The Spiritual Implications Of Mosh Pits, According To A Drunk (Me)

(Rewind: Spring 2011 ) I had learned of Danno's death a week after it transpired. Strangely enough, the day of his death and the day I got news of it had a lot in common. They were Friday mornings for him on the East Coast, Friday nights for me in the Southwestern mountains. And for both of these nights, W21 hosted Metal shows, and both concerts featured the band Obelisk. As such, obelisks have come to symbolize resilience, endurance, and the ability to turn pain into art. That is the glory of Metal, despite its grotesqueness.

The loss of a loved one is one of the most alienating experiences you can ever know. It's like being stranded in the middle of a vast desert, all alone and completely lost. No matter which direction you wander in, it feels like you'll be in this barren wasteland forever. But if in your wanderings you stumble upon something like an obelisk, you'll know that someone was in the same desert as you, they suffered the same loneliness you did, but their sorrow inspired them to create a massive testament to their injured yet ever-present dignity. And you know that maybe you could do it too.

So much for the imagery. As for the actual band, I don't think it was a coincidence that I happened to see them perform both on the night of Danno's death, during which I was ignorant, and the night I learned of it exactly a week thereafter. To paraphrase Albert Einstein, either everything is a miracle or nothing is. Of all the amazing musicians of which I call myself a fan, none were so commensurable with my own psyche as Obelisk was at the time. Their music sounds like melancholy sublimating into rage.

I remember when the bearer of bad news concluded his sad story, something like "...Peacefully in his sleep." My jaw dropped and I walked back into the concert hall, in a daze. I hated the audience for having a good time when such a travesty occured. I hated myself for having even more fun than them just minutes before. I hated the band for sounding just like how I felt. Then, lost in self pity, I was brought back down to earth both literally and figuratively as I was shoved from behind. A mosh pit had spontaneously broken out. I figured Danno's blood will never again pulse, let alone spill, nor his heart ever beat, let alone race. I might as well do it for him. I picked myself up and pushed back. I was moshing for two now. It felt good to knock some anonymous strangers around for a while. It also felt good to endure a little manhandling myself.

I didn't want to "take my mind off it", to distract myself from the tragedy that still stings me to this day. To the contrary,l I've never been so intently focused on one thing in my entire life. My brains, my bones, my blood, my bruises... They were all saturated with the memory of Danno, and that memory has not faded since.

Anyway, I just want to dispel the myth that mosh pits are futile exercises of violence and/or stupidity. Not everyone has the luxury of close proximity to the gravesites of the beloved. Even if I was granted that blessing, I have already aquired a taste for blood. And unlike the ephemeral flowers which rot faster than the graves on which they are placed, my scars are here to stay.

Wake Up Dead

You know that Megadeth song about a really brutal hangover? I'll never understand it, because I rarely get hangovers. I guess the Booze Gods are rewarding me for my piety?
Anyway, I missed that punk show in Albuqurque because I spent all day getting my ID, but the booze gods gave me further libations in the form of a Metal bar show in Santa Fe, so glory be to the saviors.

These Charming Cobras are a Punk Rock trio with a variety of musical influences, the most prominent of which is, in their own words, "Agitated Guitar Rock". To the best of my limited abilities, I can detect the same simple catchiness, insane loudness, and twangy guitars that characterize Surf Rock. The vocals are deceptively charming (heh), belying creepy and abstract lyrics saturated with dark metaphors. I love spookiness, but I admire the ability to make it appeal to a mass audience even more.  Even people who think they don't like Punk end up liking These Charming Cobras. Plus, the band members are super-nice. Charmed, I'm sure.

Obelisk are best described as "Party Sludge." Somehow, they mangage to be simultaneously lethargic and intense. The melodies are deep, low, brooding guitar hooks and the drumming is equally heavy. The vocals are unmistakably Metal, a perfect balance between screaming and growling. Apparently they have a Demo, as I discovered approximately five seconds ago. It's about freaking time.

Serial Hawk, hailing from Seattle, is Stoner Metal cranked up to awesomely painful volumes. Their music is purely primal, from the caveman-esque drumming to the creepy, chant-like vocal style. If the dudes who made Stonehenge were Metalheads (and there's no evidence to the contrary), I'm sure they listened to something like Serial Hawk before they sacrificed hot chicks to the Dragon Lord or some shit.

I may not be hungover, but all those rum n' cokes are wreaking havok on my motor skills. If anything, I might still be a little tipsy. Can you imagine seeing a show like this for your 21st? I have a bruise on my sternum from repeated impact with my chin (headbang responsibly, kids) along with some other mysterious wounds, but otherwise I'm alive and well. Holy crap.

