Concert Review: Bonded by Blood, Malpractice, Mortalis and Hemotoxin (3/16/2024)

 

    I think for those living in Contra Costa County, there has been a void ever since Red House in Walnut Creek closed down in 2016, especially when pertaining to all ages music venues. For years I have talked about how punk and metal bands have struggled to book shows in this region of the Bay Area and I even wrote an article about this topic a few years ago. So, when I heard that there was going to be an all ages metal show in Brentwood on March 16th featuring four killer bands, I definitely decided to make the trek out the Brentwood Emporium located in the city’s downtown to check it out. 

    The four bands billed for the show were : Bonded by Blood, Malpractice, Mortalis and Hemotoxin. This was definitely a special show for Hemotoxin, a band that I believe has been a flagship band amongst the Contra Costa County metal scene, as well as an act that has put out some exceptional releases over the years. Also, I think for a lot of people getting the chance to see a line-up featuring four such ravenous metal acts, helped draw out the metal maniacs for this show. I thought the turnout was solid as I pulled up to the venue and I also was extremely impressed by the venue’s layout. There was a strong vibe right from the get go as you had fans of all ages starting to come in and surround the stage located in the front of the venue. 

Hemotoxin

    Opening the show was Contra Costa County’s own progressive death/thrash titans, Hemotoxin, a band that I have been following and reviewing for well over ten years. The first time I saw Hemotoxin was when they opened up for Havok in Walnut at the Red House around 2013, and this band has continued to progress as musicians and songwriters. It was great to see bassist Nathan Fruth back in the band as he and guitarist/singer Michael Chavez play so well together and are at the core of Hemotoxin's heavy technical sound. Also, this would be the first show featuring new members Juan Carlos Garcia on guitar and drummer Aryan Pakkhoo, with both doing a tremendous job for their first performance with the band. As a four piece, Hemotoxin sounded better than ever and I do believe their performance started to really resonate with the feverish crowd. Since Covid struck when the band put out their third full-length release, “Restructure the Molded Mind,” I was excited to finally hear songs from that album live, especially “Automation,” which lyrically is very relatable to the world we are living in today with all the technological advancements that will impact human existence. For the encore, the band played “The Shadow Over Innsmouth,” a Lovecraft inspired song from their debut album that I was singing along to as Michael delivered the chorus section with such profound passion. I am excited for the band’s future as they have a new album in the works and based on the response from the audience during the band’s set, I see Hemotoxin building off this momentum and I wish to see them continue to get the credit they deserve for all their years of hard work. 

Mortalis

    After Hemotoxin left the stage to a thunderous roar from the crowd, the second band, Mortalis, started setting up for their thrash metal onslaught. Based out of Southern California, Mortalis, seemed like they were extremely enthusiastic to be playing up in the Bay Area and I was glad to see the band getting a loud response as they tore into their first song. I thought the singer/guitarist conveyed a lot of raw emotion as he played his flying v guitar and interacted with the audience. During their set I also noticed that the pit was starting to expand as the riffs became more intense. Mortalis had a solid sound that reminded me of early Metallica, Anthrax and Megadeth, along with some other metal influences sprinkled in the mix. I would definitely recommend checking them out and hope to see them come back to the Bay Area in the future. 

Malpractice

    The third band to perform was Malpractice, an up and coming group of young headbangers from the Bay Area that looked to add to the musical mayhem with their own brand of hellish sounding thrash. Right off the bat, I have to say that the band’s bassist is an extremely talented musician who added an extra boost of explosive low end brutality to the band’s overall sound. I thought the lead singer and guitarist really captured the rebellious essence of heavy metal as he shouted out the lyrics and hammered away at his guitar like a possessed lunatic. The band’s drummer made his presence known by playing with an utter astonishing amount intensity as he dealt out juggernaut sounding rhythms from behind the kit. My only complainant and maybe it is because I have become more cranky in my old age, is that some girl in front of the stage was taking a selfie video while the band was performing for an egregious amount of time. Luckily the pit started to move in her direction and I think she valued the life of her phone so she stopped, and the people behind her could finally enjoy Malpractice’s performance. Overall, I think Malpractice is a promising act that has something going for them, but of course my recommendation is to keep working hard at their craft and avoid ending up like those bloated bearded metal bands playing the same generic sounding recycled thrash riffs at some backyard outlaw mud show to an audience of tire iron wielding barefoot humanoids. 

