Last Monday I took the well traveled I-80 to the Hipster Capitol of the world, second to only Manhattan; San Francisco. I don’t understand the appeal of living in this city in my current tax bracket, but many of my friends like it enough to have migrated there. Somehow working 67 hours a week and living in cramped studio apartment with 4 other people while still paying upwards of $600 a month in rent doesn’t really seem attractive to me, but then again Alcatraz is pretty cool.
The reason I took this journey (and shelled out ten, yes TEN dollars for the tolls) was to see the Summer Slaughter Fest. This show has delivered the best of the best metal bands every year since it’s inception. I have been in attendance the past 3 years and have never been let down. This year was no exception and my boner was through the clouds by the 3rd set.
Vital Remains: These guys have been around for what seems like decades, at least they sound like they have been. The only band to dawn traditional death metal spikey gauntlets, they opened the show with some intensity and crowd interaction. you’ve got to hand it to them; being a band as long as they have and being forced to open this show everyday at 3:30 in the afternoon (a time when most metal heads aren’t even done with their morning cocoa puffs yet) requires a significant amount of pride swallowing. Like being Glenn Benton’s red headed stepchild of a band wasn’t enough. ugh. Kudos boys.
Animals as leaders: Well fuck me right? this band is retarded. Not the window licking, mouth breathing retarded, but the “why do I play music when any band I’ll ever be in won’t come light years close to this” kind of retarded. Tosin Abasi’s new brainchild is making the technical music community scratch their heads til blood is drawn. With 8 strings of fury and every single finger being used to its highest potential this band is having the likes of Steve Vai and Joe Satriani lending an ear and giving praise. I was huge Reflux fan (but apparently no one else was) and was bummed when they broke up. The only news I’d heard from that camp was their bassist had joined Bay Area ultra-shredders Animosity, but then Animosity broke up and Hayden Rearick cried many many tears. This all connects the dots to how Navene Koperveis found his way to Mr. Abasi behind the drum kit and they starting playing this madness. The set was dope, they should have headlined. If you don’t have this record yet, you’re the former kind of retarded mentioned earlier.
Carnifex: Their name means “executioner” in Latin. just wanted to throw that out there to make me seem smart. These guys aren’t Death Metal, they aren’t Hardcore, I’ll let you do the math. I’m at a loss of what to say about these guys. google Deathcore and thats what they sound like. This was the third time I’ve seen these guys, the first of which the vocalist blew me away. He’s bummed me out the other two times. At first listen these guys reminded me of Suicide Silence, but since Suicide Silence stopped sounding like Suicide Silence and started sounding like a fat guy shitting, processed through a Boss Metal zone distortion pedal, Carnifex is starting to turn the tables. I got the underdog feel from these guys, and they played well. Clayton literally fell asleep, it was funny.
Decrepit Birth: Right off the bat I have to point out that the singer of this band looks straight up homeless. Dreads, tattered Black Flag shirt, Beard, Dog in tow, old camo shorts, a beard and the dude can’t be under 38. That has always weirded me out. I opened for these guys once and legitimately thought a bum somehow got in to the show. Appearances are often misleading and no disrespect to this guy. I was never a huge fan of these guys, but after a few spins and seeing them live a handful of times I’m starting to come around. The musicianship is A1 and the themes are equally shradical, all about time and existence and portals and shit. Not much in the stage presence department, but that’s not what it’s about, is it? brother? (SLAYER!!!)
Cephalic Carnage: I had a lot of fun watching these guys. They brought the old guy cred to the table (starting in 92’ they have over 7 releases with another one on the way). these guys have paid their dues and made some pretty bitchin death metal along the way. Lenzig Leal is one of the funnier frontmen in death metal and is a guy I wouldn’t mind brain picking (\m/). Set was solid like Iraq and I recommend the track “endless cycle of violence”.
Veil of Maya: I really don’t know why bands like this record and write as a five piece and then go out on the road as a four. Why put the extra strain on the the one guitarist? these guys could easily get a touring axeman? Interesting. nevertheless, Veil of Maya puts on a damn good show and left me satisfied. Marc Okubo’s use of effect and looping pedals was impressive and the band seemed tighter than ever as a whole. I personally thought their last effort, [id] was a dud; with so many bands doing this kind of techy, noodly, meshuggah worship it’s gonna take more than recreating your first record (with less umph) to shine in this industry and genre as a whole. go download their early work and take a few notes, then move on with the universe cause it doesn’t sound like they have. They ended with “It’s not safe to swim today” and rightfully so, that song rapes.
The Red (FUCKING) Chord: My eardrums still hurt from being fucked by Gunface’s guitar tone in this set. I love The Red Chord, lots. I’ve always been vocal about this. First time I saw them was with Converge, who I adore as much as a 13 year old girl adored The Backstreet boys circa 97’. That set was tits, this set was fake perfect tits with pink nipples. Jeeeebus they hit hard. The whole “writing as a five piece, playing as a four” goes right out the window with these guys. Save for a few leads from the new record (Fed through the teeth machine) they sounded like an amped up version of the songs on my iPod. The Vocalist, Guy, Called us all Hippies. I smiled. He also Referenced this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZ7d4JVB2Uc
Go Boston.
All Shall Perish: I Remember when Trevor Maples first gave me a copy of these guys first full length “Hate, Malice, Revenge” Little did I know of Bands Such as All Shall Perish, Internal Bleeding, and Job For a Cowboy. The drive this band has blows me away, their lineup changes rival that only of Cradle of Filth and they’ve been a good handful of Van accidents. This set is the nth time I’ve seen them and will most likely be the one that stands out in my mind when I think back to my fond childhood. Eddie Hermida is the Freddy Mercury of Deathcore/Death Metal. He’s the best. This guy has the control of well seasoned Male pornstar and mind bottles me as a vocalist every time I give em a spin. their shirts are stupid, but the tunes hit hard and have an awesome message. I quote, “When was the last time that your life meant more than fucking payment?” Insert applause here.
The Faceless: This must have been the 6th or 7th time I’ve seen The Faceless. Michael Keene and company never fail to deliver. Planetary Duality was up and above anything that had come out in the past 5 years. I feel bad for Mohammad from Necrophagist, fact being that The Faceless essentially borrowed a few patented techniques and improved on them immensely, maybe that’s why those crazy Germans have taken over 4 years to put out a new god damn record, sigh. ANYWAY, The Faceless Rule. They played aforementioned album in its entirety and encored with (surprise surprise) An Autopsy. Come to think of it, I think they skipped “Prison Born”, I can’t be to sure though, after all my face WAS melted. hmmm.
Decapitated: Last, and in my opinion, least. This kind of Metal bores me. I lump them along with Dying Fetus, Suffocation, and Cannibal Corpse into the the same grouping. I respect the fuck out out of these bands and lay down at there steel toed boots, but 9 metal bands into it I was ready to go home. It was 92 degrees in SF that day, I guess Hell followed with the tour that day.
Support local Metal and Hardcore bands if you like them. go to shows, buy tickets at the door and refuse to pay stupid convenience fee’s online. Bands make money from Merch sales on tour, not buying their records from best buy. download the music, burn it and give it to 4 friends and then go buy every piece of merch they have to offer at the show.
Coconut Records is Lulling me right now, I’m still pretty Metal’d out.
Later gators.
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