up the other side. Lol.”
I said back in March that I was going to try to make the Quarterly Review a regular feature around here, and once it was put out there, the only thing to do was to live up to it. Over the last several — like, five — weeks, I’ve been compiling lists of albums to be included, and throughout the next five days, we’re going to make our way through that list. From bigger names to first demos and across a wide swath of heavy styles, there’s a lot of stuff to come, and I hope within all of it you’re able to find something that hits home or speaks to you in a special way.
No sense in delaying. Hold nose, dive in.
Quarterly Review #1-10:
Foehammer, Foehammer
Relatively newcomer trio Foehammer specialize in grueling, slow-motion punishment. Their self-titled debut EP follows a well-received 2014 demo and is three tracks/34 minutes released by Grimoire and Australopithecus Records of doomed extremity, the Virginian three-piece of guitarist Joe Cox (ex-Gradius), bassist/vocalist Jay Cardinell (ex-Gradius, ex-Durga Temple) and drummer Ben “Vang” Blanton (ex-Vog, also of The Oracle) not new to the Doom Capitol-area underground by any stretch and seeming to pool all their experience to maximize the impact of this extended material. Neither “Final Grail,” “Stormcrow” nor 14-minute closer “Jotnar” is without a sense of looming atmosphere, but Foehammer at this point are light only on drama, and the lower, sludgier and more crushing they go, the more righteous the EP is for it. Stunningly heavy and landing with a suitable shockwave, it is hopefully the beginning of a long, feedback-drenched tenure in death-doom, and if the EP is over half an hour, the prospect of a follow-up debut full-length seems overwhelming. Easily one of the year’s best short releases.
It’s not like they were lying when they decided to call a song “Shroom Doom.” Melbourne double-guitar four-piece made their self-titled debut as Holy Serpent last year, and the five-track full-length was picked up for release on RidingEasy Records no doubt for its two-front worship of Uncle Acid’s slither and jangle – especially prevalent on the eponymous opener and closer “The Wind” – and the now-classic stonerism of Sleep. That blend comes together best of all on the aforementioned finale, but neither will I take away from the north-of-10-minute righteousness of “The Plague” preceding, with its slow roll and malevolent vibe that, somehow, still sounds like a party. Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Scott Penberthy, guitarist Nick Donoughue, bassist Michael Macfie and drummer Keith Ratnan, the real test for Holy Serpent will be their second or third album – i.e., how they develop the psychedelic nodes of centerpiece “Fools Gold” along with the rest of their sound – but listening to these tracks, it’s easy to let the future worry about itself.
There are a variety of influences at work across Wicked Inquisition’s self-titled debut long-player, from the Sabbath references of its eponymous closer to the earlier thrashery of “In Shackles” and “Sun Flight,” but the core of the Minneapolis four-piece resides in a guitar-led brand of metal, whatever else they decide to build around it. Guitarist/vocalist Nate Towle, guitarist Ben Stevens, bassist Jordan Anderson and drummer Jack McKoskey align tightly around the riffs of “M.A.D.” in all-business fashion. Shades of Candlemass show up in some of the slower material, “M.A.D.” included as well as with “Crimson Odyssey,” but the start-stops of “Tomorrow Always Knows” ensure the audience is clued in that there’s more going on than just classic doom, though a Trouble influence seems to hover over the proceedings as well, waiting to be more fully explored as the band moves forward.
Clocking in at an hour flat, Sydney all-caps riffers AVER construct their second album, Nadir, largely out of familiar elements, but wind up with a blend of their own. Fuzz is prevalent in the extended nod of opener “The Devil’s Medicine” (9:46) which bookends with the longest track, finisher “Waves” (9:48), though it’s not exactly like the four-piece are shy about writing longer songs in between. The production, while clear enough, lends its focus more toward the low end, which could be pulling in another direction from the impact of some of Nadir’s psychedelia on “Rising Sun” second half solo, but neither will I take anything away from Jed’s bass tone, which could carry this hour of material were it asked. The vocals of guitarist Burdt have a distinct Acid Bathian feel, post-grunge, and that contrasts a more laid back vibe even on the acoustic-centered “Promised Lands,” but neither he, Jed, guitarist Luke or drummer Chris feel out of place here, and I’m not inclined to complain.
