Concert Review: Thought Vomit, X-Method, Trecelence, Hereticide, Vile Riot Villains, Channel the Suns

     October is just beginning and the Phoenix Theater started the month off with an explosion of local metal talent. Six bands took to the black stage to appease the passionate and ravenous concert attendees.

    I must say that this was one of the best turnouts at the Phoenix Theater that I have been present for. Also, the crowd’s energy throughout the whole night never faded, which fueled the six hardworking bands. Besides Thought Vomit who I saw back in July, this would be the first time for me seeing these other five bands. Now, I was especially excited to see Santa Rosa’s Trecelence who I interviewed for the radio show a few months back.  After a week of tests and being sick, I was ready for a metal show! 

    The opening band, Channel the Suns, started the show off with some unique prog metal jams. I was intrigued by the band’s dual vocal delivery where one singer used a death growl style while the other vocalist used a clean style. Their instrumental compositions where creative, but seemed to be all over the place. I think the talent was there and I applaud the desire to be dynamic. The bass player and singer who did the clean vocals was extremely energetic and would run around on stage with a superhero cape. For the most part Channel the Suns did a solid job kicking off the show.

    The second band Vile Riot Villains, whose members had painted markings on their faces as if they were part of the 1979 cult classic movie The Warriors, had a strong response even before they started their first song. I could definitely tell the band’s groove/thrash style clicked with most of the fans in attendance. People were banging their heads and starting to move around more. Vile Riot Villains really exerted plenty of energy during their set and did an efficient job building up the momentum.

    Taking the third slot was Hereticide from Los Angeles. This out of town bunch of brutal death thrashers brought the heavy metal thunder to the Phoenix. One of their guitar players looked like a Viking Warlord and played his guitar as if he was beating down upon an enemy. The band would shout, “Oh Yeah,” throughout their set to keep the crowd going crazy and alive. For the most part their sound was nothing new that I have not come across before, but the energy and passion elevated them to a level where they stood out. Also, any band who gives free CDs away after their set is cool in my book.

    Fourth up was the band who literally stole the show, Trecelence. This group of Santa Rosa, CA based musicians sounds solid on their demos, however, put them in a live setting and they will knock you over. I mean, the dual guitar attack was in high gear with plenty of wicked technical solos being traded by guitarists Donnie Small and Chris Olney Burnett. Bassist and singer Zane Covington was full of passion while he hammered away on his sunburst Rickenbacker bass. Zane’s vocals were very strong and conveyed the lyrics with such potency. Of course I cannot leave out drummer, lIan Cabrera, who was a technical beat master behind the kit. Overall, the crowd was worked up into a thrashing frenzy throughout the whole set.

    On stage next was, X-Method, a group of Bay Area thrashers who knew a thing or two about laying down some heavy riffs. Their singer had amazing stage presence and did a great job interacting with crowd. Also, one of the band’s guitar players successfully did that swing around guitar trick without it falling, so that added to their live show. The band even played a sick Sepultura cover which I can honestly say sounded not too far from the original. From the beginning of their set to the end, X-Method never let their foot off the gas pedal.

    The final act of the night was Sonoma County’s Thought Vomit. If any one is looking to see a furious mosh pit, just attend a Thought Vomit show. Even if the crowd at first is not moving around, Thought Vomit’s singer Spencer Clark will do something about it. The guy is in another world while up on stage...or in the middle of the crowd. The band’s songs are pure unapologetic expression which comes from each band member’s inner rebellious musical soul. Thought Vomit had the singers from X-Method and Vile Riot Villains come out and perform a cover of Black Sabbath’s, “Paranoid.” A perfect way to end a metal and punk filled evening of nonstop entertainment.

    Well, one show down and plenty more to come this month for the Sonoma County Metal and Hardcore community. Try to make your way out if you can and keep headbanging and supporting the local scene!

Concert Review: Barren Altar, Ion, Battle Hag, Hemotoxin

    Saturday night at the Phoenix Theater was the place to be in Sonoma County for metal fans. Four bands put on one hell of a show and demonstrated tremendous local metal talent.