I think this warrants saying again: GLORY BE TO THE SAVIORS.

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/

Last Minute Review

Last time, I made a last-ditch effort to promote some shows that didn't have a lot of publicity. However, I was under the mistaken impression that only 3 bands were playing last night's gig, whereas I was pleasantly surprised by a full set of five. Anyway, this is what mischief transpired:

 If you're familiar with my blog, you should be familiar with Obelisk. Otherwise, I don't know how to describe them without turning vague or preachy. I guess they sound like catchy, gloomy, party-sludge. I would give you a link to their music if I could, but unfortunately there are about infinity Metal bands named Obelisk. You will be content to have their Facebook page.

Next up was Distances from Albuqurque. Their virtuosity is so trippy that it gave me a fucking flashback. Imagine the sun and moon in the same sky, and the sky itself is a beautiful shade of peachy orange. Now picture an endless flock of doves flying through this setting. Distances is like the soundtrack to this vision, surreal and atmospheric although it is somewhat sinister. Seeing these guys in concert was intense, vivid, and all around amazing. I can't wait to see them again, hopefully in the near future.

After that, I think East Of The Wall played. Sorry guys, but the members of EOTW and North look the same to me, so if I mixed your bands up, feel free to set me straight. Anyway, whoever it was, they were fucking shredders. The style was ambient and heavy, so I'm tempted to call it Post-Metal. If Distances was like a crazy trip, then EOTW was like the mellow, groovy aftermath. Fucking sublime.

Leading into the headliner was (I think) North. Like I said, if I got you guys in the wrong order, it is your duty- nay, your privilege- to correct my sorry ass. At any rate, these guys were another taste of effervescent, melodic music tempered by elements of hard rock. I am perplexed how they combined Heavy Metal with chill vibes so seamlessly. So, as usual, the concert coordinater was right. North was just as badass as I had suspected.

Last on the bill was Cassovita. Unfortunately, due to extenuated circumstances, I was unable to stick around for their set. However, I know from prior experience that these dudes put on a wicked fucking show. The drumming is loud and heavy without being a distraction, and the guitarist is phenomenal. Instrumental, progressive, and occasionally psychedelic, Cassovita is an extaordinary duo.

So... That's what happened last night. If you're sorry you missed it, you can check out Obelisk and Cassovita tonight at Santa Fe Sol. $7 to see 7 bands. Anyway, last night ruled, so I'm gonna say it was four stars outta five.

Last Minute Shows

 Local music scenes rule, and as such I try to promote concerts and events as often as I can. But there were some shows that I didn't even know about until approximately five seconds ago, so I'm gonna hype it up as much as possible within the given deadlines.

First of all, we have Obelisk, Cassovita, and some other third band playing at W21 at 7 PM tonight, so there's like 2 hours to get ready for that shit. There's not even a flyer for me to share with you beautiful people, so you can already tell this gig is going to be a little hectic. However, as Chris Krovatin so eloquently stated, cartoonish crisis is the pinnacle of Metal art. Anyway, the first two bands are from Santa Fe, and they can best be described as "Pretty Metal." Obelisk is groovy, ambient, and a little bit sludge-y. It's like post-metal with growlish vocals. Cassovita is a former Death-Metal band that dropped the "Death" part, along with half the members. Now it is an Instru-Metal duo with trippy, atmospheric melodies. I forgot the other band's name, but the concert coordinater assures me that they rock. Not only has she booked them for years, but she's a musician herself (Check out her band, Drought), so I generally trust her judgement.

Tomorrow we have These Charming Cobras, Venus Bogardus, Torn Between Worlds, Lo On High, and Soul To Rest, as well as Cassovita and Obelisk again. These Charming Cobras aren't really Metal so much as Punk, but they've earned a reputation for bringing a kick ass performance. Torn Between Worlds is old-school Death-Metal, and they're epic as fuck. Soul To Rest is also pretty amazing, and for some reason they remind me of Whitechapel. I don't know much about the other bands, but it's only $7 so what's the worst that can happen? This show isn't at Warehouse 21 but at Sol (37 Fire Place, mapquest it), so that means there's an open bar for those with I.D.

And the next day, we have the Santa Fe half of 2 Days 2 Cities Levelled. This one is at Warehouse 21, so no drinking please. Show starts early, like 5 PM, $10 at the door. I don't feel like listing all the bands, so here's a flyer.

