Cattle Decapitation: Concert Review

I've been anticipating this  concert ever since it was announced. Now that I have experienced Cattle Decapitation in their full glory, I am blown away. Although my neck will be hurting for the next week, and some of my comrades left the venue bruised and bloody, it was totally worth the pain. Here's why:

A Malicious Plague were the opening band. One song would emphasize shredding guitar solos, the next would highlight the noodling bass lines, and yet another song would be centered around percussion.  Each band member excelled in his particular instrument, and together they delivered an excellent performance, though no two songs sounded alike. 

Impaled Offering fucking killed it. The vocals were delivered in a low-pitched, deep growl. The guitars were dissonant and caustic as hell, with furious drumming in the background. Whether you are into brutal death metal like Cryptopsy or goregrind like Exhumed, Impaled Offering definitely delivers a raw, violent sound to rival the best in the metal industry.

Yar could  potentially be my favorite act out of the whole bill. They played some songs I didn't recognize from their self-titled debut, so this was presumably new material from an upcoming album. There is heart and depth behind their aggressive, thrashy sound. Of all the bands who performed, Yar had the most emotive quality. Although the guitar riffs were the focal point, the kickass vocals, percussion, and bass lines all complemented each other. 

Fields Of Elysium are focused on musical technique. Although their music is extreme, this is not mosh material. The style is very technical and somewhat reminiscent of Jazz. Sometimes these strange musical arrangements sound brilliant, but on the other hand,  the abrupt tempo changes in both percussion and string instruments can be quite jarring. Nonetheless, there are enough breakdowns and guitar sweeps to satisfy most purists (i.e. metal nerds).

  

Carrion Kind, characterized by a melodic thrash style,  played many songs that fans would recognize from Conglomerate Of Misery, their debut album released in 2014. They saved their best for last, performing my favorite track, Memoirs Of A  Lost Civilization, as the final song in their set. Catchy drum beats and guitar hooks were overlapped by gutteral vocals. Excellent performance, as always. 

Cattle Decapitation are infamous for making incredibly violent, angry music. Although only two members of the current line up are vegetarian, the lyrics remain pessimistic and misanthropic condemnations of mankind’s tendency to perpetually fuck itself over. The mosh pits were insane, and I was ecstatic when they ended the night with Kingdom Of Tyrants, one of their best and most notorious tracks. 

Thanks to Metal World Radio, Kronos Creative, and The Locker Room, who made this show possible. Also a special shout out to Attack Research, whose generous sponsorship contributed immensely to the event's success. 

All things considered, this was an amazing concert. Four stars out of five.  

Upcoming Shows

Ha! What a great flyer. At long last, As In We are back to play at 2nd Street Brewery on New Years Eve. (Note that this is the original  brewery which is actually located on 2nd Street.) Doors open at 10 pm, music starts around 11. Oh, and Also, it's FREE! Only things to keep in mind are to tip your bartender, buy some merch, and don't drive drunk.

On Jan 7 2015, Hanta will be playing their album release show with Iceolus, Yar, and...DJ Muffins? One of these things is not like the others. The show will take place at Sister, a bar on Central. Cover is only $5.

If the 80's have taught me anything, it's that Battles Of The Bands kick major ass. This one is sponsored by Rock U Night, 94 Rock, an even Jim Beam. 

Here is an updated flyer with the final line up. If you haven't already acquired tickets for this concert, they are available on Hold My Ticket or from any of the local bands (Carrion Kind, Fields Of Elysium, Yar, Impaled Offering, and A Malicious Plague.) The price of tix goes up if you buy them at the door, so I suggest you get them in advance.  The madness takes place at 6:30 pm,  January Tenth at The Locker Room. Let's get rowdy. 

Upcoming Shows: *UPDATED*

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First and foremost, I am pleased to announce that CATTLE FREAKING DECAPITATION is coming to my humble hometown to play at The Locker Room on January tenth. That's one way to start 2015 with a bang. The official line up inlcudes Carrion Kind, Fields Of Elysium, Yar, Impaled Offering and A Malicious Plague.

Meanwhile, in Albuqurque, Launchpad will be hosting this show on December 18th. Show some love to Omingnome, touring from Georgia. 