    The bands billed for this performance were: Barren Altar, Ion, Battle Hag, Hemotoxin. Also, the ticket sales for this show would be given to the Wounded Warrior Project. This was a really awesome event and I wish more metal fan would have shown up in support of the bands. Although the turnout was not the most favorable, there was a decent crowd who from what I observed appreciated each band that played.

    Taking the stage first with a ritualistic shrine of candles and skulls, was Sonoma County’s Barren Altar. The band had a creative stage set up and the intro audio clip they used of a hysterical woman crying was the perfect touch to begin their blackened death doom assault. Their two guitar players slammed away at some monstrous distorted chords while the bassist and drummer feverishly provided the explosive backbone. Their singer was in another world while the band performed and his vocal delivery was vicious. A couple times when the drummer would crash down on his kit, the singer would take the mic and hit his head to copy the destructive beat. Barren Altar definitely did a powerful job kicking the show off since my ears are still ringing from those heavy riffs.

    Following Barren Altar was the San Francisco Bay Area trio, Ion. These guys were extremely talented musicians and had a dynamic sound. Each member offered something different to the band’s overall presentation. Their bass player was playing some killer technical fills and tapping with precision to create this progressive mellow atmosphere in between songs. The singer/guitarist paid great attention to his tone and the riffs he played took on a variety of styles. He would pick through different chords using a clear guitar tone and then press the distortion pedal to deliver a black metal speed picking attack. Their drummer who also provided some vocals, was unbelievable and reminded me a bit of Mike Browning from Nocturnus. He feverishly maneuvered his way around the kit and was locked into the rhythms the whole time. Overall, Ion seemed to have won the crowd over, because people after their set kept saying that the band’s sound and performance was an unbelievable musical experience.

    The third act, Battle Hag, actually made their way from Sacramento, CA. They played a brand of death doom that really put emphasis on the doom. Their riffs took on a Sleep like quality and the band sounded bombastically sinister. They put some thought into their stage show by using a fog/smoke machine to cover the stage while they hammered away at brutal distorted cuts. I thought the band’s two guitar attack injected some more bite into their sound. Battle Hag seemed like solid players and I do believe they provided fans with plenty of headbanging opportunities to follow along to their behemoth sounding riffs.

    The final act of the night was, Hemotoxin. This quartet of Pittsburg, CA musicians are known to play a style of technical death/thrash. I have seen them before about two years back when they opened up for Havok. I was impressed by their skill then and could not believe how much they improved over the course of two years. Their twin guitar attack is insane, especially when the two players trade solos. Hemotoxin’s drummer is still a double bass blasting machine behind the kit. The bassist always seemed to be having a good old time on stage and his playing is right up their along side the other members. Unfortunately, the band did not get to play more songs since the venue seemed to be adhering to a time limit. If not for the venue telling the band they could only do one more song, hell, I think Hemotoxin could have kept going for another twenty minutes. They are definitely a band to look out for among the Bay Area Metal scene. 

    All four acts did a tremendous job and have vast amounts of talent. Even though there was not a massive turnout, the people who did show up were really supportive. Again, support your local scenes and always keep headbanging so this music never dies. \m/

Concert Review: Sepulchre, Gangrene, Accidentally Murdered, Abscission, Newtdick

    Sebastopol, CA would be invaded by brutal death metal for a night, causing the local hippies to lock themselves in their homes and drink organic wine.

    Yes, the Aubergine After Dark hosted five extreme metal acts last night. The line-up consisted of: Gangrene, Sepulchre, Accidentally Murdered, Abscission and Newtdick. Now, aside from Sepulchre who I have seen twice before, this would be my first time seeing these other acts. I was especially interested in hearing how Newtdick would sound since they have a down right hilarious band name.

    Taking the stage first was Gangrene from Petaluma, CA. This four piece band seemed to have a sludge sound, however, they definitely took on elements of death metal. I could hear a slower Obituary vibe going on at times. Their drummer was very talented and I was impressed by his movement around the kit. The rhythm section for this band was very solid. I do believe in time Gangrene will develop a really strong live presence if they keep working on developing their music.

