Concert Review: Dark Tranquillity At Launchpad

This show was a perfect storm of musical variety, consistent heaviness, and high-energy excitement. Launchpad is one of my favorite venues, and it outdid itself for this concert. Each band was unique, yet the chemistry was cohesive, and the result was like the so-called “goldilocks effect” that created life on our planet: A seemingly random formula of a certain matter, in certain places, et cetera, that culminates into a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Starkill managed to impress, even though I only caught the very last of their set. Their music had hints of metalcore, with melancholy clean vocals juxtaposed against growls and melodic guitar hooks. I was inspired to check out their bandcamp, and to my delight, they have a fine collection of power chords and haunting female vocals, plus some wicked guitar solos.  Do yourself a favor and check them out.

Enforcer are an epic power metal hailing from Sweden. Everything about this band screams “80's METAL!!!” Enforcer hark back to the days when the line between hard rock and glam metal was blurred. From catchy guitar riffs and harmonized choruses, to shredding guitar solos and high pitched vocals, this band exemplifies everything that made early heavy metal so badass.

Swallow The Sun, from Finland, are defined by progressive, almost trance-like soundscapes. Their atmospheric music is experimental, ambient, and mesmerizing. The lead singer boasts skills in both clean and gutteral vocals. It was easy to get lost in the mix of the music, and go to another world entirely. Its seldom that we consider music that could be simultaneously brutal and beautiful, but Swallow The Sun offer the best of both worlds.

Dark Tranquillity are one of the most prolific Swedish melodic death metal bands, hailing from the city of Gothenburg, from which the genre earned its nickname. Playing classics like White Noise Black Silence, the band also performed tracks from their new album, Atoma, which is yet another masterpiece among their impressive discography.

Within a matter of seconds, soaring melodies plummeted to the gutteral depths of hell, displaying a complete mastery of both heaviness and melodic virtuosity. Not only are they expert musicians and eloquent lyricists, they are also genuinely passionate. Their excitement and energy are infectious. These are badass shredders who happen to be very humble and down to earth. Like their fellow Swedes Enforcer, they are cool enough to socialize with fans, sign autographs, and generally kick ass at life.

Oh, and rumor has it a vest of one of the band members went missing that night. If anyone knows where it is, or can help return it, please do so. That vest was going to be auctioned for charity at the end of the tour. If you have any information regarding it, please contact the band!

All things considered, it was almost a perfect night. This concert is a shining example of exceptional live music, played with heart and soul. A genuine connection between bands and fans, plus professional musicianship and talent, made for an amazing show. Five stars out of five! 

Shows of 2014

Sorry for the lack of writing, I had a momentary lapse of reason and decided to spend the last few weeks blasting Fleshgod Apocalypse and reading Nietzsche. I haven't been quite the same ever since. I'm not sure I'll ever recover. Anyway, here are some cool shows to get the year off to a good start.

 

Wow, this year is already way better than 2013, and we're not even two weeks in! This tour hits my neck of the woods on the 11th, then heads Westwards. (Note: The flyer says the show is happening at Amped, but the updated event page says it's actually at The Gasworks. )

 

Here's another Albuqurque show on the same night. this line up is more Industrial/Heavy Electronic. The Jam Spot is a relatively new venue that only recently opened, so check it out! 

 

  

Yowza! Chelsea Grin and Eat A Helicopter will be sharing the stage at Launchpad! In an early review, I even compared EAH with CG, they must be a match made in Deathcore-Heaven. The third band is Siddhartha, an up-and-coming local band who call Albuquerque home. 

Stay tuned for more updates, meanwhile, enjoy your local scene and don't get too drunk.

Upcoming Shows

 

Tonight at the Underground! Check out all these Fear And Loathing references. More importantly, note that this music is featured on Board To Death Vol. 3.  

 

If you live in Albuqurque, The Gasworks are hosting another Metal event tonight. Come check it out!

 

 As you can infer from the flyer art, this is gonna be a retro-style Power Metal show. However, Oscillation is more of the Death Metal persuasion (Think along the lines of Autopsy.)  Heavensake also performs an incredible Helloween cover. You can buy discounted tickets from the bands, but hurry up cuz this is happening tomorrow!

 

An all-ages Metal show at the Gasworks, courtesy of Joe Angel Productions. 

 

Holy crap! Vader fuckin' rules! They're straight up legendary. And they're sharing the stage with Execration to boot! The rest of the line up is pretty cherry, but Vader and Execration are the REAL DEAL. 

