Concert: Saint Vitus/Pallbearer/The Hookers (10/7, 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN)

Shirking my responsibilities in the way of homework and being a loyal devotee of Into the Void Records’ metal DJ night, I headed down to downtown Minneapolis to see the mighty Saint Vitus destroy the 7^th Street Entry. It was a long show, an exhausting show, but it was also awesome and totally worth the next-day exhaustion.

This was my first time at 7^th Street Entry, which is a tiny place that’s part of the famous 1^st Ave. It was a small space, but very easy to move around in- there were exits from the standing room on both sides, so it was easy to get back up to the bar or outside if you needed to. Likewise, the stage was small but intimate.

The Hookers, from Louisville, KY, were the first band of the night. They are a hardcore band, and have a very Southern feel to their music. I enjoyed their set; it was exciting and full of energy. Although I am not very familiar with The Hookers, they have been around since the mid-90s and have put out a lot of records (a lot of 7”s too). Watching them was a treat, and I’m going to have to pay more attention to The Hookers from now on.

[Southern punk]

Next up was the mighty Pallbearer! I absolutely love these guys, and I bought their LP a couple of days before the show (it’s a double LP and each side has like, one song. Gotta love Southern doom). I saw Pallbearer open for Enslaved back in January, but the sound was really shitty and you couldn’t hear the vocals at all. This time, however, the problem was fixed- vocals were on and really good. They played a mix of material (including The Foreigner, which I get stuck in my head something awful), one of which was a new track that didn’t even yet have vocals. A great set from a great band.

[Probably my favorite Pallbearer song. Gah. So beautiful. Even my mom likes it.]

Finally, Saint Vitus took the stage, about approximately the same time that a huge dude who was like 6’6” shoved past me to the front (Seriously?). I don’t have a whole lot of familiarity with Saint Vitus, I’m afraid. Doom is something that I’ve just started really getting into in the past year or so, and the American doom that I usually end up listening to is the Southern doom like Pallbearer and Cough.

[Doom.]

Saint Vitus was absolutely amazing, though. My friend S told me that I would be fascinated with Wino, and that he was the coolest person to ever grace a stage, and he’s about right. Saint Vitus is getting up there in years, and yet they dominated completely. It was a flawless set, and the crowd was eating it up. Wino shook my hand at one point towards the end of the set and almost broke it; that man has a very strong grip. It was thoroughly enjoyable, and I even went home with a drumstick. The best part for me was probably seeing the tiny girl who couldn’t have been older than 16 there, staring in wide-eyed fascination at the band.

[They are getting way up there, but they still have it.]

Lately, I have been on a merch mission for shirts that aren’t black, as I have a whole closet full of black. I figured at a doom show there might be some alternative colors, and I wasn’t disappointed. I ended up with this Pallbearer shirt, because I figured Saint Vitus is probably doing okay on money and I want to support my neighbors over in Arkansas.

Front

Back. (It IS red, not pink. Bad lighting.)

My first drumstick.

All and all, this was a great show. Although The Hookers felt like the odd man out on the bill, they still played a very strong set and the crowd clearly enjoyed it. Pallbearer was fantastic again, but better with the good sound, and Saint Vitus was absolutely incredible. I count myself lucky that I got to see such legends perform in such an intimate setting. I highly encourage seeing any and all of these bands if you ever have the chance.

For the Love of Live Music, Consider Signing This Petition

This petition came to my attention the other day via a friend on Facebook, and I wanted to post it here so that you could sign it if you haven’t. The Canadian government apparently wants to drastically increase the amount of money that musicians have to pay to tour there, which will not only cut down on the amount of live music that Canadians will get to see, but will also be very harmful to small venues and businesses. I don’t think I need to go far towards explaining that for metal bands other than, say, Metallica and their ilk, this legislation is very bad news- any smaller metal bands will be right out of the running for getting to tour Canada. As I am now living in a routine stop on the way to Winnipeg, I can assure you, Canadian metal fans, you don’t want this thing to pass. Marduk and Inquisition are just a couple of bands in the past year that have come up your way. And of course, that is not to mention the smaller bands trying to get off the ground; False just played in Canada, for instance. This cost increase passes and they won’t be able to again.