Sweet, classic and very, very British folk pervades the gorgeously melodic and meticulously arranged Silence and Tears by London six-piece Galley Beggar, released on Rise Above. The eight-track/40-minute album packs neatly onto a vinyl release and has near-immediate psychedelic underpinnings in the wah of opener “Adam and Eve,” and side B’s “Geordie” has some heavier-derived groove, but it’s the beauty and lushness of the harmonies throughout (finding satisfying culmination in closer “Deliver Him”) that stand Galley Beggar’s third offering out from worshipers of a ‘60s and ‘70s era aesthetic. The highlight of Silence and Tears arrives early in nine-minute second cut “Pay My Body,” a wonderfully swaying, patient excursion that gives equal time to instrumental exploration and vocal accomplishment, but to a select few who let themselves be truly hypnotized and carried along its winding course, the album’s entire span will prove a treasure to be revisited for years to come and whose sunshiny imprint will remain vivid.
With inspiration reportedly from the 1977 demon-possession horror flick Alucarda, Las Vegas doomers Demon Lung return with A Dracula, their second offering via Candlelight Records after 2013’s The Hundredth Name, and as the movie begins with a birth, so too do we get “Behold, the Daughter” following the intro “Rursumque Alucarda,” later mirrored by a penultimate interlude of the same name. Billy Anderson produced, so it’s not exactly a surprise that the slow, undulating riffs and the periodic bouts of more upbeat chug, as on “Gypsy Curse,” come through nice and viscous, but vocalist Shanda brings an ethereal melodic sensibility, not quite cult rock, but on “Mark of Jubilee” presenting momentarily some similarly bleak atmospherics to those of the UK’s Undersmile, her voice seeming to command the guitars to solidify from their initial airiness and churn out an eerie apex, which closer “Raped by the Serpent” pushes further for a raging finale.
Spirit Division’s self-titled debut full-length follows a 2014 demo that also hosted three of the tracks – opener “Spirit Division,” “Through the Rounds” and “Mountain of Lies” – but is fuller-sounding in its post-grunge tonality and doomly chug than the earlier offering, guitarist/vocalist Stephen Hoffman, bassist/vocalist Chris Latta and drummer/vocalist David Glass finding a straightforward route through moody metallurgy and weighted riffage. Some Wino-style swing shows up on “Bloodletting,” and “Cloud of Souls” has a decidedly militaristic march to its progression, while the later “Red Sky” revels in classic doom that seems to want to be just a touch slower than it is, but what ultimately unites the material is the strong sense of purpose across the album’s span and Spirit Division’s care in the vocal arrangements. The production is somewhat dry, but Spirit Division walk the line between sludge rock and doom and seem comfortable in that sphere while also sparking a creative progression that seems well worth further pursuit.
I was all set to include a different Space Mushroom Fuzz album in this roundup, but then I saw that the project was coming to an end and Until Next Time was issued as the band’s final release. The deal all along with the band headed by guitarist/vocalist Adam Abrams (also Blue Aside) has been that you never really know what he’s going to do next. Fair enough. Abrams brings it down in suitably bizarre fashion, a keyboard and guitar line backing “Class Onion” in direct mockery of Beatlesian bounce, where “The DeLorean Takes Off!” before compiles five-plus minutes of experimental noise and “Follow that DeLorean” answers with another round after. Elsewhere, opener and longest cut (immediate points) “Here Comes Trouble” resonates with its central guitar line and unfolds to further oddity with a quiet but gruff vocal, while “The Rescue” vibes like something Ween would’ve conjured after huffing roach spray (or whatever was handy) and closer “Back in ‘55” moves from progressive soloing to froggy singing and weirdo jangle. All in all a strange and fitting end to the band.