 

This Metal show is taking place in El Paso, Texas. You should probably arm yourself.

 

What a line up! Six hours of Metal in Shiprock, NM. Note that drugs and alcohol are not allowed. Also note that they're not responsible for injury, death, or theft. Yikes.

 

Another Texas concert. Vital Remains is the crown jewel of this one.

 

There's no flyer for this show, just a picture of a ticket. $5 on Oct 12 will grant you access to a Rock showcase, sponsored by Primal Panic and Rock U-Night. 

 

Here we go! This is the show at the Traditions building complex off the highway. Another sexy line-up and an even sexier flyer. For those of us who were unceremoniously shooed out of the Hell In July show, this is the show to make up for it. Bring your old Hell In July ticket and it will be honored.

Only $4 to see all these cool Grind/Death bands? Fuck yeah. Count me in. Meathook, Impaled Offering, Defleshment, Deforme, and A Malicious Plague. See you there, my friends.

New Albums Of 2013

Hey dear readers, I bet all four of you love "Blackened Thrash Hardcore Punk with a touch of Death." That is how Torture Victim describes themselves, and it pretty much hits the nail on the head. Their music boasts lightning fast riffs with a combination of clean and dirty vocals. I could only find the lyrics for two songs, which appear to be the usual Death Metal canon of genocide, mortality, gore, and legions of the undead. However, most of their songs feature vocals clean enough to discern, and the subject matter remains the same morbid stuff that nightmares are made of.

So basically, it's a nice flashback to old-school Crossover Thrash. If you enjoy Municipal Waste or Suicidal Tendencies, you'll get a kick out of Torture Victim. They are releasing a new LP, aptly titled Of Darkness And Power. The tracklisting is as follows:


1.Draugar
2.The Deciever
3.Weapon Zero
 4.Zombie
5.Suffer Agony
6.Human Debris
7.Embraced by Baphomet
8.Dormant Evil
 9.Black Portals Of Madness
10.Fatal Wonds

Check out some of the new songs, as well as some old tracks from their first LP, available on Reverbnation and Facebook. Or even better, come to the Release Show on May 11th at Launchpad. Admission is only $8, and the CD is only $10! Sweet deal.

In other news, local Heavy Metal rockers Savage Wizdom are also releasing a new CD in the near future. The production is still in the works, but from the sneak peek I got, I can tell you to set your expectations sky high. This is gonna be tight. Savage Wizdom is one of the few modern bands who play traditional Heavy Metal, the genre that started it all. If you bang your head to 80's NWOBHM such as Iron Maiden, Angel Dust, and Diamondhead, put Savage Wizdom on your list.

Speaking of NWOBHM legends, I hear they have a certain somebody on guest vocals... I'm sworn to secrecy for the time being, so I guess I'll just light this cigarrette aBLAZE and drink some BAILEY'S...

Haha, I'm such a bitch.

Rise From The Ashes Of Disbelief

I'm not a slacker. To the contrary, I got two jobs, and therefore have very little time to write on my precious, precious blog. Also, I don't even own my own computer. And typing entire articles on a smart-phone is a pain in the ass. Enough of my excuses, let's talk abut Metal.



First of all, I'm going to throw a tantrum because I should be at this show as we speak. But my job  kept me overtime, I missed the train to Albuqurque, and I'm fucked out of seeing the sickest line-up I've ever known to play a Monday night. Hardcore punk, black metal, and thrash all in the same night? All ages? But since it's at a bar, old guys like me get to drink anyway? All that and more, but I'm missing it. I hate working retail. I would burn candles to every god I know just to attend this concert. Alas, the stars are not in my favor.

But let's look on the bright side...



 

Awww yeah. I only paid $12 to see Municipal Waste, one of the most prolilfic badass legends of old-school Speed Metal. They sound good on record, but DAMN. They put on one hell of a live performance. If you're into Thrash, Punk, or anything in between, Municipal Waste will in fact fuck you up.  Not to mention the local bands, each of which is amazing in their own right. Torn Between Worlds is notorious for their lethal mosh-pits and insidious musical style. They have remained active since the early 90's, when they were known as Insight, and they've been laying waste to New Mexican eardrums ever since. Carrion Kind is aptly named, since they are basically a superband,  Comprised of former members of local favorites such as Grinkai, Cassovita, and The Seventh Circle. So the name evokes images of vultures thriving off the remains of what once was. Oh yeah, and I think they're also paying homage to the only album released by Disincarnate.

 

 

Those circle pits were off da hook. And I was drunk too!

 

And last night wasn't too bad either...

