Pre-emptive Strike

My 21st birthday rapidly approacheth. As such, I have made an educated guess that I will be incapacitated for approximately a week thereafter. So this one post will have to last you a while, which is unfortunate because it obviously sucks.  I would post flyers for upcoming shows, but my computer is acting infuriatingly slow, so you will be content to read about whatever Metal-esque thing pops into my head.

For starters, the ridiculously talented Savage Wizdom are currently in the process of creating a new album. They were cool enough to give me a sneak peek of the new material, and I have to say, it totally rocks. It still has the traditional Power Metal vibe of their previous album, No Time For Mercy, but has been refined to be a little heavier. As soon as I aquire a functional camera, I can present you, dear reader, with video evidence of their musical prowess. The closest comparison I can make, musically speaking, is to Helloween: It's basically traditional Heavy Metal, but faster and somewhat Thrash-y. On the down side, all this time in the studio means less time on the stage. They are making themselves scarce for concerts, but rumors abound about a possible show at El Rey Theater in the near future. As soon as these rumors are confirmed or denied, I'll update it.


HN-88 have just released their new album as well, which is available for download. You have to pay for it this time, because their first album, This Is Not The End, was something they just handed out  to everyone for free. They were trying to spread the love of music or something. Damn dirty hippies.
Xmortis has a new bassist, Soul To Rest has broken up, and Grinkai is M.I.A. Therefore, I have nothing interesting to tell you. I have writers block like a beast. However, in my own defense, I know I'm not the only one. Let's just blame it on the paparazzi and call it a day.

Upcoming Shows

As usual, I've been incapacitated due to a lethal combination of booze, skating, and schooling, but my writing sucks anyway so no-one minds. Anyway, Warehouse 21 still has a monopoly on all-ages Metal in Santa Fe, so let's see what's on the agenda...

...Oh right, Savage Wizdom and Grinkai, AKA two of the most talented bands in the whole freaking state. Savage Wizdom is a flashback to good ol' NWOBHM. Their style of Power-Metal is beefy, catchy, and occasionally theatrical. (Just don't knock someone out cold in the mosh pit this time, you guys. Damn barbarians...)

Grinkai is a little less crowd pleasing, but they still have funky melodies that get stuck in your head. Think Pantera-esque riffs with modern Death Metal vocals. They recently released their first CD, aptly titled "'Bout Fucking Time." Hopefully, they will perform their new number, which is called (also aptly) "Stupid Death Metal." Yes, stupid Death Metal indeed.

I can't find much about Until Chaos that's not on the infernal digital cesspool known as Facebook, so I guess we'll all be content to know the very basics. They're a Rock n' Roll band from Albuqurque. That is literally all I, or anyone else, has to say. I hope their music is better than their profile gives them credit for. The photos look promising, so let's see what they got.

What the hell is a Mono-Stereo? I think my older brother had one of those in the early 90's, and he would crank it while doing drugs with those creeps from Logical Nonsense. Ah, good times. But apparently the band is indie-rock, though. What the hell is indie-rock? Like, independent? I don't get it. Cheryl fears/loathes anything different from her norm, but I'll give this "indie-rock" a chance and see what happens. Don't be surprised if I bail to get my fix of Metal, which always and forever will be my comfort zone.

The show is this Friday, April 7th. Like most  W21 shows, doors open at 7 PM and the cost at the door is $5. It's an all ages show, so leave the booze at home and drink yourself to sleep when it's over.

And on Easter Sunday, we have this. The line-up is so cherry that it hurts. However, Fields Of Elysium are in some band drama, so let's see if they're up for this. Devildriver is pretty cool, even if their songs all sound alike. Dying Fetus is amazing, and this will be the first time I see them in concert. I know approximately diddly-squat about Job For A Cowboy, but at least I know they're famous. 3 Inches Of Blood is a pretty generic name, but the music kicks ass. Impending Doom, Wretched, and some other third band are also playing. Tix are $23, and you can purchase them from the bands or from the Concrete Jungle smokeshop. Then again, this gig is probably sold out by now, but don't say I didn't tell ya.

Warehouse 21 Concert

So last time, I informed all you mongrels of the upcoming shows. If you missed this concert, that's entirely your own fault. Either way, here are the shenanigans that transpired last night.

Soul To Rest were the last-minute opening act, filling in for Burst Into Flames. I love both of these bands, so the show would have kicked ass anyway, but Soul To Rest is a local favorite and brought in a plethora of metalheads. They played monolith head-banging pieces such as Martyrdom Of The Divine and Early Morning Massacre, a pristine pre-game for the bands to come.