Santa Cruz trio Mountain Tamer have been kicking around the West Coast for the last several years, and since they released a full-length, Liquid Metal, in 2013, and a prior EP in 2012’s The Glad, it’s tempting to try to read some larger shift sonically into their MTN TMR Demo, as though having completely revamped their sound, the trio of guitarist/vocalist Andru, bassist/vocalist Dave Teget and drummer/vocalist Casey Garcia trying out new ideas as they redirect their approach. That may well be the case, with “Satan’s Waitin’,” “Sum People” and “Dunes of the Mind” each standing at over five-minutes of neo-stoner roll, more psychedelic than some in the growing fuck-it-let’s-skate oeuvre, but still plainly born after, or at least during, grunge. The finisher comes to a thrilling, noisy head as it rounds out the short release, and if Mountain Tamer are taking on a new path, it’s one well set to meander and I hope they continue to follow those impulses.
Like their late-2014 debut, Bloom, OHHMS’ sophomore outing, Cold, is comprised of two extended tracks. Here the Canterbury five-piece bring “The Anchor” (18:30) and “Dawn of the Swarm” (14:27), blending modern prog, sludge and post-metallic vibes to suit a melodic, ambitious purpose. Atmosphere is central from the quiet drone starting “The Anchor” and remains so as they lumber through a linear build and into an apex at about 13 minutes in, dropping out to quiet only to build back up to a striking melodic push that ends on a long fade. Side B, “Dawn of the Swarm” is more immediately post-rock in the guitar, the lineup of vocalist Paul Waller, guitarists Daniel Sargent and Marc George, bassist Chainy Chainy and drummer Max Newton moving through hypnotic sprawl into angular Isis-ism before finding their own way, the second cut pushing structurally against the first with loud/quiet tradeoffs in a well-timed back half. Clearly a band who arrived knowing their purpose, but not so cerebral as to detract from the heavy landing of the material itself.
Posted in Whathaveyou on June 10th, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Great googly-moogly. The full lineup — and set times, because apparently that’s how on their shit these cats are — for this year’s Southwest Terror Fest have been posted, and it’s breathtaking. Sleep and Acid King and Bongripper among the headliners, with the likes of Dropdead and Thou and the Body and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth strewn about a four-day span for the fourth edition of the festival, which in accordance with doomly mandate and the Order of Things has been dubbed Southwest Terror Fest Vol. 4. I doubt I’ll get to Tucson to witness it, but it looks like a hell of a time.
As the PR wire puts it:
SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST Vol. 4: Entire Lineup Of Annual Arizona Underground Metal Festival Announced; Tickets Available
Sleep, Thou & The Body, Acid King, Dropdead, Bongripper, Xibalba, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth And More Confirmed
The entire itinerary for the fourth edition of the annual SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST has been disclosed, as the 2015 installment is confirmed to consume Tucson, Arizona for four days once again this October.
SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST VOL. 4 will run from October 15th through 18th, with events scheduled at three Tucson venues — The Rialto Theatre, Club Congress and 191 Toole. The festivities will begin on Thursday, October 15th with a nighttime kickoff show, followed by both matinee and late club shows on Friday the 16th, and the main events on Saturday the 17th and Sunday the 18th, and the running orders for each show has now been posted. The confirmed acts include headliners Sleep, Thou & The Body, Acid King, Dropdead and Bongripper, as well as Xibalba, Landmine Marathon, Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth, Graves At Sea, Cult Leader, Call Of The Void, Demon Lung, Immortal Bird, In The Company Of Serpents, Abstracter, Gale, and more. Additionally, soloist Amigo The Devil will perform impromptu sets throughout the weekend once again.
Tickets for all SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST VOL. 4 events have been posted and are linked below alongside the running order for the entire weekend. Additionally, there are 100 VIP passes being sold this year, which are disappearing quickly; get them before they’re goneRIGHT HERE.
SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST VOL. 4 Lineup:
Thursday, October 15th // Kickoff show at 191 Toole (All Ages): Main Stage: 10:15 – End — Thou & The Body 8:45 – 9:30 — In The Company Of Serpents 7:30 – 8:00 — Heat Dust 6:30 – 7:00 — Gale Side Stage: 9:30 – 10:15 — Dead To A Dying World 8:00 – 8:45 — Abstracter 7:00 – 7:30 — Hanta 6:00 – 6:30 — Methra
Friday, October 16th // Matinee show at 191 Toole (All Ages): Main Stage: 10:20 – End — Dropdead 9:10 – 9:50 — Landmine Marathon 8:00 – 8:40 — Xibalba 7:00 – 7:30 — Immmortal Bird 6:00 – 6:30 — Gatecreeper Side Stage: 9:50 – 10:20 — Call Of The Void 8:40 – 9:10 — Bastard Feast 7:30 – 8:00 — 908 6:30 – 7:00 — Swamp Wolf 5:30 – 6:00 — Warmonger
Friday, October 16th // Late show at Club Congress (21+): 12:20 – End — Bongripper 11:10 – 12:00 — Graves At Sea 10:20 – 10:50 — Skycrawler 9:30 – 10:00 — Naught
Saturday, October 17th // Main show at The Rialto Theatre (All Ages): 10:30 – 12:30 — Sleep 9:10 – 10:10 — Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth 8:10 – 8:50 — Cult Leader 7:20 – 7:50 — Goya 6:30 – 7:00 — Languish
Sunday, October 18th // Closing show at Club Congress (All Ages): 10:30 – 12:00 — Acid King 9:20 – 10:10 — Demon Lung 8:20 – 9:00 — Night Demon 7:20 – 8:00 — Fuzz Evil 6:30 – 7:00 — Ice Sword
Now in its fourth consecutive year, SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST was founded in 2012 by members of Tucson-based underground acts Godhunter, Inoculara, Diseased Reason and Great American Tragedy, in conjunction with local venues, vendors and businesses, in order to bring a full-bore event to underground music fans. Each year the event expands into new directions and brings a massive variety of internationally-known headliners together with incredible acts from across the Southwest and beyond.
Posted in Whathaveyou on May 1st, 2015 by JJ Koczan
Las Vegas five-piece Demon Lung will issue their second album for Candlelight Records, A Dracula, in June. Produced by Billy Anderson, the eight-track release is available to preorder now from the label and finds the band, who have opened in their hometown for Saint Vitus, Pentagram and most recently High on Fire, among others, taking inspiration from the 1997 horror flick Alucarda and crafting an overarching narrative to follow-up on 2013’s The Hundredth Name.
The PR wire brings details and comment from the band:
DEMON LUNG: New Album Set For June Release Via Candlelight Records
Candlelight Records today confirms June 16th as the North American release date for A Dracula, the second full-length album from Las Vegas-based doom metal band, DEMON LUNG. Produced by Billy Anderson (Neurosis, High On Fire, Eyehategod etc.), the album will be available for preorder via Amazon, iTunes and physical retailers beginning May 26th and is available for preorder now viaCandlelight’s official web storeandBandCamp.
In mid-December, DEMON LUNG began their second pilgrimage to Oregon to work with Anderson. At the journey’s conclusion, eight dark hymns became A Dracula’s storyline. Using Juan López Moctezuma’s 1977 horror film, Alucarda, as the album’s muse, the audio is packaged with unique original art by illustrator Joshua Foster (Pallbearer). Drummer Jeremy Brenton notes, “When we started the writing process, we happened to be deep into an Alucarda obsession. [Vocalist] Shanda [Fredrick] sat down and made an outline for her take on the film and we all started crafting songs to flow with it. Fitting the mood of each riff and melody with the narrative was challenging but it is the most satisfying way for us to write.”
Fredrick adds, “Alucarda is a more relatable story for me than our last album’s subject matter; which made writing a lot more fun this time around. The heroine in this story is the daughter of Satan, who happens to fall in love with the purest of souls in the convent she resides. She coaxes this soul over to the dark, with only intentions of love but in doing so she dooms her to death by the hands of the nuns. The anger consumes her and she uses her dark powers to resurrect her love and together they kill the convent and then the world. So like I said… it’s a lot more fun this time around.”
“While we naturally continued where we left off with The Hundredth Name,” shares Brenton, “this album is definitely faster, definitely more epic. We spent twice as much time in the studio with Billy than we did last time and we had more time to experiment. This was certainly the hardest we have ever worked on anything and we’re very proud of the final product.”