 

 

 

I may be missing out on The Casualties, Goatwhore, and Havoc today, and that's totally lame. But yesterday marked the second year in a row that I went to a Metal show on Easter Sunday, so I think that's going to be my new annual tradition. Unleash The Baboon is Bass-Heavy, uber-rhythmic Groove Metal in the vein of Skinless or Athiest. Rumors abound about an upcoming album, which I can't wait to get my grubby little hands on. Iconocaust is Denver-based Thrash band with a relentless brutality belied within melodic compositions and occasional clean vocals. They have gained a cult-following in their ever-expanding fanbase, and their new EP, Excidium De Gratia, is available for purchase here.   And headlining was the phenomenal band known as Futilitarian, who transitioned seamlessly from their Thrash/Death beginnings into a more ambient instrumental style. Usually, I prefer Metal with the vocals intact, but Futilitarian has achieved a level of heaviness that most bands can only aspire toward. This is not "Post-Metal" or some shit. This is straight up, in your face, offensively loud and stupidly brutal, true Metal. In a lineup comprised entirely of badasses, Futilitarian deserved their spot as the headliners.

 

 

Much like taking the walk of shame after having a one-night-stand at a Co-ed college, I'm having a hard time bringing this to a graceful conclusion. C'est la vie, mon amie... Au revoir.



 



 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming Shows

I love being 21. Nothing is better than getting smashed and listening to awesome, insane, loud music. For instance...

              If that's not your thing, slightly more marketable/mainstream music is coming to the Sunshine Theater on the 30th.

  

                                     Or, you can check this out, and Scream It Like You Mean It. AAAAHHHH!!

This Sunday, Sunday, Sunday! Joe Angel Productions presents Destroy It All Tour, featuring Epiphany, Carry Your Ghost, and some other crazy Metal bands. Doors open at 7 PM, cost is $7, location is the Gasworks.

Tomorrow, Warehouse 21 is hosting an all-ages show featuring HN-88, as well as up-and-coming band The Regulars. I've never heard of any of the other bands, but since I know the aformentioned artists are both Pop-Punk, I'll assume the whole line-up is similar. Besides, their flyer is an elephant in a suit. Anyway, doors open at seven, the cost is  $5, and no drugs or violence.

The fuck is with the deficit of flyers? Well, I guess I'll just tell you beautiful people all you need to know, sans visual aid. Sorry.

July 10th, HN-88 will be playing again, only this time at a bar. The Underground at Evangelos is a pretty cool venue, and the alcohol helps too. To the best of my knowledge, HN-88 will be the only band performing that night, and shows tend to cost $5, doors tend to open at 7 PM.

Saturday, July 14th, awesome Punk band Dead On Point Five is making their comeback at Hooligans Nightclub. Also playing will be Michael Lee Ostrander(think Joe Satriani on acid) and Skulldron (Think Iron Maiden on some dank weed).  Show starts at 7, I have no idea what the cover charge is but $5 is still a good bet.

Th-th-that's all, folks.

Title? I don't need no stinking title.

For once, I am the bearer of good news. A local Hardcore group, Scarless, are playing Vans Warped Tour in Las Cruces this Friday. (I knew it was only a matter of time.)  Other Metal bands in the line up include Born Of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, Impending Doom, and  Miss May I. Otherwise, it appears to be a blend of Pop-Punk and quasi-Rock. You know, bands like Yellowcard. Yuck.  Personally, I'm a huge fan of Impending Doom. They are, quite simply, deafening and insane.


Speaking of which, if you don't want to go to Las Cruces  just to see those guys, you can check them out at Launchpad. It's an all ages show, but drinks are available for ancient fossils such as myself. God, it's good to be 21. Doors open at 7 PM, tickets are $12, and remember to tip your bartender. Yummy.

So much for Las Cruces and Albuqurque. If you happen to be going the opposite direction, there is Metal Reign In The Northern Mountains, only $5 to see six bands. It's all happening this Saturday at the Quail Ridge Inn at Taos. Roadtrip, anyone? 

While my thoughts are on Taos, I must mention Skate In Da Paint, happening July 15th and August 26th. The only skate park in Taos is falling apart and scheduled to be demolished in the near future. Therefore, while the old park is in it's dying days, the Youth Center is making the most of it's last hours to raise funds for a new park. There's going to be tons of art, giveaways, competitions, and other cool stuff for the skater kids.   Being a skater myself, I can attest to the profound lameness of having no skatepark. Help the kids out, yo.