Bonded by Blood

Once Malpractice finished their set and made their way off the stage, the headliner Bonded by Blood started getting ready for their set. This group from Southern California has been around for a while and I have heard some of their music over the years, but I had never had the opportunity see them live before, so I was definitely looking forward to hearing their set. The band blends thrash and hardcore together to create one momental sounding concoction of furious sounding riffs that can get a mosh pit going right away. I was impressed by the band’s singer who demonstrated tremendous skills as a frontman by delivering the lyrics with a pure unapologetic attitude. The twin guitar attack provided a lethal dose of headbanging thrash riffs, while the drummer and bassist provide a strong rhythmic foundation. Even after all the intense moshing around the audience was still going strong with a few exceptions, like the guy who tripped over the stanchion rope and took a bump similar to that of Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 2005. As the band finished their set the audience howled for an encore, which the band obliged as they seemed to be fueled by the maniacal metal noise coming from the mass group of people in front of the stage. In the end, Bonded by Blood put on a crushing performance and I hope to hear them continue to perform as well as record new material. 

Overall, I think all the band’s deserve an enormous amount of credit for putting on some solid performances throughout the entire evening. Also, the turnout was very strong, which is great for the local metal scene in this area and will hopefully inspire more shows in the future. I would recommend checking out the Brentwood Emporium, as the venue itself was very impressive and has the potential to be a significant place for the Contra Costa County music scene given the fact that it hosts all ages shows. Once again, I look at bands like Hemotoxin who have continued to persevere over the years, which I would say is driven by the loyal fanbase that continues to show up in full force whenever the opportunity arises. So in conclusion, I look forward to the future of this area’s metal scene, as bands like ones that performed last night along with the people who showed up in attendance keep the headbanging spirit alive and strong. 

Clip of Hemotoxin performing "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" :

Link to the article I wrote about the Bay Area music scene and lack of venues in Tri-Valley if interested :

https://rockandmetaltemple.blogspot.com/2018/02/tri-valley-music-venues-tale-of.html

Album Recommendation: The Mission “God’s Own Medicine”

    There are some albums in the history of rock music that really do stand the test of time and still holdup when you listen to them today. I've come across countless releases that I believe would fall into this category, and the debut album from UK band The Mission titled “God’s Own Medicine,” is in my opinion one of those perennial albums. 

    Originally released in November of 1986, The Mission’s debut album came to be after singer/guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams left their previous band The Sisters of Mercy to start a new group. Joined by guitarist Simon Hinkler and drummer Mick Brown, this new band looked to continue to explore the post-punk/new wave/goth rock soundscapes which Wayne and Craig had created in The Sisters of Mercy, but they would also go on to create a truly unique sound of their own with the release of The Mission's debut album. 

    Lyrically, this album features some extremely captivating lyrics to the accompany the haunting melodies and mesmerizing chord progressions. From the opening lines on the first song, “Wasteland,” where Hussey delivers the memorable lines with such a solemn sounding tone, “I still believe in God, but God no longer believes in me,” instantly grips you before being introduced to the vibrant sounding galloping guitar riff. I definitely believe, “Wasteland,” is a great opening song that features some brilliant arrangements to complement the song’s very deep and impactful sound. Wayne Hussey’s vocals are extremely well recorded and his voice perfectly soars over the instruments during the chorus section to deliver some unbelievably emotionally charged lyrics. Throughout the album I would say that the chorus sections vividly stand out on each track, which one can attribute to how the band masterfully transitions from the verse sections to choruses. Also, instead of overwhelming their compositions with unnecessary synths to create massive sounding atmospheres, the dynamic guitar work incorporated on each song really builds up these monumental sounding musical landscapes.  

    Another aspect about this album that cannot be overlooked, and definitely adds to the band's unique sound, is Hussey’s use of a 12-string electric guitar. On tracks like, “Wasteland,” “And the Dance Goes On,” and “Severina” the overall sound benefits from the extra fullness of the 12-string, especially during the chorus sections. Out of the three singles released from the album, "Stay With Me,” “Wasteland,” and “Severina,” I would say that, “Severina,” is the one track that people tend to recognize the most from the album, and in my opinion would be very influential on future goth rock/new wave/post-punk artists. Again, the utilization of full chords mixed with the haunting melodies and tight rhythm section due to the solid bass lines from Craig Adams as well as Mick Brown’s tight drumming, makes the music flow with a profound synergy. 