A Dracula Track Listing: 1. Rursumque Alucarda 2. Behold, The Daughter 3. I Am Haunted 4. Gypsy Cursem 5. Deny The Savior 6. Mark Of Jubilee 7. Rursumque Adracula 8. Raped By The Serpent
DEMON LUNG is Shanda Fredrick and Jeremy Brenton with guitarists Phil Burns and Brent Lynch and bassist Jason Lamb. Tour dates in support of A Dracula will be announced shortly.
Posted in Features, Reviews on February 27th, 2014 by JJ Koczan
02.27.14 — 9:30AM Pacific — Thurs. morning — The desert outside of Las Vegas, NV
“Don’t put that in the writeup…” — Chris “C-Wolf” Skowronski
The city itself interests me far less, but I was intrigued to see the Cheyenne Saloon in Las Vegas because it’s where the annual Doom in June fest is held. It was a full day’s driving to get here, through suburbs and valley giving way to low and high and low desert, the final descent into Nevada and then Vegas itself seeming endless in the doing. Wasn’t a bad ride, all told. I took many pictures of the desert, which lived up to my expectation, and saw windmills and mountains that seemed to come out of nowhere and go back just as quickly, and Joshua trees, and empty space and bugs on the windshield and hillsides and the sun and whatever else.
It was dark by the time we hit Vegas, so of course the lights were going and all that. I’ve been to Las Vegas once before and did not much care for it. I think in order to have any kind of enjoyable experience in this town you probably need to be rich enough that money is no object, win or lose. That’s not my case, needless to say. Cheyenne Saloon itself is after the main strip, tucked away in the corner of a shopping plaza. Plenty of parking at least. I didn’t think much of the look of the room when we got there, but the sound was phenomenal and the show wound up with a cool intimate vibe, being the smallest spot on the tour so far.
Local openers Spiritual Shepherd were already set up on stage when we got there, though they’d break down again when Pentagram arrived, allowing the headliners the chance to soundcheck, but load-in was quick enough and before too long, Spiritual Shepherd got the five-band bill going:
Spiritual Shepherd
Young, and solid, but still clearly getting their feet wet. An instrumental three-piece who seemed to have the most fun on stage when engaging in elephantine plod, Spiritual Shepherd were distinguished in no small part by their drummer, Ian Henneforth, who was quick to show off his chops and technical prowess amid the band’s stonerly riffs. They jammed out one song — most of their titles came from the stoner rock playbook; atomic-this and space-that; hard to keep track sometimes — that had a psychedelic edge and then went full-heft into a crusher, so there’s some level of diversity in what they were doing, they were just new to it. They’ll keep working and be fine. Hell, they already get to say they opened for Pentagram, so kudos.
Demon Lung
It seemed a little unfair that Demon Lung vocalist Shanda was wearing an elaborate dress and the three dudes surrounding were in t-shirts and jeans. Shanda apologized for Demon Lung‘s missing guitarist, who apparently recently broke his collarbone and couldn’t make the show as a result and for herself too, citing caring for a sick puppy at home as having kept her up the last several nights. I thought she and the band both sounded pretty right on. Some of the material came across samey in the presentation,b but it’s doom. That’s what happens. It didn’t seem like a performance that needed an excuse or an explanation, in other words, but then, it was my first time seeing them. Maybe they absolutely destroy every other time they play, but they didn’t do so badly at Cheyenne Saloon.
Kings Destroy
Best show of the tour so far. No question. Kings Destroy seem to be approached with some measure of caution by these audiences, but as with each the other nights on this run, they did indeed win those people over. “I like a quiet room,” said vocalist Steve Murphy between songs. He must have been let down at the end when people were shouting their approval, then. Sorry dude. “The Whittler” was moved to open the set, “Embers” pushed up to second, where it worked well and sounded tight, and they closed out with an especially slow-seeming take on “Old Yeller,” with a grueling early going giving way to a raucous finale. Elsewhere, “The Toe” and “The Mountie” arrived as welcome standards in an assured, aggressive and viciously heavy half-hour-plus. San Francisco was cool, but a different vibe, very high stage. Though they were coming off of being robbed last night and still plenty aggro, the band somehow radiated a comfort level from the stage that seemed to be relatively at peace. Somehow.