I've never heard of any of these bands, but the flyer looks cool, so here ya go. 

 Until Chaos are back in the scene, and their reunion show will feature Savage Wizdom! Plus the venue is called The Damn Bar and if that doesn't make you want to go, you're a lost cause. 

The day after Jesus' fake birthday, Music Is The Enemy will be playing with Beard and Futilitarian at Burt's Tiki Lounge in Albuquerque. I definitely want to score some of MITE's sweet new merch. Check it:

Sha-weet!

On the same day, Inanimate Existence will be playing at the brand spanking new venue, Blu Pheonix, with support from Impaled Offering, Omnicast, Diminished Existence, and...Lithopaedion? How the fuck do you pronounce that? Whatever, looks like a kickass show. 

Last but not least, here is a show for you Oakland metalheads. I haven't heard of Bog Oak, but they have a wicked logo and I definitely have love for Wayfarer and Infinite Waste. Since I'm a couple thousand miles away, I won't make it to this gig, but if you happen to be in the area, do yourself a favor and check it out.

If you know of any more concerts and events, you can contact me here. Until then, I'm out. 

Upcoming Shows

First and foremost, I must unveil the glory that is the Despise The World 2013 lineup. This is so good it has to be fattening.  The astronomically talented Fields Of Elysium from Santa Fe, New Mexico bring on the Jazzcore/Tech-Death with a vengeance. Admiron is some kind of unholy beast wrought from the forges of Thrash, Industrial, and Metalcore. Rings Of Saturn are painstakingly intricate, alarmingly fast Tech-Death group, also known as the innovaters of "Aliencore." They recently came out on top of the Summer Slaughter tour vote, but more on that later. Meanwhile, Jungle Rot is releasing a new album, Terror Regime, available the day of this show! Speaking of new albums, the recently re-animated Exhumed   has been relatively dormant until the 2011 release of All Guts No Glory, which you may recognize as a fuckin amazing EP.  Headling is another heavy-weight beast of the Death-Metal industry, Suffocation. This legendary group has been playing kickass death metal since '88, a year when Glam rock was prevalent and good tunes were scarce. 

This is an all-ages show, but since the venue is Hooligans Nightclub, we big-kids get to drink ourselves silly. (I assume the "No Alcohol" means don't show up already drunk.) Tickets are a mere $22 and can be purchased at  Music-go-round, The Zone smokeshop in Albuqurque, or The Concrete Jungle smokeshop in Santa Fe. This is a monstrously big show, so doors open at the ungodly hour of 4 PM. And if you manage to emerge from the wreckage of the concert in one piece, there's a 21+ afterparty featuring Incide, Unleash The Baboon, Carrion Kind, and End to End. Fuck yeah!

So let's say that the day after that show, you survived your mosh-induced injuries, you survived your whiplash, you survived the raging afterparty, and the subsequent hangover just makes you want to go to another show. Well, you lucky dog, Ghost comes to town immediately after the Despise The World tour! Doesn't that just make you jolly as a roger?

Tickets must be purchased in advance, and you can do that here.  Doors open at 8 PM. All ages. No drugs, no alcohol.

Mayhem is coming, oh yes it is. I'm pretty stoked for approximately half of the line-up, and the other half simply isn't my cup of tea. Let's play a fun game and see if you can guess which is which.   

               Edgefest  gets an honorable mention. This music event is sponsored by 104.1 The Edge, the Alternative/Grunge radio station of Albuqurque. The line up isn't really "Metal." I even hesitate to call any of those bands "Hard Rock".  But they're all decent groups, and if you needed something to do in Albuqurque on May 5th, well, here ya go.

Th-th-that's all, folks.

Let's Try This Again

Last post was super-false, but my computer bit the dust, so I had to use an ancient monstrosity that runs slower than hell. Anyway, now that my horrible incident of terror is over, I can bring you a (slightly) higher quality of writing. It's still going to consist entirely of random stuff I should have said a long time ago, and in a more aesthetically articulate manner, but I'm too fat, lonely, and poor to care.