Wait a minute... I'm talking about youth centers, Metal shows, skating, and fundraisers. I'm pretty sure my life is the plot of a live action family film from the 80's. Son of a freaking bitch. 

Upcoming Shows

A few days ago, I thought I'd just post a single half-assed entry and leave it there for a fortnight. However, fate/Metal/ the internet had other plans. I'm lots of fun and bad with numbers, so I'm pretty sure it's four posts and counting at this point. Well, here ya go.

Domestic Violence is best described as Super Punk Rock. They're so awesome that even people who don't like Punk music are hooked, if only by morbid curiosity. They do have music online, but quite frankly, it will never do them justice. This is an act you have to see live to truly understand the experience. It's kind of like Shock Rock for the Hardcore crowd. Whoah, I thought Metal logos were supposed to be illegible. I can't be sure I'm reading the rest of the line up correctly, but it looks like Colour Me Once, Leaky Faces, Robots Eat Brains, and Society Unknown. The first three words on the flyer are "Punk" and "All Ages", and honestly that's all I need to hear. 

I know I give Santa Fe and Albuqurque alot of cred for their contributions to the Metal scene, but it would be blasphemous to neglect our neighbor Taos. Taos is best known for it's hot springs, wicked ski slopes, crazy hippies, and insane parties. This shindig is aptly titled Metal Reign In The Northern Mountains. The extremely talented Eulogies Of The Forgotten are playing, and I can attest to their awesome shredding abilities.  Obelisk hails from my hometown, and they describe themselves, quite fittingly, as "Party Sludge".  From Sacrifice To Survival will kick your ass, musically speaking. Portrait Of A Mastermind is intricate yet heavy, plus they have a pirate song. If that doesn't shiver your timbers, nothing will. There's two other Metal bands too, so that's just $5 for 6 bands. Wicked. 

So much for June. If you need to take a breather, you can chill during July and start August off with this. As soon as Monday, I will be old enough to see all of the bar shows. I've already gone mad with my newfound power, albeit premature at this point. What could be better than booze and a concert? Maybe if there was some hotties involved, I'd say I was in heaven...

...Oh my! Thank you, Gods of Metal. \m/

Rave, Reggae, Rock

This post is named after a shirt I got from the mall in high school. I think it was from like, Claire's or Hot Topic or some equally corny establishment. It just said "Rave Reggae Rock" in neon colors on a cool tank top.  Anyway, I just got back from a Rave at the very decent hour of 2:18 AM.  It was pretty cool, but I felt self conscious because I thought I looked like a "prosti-tot". I'm not a teenager who dresses like a skank, I'm just a hot chick who happens to be short. Plus, I just a had a nice bowl of marij-- Um, a nice bowl of ice cream, so I was having a pretty good time.

And for the record, I did headbang to dubstep. The rumors are true. Stop yelling at me. Even so,  I've had an epiphany. The audiences at raves are pretty pissed off, even though the music is all uppity. However, Metal audiences are pretty pumped, even though the music is morbid. The fuck is up with that? How can a grown ass man wear so many shades of neon pink and still manage to be mad?

Well, this blog is all about Metal, at least in theory, so I guess here's some upcoming shows for all of you mongrels.

Victory Heights is having a "Comeback Show", which sounds like a euphemism for "Reunion Show". I don't actually know. Regardless, they sound pretty good, so this concert seems legit. Besides,  I can attest to the awesomeness that is Scarless, as well as Forever An End. Each of these bands is some version of Metalcore, and I know approximately jack-shit about the rest of the line-up, but for $7, I'm not complaining. The venue is Amped Performance Center, so don't come drunk or bitchy or they'll throw your dumb ass out. And you'll deserve it.

Tomorrow, there's this show, which is gonna be totally sick. Futilitarian is trippy, intricate Instru-Metal, whereas Bear The Nightmare is kind of like Metalcore, but a little cooler. Don't know the other two, but it doesn't matter because I will be ONE DAY too young to see them anyway.

This show is actually the day of my birthday, so it's my gift to myself. $4 for a Punk show and a bar? Fuck yeah. That's so awesome that it's stupid.  

Local band Xmortis is also going to play at Albuqurque's Launchpad on Sunday, September 2. There is no flyer yet, as the event is pretty distant in the future. In fact, no-one even knows the rest of the line up yet. But Launchpad has pretty high standards, so I'm sure it will rock. Besides, the whole shindig is a benefit for the Save The Music campaign, sponsored by VH1. Big-shot corporations like that don't take their concerts lightly. Even though I don't have many details, I do know that tix are $10 in advance and $12 the day of.  So, get a headstart on that, comrades.