Radio Moscow
Can’t help but notice that I’ve come out of each of these shows with a different favorite from Radio Moscow. Tonight it was “Mistreating Queen,” though the new ones, “Death of a Queen” (wonder if there’s any relation there) and “Before it Burns,” were expertly handled as well. A contingent of kids showed up for Radio Moscow who were way into it and seemed to have pregamed the show. Fair enough. Their rowdiness seemed to up the general energy level in the room, though the band weren’t having any trouble with that anyway. Drummer Paul Marrone took a solo with some contribution from bassist Anthony Meier that was a treat to watch and it seemed like every time Parker Griggs stomped on his wah, the room went apeshit. Hard not to see why.
This was the smallest night of the tour in room and attendance. Pentagram killed it through three sold-out gigs, but I wondered how their vibe might change at a gig like this one. They did well with it. Bobby Liebling said he was feeling under the weather, but with the crash and thud of drummer Sean Saley and the gigantic air-push from Victor Griffin and bassist Greg Turley behind him, the was plenty of space in the room mix for him to hang back. He drank tea on stage from a large cup that wound up in the back of Kings Destroy‘s van. I might try to take it home if I can fit it in my bag. No “20 Buck Spin,” but the set was tight in spite of whatever ailments might’ve been a factor, “All Your Sins” sticking in my head, though “Be Forewarned” once again was the high point. Someone needs to build a monument to that song.
—
Got out of the show around 2AM and found a casino/hotel offering $25 rooms. They were decent — I guess the place was just trying to get you in there to gamble. You even had to walk through the poorly-lit den of human misery to get to the hotel rooms, but somehow I magically resisted the temptation to sit down at the slots and blow my last $20 on nothing. I went up to the room and started to write but was falling asleep hard by 3AM and decided around four o’clock that I wasn’t doing myself any favors being awake with an 8AM start to come.
Crashed hard and woke up at 20-minute intervals thinking about the review half-written, so not sure how many favors I was doing myself anyway, but whatever. The current plan is to fix the window in Denver, so the 500 miles to Albuquerque will come with periodic bouts of fixing up the back one, with which the wind on the highway — and there is a bit of it — seems to have a time. It’s not really a consideration at this point except when it needs to be. The adjustment has been made, I guess. Seems like the band blew off some steam at the show and that kind of evened everybody out. Funny how that works.
Trip is 500 miles to Albuquerque or somewhere thereabouts. Can feel the wind shoving the van around its lane. Landscape is mountains baked in sun. Dry, gorgeous desert. I regret nothing.
Posted in Whathaveyou on October 10th, 2013 by JJ Koczan
If you’re gonna book your flight to get to Tucson for the Southwest Terror Fest, you might want to get on it. There are only a few hours left till the four-dayer kicks off and time’s a wastin’! There’s a good chance this’ll be the only all-ages show some of these bands play this year, so for the kids, all the better, but even for an aged cave ogre such as myself, an assemblage that culls toghether Kylesa, Ancestors (one day I will bring them East for a show and it will be glorious; mark my words), SubRosa and Red Fang is worthy of note. In just their second year out, the Southwest Terror Fest crew have not only outdone what they were able to make happen last year, but set the bar pretty high for 2014. Would be nice to make the trip to the desert one of these days…
Until then, I live vicariously through the PR wire:
SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST – Year Of The Snake; Four Days Of Mayhem Takes Over Tucson Tonight
SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST 2013: Year Of The Snake, the second annual installment of the Tucson-based extreme underground music gathering featuring over sixty bands in four days, begins tonight.
A fully DIY undertaking, envisioned and organized by Tucson-based sludgecore instigators GODHUNTER, the SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST is a low-cost event for all ages and brings a one-of-a-kind festival to the Southwestern sector of America. Following the dominant 2012 debut of SWTF, this year’s installment of the now annual outing has more than doubled in duration and has expanded to include a more sizable roster of national acts and dozens more crushing newcomers.