    Following Gangrene was another Sonoma County based band, Sepulchre. I think Sepulchre’s progressive take on old school death metal helps separate them from the usual bands I have heard. For young musicians, they are better than a good portion of older bands I have either reviewed or seen live. During their set unfortunately, Sepulchre was plagued by poor sound engineering and the venue’s equipment not properly working. The PA system started hissing in between songs while the onstage monitors went out leading to the band not being able to hear themselves. Whoever was in charge of the sound for the venue really dropped the ball. I have had technical difficulties during my radio show that were out of my control, so I can understand what Sepulchre was going through. Even though they had to cut their set short due to the sound problems, the band handle the situation very professionally and never lost their cool.

    The third band, Accidentally Murdered, from Stockton, CA was a decent act. They only had one guitarist, a drummer and two singers. I thought their instrumental set up would not give them a full sound, but they were fairly loud for only having one guitarist. The drummer's blast beat skills were top notch too. Personally, I do not understand the two vocal contrast where one guy sings in a low growl and the other guy does more of a screaming growl. What next, death grind choirs?

    Santa Rosa’s, Abscission, was the fourth band to go on and hammer away at brutal riffs. I am not going to outright say that they were horrible, but they did not do much to captivate and push musical boundaries. They played a very generic style of death metal which at times made their songs sound the exact same. Each musician in the band seemed talented, but they never reached further in themselves to take their music to another level.

    The final act, Newtdick, from Redwood City, CA was the perfect band to close out this extreme music show. Dressed in reptile alien like costumes, the band played a style of metal called slime grind. When told that these guys dressed up I thought they would have some cheesy Halloween store costumes. However, I was completely wrong because the costumes looked as if they were used in a grindhouse science fiction film. Also, the band had some hilarious song titles and did a great job interacting with the crowd. They seemed to be having an enjoyable time playing on stage dressed in costumes. The fans were really digging them, because everyone was snapping pictures throughout the set!

    Overall the entire show was definitely worth attending and it helps support local acts that are doing this for the love of the music...or love of dressing up in costume. Again, support your local scenes if you can. Who knows? You might see a bunch of guys dressed up as newts playing slime grind...

Phoenix Theater Concert Review: Sepulchre, Phaneron, 5 Days Dirty, Death’n Taxes and Thought Vomit

    The local metal and punk fans were out this Saturday at the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, Ca for a rip roaring show. Now, there may have not been the same amount of people there as at the Rush concert I attended a few days earlier... but there was a passion for the music being played at the Phoenix.

    The five bands billed were Sepulchre, Phaneron, 5 Days Dirty, Death’n Taxes and Thought Vomit. First off, when there is people skate boarding in a venue before the show you can tell the place is a casual and welcoming environment. You do not see that at Sonoma State's Green Music Center!    

    To begin the show, Santa Rosa’s Sepulchre went on about eight o’clock and did not let the small turnout from being the first opening band affect them. The band even handled themselves very professionally, especially when there was a drunk couple who were being extremely obnoxious. The band’s guitarist/singer had a very creative and dynamic approach to extreme metal guitar playing. He played some impressive leads that explored a variety of technical scales. The band’s drummer and bass player sounded very tight and added an extra explosiveness to the slower and more aggressive sections. In Sepulchre’s sound I definitely hear some Death influence mixed with the more progressive technical death metal elements from bands like Atheist. I think they have a lot going for them and can hopefully bring something exciting to the death metal world.

    Taking the stage next was Phaneron from Lake County. This band was a mix of metal and hardcore which if we do the math is metalcore. To be extremely truthful I find metalcore to be very repetitive and the lyrical phrasing can be simply uncreative. I could tell Phaneron’s singer had passion for the music and was getting into his performance. I commend him for that, but the songs were just not there. When the guitarist pulled off a blazing lead part, only then did I start to take more notice, but for the most part I just felt this band had nothing new to offer that I had not heard before.