And furthermore...Wait, what time is it?! Damn, it's already 6:05. Sorry everyone, gotta fly.

Punk As Fuck

This weekend was wack. On Friday, there was the kick-ass Metal show at Warehouse 21 (see previous post for details). Then there was a Punk Rock baby shower on Sunday (Congrats, Sophie and Jay!). And in between, there was this untitled epic concert on Saturday.  

It was a bizarre, mysterious show from the get-go. First of all, the concert didn't have a title. Then the venue was some creepy studio in the middle of a freaking industrial zone, and the owner of said studio is still of unknown identity. On top of all that Hills-Have-Eyes-esque atmosphere, I had never heard of the band Disasterman and I didn't know what to expect. Nothing is worse than paying five dollars for a show only to be disappointed, let alone in the backdrop of a damn Z-grade horror movie.

The crimson glow on the cinder-blocks was a constant reminder that I was quite literally in the red-light district. Thankfully, each of the bands rocked to high heaven, and somehow or another I survived, despite being drunk as a skunk and mind-altered in ways that, for legal reasons, shall remain undisclosed. What I will forevermore refer to as "The Truck And Tree Incident" played a major role in my mindset before the show even started, so let's break down the night into manage-able chunks, starting with Obelisk.

Ah, yes, Obelisk. I love these dudes to death, yet I still have difficulty explaining their sound. Their self-described "Party Sludge" is close enough. The Metal style is caustic, dance-able, energetic and brooding. The instruments are a little doom-y with a cool groove, and the vocals are intense as can be. I'm still not doing them justice, but I assure you that they put on one hell of a live show. They were the perfect band to kick-start the night.

The Elected Officials take righteous indignation, set it to the melody of playground ditties, and amplify it to high heaven. They embody hardcore, Punk-as-fuck, “Oi Oi Oi” music with a message. They hit the stage like a Molotov cocktail hits a skyscraper, conquering the venue with their wicked charisma. Rebels with a cause have never sounded so good.

Next up was Disasterman. I can't tell you enough how suspicious I am of duos. Prior experience has taught me that such ensembles are risky. However, my expectations (or lack thereof) were defied. To say I was "pleasantly suprised" is a drastic understatement. "Blown away" is a little more accurate. Rarely have I seen two dudes play with enough talent and energy to hold their own against full-size bands.

Headlining was Torn Between Worlds. These local legends are a taste of dirty, thrashy Death Metal at it's finest. Every show of theirs results in lethal mosh-pits. I'm sure at least one of my  head-injuries owes its existence to these guys. Their music is superb, but the mosh-pits are even better. The night ended with a bang, an immaculate conclusion to a concert such as this.

And on top of all that, there was booze, soda, and frito pies. Have you ever drunkenly devoured New Mexico food at a Metal show? Trust me, if you do, it will the best night of your life. This show was one for the books, no doubt. Five stars outta five.

Yet Another Concert, Yet Another Review

Friday, 1/27/12. Warehouse 21 hosted another Metal show. Rock concerts at W21, though frequent, are anything but routine. Here are the shenanigans that transpired last night:

First up was The Eden Betrayal, a Christian Metal group. Despite all of the evidence to the contrary, I myself am Catholic. I'm not a very good one, but I'm a Catholic all the same. As such, it was nice to see like-minded devotees defy stereotypes and rock out with the best of them. The breakdowns and occasional clean vocals were a testament to a contemporary incarnation of Metalcore. The Eden Betrayal was an excellent band to start the show on the right track.

Next on the set was Of All Forms. This group is good ol', unrefined Metal. In a local scene that prides itself on gimmicks, these musicians are a refreshing hiatus of one unadulterated genre, with very little theatrics. I'm not dissing genre-fusion, nor am I dissing theatrics. I love those things, but sometimes I don't want to be overstimulated. I just want to have the time of my life.

Hailing from Albuqurque, Vale Of Miscreation is high octane, energetic Death Metal. They are simultaneously harmonic and freakishly fast, with deep lyrics laden with social commentary. On top of all of this, VOM also featured thrashy bass riffs and a fussilade of machine-gun drumming. Their musical style is reminiscent of Death Metal titans such as Arch Enemy and Venom.

Headlining was Obelisk, one of the most popular Metal outfits in Santa Fe. Their compositions are reminiscent of old school Stoner Metal, but with heaviness to rival the likes of other contemporary musicians. The guitar riffs feature the kind of hooks that get stuck in your head, and the vocals are immaculate. As such, the night ended on a pretty good note. Four stars outta five.