So please consider adding your signature to the petition if you haven’t already. I did, and I hate signing up for things on the internet. And tell your friends, too, because this is an issue that affects ALL music genres.

Concert: Ambassador Gun/Sadgiqacea/Hivelords/Poney (7/19, Nomad’s World Pub, Minneapolis, MN)

(I am going to start linking to bandcamp in here when I can, so that you can listen to more music and buy more music and support more of these guys. OK? You’re welcome.)

Last Friday I was hanging out at Into the Void when my friend M called me to see if I wanted to go with him, his girlfriend, and a mutual friend to see Sadgiqacea, his friend’s black metal band, play with local legends Ambassador Gun. So of course I said yes, because I love me some live music. The show was at Nomad’s World Pub, a small venue that seemed mostly populated, at least this time, by hipsters and crustpunks. Though small, it was a nice place, and they had a huge tap list as well if that is your thing. The patios, I thought, were particularly nice, especially on a balmy summer night. The sound was good as far as I could tell, but it was insanely loud as well, so

Poney from Madison, WI started off the night with a set of psychedelic/stoner inspired hardcore. They played all the material from their new record as well as several other songs. I really enjoyed their set, and thought that the interchanging vocals were really a cool effect, if not always in tune. Probably my favorite aspect of the music was the percussion; along with a drummer, Poney has another percussionist who uses mallets and other techniques with his drumkit. Looking forward to hopefully seeing these guys again soon.

[Two drummers. Rad.]

Hivelords was up next, and they completely destroyed. After their set, I went to fetch extra earplugs for my friends from the car because the noise levels were pretty much devastating. Hailing from Philadelphia, PA, Hivelords plays crushing, doom-saturated black metal, with the vocalist using the old grindcore two-mic technique and echo sound effects. The result is deafening and incredible. I was completely blown away by these guys, and have been pushing them on my friends since.

[Hivelords is devastating in the best way possible.]

Unfortunately I missed most of Sadgiqacea’s set. I was absolutely famished, and skipped over to grab a burrito at Hard Times. I did manage to catch most of the last song, however, and what I heard I really liked. Sadgiqacea also plays a mix of sludge, doom, and psychedelic black metal (and are also, incidentally from Philly). I am going to have to spend some more time with their catalog as I really like what I did hear, and I’m bummed that I missed out on their set.

[I will never stop being impressed by how well you can make incredible black metal with just two dedicated dudes.]

After getting my face obliterated by some of the most crushing live black metal I’ve ever witnessed, Ambassador Gun was unfortunately kind of a letdown. M has seen them before and says that he felt like they were definitely having an off night; one of the vocalists was not in his normal register, he said, so he could tell something was wrong. Even the crowd seemed to have a little trouble getting into the music. Nevertheless, Ambassador Gun’s blend of grind, punk, and metal was enjoyable enough to me. I had come to hear some noise and screaming, and they made sure I did not go home disappointed. I know these guys are a Minneapolis staple and I’d like to see them again sometime when they are having a better night. I also remembered that they played at Maryland Deathfest this year; another indication that I really ought to pick up tickets for the punk stage next time as well.

[Noisy noise.]

I like to support touring bands, and when they are friends or friends of friends I like it even more, so I gave Sadgiqacea and Hivelords the rest of the money in my pocket for gas and took home a sweet Hivelords patch for the old battle jacket. I also picked up a flier and sticker for FTG Illustrations, the work of Sadgiqacea’s drummer (he did their album artwork), in case anyone is looking for album art. After the show, I spent some time hanging out with M and company as well as Hivelords and Sadgiqacea, who were crashing at his place. I am now even more convinced that I need a house so I can put people up, because I love cooking for people and because, as I have bemoaned before, metal bands don’t typically have the support in the underground that the punks do.