Next up was Echoes Of Fallen, a brutal Death-Metal band hailing from Albuqurque. Their style is a flashback to old school Death Metal. (Think about this: Morbid Angel meets Death. That's how they sound.) Although the subject matter of the lyrics is grueling, the vibes are all positive. These musicians are not only performers, but fans of Metal themselves, thus rendering gimmicks unnecessary. This attitude is radiant, and it shines through at concerts. Rarely have I seen a stage presence so energetic, even though it is devoid of novelty.

Leading into the headliner were local legends Savage Wizdom. This is old-style Power Metal at it's finest. These guys totally rock, with beefy lyrics, hooky riffs, and clean vocals bordering on operatics. The front row was packed with heshers banging heads in unison, and I kid you not when I say that most of the audience knew the lyrics by heart. Savage Wizdom put on a superb performance as usual.

The headlining band was Grinkai, bringing dirty thrashy Death Metal with a vengeance. These dudes have a funky style going on, reminiscent of Groove-Metal titans such as Pantera. The guitar riffs are catchy enough to get stuck in your head, and the vocals are ruthlessly caustic. Again, the stage presence brings in the X-Factor that recordings lack. A Grinkai concert is a spectacle to behold, and I cannot stress enough that if you missed it, I neither envy nor pity you. You deserve what you got, which is deprivation of the pinnacle of all that rocks. Serves you right, fucker.

Warehouse 21 did not dissapoint. This was the best night I've had in a long while. I'll be recovering from whiplash for a long time, but I hope to see you on March 2nd anyway. Four stars outta five.

Upcoming Shows

Warehouse 21, the best all-ages venue in Santa Fe, will be hosting a kick-ass Metal show on Saturday, featuring local legends Savage Wizdom and Grinkai, as well as the Albuqurque death-metallers Echoes Of Fallen and the talented Burst Into Flames hailing from Edgewood. Just because it's an all-ages event, don't think the place will be swarming with bratty kids. Old-school heshers frequent such concerts, and in fact the only difference is that alcohol is strictly prohibited. So leave your drugs at home and check this shit out. $5 at the door, show starts at 7. See you there.

Next on the to-do list is the Metal show on March 2nd. Same venue, same price, same time. Godhunter from Tuscon will be performing alongside the epic thrashers Simfonik Plague of Albuqurque. Skulldron, also from 'Burque, is a trippy taste of local Stoner Metal. The original line-up included Inoculara, but now Wormhole has replaced them on the bill. Don't miss this.

And remember... This is an all ages venue, so no drugs, alchohol, violence, or stupidity. A squalid slab of a venue in which to get your blood-and-metal fix is not without it's allure, but teens deserve a safe environment where they can enjoy good music. Let's keep their interactions with cops and paramedics to a minimum.



Monster Bash

Once more, I must apologize for my hiatus from writing, though in my defense, this particular digression was fueled by neither drugs nor laziness. Instead, I got my ass kicked in a mosh pit, and have been in recovery ever since. I'm mostly intact, sans a few teeth and higher brain functions, but otherwise alive and well. Let's take a flashback to that infamous night, the legendary Monster Bash of Warehouse 21.

The Advocates were mass-appealing funky rock in the vein of Rage Against The Machine. They played with enough charisma and talent to make most local rock bands envious, a feat even more impressive when you consider this was their first live show. On the other hand, being unknown, they didn't have a large audience, yet those who were present will probably become loyal fans.

    Next on the bill were local legends Grinkai, infamous Death Metallers who boast both brutality and musicianship. Although their music is of an abrasive, barn-burning variety, the distorted riffs hint toward some kind of catchy melody. The band has gained notoriety in the local scene for their unique brand of marketable psychosis. There's no one else like them, for better or for worse.And as usual, I loved every second of it.

    HN-88 claims to be kid-friendly, but they're really Blink 182 in disguise. Yet it is a thin veil, and I have come to expect innuendos, graphic violence, and other teenage shenanigans I know and love from 90's Pop-Punk. So they're not kid-friendly so much as a magnet for rebellious teenage girls, or burnt out Metalheads filling the void with guilty pleasures (such as myself).  It was like Vans Warped Tour all over again.

     Finally, Savage Wizdom took the stage. If you don't know who they are, either read more of my shit, move to Santa Fe, or download all their songs. It's worth it, trust me. It was during this last set that the pits got even more rowdy. I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I'm pretty sure people got knocked out cold and had to be rescued by their friends. On my end of the deal, I got a bloody nose, a few bruises, and though I can technically eat solid stuff, it hurts like hell. Guess I'll just have to consume liquids... *glug glug glug*

So, ultimately, there was Funk, Death Metal, Pop-Punk, and traditional Heavy Metal all in one night, not to mention hot chicks, booze, and grievous injuries. Hell yeah, can't wait 'til next year! Four stars outta five!