First of all, the Tech-Death/ Aliencore band Rings Of Saturn are dropping a new album on Nov. 20th. The album will be named Dingir, after the Sumerian word for "diety" or sky".  Their first album, Embryonic Anamoly, set the bar pretty high, but Dingir seems promising, as evidenced by this sampler.  And as is usually the case with Tech-Death, the album art is as intricate as the music itself. Awesome.

Meanwhile, for those of us who need something to do until November, there's the Slaughter Survivors tour. It hits my neck of the woods at August 16th, but the tour is also hitting Denver, New York, Hollywood, and other big-shot cities. The line up is amazing. I can't brag enough that I actually went to high school with Fields Of Elysium, who happen to be one of the biggest bands in New Mexico, Metal or otherwise. Fallujah appeals to a similar fanbase, but they are a more atmospheric style of Metal.  Weslandia were the worthy winners of a recent Battle Of The Bands, and they also happen to be a Christian Metal band. Don't be talking smack or I'll stab you with my crucifix. The rest of the line up is pretty rad, but I can't do them justice. You'll just have to see the show.

On a far more depressing note, someone jacked the gear belonging to Animals As Leaders. As in, they punked the instruments, equipment, and even the freaking vehicle. So if some sketchy ass-hole on the street tries to sell you a suspiciously awesome guitar at a low, low price, you have my blessing to kill him. Meanwhile,  if you have any info on their stuff, you can contact them at animalsgear@gmail.com

I'm really burnt out, so I can't really think of anything else that pertains to Metal. Well, except that the new episodes of Metalocalypse are freaking hilarious. And I have such a huge crush on Toki Wartooth that it truly makes me sad that he's not real.

This post is sad... I'm just gonna listen to Muknal and OD on store-brand Mountain Dew. Peace.

Cheer Up, Emo Kid

I missed the Gaza show, due to the clusterfuck that passes as "Public Transportation" in New Mexico. Being stranded in the sketchy side of one of the most Meth-saturated cities in the country is pretty Metal, but it's also pretty fucked up. So I cut my losses and drank an ungodly amount of Absinthe while listening to their stuff on Myspace. However, I am severely dissappointed that I didn't get their autographs. I saved my  June '11 edition of Terrorizer Magazine, in which they had a kick ass review, solely for this purpose. It was then that I realized, this has been a pretty false year for us Metalheads.

Flattus Maximus is dead, for starters. Not to mention that May 16 was the anniversary of Ronnie James Dio's death. And when heshers weren't busy dropping like flies, bands were busy  breaking up. In my neck of the woods, we just lost Suspended, the ONLY all female Metal-band in the Albuqurque/Santa Fe area. Fields Of Elysium lost their drummer. This Days Light lost their vocalist. Grinkai decided to take a break from live concerts. Both Cassovita and Futilitarian converted to The Dark Side (Instru-Metal), and The Cast Aside apparently quit before they even started. What the fuck?

Meanwhile, legendary icons of the genre have seriously gone downhill. If you haven't listened to Iron Maiden's The Final Frontier, don't bother. It will break your heart. Same is to be said of Queensryche with thier immensely dissappointing Dedicated To Chaos. Final Frontier somehow manages to be simultaneously predictable and dissonant, whereas Dedicated To Chaos sounds like a "5 Gum: Stimulate your senses" commercial. It is a far cry from the beefy, heavy origins from which the bands had begun. How the mighty have fallen.

I missed many amazing concerts, and yet others were dissappointments. The local scene is in a retarded Catch 22 when the bands don't want to perform for a small or tepid audience, and the fans don't show much support because they think that bands don't want to play. The situation was worsened when we lost venues. Little Wing and The Compound are now defunct, leaving Metalheads under 21 in a really picarious position. And on the offchance that we get the opportunity to see a phenomenal act perform for cheap in an all ages venue... The goddamn train comes only once and an hour late. That is so false that it hurts.

I'm bumming myself out now. I'll look on the bright side, i.e stare at these Death Metal panties. By the way, my birthday is on the 25th. These would make a most excellent gift. Honest.

Ahh, that's better.