I had a really good time for a show I decided to go to on a sudden invite, and I’m really, really glad I went. Poney was excellent, and Hivelords completely destroyed, as did Sadgiqacea, the small part I saw of their set. I’m looking forward to seeing Ambassador Gun on a better night, as I know they are a big deal, and unfortunately theirs was the weakest set of the night. More reviews coming soon, as I can’t not go to things, including the not-Castle show that took place on Tuesday and the Maledicere show tomorrow  (it’s going to be awesome. Stoked).

-H

Concert: Holy Grail/Cwn Annwn/The Terrordactyls/Much Worse (7/13, The Nether Bar [Mill City Nights], Minneapolis, MN)

After half a day’s travel from Charlottesville, VA (including me almost missing my flight in O’Hare, my own private hell), I arrived back home mentally exhausted from transcribing old manuscripts all week and extremely hyper to see Holy Grail, as I was in serious need of some fun metal. This time the show was in the Nether Bar of Mill City Nights, which I dug way more than being in the main room. It was smaller and more intimate, and no one was griping at us to get out when the show was over (I’m aware that it’s a liability thing to have people milling about after shows, especially in downtown Minneapolis, but the security guys have never been anything but really rude to… well, everyone I know). The crowd was big enough that there was decent movement up front, particularly for Holy Grail, but there was also plenty of room to hang out in back too.

The lineup was extremely varied in terms of musical styles. We started off the night with Much Worse, a local hardcore band. I think they were added to the bill kind of late, since Anti-Mortem cancelled, but I’m glad I got to see them. I am tangentially familiar (I’ve heard the name), but I have still just barely grazed the surface of the legendary punk scene here in the Twin Cities. I’m enjoying my brief forays into it, however, even if I do worry that everyone can tell I’m way more into metal. Their vocalist spent most of his time down in front of the stage with the crowd, and even moshed a little a one point. With a pit going this early, no matter how small, you know it’s going to be a good night.

[Apparently Max, the vocalist, is an ordained minister and can marry you. The things you learn on YouTube.]

Next we switched over to some crossover thrash with The Terrordactyls, who completely floored me and my friend. I mean, we knew they would be good, but they were fantastic. Fun thrashy songs about such topics as Kefka from Final Fantasy VI. What more could you want? I felt like these guys were probably the crowd favorite of the openers; the pit was alive and well by this point, and they had a ton of friends in the audience. Unfortunately they are breaking up soon, but they are playing a couple of more shows. I highly encourage you to see them while you have the chance. You won’t regret it.

[Pretty good live clip. Check out their bandcamp if you want to hear studio stuff.]

Cwn Annwn was up next. They are a female-fronted traditional heavy metal band, and they were perfectly alright. I always try to get into the bands I’m watching, particularly if they are local, but I just couldn’t do it with these guys. And I wanted to like them, what with the Gaelic name and all. Their vocalist has a lovely voice, and their bassist looked like the guy from the Vikings show on the History channel, and they played a tight set. Unfortunately they are just really not my cup of tea, and I found myself getting a little bored. Other people were too, apparently; I noticed a lot of people taking an extended smoke break. Ah well.

[Really love her voice.]

Finally, Holy Grail took the stage! I initially wasn’t sure if I would come to this thing or not, especially coming off of another week in Virginia, but they (and The Terrordactyls) made me so glad I did. Holy Grail’s set was every bit as fun as I had anticipated it would be. They played a mixture of songs from both albums, so there was something for everyone (I have a friend who doesn’t like their newest release, for instance). The crowd also went wild; there wasn’t so much a mosh pit as a surge, but the front of the stage was moving pretty much constantly throughout the entire set. They played for quite a while too, clocking in at about 1.25 hours (if I remember correctly. I was coming down with a stomach flu and I can’t do math at the best of times).

[I got to see this live. Be jealous.]

[So incredibly fun.]

