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.  

Even More Upcoming Shows

Blu Phoenix, a relatively new venue, hosts Superior, By The Thousands, Perplexity, and Questionable Fate on January 16th at 6 pm. 

Elm Street and Night Demon will share the stage with  Holocaustic and the recently reunited Suspended. 

Yet another Blu Phoenix concert, featuring Silent Planet with local bands Bear The Nightmare, Portrait Of A Mastermind, and Cytheria. 

Two iconic Metal legends, Behemoth and Cannibal Corpse, with be performing at Sunshine Theater with support from Aeon and Tribulation. 

The Elected Officials, one of my favorite punk bands, will be tearing your ears a new one at Taos Mesa Brewing. The show will also feature other NM bands, Econarchy, Yar, and Jerk Off. 

Holy fuck, that's a beautiful line up. Freaky fast grindcore pioneers Napalm Death, and progressive metal innovaters Voivod will be co-headlining this concert at Sunshine Theater. I'm equally exited to see Exhumed, whose autographs I have in a Decibel magazine. Phobia, Black Crown Initiate, and Iron Reagan will also be performing. 

The Jamspot will be hosting this kickass All-ages show on January 19th. Final Drive headlines, with local bands Holocaustic, Destroy To Recreate, Visions Of Death, and Lacerated Faith. 

Nekrofilth will be the nastiest, most fucked up show you see all year. Weaponizer from Colorado are touring with them, and NM bands Suspended and Yar will open the show. 

Last but not least, here are some shows that are happening on the East Coast.  New England Metal and Hardcore Festival has a killer line up this year. The show takes place from April 17-19, at the Palladium inWorcester, MA. 

From May 21-24,  Maryland Deathfest will take place in Baltimore, MD. Legendary bands like Amorphis, Obituary, and Napalm Death will be performing alongside more obscure bands such as Early Graves, Water Torture, and Suffering Mind. It would also be pretty sick to see the surf-grind band Ghoul, the proggy Origin, or the stoner sludge heaviness of Yob. This concert promises a vast variety of diverse but consistently dark and brutal music. 

...And of course, I hope to see you all tomorrow at the Locker Room for this bitchin' show. 

Brutal grind band Cattle Decapitation will be headlining, with support from local bands Carrion Kind, Fields Of Elysium, Yar, Impaled Offering, and A Malicious Plague. This show is now ALL AGES, and tickets are selling out quick. Get yours while you can from any of the local bands, who are easily contacted on their respective Facebook pages. 

New Years Eve With As In We

 This is the kind of band that will have you moshing one minute and the next minute have you statue-still with your eyes closed. The music isn't exactly heavy, but it's not exactly happy either. The bittersweet compositions are a Pandora's box, with optimistic melodies belying percussive chaos. Although they are instrumental, As In We has an very bitter, aggressive, but introspective sound.

  After what felt like eons of being without a favorite band, a triumphant return was well-timed for  New Years Eve/Day. The venue was packed with fans, headbanging, moshing, dancing, or just plain mesmerized by the music. This was a perfect way to end one year and begin the next.

It is quite possible that this is the last As In We show we'll see for a while (or ever.) Just in case, make sure to check out their music on Bandcamp, Reverbnation, Last.Fm, or their own website.

I have to say, this performance was excellent. Five 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. 

Band Review: Al Namrood

Like booze, lesbian porn, and pretty much anything else worthwhile, my blog is banned from Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi Arabia is one of the top ten countries who read Undead Goathead (thanks guys!)  To celebrate this small victory, I'm going to write about Al Namrood, an Arabic black metal band whose name translates to The Non-believer. Those of you familiar with the Bible may recognize the anglicized version as King Nimrod, who is depicted as a blasphemer and often credited with building the tower of Babel, or even for being the Antichrist incarnate.

I must admit that I am not exactly fluent in  Arabic, but song titles such as Bat Al Tha ar Nar Muheja (Vengeance Abided Bonfire) and the self titled Atba'a Al Namrood (Something something non-believer) suggest a morbid outlook, as well as violence and athiesm. Besides, music is the universal language. Al Namrood breaks the language barrier (and possibly the sound barrier) with their painfully loud, brutally awesome compositions. 

Check out this sick music video, which portrays a lifestyle of indifference and decadence contrasted with imagery of fire, destruction, and hardship. Fucking badass.

Although similar to other Middle Eastern metal bands such as Acrassicauda and Narjahanam, Al Namrood possesses a certain spark that the other bands lack. I can't explain exactly what it is, but Al Namrood is just heavier, darker, and more extreme than their fellows. They are shamelessly raw, primal, and ruthless. You can purchase albums and other merchandise, read news, or find other information on their own website. They are also active on social media such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter.

Frankly, I'm blown the fuck away. Five stars out of five!

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. 

Progressively Awesome

Hey ladies and djents, sorry for slacking at my writing duties. In my defense, Far Cry 4 was just released, so I've been kind of preoccupied. I’m sure you’ll forgive me. Anyway, when I’m not being a socially inept gamer nerd, I’m being a belligerently drunk metalhead. As such, this show is exactly what I needed on a snowy Saturday night. Here’s what you losers missed out on:

Note: The final line up differs from this flyer. Howling Earth could not make it and American Eyez played in their stead.

American Eyez impressed me. I forgot that some teenagers are actually talented. They covered everything  from Johnny Cash to Led Zeppelin to Motorhead, as well as some original material.  They have a long way to go, but they show more promise than many musicians twice their age. Their choice of songs to cover was ballsy but faithful to the originals. Not everyone can do justice to classics, especially songs like Black Dog, Whole Lotta Love, and even Ace Of Spades. I was particularly surprised by the lead singer’s ability to emulate Robert Plant. That kid has one hell of a voice. Plus, I can only imagine how they felt to be minors performing in a bar right next to Cheeks (the only strip club in Santa Fe, which is just as ghetto as you think). When I was a 14 year old wannabe rockstar, that would have been the best night ever.

Silent Crush was decent.  The highlight of their set was some trippy, psychedelic guitar work. Their music is characterized by funky, catchy beats and rhythmic grooves. They are good at what they do, but frankly, it wasn't heavy enough for my liking. Still, I commend them for their passion and dedication, which was the x factor that made their performance memorable.

In The End was fantastic. Like the opening band, they did some choice covers, notably Iron Maiden’s Hallowed Be Thy Name and Tool’s Sober.  My favorite part of the whole night was when the guitarist/vocalist Lloyd Romero utilized a beer bottle as an improvised slide. That was effing sick. In The End has always been a favorite in the New Mexico metal scene, not only due to their technical and musical prowess, but they also happen to be very photogenic. (That means I think they’re hot.)

The concert itself was excellent,  but my main complaint is the lack of audience. Listen guys, I know you think it’s weird and creepy to have a sports bar sandwiched between a porn shop and a strip club. To be fair, yeah, it is unusual, but it’s also pretty fucking cool. Music, booze, and sports are the main attraction, but titties help the cause. (Sex sells but who’s buying?)

I digress. Maybe it’s the location. Or maybe some of you need to actually get off your ass and occupy a venue. Regardless, I had plenty of fun with or without you. Four stars outta five.