Metal Alliance 2012

Well, fuck. It's been a rowdy ass weekend frought with mayhem and debauchery. Warehouse 21 hosted yet another Metal show on Saturday, but more about that later. Today, I'm going to focus on the craziness that was the Metal Alliance tour. First of all, it came to my neck of the woods on Easter Sunday. The Holy Day is a pretty weird time to do anything, let alone have a freaking Death Metal Concert. And on Zombie Jesus day, too?! Thankfully, I gave up Christianity for Lent, so I wasn't too worried.

Unfortunately, the tour manager was kind of a bitchy diva, so the local bands had tiny sets. Seriously, I  missed half of Fields Of Elysium's set just by blinking. They only played two songs, both of them recently composed, and both of which are available on the new CD. Last I heard, it only costs $7, and it has some killer cover art to boot.

Whoah, trippy.

 The other local band was From Sacrifice To Survival, who even in their 30 minutes (if that) pretty much upstaged the headliners. You don't have to take my word for it though. They too have an EP, available to download for free. Heavy, intense, and insane.

The only other extaordinary band was 3 Inches Of Blood. Don't get me wrong, the line up was truer than truth itself, but I couldn't tell one band from the next, awesome though they were. 3 Inches Of Blood, however, stood out as a paragon of modernized Traditional Heavy Metal. Think the high-pitched hooks of Judas Priest juxtaposed with contemporary screams and riffs. It was amazing.

Like I said, I love all the other acts to death. That doesn't mean I can differentiate them from each other. For the record, though, it was Wretched, The Faceless, Dying Fetus, Job For A Cowboy, and Devildriver. The lattermost band was the headliner, and boast one of the largest Circle Pits in history.

Speaking of mosh pits... I took a beating or two that night. I can usually fend for myself in a slamdance, but this time things got all crazy. I'm not complaining, mind you. It was cathartic as hell. Plus, I look like a badass now. I even have photographic evidence of how cool I am.

Fuckin' owwww.

This might just be the brain damage talking, but I give it five stars outta five.

Losfer Words

Writers block sucks. At least it's a full moon tonight; maybe the werewolf vibes will make me cool by sunset. After an all-nighter analyzing Wagner's Tristan Und Isolde, I'm pretty sure that love itself is nocturnal. Anyway, there's a show at W21 tomorrow, featuring Santa Fe metal bands Grinkai (funky death metal) and Savage Wizdom (heavy power metal), as well as Albuqurque rockers Until Chaos and Mono Stereo. All ages, Five Bucks, show starts at 7, no drugs or violence. 

Easter Sunday gives us another leviathan of a show, courtesy of Joe Angel Productions. Keep in mind, this isn't just any ol' gig; This is the damn Metal Alliance Tour 2012. That's pretty badass, even for JAP standards. Devildriver is just plain epic, a modern gem of contemporary Metal. Job For A Cowboy has a weird name, but brutality to die for. Impending Doom has cool vids, but I've never seen them in concert. Wretched has a melodic style, almost emulating the great Classical artists, and a virtuosity that is rarely seen in most Metal acts. I stil don't know what I should think of The Faceless, they remain an enigma to me.  3 Inches Of Blood features righteous, shreddy guitars and screaming vocals, reminds me of old Armored Saint. If you're on my blog and don't know about Dying Fetus, I don't know what to tell you. They're fucking intense, and you're not worthy.  Local bands include From Sacrifice To Survival and Fields Of Elysium... The former is relentless and chaotic, the latter is painstakingly technical. They're both amazing, despite, or even due to, these different musical styles.

...Shit, so far this looks like a carbon copy of my previous post. I guess I'll jazz things up by reminding everyone that The Devastated were recently signed onto Century Media Records, now amongst the ranks of Heavy Metal titans such as Iced Earth, Arch Enemy, and In Flames. They deserve some mad props for this milestone, so show some support and check their tour dates. Or at least buy a fucking T-shirt.

Cheryl is still lost for words. I'll post again when my brain is more functional.

Datz Not Metulz!

15 minutes ago... March 12, 2012 at 11:45 am... I made the most bogus discovery that Fields Of Elysium has lost their phenomenal drummer due to "Creative differences." I'm no artist, so I'm tempted to say that aesthitic integrity can suck it as long as my favorite bands remain intact. However, I also understand that real life doesn't work that way, and sometimes creativity causes adversity. It's been a good run, and considering the fact that these fuckers have been together since they were 13 years old, I'm impressed that they survived for so long. But, alas, even the good times can't be forever.

