I actually had to go back and look to see if I’ve ever written about Pegzilla before. You might think I’d know that kind of thing off-hand, but I often dig back to find what was up last time a group was discussed, to grab social media links from old posts, sometimes pictures, and the like. Streamlined creative processes — I know that’s what keeps you coming back to The Obelisk. Me too.

But the bottom line here is that before this press release came in, I’d never written about nor I think encountered the work of Los Angeles heavy rockers Pegzilla, who take on the male gaze with due disdain and who offered their four-track Giver EP in 2022 ahead of last year’s single “Eyes of Phthonos,” for which you can see a video below. Sonically, there’s some shades of The Sword in the riffing, but a punkish shove helps distinguish, and the point of view is part of the aesthetic here. I’m not sure if the lineup listed below is accurate — Olivia Saperstein (guitar/vocals) seems to have been through a rhythm section or two — but I’ve done my best and I’m glad the PR wire brought in something I’d never heard, even if I’m sure you have prior experience with both the single and the EP. You’ve always been much cooler than me when it comes to that kind of thing.

That both are streaming below with a West Coast tour announcement, feel free to take as me trying to get caught up in my small, stuffy-headed, on-the-couch kind of way. They’ve got fest slots and club shows, as you can see:

PEGZILLA “Freakout Tour 2024”

Stoner/doom trio PEGZILLA has a run of West Coast dates lined up from Halloween into mid-November, including stops at PSYCHED! Music Fest in San Francisco and FREAKOUT Fest in Seattle!!

PEGZILLA live dates:
10/31 Los Angeles CA @ Gold Diggers
11/02 Santa Cruz CA @ The Jury Room
11/03 San Francisco CA @ Killwatt Bar / Psyched Fest
11/04 Eureka CA @ Siren Song
11/05 Portland OR @ High Water Mark
11/06 Olympia WA @ The Crypt
11/09 Seattle WA @ Salmon Bay / Freakout Fest
11/10 Spokane WA @ The District
11/11 Government Camp OR @ Ratskeller
11/13 Eugene OR @ Sam Bond’s Garage
11/14 TBA
11/15 Santa Barbara CA @ Whiskey Richards

Step into your dominance with the thrusting riff-heavy sounds of PEGZILLA. Based in Los Angeles, the band features Olivia Saperstein on vocals and guitar, Ryan Swain on drums and Juan Barsse on bass.

While taking sonic inspiration from a male-dominated early metal landscape, PEGZILLA’s lyrics criticize the patriarchal status quo and unjust power structures. Their songs are a loud, seductive call to take the power back.

https://www.instagram.com/fearpegzilla/
https://pegzilla.bandcamp.com/
https://linktr.ee/fearpegzilla

Pegzilla, “Eyes of Phthonos” official video

Pegzilla, Giver EP (2022)