2-17-6
MURDERFEST LA.

The Los Angeles murderfest was 3 days and two stages of non stop metal madness. From old school punk, to sludgy Death Metal and Doom and EVERYTHING in between. This was a fantastic fest and I had a total blast. Here is a recap of some of what stood out.
NAKED AGGRESSION is a band that I never thought I would get to see live. They tore it up though with classic edgy political in your face punk. Allot of people came out to see this act, and I don't blame them. Stout and still full of attitude.
Followed up by Dr. Know, who also put on a great show!
On the main stage were also allot of newer acts. Some of them not as good as others. I know how I feel about this newer metal core post emo thing...Stop punching each other. You have girls haircuts, and your not moshing, your starting fights. God, I'm not even that old, and I thought I was getting beat up, but when I turned around, It was just some kid dancing. What happened to the circle pit? I don't remember moshing being about high kicking someone in the back of the head. When did throwing your fists into peoples faces become the way to express your appreciation of music? I guess when you have a girls hair cut, you have to prove your machismo in overt ways. You are still skinny, and your sailor tattoos fool no one...and your lip ring is stoopid. Stop going to shows!
Luckily South Carolina's THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD were nothing like that. These are cool cats, they are young, and they know wuts up! Brutal grinding shit.

If you only check out one new Metal band this year, be sure to make it JOB FOR A COWBOY They deliver on every level!!!

Its weird to see all these new bands who just took what At the Gates started, and are just running with it. Who would have thought that band would have such an impact. But fuck, I like it! It is technically affluent, with a great dynamic. I'm sure THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD has allot of influences, because their style is all over. BAD ASS shit for the hyper active. Circle pit to these guys, stop punching each other, I promise you'll have more fun!
Another AWESOME surprise was Arizona's JOB FOR A COWBOY who I have been checking out for a minute now, and was really worried when I saw who they were lined up with. HOWEVER, they were totally right on dudes, as far as demeanor and presence, you could tell that they were really about their music, and not the rock star thing...WHEW! BRUTAL GRINDING SICK. I love this band and look forward to their return, and most especially what musical madness they have in store for the future. Probably the sickest new band since I first heard Dying Fetus or Cephalic Carnage. Great to see such a young band command the sickness with such fine tuned hostility! My faith in the future is rekindled.
LA's own INTRONAUT dominated second stage. Containing ex and current members of Exhumed and Phobia, this band is a complete departure from the typical grinding death metal. Extremely jazzy and mathy with, what I would describe as an Isis under tone. Maybe that's in the vocals. This is a very attainable, somewhat art driven band. TECHNICALLY OVERT, these are some talented dudes who have worms for fingers...which is gross, but you get use to it. They just released a cd entitled "NULL". So give these bastards a listen.

Another one of LA's worst kept secrets, KEEN OF THE CROW shrouded us in their accursed doom. Classic doom, reminiscent of Novembers doom, or Morgion. Moments of tranquil sadness, and slightly off key musings about moon lit tombstones and agonized souls were shattered by great walls of thunderous and well preparred...doom I was happy to see these guys, I toast an inverted scull full of blood to you.
Oakland'sWATCH THEM DIE also stood out. This band has been around fro a minute with a couple of albums. They fully tore it up. Totally fast, old school grindage. The singer looked like an insane maniac karate instructor, and he did these martial arts moves, like he could be splitting some poor student's head in half. It was cool, they were all really intense. Elements of black metal, and death metal. I guess I was most surprised to see George Rice, formerly of High on Fire, tearing it up on bass. I'm not sure why that would surprise me though. Watch for this band on their Crush or Be Crushed tour. Really worth checking out.