    The third act 5 Days Dirty from the East Bay played a style of pop punk and slight hardcore. If anything they played pop punk that would sporadically change to metalcore. When a fan next to me with a DRI and Exodus patch kept shouting for them to play some hardcore style punk, I knew he was not going to get his wish. I am sure there are people who enjoy pop punk that might find 5 Days Dirty to their liking. However, I was lost in a cosmic sea of confusion and not really digging the songs. Also, their stage banter was juvenile to say the least.

    Coming in as the fourth act was Death’n Taxes. This group from Clearlake seemed to be the night’s wildcard and completely took me by surprise. All he musicians sounded very accomplished and the songwriting was unbelievably solid. Their sound was this unique blend of psychedelic garage rock and punk with a little drop of funk at times. Probably a band who I could see attracting a wide range of music fans. Their songs flowed with catchy riffs and jamming drum beats.

    The final act of the night was the local punk/metal band Thought Vomit who were able to take a small crowd and turn the place upside down. They just did not let anything bother them and played a confident and wild set. I think, respect, is the right word for what I have for the band after I left the Phoenix Theater. Any singer who will jump in the mosh pit and run around with the crowd, is very passionate about the music and determined to put on a killer show for the audience. Everyone seemed to be having a great time during Thought Vomits' set. There was even a dog running around during the band’s set!

    Wrapping up this review I want to say, please go out and try to support your local punk and metal scenes. These local acts can offer exciting entertainment at an affordable price. Also, places like the Phoenix Theater need to keep going strong. This world needs more venues that can put on awesome all ages shows for fans of extreme music. Again, keep supporting your local scenes!

Rob "the metal guy" Rants About Metal #9

    For those who do not know Kanye West thinks he is a rockstar even though he is an enormous douche star. Corey Taylor from Slipknot already set him straight, so I guess there is not much more for me to say. Actually, I plan to nominate Kanye West for biggest douche in the universe. He will win for sure.
    Okay, okay, let me get onto topics in the hard rock and metal world. Well, I finally got around to watching the entire new music video put out by ex-WASP guitarist Chris Holmes. The song for the video, “Born Work Die,” is from his new solo album called, “Shitting Bricks.” I used to somewhat respect Chris for his work in WASP. Unfortunately, the dude’s music videos are beyond horrendous. I find myself laughing uncontrollably at how bizarre the concepts are at times, along with the fact that he looks like Captain Caveman. This new video shows Chris working in a motorcycle repair shop and looking extremely washed up. Sometimes I wonder if the man’s brain left his body once the eighties finished. In all fairness the guitar playing in the song isn’t dreadful. He still has a solid sounding tone and throws in some cool blues licks. After hearing the song and watching the video I think that Chris is qualified to play in the Mentors if they need another guitar player or singer. The lyrics that Chris comes up with are about as entertaining as the stuff El Duce used to write...
    Technical death metal icons Nile this past week released the track list for their new album that comes out in August. The album, “What Should Not Be Unearthed,” is out the 28th for anyone who wants to mark that date down on their calendars. I have always enjoyed reading Nile’s song titles. I know some fans weren’t pleased with how the last album sounded, but I thought the song titles were exceptional. Songs like “Enduring the Eternal Molestation of Flame,” and “Natural Liberation of Fear Through the Ritual of Deception of Death,” were loads of fun to say on air when I was doing my radio show. I really can’t wait to hear the new music as Nile is definitely one of the most creative and talented death metal bands around.
    Last night I went to a local metal show with four solid bands from the Sonoma County Area. There is not a massive scene up here in Northern California, but the fans are unbelievably passionate about the music. You have people headbanging like crazy the whole night and the mosh pit is one constant toxic waltz. This leads me to advocate for more metal fans supporting their local scenes. With well known hard rock and metal bands becoming more expensive, sometimes the small club shows are a better option. Also, you are supporting up and coming metal acts who have that raw and exciting passion to play music like the bands they idolize. Another point to make is that you never know if one of those bands from a local metal show might go on to become the next Metallica. Before Metallica was playing major arenas across the globe they were playing small shows in people’s backyards and at clubs. So, if you find out there is a local metal show going on the area you live, try to make your way out and support the scene. Heavy metal will never die because of the passion that comes from the fans who are simply fanatical about the music. Keep headbanging people...Keep Headbanging! \m/