I am really glad I decided to go to this show, even coming down off of traveling. Of course, I was exhausted by the time I got home and settled down (the hyper took a while to wear off) because I hadn’t really slept in about 24 hours, but it was every bit as fun as I thought it would be. I met some cool new people and saw some old friends, and the atmosphere down in the Nether Bar was really great. Also, The Terrordactyls proved to be quite the bonus, and I’m excited to see them again. If you’re looking for quality, old-school, unpretentious and fun metal, I highly recommend catching Holy Grail live sometime.

Concert: Metal Up Your Tap- 6000 Wings & the Bended Bow (5/25, Des Moines, IA, Vaudeville Mews)

Friday night I decided to hit up Metal Up Your Tap at Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines with a good friend, as it hasn’t happened in a few months. The bands were all local this time, which is always a good time. Living in the Des Moines area for the past couple of years has given me the opportunity to familiarize myself with what the Midwest has to offer in terms of local bands, and I have seen a number of really good ones. I’m sure that back home in Oklahoma the same thing exists, but probably more for red-dirt fans, of which I am not. No one was playing little metal shows in Oklahoma when I lived there; the tours do seem to be stopping by Tulsa and OKC more now, however.

Anyway, right when I got to the city it started hailing, but only for a couple of seconds. The first band that played, Primal Breath, is a regular opener that I have never gotten to see because we’re always eating dinner, or running late, or something, so I fought the downpour to get in and see them play a set.

Primal Breath is really good for as young as they are. They played a couple of  covers as well as their original work, which is really good, and were funny and good natured. I went to another show earlier this week (that was totally not metal, hence it is not here) with a bunch of younger bands as well. It’s good to see the kids are playing and listening to good music.

[Death cover!]

The second band that played was called Deplorable Immaculacy, and I had not heard of them before a couple of days ago. I had liked what I heard online, however, and they lived up to it live. Deplorable Immaculacy is a two man band that calls themselves blackened death metal, but it felt to me like they more switched off between the two.

The last song that they played was a really long, good old fashioned black metal tune, and it was particularly fantastic. The entire set was really great, however, and the crowd seemed to really get into this band in particular (it was the only time a pit formed, although it was a rather erratic affair considering only about four guys were up to it). I really enjoyed them, and I learned that their drummer (who I recognized as “that guy who looks like Hellhammer who is always at the metal shows,” another cool thing about getting to know the local crowd) also plays in another local black metal band that I have not gotten to see yet. They were supposed to open for Watain, but alas. Deplorable Immaculacy played a great set, and I hope they put out a recording soon so I can listen to it all the time.

6000 Wings & the Bended Bow was the headliner for the evening. They are not straight up metal, but more like a hardcore band with a metallic feel. Even though it’s not right up my alley music-wise, I really enjoyed their set. It was interesting, too, to see the crowd sort of change a bit when they played. Some of the people who came for the metal left, and some other people (who I assume are more into punk) showed up.

[…And of course I can’t find any vids of them on YouTube. Here is their MySpace, however, where you can listen to them: http://www.myspace.com/6000wingsthebendedbow]

The funniest part of it all, perhaps, is the utter bewilderment with which metal fans react to a hardcore band. There was no moshing, something I had thought for sure would happen. The band even made a joke about us standing a little closer, the crowd was so shy. Everyone did bang their heads appreciatively, though, and the performance was really stellar.

[And a ReverbNation site for them as well: http://www.reverbnation.com/6000wingsthebendedbow]

So a good night was had by me and my friend Trisha at the $5 local metal show. I’m glad we went- the crowd was much more peaceful than they usually are, as the last one of these I went to there was an actual dogpile at one point (but grindcore will do that). The turnout was surprisingly good for a bill of all local acts as well. I estimate that there were probably 30 people at any one point, perhaps a few more for the headliner. I was worried that the crowd might stay home due to the rather inclement weather, so I was glad that some at least came out.

And now I must return to pummeling my eardrums with the latest offering from Marduk, which I received in the mail about a week and a half early (on accident, maybe?). It’s some brilliant stuff, and I’ll be reviewing it soon.

Until next time,

Hagalaz