Blessing the Hogs was also totally bad ass! Very low tuned and sludgy, another bay area band. Still where you can check out legendary engineer Billy Anderson yielding the axe of sonic hate.Holy shit, there is allot of bad ass music in California...You know why, cuz the west is fuckin best.
NOW this was Great, DISFEAR utterly ruled, I mean..C'mon, how much better does swedish grinding hardcore punk get? The answer...IT FUCKING DOESN'T!!! Holy shit, these guys came all the way from Nykoping Vastervik Stockholm to shred our faces off like a lawnmower of power violence. I'm so happy to have seen these guys. If you have never had the distinct pleasure of hearing this music, than do treat yourself. In between the ferocious meaty, unapologetic misanthropic malevolence, the singer broke to remind us americans of how badly we suck at hockey. It is true...wuta ya gonna do. Now this is where the crusties hung out, and there were no windmills, no picking up change, and no fights breaking out. Just everyone having a total blast...Hmm, go figure. This was honest, bad ass shit, I'm so lucky. Fuckin hell yeah Sweden, thanks for all the great bands.
Finally, I got to see the infamous FETUS EATERS display their legendary vomit core. MOST IMPRESSIVE! Total disrespectful, grinding death...with a saxaphone...and silly string...and some doll parts...And other random insanity.

This band contains members of Watch me Burn, the hidden storied underbelly parasite of the LA music scene. Seemingly everywhere, but never anywhere to be found,except at MURDERFEST...Ok, you can tell I'm getting loopy. This band is fucking awesome, their recordings are crazy and great. Find out more about this band!
Yet another west coast legend, and favorite PHOBIA dominated the main stage. I can not tell you how great it is to see this band, after all these years, still right where they belong, on top of a pile of maggot infested sculls, with the putrid entrails of the forsaken festered with parasitic mutant atrocities that worm their way into undergarded orifices to lay their putrid eggs, which give birth to hateful larvae that eat your insides out while you scream about it and grind your fucking eyeballs out!!!Fuck yeah Shane McLachlan, still at the helm of stench. You can not fuck with Phobia!!! They are getting ready to tour with Disfear, mostly east coast though...You lucky phugging bastads. Look how lame that font looks when it spells phobia... Phobia is way cooler than that I swear.
Cephalic Carnage, when will you stop ruling my world? Never? That is most acceptable. This was one of bass monger Jawsh's last shows. Again. Apparently he is just too crazy, or not crazy enough. Using his bass like a hoola hoop, and diving face first into the crowd, in the middle of songs, is just too much I suppose. The rest of the band is so utterly serious, where did they find this guy? Further more, let me just say, the first time someone asked me "Have you heard Cephalic Carnage" I laughed and laughed, and then I heard them, and stopped laughing. These guys are about as brutal and technical and low tuned as can be. I mean, holy fuck, everything this band does is just sick...Especially the art they use. I know this one guy who did some art for them... They played a nice long set, however, they did not cover Acid Bath or DeadHorse. Most unfortunate. Eat breathe sleep this band...Then die.
HOLY SHIT can I say GRAVES AT SEA is my new favorite band? Ok, it's just been handed to me, a new definition of doom dork has been bestowed upon me. If there was a doomicon convention, I would dress up as graves at sea...yes. There is no way to describe the heavyness created by them. Being from the midwest, it is a total treat to behold such massive sound, created by a virile wall of tube driven orange cabs. All you can do is throw clenched hands into the air, and claw for sanctity as the fucking sludge weighs down capon you. Truly sinful, with witch like vocals that shred like a claymore. Pounding riffs and humongous drum sounds. Totally in the vein of Burning Witch, however there is a bit more going on vocally, as some whirling low end is produced. They have created a couple new songs which totally and utterly own me. As much as I like metal, this is the music that I truly draws me...SLOW, LOW, CEASELESS, MINDLESS DRUDGERY...IF there is a hell, this is the music that plays for all eternity while vile demons disembowel little old ladies and priests, and innocent children who died without baptism...Listen to this every nite before sleep
INCANTATION was fully on. These guys have been ruling it for FIFTEEN YEARS!!! I was destroyed while watching them play. Infact, they were so evil, that symbols of blasphemous evil began appearing above the stage as they played and an actual BAPHOMET from another dimension slipped into our world and began to head bang and thusly "threw up the horns". I was thoroughly impressed and quite pleased by this performance. Much respect for years of insight and metal.
ALL in all, this was an AMAZING show and I look forward to next year. A great big round of appreciation and applause for Daniel Dismay and CHURCH of the 8th Day for making it all happen!!!

All Pictures by Tom Denney
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