Beginning tonight, October 10th, and running through Sunday the 13th at The Rock, the SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST 2013: Year Of The Snake lineup features Sacred Reich Vehemence, Kylesa, Red Fang, Demon Lung, Ancestors, Subrosa, Landmine Marathon, Early Graves, Theories, Transient, Pinkish Black, Helms Alee, Dog Shredder, Children Of God, ACxDC and literally dozens of other acts hailing from across the vast extreme music subgenre spectrum.
SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST 2013: Year Of The Snakeis sponsored by Earsplit PR, Moon Smoke Shops, Lace Pickups, Cvlt Nation, Zombie Effects Lab, Ear/Splitters, Axe Of Contrition, Acid Reflux Records, Violent Resonance.com, Lindy’s on 4th, Black Rose Tattoo and Sticks N’ Strings Music Center
Any metalhead with an internet connection can stay current with the fest action via Cvlt Nation who will be running day-to-day coverage throughout the entire ordeal.
SOUTHWEST TERROR FEST 2013: Year Of The Snake 10/10-13/2013 The Rock – Tucson, AZ
Saturday, October 12th: Red Fang, Helms Alee, Dog Shredder, Subrosa, Deathkings, Crankbait, Aseethe, Thorncaster, North, Sorxe, Goya, Ladybird, Oryx, Skulldron, Bhorelord, Acidalia, Funerary, Methra, Conqueror Worm, Destroy Her
Sunday, October 13th: Early Graves, Children Of God, Theories, ACxDC, Lost Lands, GAT ROT, Territory, Inoculara, Magnum Force, Sex Prisoner, Seas Will Rise, Sorrower, American Standards, Biocidio, Berith, Freedom Assault, Swamp Wolf, Wookiee Rage, Get A Grip, SLUG
Been a while, right? Tell me about it. Although I love, love having The Obelisk Radio streaming 24 hours a day, seven days a week, I’ve been wanting to bring back podcasting for a while now. I always thought it was fun, it just got to be time consuming and to be perfectly honest, the response over time took something of a shit.
Well, the idea here is to start with a clean slate. Anyone who’s listened to audiObelisk podcasts before will notice this one doesn’t have a title. There’s no theme running throughout — though I wanted to keep it focused on new stuff as much as possible — and though others ranged upwards of four hours long, this one clocks in at just under two. I gave myself some pretty specific limits and wanted to start off as basic and foundational as possible. I haven’t done this in a long time, and it seemed only appropriate to treat it like a new beginning.
Something else I’m keeping simple is the intro, so with that said, I hope like hell you download at the link above or stream it on the player and enjoy the selections. Here’s the rundown of what’s included:
First Hour:
Mystery Ship, “Paleodaze” from EP II (2013)
Carousel, “On My Way” from Jeweler’s Daughter (2013)
Ice Dragon, “The Deeper You Go” from Born a Heavy Morning (2013)
Black Mare, “Tearer” from Field of the Host (2013)
Beast in the Field, “Hollow Horn” from The Sacred Above, The Sacred Below (2013)
11 Paranoias, “Reaper’s Ruin” from Superunnatural (2013)
Vàli, “Gjemt Under Grener” from Skoglandskap (2013)
Beelzefuzz, “Lonely Creatures” from Beelzefuzz (2013)
Dozer, “The Blood is Cold” fromVultures (2013)
Toby Wrecker, “Belle” from Sounds of Jura (2013)
Shroud Eater, “Sudden Plague” from Dead Ends (2013)
Luder, “Ask the Sky” from Adelphophagia (2013)
Eggnogg, “The Once-ler” from Louis (2012)
Second Hour:
Colour Haze, “Grace” from She Said (2012)
Borracho, “Know the Score” from Oculus (2013)
The Flying Eyes, “Raise Hell” from Split with Golden Animals (2013)
Demon Lung, “Heathen Child” from The Hundredth Name (2013)
Vista Chino, “As You Wish” from Peace (2013)
Across Tundras, “Pining for the Gravel Roads” from Electric Relics (2013)
Black Pyramid, “Aphelion” from Adversarial (2013)
Church of Misery, “Cranley Gardens (Dennis Andrew Nilsen)” from Thy Kingdom Scum (2013)