Fuck, I'm about to barf, so be content with what I give you, ya drunk fools.

Band Review: Futilitarian

 I've noticed that New Mexico has an obsession, almost bordering on a fetish, with Outer Space. Mayhaps it's just because we have Roswell? I don't know. Either way, our Metal scene was prototype Alien-core before Rings Of Saturn was a big deal. From the celestial tech-death of Fields Of Elysium to the  astronaut rappers of State Of The Mingo, we're all a bunch of space cadets here. Hell, we even have a venue called Launchpad. We have a serious problem. That being said, I am head over heels for Futilitarian.

Futilitarian incorporates an obscene amount of guitar in an otherwise ambient instrumental style. The result is something like Post-Metal, but more mosh-able. The style is primarily heavy and sounds like planets crashing together. The guitars are melodic and melancholy, featuring tragic sounding riffs which segue off into angry blasts. Similarly,  the drums run the spectrum from caveman-esque primal rhythms to ridiculously fast explosions of energy.

Although Futilitarian oscillates between atmoshperic and extreme, the transitions are seamless. It's like watching the world explode, recoiling in horror, then realizing "Eh, they deserved it."  If you don't believe me, EP: To Earth is available for free download. The music may be free, but remember that Metalheads need money at least as much as everyone else. Therefore, you must check them out live in concert should the opportunity present itself. Behold:

Beefy. If for some reason you can't attend these concerts, you really should download their album.It sounds like a Lovecraftian apocalypse of the Elder Gods, set to autotune.  Here's the track list:

1. Escape Pod To Earth
2. Ocean: Axis
3. (Planetary) Magnitude
4. Retrieving Nihilism
5. Abstract Universe
6. Black Dwarf Star
 
Need I say it? Five stars outta five.

A Blessing With A Curse

I was kind of bummed out because my posts are half-assed and lame, so I was worried about what to write today. Then I realized I could just post more flyers and call it a day.

Tonight W21 is hosting the annual Get Awesome Fest, aptly titled because it's FREE and features tons of bands from different genres. I don't recognize any Metal bands in the line up. However, I know that HN-88 is a flashback to 90's Pop-Punk, and that we Santa Fe girls go wild for them. Think what Green Day or Sum 41 would be like if they had more personality. State Of The Mingo is outta-this-world Hip Hop. If you've never experienced  an astronaut rapping, this is kind of a must-see. My favorite album of theirs is the fabulously titled Revenge Of The Synth. These Charming Cobras are ridiculously catchy Punk, somewhat Surf-Rock in their style. Mono Stereo is still a mystery to me. They are "Indie",whatever the fuck that means. And I don't know anything about the remaining bands either. Hey, it's a free show, what's the worst that can happen?

If you're in stupid Albuqurque this Sunday, check out the awesome Punk show at the Gasworks. I don't know any of these bands except for Domestic Violence, self-proclaimed Super Punk Rock, which sounds about right. Their reverbnation doesn't quite do them justice, as their stage presence is, quite frankly, phenomenal. For lack of a better description, I would compare them to Rancid but with a hot chick as the lead singer. That's not even mentioning the other 3 bands who are playing, and it's only $5. This is an all-ages show, so don't fuck it up by getting swilly at the venue. You can drink yourself to sleep when it's over.

Another Gasworks show, eh? This one is on Sunday, July 1st. This Is Hell has shared the stage with the likes of Unearth and Within The Ruins, so they are obviously a force to be reckoned with.The Greenery describe themselves as "sexy dudes making sketchy music." Yeah, that's accurate enough. Ecophagy is a bunch of teenagers wreaking havoc on your sense of hearing. I usually don't like chaotic Hardcore, but I have to admit that these dudes are pretty awesome.  Xerxes is kind of mysterious.

This one is on my 21st birthday, so it's my gift to myself. Only $4 to see A.P.D?! That's nothing short of scandalous.  Not to mention four other amazing Punk bands. That's less than a dollar per act. Take, for instance, Doomed To Exist. They've been described as everything from Grimecore to Crust to Thrash. Regardless of the genre, they are fucking amazing. Duke City Bombers are pretty crazy. They're basically old school "Oi! Oi! Oi!" Punk rock. There are approximately infinity Punk bands called Intoxicated, so I'm not sure which one this actually is. Bad Engrish is yet another Colorado Punk band. And unlike most shows, this one will most likely involve heavy drinking. See you there, my loves.