I find relief by visualizing some cosmic demon stamping expiration dates on everything I love. And yet, even silly satanic imagery is an insufficient coping mechanism. I went to high school with these fools. I've seen each concert that was legal for me to actually attend (bars don't count.) Over the years, I have become very invested in this band, so a travesty such as this hits with the force of a splitting atom. I love these dudes to death, not only as musicians but as people, so I wish them all the best of luck with their future endeavors. Moving on with life is such a bittersweet necessity, and I guess a change for the better was a long time coming.

...Still, this is FUCKING BOGUS.

2 Days 2 Cities Levelled

So last time, I informed all you uncultured swine of the impending Metal shows coming to the Albuqurque/ Santa Fe area. Since I am too lazy and stupid to write anything creative today, I'm just going to keep ranting and raving about these concerts. If I can make just one Metalhead as stoked as I am, then my efforts shall not be in vain. So, let's see, who is on the bill?

Whoah. That's alot of bands. I would burn candles to every god I know just to see Fields Of Elysium, but that's only one of the 12 bands. Immortal Prophecy is pretty damn good, I know I've seen them live at least once before. Portrait Of A Mastermind not only features a female vocalist who can hold her own against the boys, but she's a hottie as well.  The Eden Betrayal is Christian Metalcore, and worth seeing in concert. I've never seen Through Gore Comes Glory, but I've heard enough rumors to keep my expectations high. Eat A Helicopter is one of the bigger bands from Albuqurque, so they too have a reputation that I hope they fulfill. I don't know much more about any of the other bands, but like I said, Ten Bucks is worth it just to see Fields, so I'll see what they got. This is a Joe Angel Production, and he is a man of most refined taste, so I assume this concert will be epic as fuck. See you at W21 on the 17th. Bring ten bucks and arm yourself to the teeth.

Upcoming Shows

Of all the seasons, Spring is the least Metal. That's probably why my writing has sucked lately... There's no brooding cold and darkness for me to bitch about. There's just a bunch of ugly pastel colors and dorky "SPRING into savings!" advertisements for department stores. Then again, that is a far more cruel fate to endure than Winter is, so I guess Spring is actually pretty messed up. Either way, I need some action in my life, so I'll be checking this shit out now that the weather is nice enough to break out the skateboard again.

First off, we'll be getting the first annual Blu Phoenix Rising fest, AKA 2 Days 2 Cities Levelled. The first city on the hit-list is Albuqurque, with an epic Metal-fest consisting of The Devastated, Immortal Prophecy, Fields of Elysium, Portrait of a Mastermind, The Eden Betrayal, Through Gore Comes Glory, and some other bands whose logos are illegible. However, if my memory serves correctly, bands who have crazy logos are usually badass, so here's hoping. After hitting 'Burque on March 16th, the fest moves on to Santa Fe for Saturday the 17th with virtually the same lineup. On both dates, the show starts at 5:30, and it's $10 at the door. Oh yeah, and there will be free BBQ and give-aways all day! See ya there. 

Next on the to-do list: Metal Alliance Tour, 2012. Man, Fields of Elysium are gonna be wiped out by the end of the season! Not only are they playing both dates of 2 Days 2 Cites, but they'll also be sharing the stage with Devildriver on April 8th. Unlike most Metal shows, this one is happening on a Sunday. Also playing will be Job For A Cowboy, The Faceless, Dying Fetus, 3 Inches of Blood, Impending Doom, Wretched, and... uh, another illegible band. This shit is gonna rock! Tickets are $23, they can be purchased from the bands or, if you're in Santa Fe, from the Concrete Jungle smokeshop.

And finally... Occupation Domination. Son of a bitch, this is a lineup and a half! This tour comes around my neck of the woods on May 2nd, at the Historic El Rey Theater of Albuqurque. I would sell my soul just to see Rings Of Saturn, but check out everyone else on the bill. That's not even counting the local bands who will  open, which in all likelihood will probably include Fields Of Elysium again. If I ever get to see Rings Of Saturn and Fields Of Elysium play the same gig, I can finally die happy. This show is in the relatively distant future, so details such as ticket prices and the time the doors open are yet to come. Stay tuned, and rock on.