    My favorite song on the album, “Love Me to Death,” is a very bewitching song that I would describe as a romantic gothic love song where you hear these haunting words that manifest over the gloomy sounding chords. The female vocalist in the background provides a great contrast to Hussey’s voice, which ends up highlight the song’s strong emotional theme. Just like with, “Severina” and some of the other tracks on this album, “Love Me to Death,” is rich with mesmerizing atmospheres conjured up by Hussey and Hinkler guitar work. 

    In the end, I write this recommendation as I strongly believe that this album is one of those releases which can appeal to a wide range of music fans. The band’s sound and style definitely fits in with some of the other goth rock/new wave bands of the time, but also goes beyond due in large part to the exceptional songwriting skills and memorable arrangements. The band has released plenty of other solid albums following, “God’s Own Medicine,” however if you have not heard anything from The Mission before then I think the debut album is where you should start without question. Actually, the band is soon to be going on tour in April with plenty of West Coast dates lined-up, so I'd definitely recommend going if you have the chance. 

Check out the song "Wasteland" below:

Diabolic Oath “Oracular Hexations”

    Spawning from out of the twisted and hellish depths comes yet another inhumanely agonizing release from Portland, OR’s savage black/death metal trio Diabolic Oath. Titled, “Oracular Hexations,” this sophomore full-length release picks up right where the band left off on their debut album, “Profane Death Exodus,” yet ventures even further into the tumultuous musical void that shreds away at your sanity as you become engulfed in the abhorrent sounding extreme metal miasma. 

    Right away, I will acknowledge that this album is definitely a step into an even more sinister direction, which is hard to imagine given how much I thought their debut album was a monstrous release. However, the production on this new album along with the cataclysmic riffs seems to take on an even more aggressive and surrealistic sound. There is a truly haunting evolution that you hear on this album as the songs seem to further experiment with utterly bludgeoning unorthodox chord progressions and seismically devastating blast beats. I feel as though where most modern death metal and black metal bands take on a very repetitive formula and fail to really step outside box, Diabolic Oath really puts a tremendous amount of effort into this new album by structuring the songs to leave a profound and devastating impact. 

    Out of the six tracks featured on this album, I never thought that the band disappointed in terms of offering some dynamic extreme metal compositions. Plus, the titles for the songs on this album are also extremely descriptive with the opening song being titled, “Rusted Madness Tethering Misbegotten Haruspices.” The band wastes little time and dives right into a massive sounding arrangement featuring some bombastic riffs, grotesque growls and sickening rhythms. Throughout the album the band continues to deliver these unbelievably monumental sounding arrangements that really standout thanks to the solid production. Track number two, “Serpent Coils Suffocating the Mortal Wound,” is a dynamically fearsome sounding black/death metal onslaught which blends together different tempos as well as some frantic sounding blast beats. 

    There are tracks on this album that really explore the thresholds of extreme metal music by deviating from the same path like on, “Winged Ouroboros Mutating Unto Gold” and “Fragmented Hymns from the Globulous Cruciger.” There are some death doom elements at times which adds to the dark suffocating atmospheres, but then all of a sudden you can have an unexpected transition into an adrenaline pumping old school death metal beatdown of unapologetic aggression. One track that stood out on this release was the close to ten min song, “Gathering Hordes from the Outer Worlds.” From the opening riff you are thrown into a thunderous primordial sounding realm, while at the same time the vocalist delivers more demonic growls to complement the music’s putrid tone. In the end, you just cannot escape this band’s unapologetic ferocity as well as their savage musicianship that delivers until the final song. 


    Working with Sentient Ruin on the release of this album, Diabolic Oath will be releasing, “Oracular Hexations,” on April 5th, 2024. Looking back at the other releases I have reviewed from Diabolic Oath, most of which have been released through Sentient Ruin, I strongly believe that sonically this is their best release to date. The riffs on this album are extremely insidious and the overall execution on each arrangement instantly hooks you once you start listening. This is definitely one of those extreme metal releases you are going to want to check out, because there is simply no denying Diabolic Oath’s almost unworldly sinister extreme music making talents on this album. 

Check out the song "Winged Ouroboros Mutating Unto Gold" below:

Link to Sentient Ruin Bandcamp:

https://sentientruin.bandcamp.com/

Link to Diabolic Oath Bandcamp:

https://diabolicoath.bandcamp.com/album/oracular-hexations