Unholy Trinity: Fields of Elysium

This is the second installation of a 3-part review, putting the spotlight on my favorite Technical Death Metal musicians. Today's post will feature the badassery that is Fields Of Elysium.

Metal, presumed dead since the  90's, has found its afterlife in Fields of Elysium. The atmosphere created by this Santa Fe based band is astronomical, as evidenced by such song titles as Decomposing Celestial Mass and Zeta Reticuli. Although they seem out of this world, the band brings everything down to earth with Sentient Worm and the all-too-human tragedy in Ramblings of Madmen. The dichotomy of celestial spectacle with earthbound profanity is reflective of the paradox which defines the band. Painstaking technical riffs portray emotional overdrive, madness turns into art, and even the sanctity of metal is tainted with jazz. However, this genre-fusion is not a mere gimmick. It a sincere innovation, saturated with the artistic intent to push musical limits.

This dedication eventually culminated into the collaboration with Dead World Syndicate,  and thus they produced their first studio album, Unraveling Arcane Dynamics. Since the 2009 release of this album, the band has prioritized the stage over the studio. Fields has used this time to their advantage, honing their already superb musical abilities. New tracks, including an instrumental piece, are to be released in the near future.

Meanwhile, Feilds is armed to the teeth with intense time signature changes, polyphonic sound walls, and compositional complexity to rival the best in the industry. While these elements are admired by other composers and musicians, the untrained ear may only hear insanity. But as the lyricists themselves so eloquently stated, " Listen to the ramblings of madmen, for they speak words of wisdom."

...Need I say it? Five stars outta five.

Modern Masterpieces: The Connexion Between Metal and the Compositions of Yesteryear

Terrorizor Magazine made a comparison between Arch Enemy’s Bloodstained Cross and the Seasons of Vivaldi. Revolver Magazine’s resident freelancer, Chris Krovatin, authored a superb article on the 6 most Metal classical compositions. Such is my textual evidence, yet my strongest proof is empirical. Listen to virtually any modern Metal, and it is clear that such music is inspired by the great classics. Contrary to the teachings of pop-culture, Metal is an extremely painstaking, technical, and complex genre. Unlike most modern music, contemporary artists of Metal are based less on Blues and more on Classical music. The intricate melodies, polyphonic sound-walls, and frequent use of syncopation differentiate Metal from most contemporary musical styles, yet link it inextricably to the genius compositions of yore.

Metal originated with the blues, taking the simple riffs to unknown, cathartic depths. As time went on, movements such as Thrash have brought speed and technicality back into the equation, giving us masterpieces to rival those of classic musicians. Take, for instance, the lessons imparted from Gradus Ad Parnassum, written by Johannes Fux. (Yes, that’s his real name.) In my brief yet torrid study of Counterpoint Compositions, I learned the difficulties of obeying the rigid structure of consonance, harmony, motion, and even the controlled use of dissonance. It was tedious to follow these rules and still manage to make the piece interesting and lively.

Yet, my favorite bands do just that, if not every day then at least often enough to get paid.

We are not the Hollywood stereotype of stoners living in our parents’ basements, mindlessly banging our heads to anything loud. We are artists. Even those of us who are neither musicians nor composers are just as cultured as the monocle-wearing crowd who pine over Baroque instrumentals. Hell, we probably listen to the exact same Purcell operas as Mr. Cunningsworth. The only difference is we crank it to 11, while Old Man.C crosses his index fingers and flings Holy Water at our supposedly satanic asses.

Modern Metal utilizes the same rigorous structure, artistic enterprise, and musical talent as the enduring works of Mozart or Beethoven. Now we have10 string guitars instead of harpsichords, and we have growls instead of choirs. Then again, the phenomenon of Symphonic Metal proves that these vocal styles don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Even radio-friendly bands such as Killswitch Engage are a testament to the possibility of operatic vocals juxtaposed with screams.  

Metal is so much more than mere fan-fodder to entertain and anger the unwashed masses. It is simultaneously malleable and durable… In a word, resilient… It has the same immortal virtue which sanctifies the gorgeous art that has endured for centuries.